TP42 stuck to Dock II - how to separate them??

[Edward Mendelson]

Here's a problem that EasyServ couldn't solve over the phone, and I hope someone here knows a solution that won't require sending the unit back to EasyServ.

A TP42 is stuck to the Dock II. The eject button is pushed in (below the top surface of the dock), and won't move. The key won't turn all the way to the horizontal position and can't be removed.

The computer and dock are functioning normally aside from the fact that I can't separate the computer from the dock.

EasyServ is sending a box big enough (they send) to send back the machine and dock together. The computer is in warranty, but they'll probably charge for the surgery required to separate them. Is there any known solution for this problem that won't require sending back the machine and dock together?

(By the way, following the wise recommendations here, if I have to send it all back, I'll keep the HDD and optical driver.)

Thanks for any advice.

Edward Mendelson

[GomJabbar]

A TP42 is stuck to the Dock II. The eject button is pushed in (below the top surface of the dock), and won't move. The key won't turn all the way to the horizontal position and can't be removed.

<snip>

The computer is in warranty, but they'll probably charge for the surgery required to separate them.

I am not any kind of expert on IBM/Lenovo's warranty, but I sure don't see how they could charge you for separating the units. The mechanical function of the dock has failed, locking the units together. I would not call this abuse, but faulty engineering or faulty parts used in manufacture.

I am sorry I do not have any info on how to separate the T42 from the dock.

[sktn77a]

I had this problem with a X31 and the same dock. Came from trying to undock it without first clicking "Start", "Undock" before pressing the release button. Our IT teach just came by ad broke them apart. Everything worked fina after that.

I don't recommend you try to do this yourself - if he'd broken anything it wouldn't have been my problem, whereas if you break anything, it is your problem!

[Edward Mendelson]

You're right - it would certainly be my problem. If it doesn't fix itself in a few days, I'll use that big box and send it back to Atlanta (sigh). And I'm grateful to learn that I'm not the only person this has happened to...!

[Jason986]

I had the same thing happen on the T43 in my sig and a Dock II (Type 2877) when the motherboard on the T43 died without warning.

There is an emergency release mechanism built into the Dock II. On the right side of the dock, about one inch to the left of the lock, there is a small oval-shaped hole. With the key in your dock in the upright (unlocked) position, insert a straightened paper clip one inch into the right side of the hole (so the paper clip should protrude beyond the unpainted metal object that obscures ~ 60% of the hole). Now gently push the paperclip to the left side of the hole. Note: If you do this correctly, you should see the bit of unpainted metal in the hole slide to the left.

When the paper clip reaches the left side of the hole, you should hear a click and you will be able to easily remove the ThinkPad from the dock.

Note also that this will only work if there is not a mechanical failure within the dock itself. If such a failure did occur, you're probably stuck sending the whole thing in for service.

Good luck!

[Edward Mendelson]

I wondered what that little opening was for... I tried this technique, and the metal piece moved easily to the left, but had no effect. The problem occurred when I tried to undock the TP when the machine and dock were both turned off (no power cord attached to the dock), and I wanted to get the machine out without fussing with software. This works if the dock has power coming into it - just press the eject button, then turn on and off the power, and the machine ejects - but I was impatient this time.

Back it will go, probably, for service. Meanwhile, thanks again for an explanation that may come in useful later.

[misfit]

I had the same thing happen on the T43 in my sig and a Dock II (Type 2877) when the motherboard on the T43 died without warning.

There is an emergency release mechanism built into the Dock II. On the right side of the dock, about one inch to the left of the lock, there is a small oval-shaped hole. With the key in your dock in the upright (unlocked) position, insert a straightened paper clip one inch into the right side of the hole (so the paper clip should protrude beyond the unpainted metal object that obscures ~ 60% of the hole). Now gently push the paperclip to the left side of the hole. Note: If you do this correctly, you should see the bit of unpainted metal in the hole slide to the left.

When the paper clip reaches the left side of the hole, you should hear a click and you will be able to easily remove the ThinkPad from the dock.

Note also that this will only work if there is not a mechanical failure within the dock itself. If such a failure did occur, you're probably stuck sending the whole thing in for service.

Good luck!

Sorry to resurrect a long-dormant thread but I think it's got good info in it so a 'bump' wouldn't hurt.

I wish I'd found this yesterday as then my X24 (sans lid and display) wouldn't have a broken case at the front left. I was given three Dock IIs a while back, one without keys, from a corporate sale. However I couldn't get the release mechanism to work no matter what I did; The button just wouldn't go down. Luckily I had a friend here who leant a hand as I stripped the one without the key and found where to insert a knife-blade on the thin part of the dock to push the locking slider sideways after removing some screws. (The friend caught the T43 for me, two hands just aren't enough sometimes.)

Anyway, I scored an X24, working but without a lid and HDD last week for $20. After spending a whole bunch of my life that I'm never going to get back trying to install XP on it via a USB CD drive (worked for my X31s), a USB stick and also by pre-copying the setup files to the HDD I was stumped. I don't have an X3 ultrabay or I'd use the optical drive in that....

That's when I thought of my Dock IIs, late last night. I wondered if I could use the optical drive from my R40 in a dock II to install XP. The good news is that it worked! The bad news is they were stuck together afterwards. Remembering where I slipped in the knife and thinking the X24 was light enough for me to catch I separated them.... Only to have the X24 hit the floor and break the case.

It still works and will make a good small controller for my security system (using a USB2 PC Card as an interface). However if I'd read this first it wouldn't be broken. I'm now motivated to try to fix the docks that I have, they're very useful but obviously a flawed design if I've been given three 'broken' ones.

Thanks again Jason, if you're still around. (Moderators, I'm not sure if this shouldn't be moved to a different section? It took some finding.)