Dead 600e

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paz1960 · #1 Post by **paz1960** » Fri Dec 09, 2005 11:10 am

I am a rehabilation instructor for folks with special needs. My broken IBM Thinkpad 600e (Model 2645 4AU) was to be used for tracking client progress, creating reports, and monitoring attendance, to name just a few tasks.

The machine does not boot up. I only hear the fan woring. Ive replaced the c-mos battery/fan/keyboard, so far.

Peace!

#2 Post by **GomJabbar** » Fri Dec 09, 2005 12:38 pm

Generally, if you don't get any numeric error messages as you are trying to boot up, your hard drive is bad. This is assuming that you see something on the display. If your display is dark, then I doubt it's the hard drive. If you see any numeric error messages, then post them here.

For a test, see if you can boot up a Windows Installation CD, or other bootable CD, such as Norton Antivirus. If the CD boots up fine, then again I would suspect the hard drive.

Press F1 as you try to boot up to go into the BIOS EZ setup menu. Run the system diagnostic test.

There are also hard drive testing programs that you load by booting up from a floppy disk. Let us know if you need a link to one.

paz1960 · #3 Post by **paz1960** » Fri Dec 09, 2005 1:54 pm

DKB,

Win2K is not installed yet. Before I changed the battery/fan/keyboard, the machine booted, (and that's w/o an OS installed), I was also able to get into the diagnostic utililty, see the cursor, and would get error messages related fan/mouse-keyoard.

After I changed those parts, which included the cmos battery - the machime stopped booting up - no dianostics, no cursor - nothing but a black screen...

Walt

#4 Post by **GomJabbar** » Fri Dec 09, 2005 9:23 pm

Verify that the LCD ribbon cable is connected properly. Look for any visible damage to the ribbon cable.

I don't suppose there's any chance the plug for the CMOS battery was inserted backwards?

Do you hear any beeps at any time?

Try plugging in an external monitor to the VGA port, and see if anything shows up on the external monitor.

Download the Hardware Maintenance Manual below. It has some diagnostic information.

Hardware Maintenance Manual (June 1999) - ThinkPad 600

ndoggfromhell · #5 Post by **ndoggfromhell** » Fri Dec 09, 2005 11:28 pm

also remove any added memory... infact, try starting it with just a shell... no HD, CD, Battery, PCCard, Memory. It should start up from there, if not... perhaps something was assembled wrong during your work. If no luck there, i'd suspect a systemboard failure.

paz1960 · #6 Post by **paz1960** » Tue Dec 13, 2005 10:43 am

Thank you all for your help. I found that the cpu card was loose, so I snapped back in place.

Now, I'd appreciate your feedbak on:

- What OS I should install on it and where I can get it.
- What I should know about wireless capability and how I should go about it.
- I messed on putting back some of the correct screws on the underside of the machine, now they won't come out.

Any other info on the 600e that you'd like to share.

Thank you.

whizkid · #7 Post by **whizkid** » Tue Dec 13, 2005 11:13 am

If you need to use Windows, then XP is a safe bet. You can get it at any Best Buy, Circuit City, etc. If you want to save money on it, though, get the OEM version, which requires purchase of some hardware. Most places make you buy a hard drive or motherboard, but some will let you buy a power splitter for $5.

XP Pro Retail: $299.
XP Pro OEM: as low as $75.

If you don't need Windows, Linux can be had for free, and works great on a 600E.

Website · #8 Post by **tfflivemb2** » Tue Dec 13, 2005 11:23 am

Anything above Win98Se would work, as well as almost any distribution of Linux. (I am a Red Hat fan

)

For wireless, your best bet might be to just add a PCMCIA wireless card, instead of trying to add the built-in wireless. There isn't a lot of spare room in the display, but it is possible to run the antenna in there.

For the screws on the bottom of the case, sometimes you have to try to loosen them with the bottom of the laptop facing down. They do stick in there sometimes. As long as it is the outside screws, you could use a magnetic screw driver to help get those screws out. (NOTE: DO NOT use a magnetic screwdriver on the inside of the laptop)

paz1960 · #9 Post by **paz1960** » Tue Dec 13, 2005 9:46 pm

I downloaded IBM bios for win2k. My only concern is that I previously attemped to install win2K, and was not succesfull (something wrong with cd), and that when I try to re-install win 2k from another cd it will corrupt the new program?

Is my concern unwarranted?

#10 Post by **GomJabbar** » Wed Dec 14, 2005 12:42 am

paz1960 wrote:I downloaded IBM bios for win2k. My only concern is that I previously attemped to install win2K, and was not succesfull (something wrong with cd), and that when I try to re-install win 2k from another cd it will corrupt the new program?

Is my concern unwarranted?

Sorry, which new program are you referring to? The BIOS update? It won't affect that.

paz1960 · #11 Post by **paz1960** » Wed Dec 14, 2005 6:55 am

I am concerned about the fresh win 2K cd install. My questions are:

- Will the old win2k files be overwritten?
- How do I install the new bios?
- Is there a way to disable the beeping?

Thanks

whizkid · #12 Post by **whizkid** » Wed Dec 14, 2005 10:08 am

W2K will format your drive and erase all files, if you want it to. I suggest you do that if there are any worries about corrupted files.

Follow the instructions on Lenovo's site about your BIOS upgrade. They are easy to follow. Basically, you download the EXE and run it where you downloaded it. It will make a floppy. Boot that floppy in your ThinkPad.

What beeping? Go into EZSetup (just to have something on screen) and press Fn+PgDn to decrease volume. Fn+PgUp increases and Fn+Backspace mutes the speaker.

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