Thinkpad 701c/cs Parts and Guide Help Thread

[BovineMage]

Well, to sum up my experience, after reading about this charming laptop I figured I'll go pick one up on Ebay for cheap and play around on it, maybe even make it useful.

Well, I found one for about 30 dollars with shipping, but the seller failed to mention that the keyboard doesn't work, among other things. So, this leads me into my questions for you Thinkpad 701'ers out there:

1.) Are there any webstores (avoiding auctions if I can; however, if you have any leads on current auction on Ebay, etc. that sells what I would need, PM me or post here) that sell parts for the Thinkpad 701c/701cs line? It doesn't have to be 701 specific, but has to work with it at least.

Mainly, I need to get:

- CD-ROM drive that would work with this line of Thinkpads (PCMCIA) or plugs into the Portable Drive Bay accessory that came with the Thinkpad 701c (I was able to get that accessory with that certain auction).

- USB PCMCIA card that would work with Windows 98 SE at least

- Hard drives that would work with the original 75 Mhz Mobo

- Ethernet 10/100 Base PCMCIA Adapter that would work with Windows 98 SE at least (Maybe wireless, but I need a card with a RJ45 port at least)

- New Keyboard to replace old one that doesn't work (The Enter and Spacebar keys don't work, for goodness sakes)

If it helps, I'm planning on fitting Windows 98SE on this computer, so I definitely need the CDROM drive, and hopefully getting 32 Mb ram on this computer to max out the current RAM limit. Let me know if there's any websites out there with complete specs for this computer, so I have a better idea on what's the max limits for HDD, ram, etc.

I also don't know what version of PCMCIA slots are on this computer, so I couldn't tell you guys what would be compatible or not; any help with this would be appreciated.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2.) Before I can tinker around on my Thinkpad, I also need to pick up a service guide somewhere online that outlines what screws connect to what, so I don't go unscrewing the entire thing to pieces, then forgetting what goes where .

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Okay, that's it for my own questions, but if there's anything else I should know about this laptop while I'm fixing it, I would greatly appreciate the input. I hope this thread would go to help any other tinkers of older Thinkpads, especially 701c/cs out there, and I hope to hear replies soon.

- BovineMage

[virge]

I have two of these machines. One is fine, the other is in poor shape. I've been wanting to disassemble them, but they are held together by tiny torx screws! You might have to buy the tool. Keep that in mind. It might be cheaper to get a refund and buy a working machine.

Other thoughts: The PCMICA slots are 16-bit, non-Cardbus so you won't be able to fine a USB adapter. There are plenty of wired and wireless cards that work though. I haven't had any problems getting PCMCIA CD-ROMs to work-- just make sure you locate the correct driver. This is especially a problem with generic drives. The HDD requires a special caddy and cable.

[rkawakami]

2.) Before I can tinker around on my Thinkpad, I also need to pick up a service guide somewhere online that outlines what screws connect to what, so I don't go unscrewing the entire thing to pieces, then forgetting what goes where .

ftp://ftp.software.ibm.com/pc/pccbbs/mobiles/tpvol2.pdf is the Hardware Maintenance Manual for the 701x (and others).

P.S. And Welcome to thinkpads.com!

[BovineMage]

Thanks a lot for the helpful replies so far! It's nice to have an admin that actually welcomes you to the forums

So no USB huh? That's okay, at least I need internet connectivity and a CD-ROM drive. I don't have any idea though, on which ones that may work; links to examples here would be a big help to me.

Also, any ideas on what dimensions I would need for the Torx wenches? I'm pretty sure that there's few deals out there that I can take advantage of, but I want to make sure to get the right ones the first time around.

btw, Thanks for the link to the service guide, rkawakami =)

One more thing, however; I've heard that there's a 133 Mhz upgrade Mobo flying around out there for this line of Thinkpads; Is it worth it to get it?

Well, until next time,

- Bovine Mage

[rkawakami]

The HMM lists two Torx screwdriver sizes; T1 and T6 (page 162 of the printed manual, page 172 of the .PDF file). Not sure about any upgrades for the system. Poke around the archives using the Search link at the top of the page or wait for a 701 expert to wander by .

[ajkula66]

There is a Pentium planar that will run in butterflies, and quite a few people (a long time ago, though) have reported a significantly improved performance.

As you will see in my signature, I own a 701C. Five or six years ago, I've had a maxed out one with 2.1GB HDD and 40MB RAM (max is 64MB from what I've learned on this forum) but never got to swapping the board...although I had one spare at the time...

You need an IBM CD-ROM drive for PCMCIA slot, model is either 1968 or 1969...

If you're in the mood to get the butterfly online, 16-bit PCMCIA LAN card will be required.

Good luck.

[BovineMage]

Okay, I did some poking around the internet, and this is what I found as far as parts are concerned:

Torx Screwdriver Set:

http://cgi.ebay.com/6-pcs-Torx-Screwdri ... dZViewItem

CD-ROM:

http://cgi.ebay.com/New-PCMCIA-CDROM-24 ... dZViewItem

Possible Ethernet Card:

Netgear FA411 16-Bit PCMCIA Network Card (10/100 Mbps)


I'm still looking around for HDDs that would fit, and I found a deal on Ebay for a replacement keyboard.

That covers all that I've found so far. I want to order these asap, but I also want to run this list by you guys first, to make sure that they look like they're going to work (I'm espeically worried about that CDROM drive, considering all the other 1969 models I've seen required seperate power supplies - In the form of 6 lovely AA batteries).

Once again, your input is greatly appreciated,

- Bovine Mage

[RealBlackStuff]

I recently worked on a 701c and needed Torx T1 and T6 screwdrivers.
The set that you found does not contain the T1. That's a typo and is in reality a T9.
Without the T1 you can't take the 701c apart.
I got my screwdrivers here:
T1 http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... 0384537953
T6 http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... 0385324374

[BovineMage]

I recently worked on a 701c and needed Torx T1 and T6 screwdrivers.
The set that you found does not contain the T1. That's a typo and is in reality a T9.
Without the T1 you can't take the 701c apart.
I got my screwdrivers here:
T1 http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... 0384537953
T6 http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... 0385324374

Thanks for the heads up; I've already bought that other set, but I'll buy that #1 and #6 Torx Wench that you linked to here.

Anybody know if it's safe to use that CD-Rom Drive I've linked to in my previous post, or do I have to use the original model 1969 IBM CD-Drive? Input on this matter would help a lot, since getting the CD-ROM and the Ethernet card are my two top priorities atm.

Also, I'm in the process of getting drivers for my laptop, but I have no idea where to get drivers for the Windows 95/98SE OSes except here and the only drivers for the 701c off the main Lenovo website seem to be only for Windows 3.1 and DOS.

Once again, thanks a lot for the help so far,

- Bovine Mage

[RealBlackStuff]

I'll buy that #1 and #6 Torx Wench that you linked to here

Slave markets were abolished about 1-1/2 centuries ago!

Main Entry: wench
Pronunciation: \ˈwench\
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English wenche, short for wenchel child, from Old English wencel; akin to Old High German wankōn to totter, waver and probably to Old High German winchan to stagger — more at wink
Date: 14th century

1 a: a young woman : girl b: a female servant
2: a lewd woman : prostitute

[BovineMage]

Slave markets were abolished about 1-1/2 centuries ago!

Main Entry: wench
Pronunciation: \ˈwench\
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English wenche, short for wenchel child, from Old English wencel; akin to Old High German wankōn to totter, waver and probably to Old High German winchan to stagger — more at wink
Date: 14th century

1 a: a young woman : girl b: a female servant
2: a lewd woman : prostitute

Lol, wow, the difference one little r makes

[BovineMage]

Quick question, to anyone still reading this thread and knows 701's:

Can the 701c power devices through the PCMCIA slot, or do those devices require an external power source to function at all? Knowing this information is important in what peripherals that buy, so help in this matter would be great

- Bovine Mage

[virge]

My 701C runs a CD-ROM (generic) and LS-120 drive off the PCMCIA slots with no additional power supply needed. It might depend on the specific device though. One of my PCMCIA CD drives was a Targus brand, I don't remember the other. The LS-120 is Panasonic I believe.

[BovineMage]

My 701C runs a CD-ROM (generic) and LS-120 drive off the PCMCIA slots with no additional power supply needed. It might depend on the specific device though. One of my PCMCIA CD drives was a Targus brand, I don't remember the other. The LS-120 is Panasonic I believe.

Thanks a much, man. Now I can go buy that generic PCMCIA CD-ROM, rather than that Model 1969 IBM drive, which required all that power supply related stuff (not to mention a bunch of AA batteries ). Almost done getting all the stuff together; I'll write some more here once everything gets in.

- Bovine Mage

[BovineMage]

Well, seems like I've hit another roadblock onto fixing my laptop.

Problem is, that I need to get my BIOS flashed to update it for plug and play (Required for Windows 95 and 98), which requires two things: A working battery, and a floppy disk drive.

Currently, my computer boots into this really downsized version of Windows 98, where it quickly shows the logo, then goes directly to a command line prompt, with Command.com as the only file seen on the hard drive.

I currently only have a battery that can barely hold a charge for 6 minutes worth of time, and a PCMCIA floppy drive that the computer does not recognize at all, so I'm kinda at another wall atm.

Any tips on how to get my BIOS flashed? If it helps, I have a port duplicator coming on its way, so I have a parallel port and serial port coming along, and I was thinking of shoving the BIOS flash directly onto the hard drive via an enclosure, so just let me know what solution might work better than another.

- Bovine Mage

[virge]

Sounds like someone just used the good ol' format/s on your hard drive before you got it. That's a good start though. All you need to do is copy your installation CD over... oh and get your BIOS updated.

I don't know how much actual charge your battery has to hold in order to run the BIOS update. I haven't tried it myself, but I have read that the internal cells are just rechargeable NiCad AA batteries. I've been meaning to try a cell replacement when I get the chance.

To get your PCMCIA drive going you would have to find and install the DOS drivers. If you do find them, installation shouldn't be too difficult if you have a working knowledge of DOS. I don't know if you can run the BIOS update through the PCMCIA drive though. The BIOS exe creates a bootable floppy, and that floppy wouldn't have the PCMCIA driver files... maybe modifying the autoexec and adding the files would work. I dunno. Its risky though. Hopefully someone else here has tried it before.

[RealBlackStuff]

An interesting 701 website:
http://www.darmstadt.teamos2.de/web/web ... ction=14.2
with BIOS download and other stuff.

[hjanzen]

For replacement of battery cells see this site and scroll to the bottom of it.

http://www.komotch2.com/tps/701.htm

I have succeded several times this way.

[BovineMage]

Serious Problem now:

I used the service guide to take apart the 701c (reason being, I need to clean away some corrosion that had built up around the battery terminals, so I used a baking soda-water solution to clean it up, and I needed to insert a 32 mb RAM chip into the slot, so I needed to access the bottom of the bottom system board; pretty much, take the thing apart), and after putting everything back together, when I boot up the computer, I can hear the sounds, but nothing on the screen shows up anymore; the screen doesn't even flicker like it used to! I tried reinserting the ZIF connectors (stupid things) into the slots again, checking the board-to-board connection, and looking at the backlight connector to the inverter card, but it didn't seem to work. Solutions here would be great; because I'm freaking out now.

- Bovine Mage

BTW, taking apart the 701c is a big pain in the you know where.

[virge]

BTW, taking apart the 701c is a big pain in the you know where.

That's one good reason why I haven't been motivated to open up my 701c. I have two-- a nice one with a 50mhz board and a beatup one with a 75mhz board. Been thinking about swapping mobos, but it looked too complicated to me!

reason being, I need to clean away some corrosion that had built up around the battery terminals, so I used a baking soda-water solution to clean it up, and I needed to insert a 32 mb RAM chip into the slot, so I needed to access the bottom of the bottom system board; pretty much, take the thing apart

The RAM slot should be accessible via the cover on the bottom. Good job on the cleaning the terminals. I've been afraid to open mine up to do check on them. See first comment above.

Some constructive questions that might help others diagnose the issue...

1. Does the screen light up at all?
2. Have you tried an external LCD?
3. Do you hear the startup beep?

[BovineMage]

To answer your questions, I didn't get to try it on an external monitor yet (I have to go find one), and when I turn it on, I see only the green power LCD light come on; No response at all from the monitor. As for the system, I don't even heard the usual POST noises... just eerie silence, sometimes a soft whirling noise (I didn't put a HDD in yet, for testing).

I'm really quite sad, because this is my first attempt too. I'm pretty sure I destatic myself... I'm guessing either I must have done something I didn't know about, or I didn't properly seat something... it could be the new RAM, I don't know.

[RealBlackStuff]

When you put the flat cables back that you disconnected between the boards, did you first lift the plastic slider, then insert the cable, then secure the cable by pushing the sliders down again?
You may even have forgotten one!

[BovineMage]

Sorry about not posting in a while, but I've been busy as of late (Finals and all).

I haven't had the time to test any of the parts, but I also have a 701cs that works (albeit the motherboard has a TON of problems in itself - like the audio port settings in the BIOS automatically change themselves every half second [I kid you not; it actually causes the BIOS menu to lag ], the CMOS battery is shot to heck so my computer's stuck in some time period ranging from prehistory to 1994 [it varies; problem number 161], and it comes up with some serial port error [I think it's number 1104, but I could be mistaken], so I have to replace the motherboard on this thing... however, it still boots, surprisingly enough.)

I was thinking about switching out each piece in the laptop until I find the problem, but I think my biggest problem is my handling of the system boards (I tried everything else, like reinserting the FIP connections, etc. short of using a volt meter to test every circuit on the board.)

It's a beast separating those two boards... this, to me, is the biggest design flaw in the 701, that DARN two board system... I have to get to the bottom of the bottom system board just to plug in the 32 mb RAM chip (the EDO memory stick that I got off of Ebay is too big to fit in the RAM hole on the bottom of the case, so I had to surgically go in and put it in) and my confidence about opening laptops was severely damaged with that last attempt.

So, my next step in my plan to fix my 701c:

1a.) Test all the pieces in the laptop, though that may be time-consuming.

- or -

1b.) Maybe replace the mobo, I'm pretty sure that's the problem, considering how roughly (and in anger) I removed the top from the bottom system board, plus I maybe shouldn't be doing laptop work in 3 o'clock AM in the morning .

2.) Make sure that the monitor LCD is still functioning (I sort of also rough-handled that though not too roughly in my drunken, early morning state)

3.) Update that darn BIOS (how, I'm still not sure, but I'll cross that bridge when I come to it)

4.) Run the Quick Recovery CD and get drivers and OS installed (I've picked up a new 6 GB HDD, so space is not a factor anymore )

Thanks for all the help that you guys given me so far; I appreciate the fact that there're guys at least as crazy as I am when it comes to this legacy hardware stuff, or at least spend the same amount of cash on them .

- Bovine Mage

PS - This forum has done wonders in curbing my cursing tendencies... I've noticed that I have been cursing less and less in RL...

[virge]

I have to get to the bottom of the bottom system board just to plug in the 32 mb RAM chip (the EDO memory stick that I got off of Ebay is too big to fit in the RAM hole on the bottom of the case

Have you tried booting it without the extra memory? My 701c has a 32MB SODIMM in it as well, and there isn't any problem accessing it through the memory cover. That makes me think that you might have the wrong memory in there. Try booting it without if you haven't tried that already.

[T.A.SRINIVAS]

I have got the below mentioned spares suitable for TP701 series, TP340 series & TP345:

1. IBM Hard disk drive 360MB P/N.85G8374
2. IBM Hard disk drive 2GB
3. IBM DRAM CARD (8MB)P/N.40G0276 FRU P/N.07G1416 -- Qty. 02no.
4. Netgear FA411 PCMCIA 16-bit Wireless LAN adapter with driver software
5. Globe Trotter PCMCIA EDGE/GSM Wireless adapter with driver software

If you require you may contact me through my email: tasrinivas@gail.co.in

Regards

T.A.Srinivas

[Davemci]

There is a Pentium planar that will run in butterflies, and quite a few people (a long time ago, though) have reported a significantly improved performance.

As you will see in my signature, I own a 701C. Five or six years ago, I've had a maxed out one with 2.1GB HDD and 40MB RAM (max is 64MB from what I've learned on this forum) but never got to swapping the board...although I had one spare at the time...

You need an IBM CD-ROM drive for PCMCIA slot, model is either 1968 or 1969...

If you're in the mood to get the butterfly online, 16-bit PCMCIA LAN card will be required.

Good luck.

I had that motherboard in my 701 before I sold it. It was actually a 586 that ran at 133MHZ. Bios reported it as a 486 at 133MHZ. Kind of like a 486/pentium mix. The CPU had the same package as the 486 and I imagine anyone good at surface mount soldering could have made their 486 into a pentium if they could find the 586 CPU.

[martin255]

Hi all. I currently consider buying a 701C. My goal is to have a small, elegant machine to finish various writing projects - my X200s simply offers to much distraction for me to really concentrate! It will be a single purpose computer, with an OS and a word processor. I know any old machine would fit the bill, but the 701C is just too sexy for me to really consider anything else.

That being said, it has been a long time since I used such old hardware and I have several questions for all you vintage Thinkpads lovers before I take the plunge:

- I would like to install OS/2 on the 701C. Is there a version that would perform better or do I simply install the latest version available?
- The 701C I found on eBay is a DX4 75 MHz. How responsive can I expect it to be, i.e. how long does it take to boot, launch a programm, etc.? Is there any point in looking for one of the mythical Pentium mobos, performance-wise? Also, does maxing out the RAM offer a real performance benefit? I would like the machine to be as usable as possible.
- Is it easy or even possible to use a computer running OS/2 on the same network as newer machines (two are running OS X, one Xubuntu Linux, and one Windows Seven)?
- I have a 8Gb 2,5" PATA SSD lying around. It is a very fast drive (Memoright). Do you think the 701C could use it? I know the CPU will probably be a bottleneck, what I am interested in is relaliability and silence.

[Paul Pennington]

The DX4 versions of the 701C like the one you are considering shipped with OS/2 Warp 3.0, so you should have no trouble with that one at least. If word processing is all you want to do, ANY ThinkPad will do fine, with the minimum memory. The older ones boot faster, too.

There is one problem, in my opinion. While the "butterfly" keyboard will draw a crowd anywhere with its shape-shifting trick, it is not really a good keyboard to type on. I know I'll probably be kicked off the forum for saying it, but it really has a terrible touch. The mouse buttons are worse.

Many folks think the ThinkPad 600 had the best keyboard of any, and IBM sold zillions of them. They are available for very little on eBay.

I wish I could meet you for cafe au lait and croissants to talk ThinkPads

[martin255]

Thanks for your insight, Paul. I need the machine to be as comfortable as possible to type on so the 701 might not be the better choice after all. I guess I'll have to do a bit more research before I make up my mind.

And if you ever travel to Paris, drop me a PM and we'll talk Thinkpads over coffee.

[BovineMage]

The keyboard of the 701c has a harder sort of click to it, similar IMHO to the "clicky" mechanical spring keyboards of the IBM Model M age. I personally like these keyboards best, better than the mushy modern membrane keyboards, and the 701c comes the closest on a laptop that I've ever felt. So, it's really personal preference, but I really like these keyboards (the reason I'm going through all this trouble to install WFW 3.11 and MSOFFICE 4.3 pro on it ).

Sorry I couldn't answer your question about OS/2 Wrap, haven't played around with that OS yet.

- Bovine Mage

PS - As for the HDD, I haven't used anything above 1 GB, and I know that FDISK has to enable "Large Disk Support," which seems to cause some trouble in Win95 and earlier OS's. Here's a website with some help on that subject: Click Me! I hope that helps some.