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T550 woes...

T430-T490, T530-T590 Series
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edik
Sophomore Member
Posts: 177
Joined: Thu Aug 24, 2006 2:27 pm
Location: Moscow, RF

T550 woes...

#1 Post by edik » Wed May 23, 2018 8:49 pm

Well got so mad with my T450 with an "upgraded" screen... FHD but TN and it was *awful* that I sold it... so happy.

Managed to find a T550 with i5-5300U, 16GB, 256GB SSD and IPS 3K touch screen for $500 (US equivalent) - pretty cheap for the UK. Seems I got it in the same state as it left the factory (nobody has opened it up to upgrade it/fiddle about with it).

Unfortunately has some issues I didn't immediately notice:

1. CPU Heat dissipation Grill has missing strut... I have seen this on other ThinkPads (and other makes) so I guess it isn't really bad but I often wonder how can this be done??? Surely not by knocking it as it would have to be a pretty accurate knock.

More worryingly:

2. Webcam and Mic are completely not seen (either by Windows with drivers) or Linux. Enabled in BIOS but completely absent from hardware inventory. It's like they don't exist.
3. MMC Card Reader sometimes generates huge R/W errors (in log) - this may be the card but I suspect the reader as it's doing it with many cards - however it *does* work most of the time
4. Power button doesn't lie flat (seems to be a problem with T550 as it doesn't use a spring... may fail eventually but I rarely use it as I use the lid to suspend/resume mostly)

Sort of good news... it is under Lenovo warranty for another 5 months.

Any quick webcam fixes? I don't want to put into warranty for just this as I never use it anyhow, but the MMC reader problem makes me think possibly motherboard issues?

Many thanks!
Ed

2020: P50/E3-1535M/24GB/3xSSD/FHD
2018: T550/16/IPS 3K/72Wh
2007-2018: T450, T520/i7, X200s, T500, A31p, A30p, T42p, X60s, X32, X31
Gone but not forgotten 1998-2006: 2006 T43p 2668-H2G (2GB/60), T22 2648-8EG (128/20) 2005 X40, X31 2004 T30 SXGA+, 600X, 2003 770 P233+DVD Card, 760XD 1998 760XL+104MB

zephxiii
Posts: 43
Joined: Sun Aug 02, 2009 9:40 am
Location: New Haven, IN

Re: T550 woes...

#2 Post by zephxiii » Wed May 30, 2018 9:31 am

Are you running Lenovo Vantage from MS Store (Win10) and getting all latest drivers?

edik
Sophomore Member
Posts: 177
Joined: Thu Aug 24, 2006 2:27 pm
Location: Moscow, RF

Re: T550 woes...

#3 Post by edik » Sun Jun 03, 2018 2:49 pm

Unfortunately I am running Linux.

I can however boot from an external USB Disk into Windows 7, and have done this, but device manager does not see the camera nor the mic.

Windows 7 has similar called "ThinkVantage System Update"/ "Lenovo System Update".

Thanks for the advice will try this, but given that not seen in device manager makes me think possibly the connector is loose.

Unfortunately the built-in Lenovo diagnostics don't include the mic nor the camera!

2020: P50/E3-1535M/24GB/3xSSD/FHD
2018: T550/16/IPS 3K/72Wh
2007-2018: T450, T520/i7, X200s, T500, A31p, A30p, T42p, X60s, X32, X31
Gone but not forgotten 1998-2006: 2006 T43p 2668-H2G (2GB/60), T22 2648-8EG (128/20) 2005 X40, X31 2004 T30 SXGA+, 600X, 2003 770 P233+DVD Card, 760XD 1998 760XL+104MB

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