T41 problems: random restart.

[Jiro]

My t41 randomly does this with no warnings while normal use (browsing the internet) or just in an idle state... The screen turns off. Then it restarts. I havent really much else to say about it except that so far it seems that it has been doing this with the AC adaptor plugged in (I still need to confirm this).

Other things I should note are:
-motherboard was replaced one week ago prior to this by ibm warranty services
-happened shortly after i nudged the corner of my laptop with my elbow by accident. (it actually did what i described right after this incident)

I thought it could be some flaw in the IBM active protection system?! Although I don't have a hatachi harddrive no more (i have a seagate barracuda) i wonder if a problem with the active protection system has anything to do with it...

Anybody have any ideas? Should I open the laptop and take a look? I would be very appreciative if someone had a tutorial on how to disassemble a t41 notebook... could it be something silly like i have to reseat the ram?!?! I would rather fix this myself than send it off to ibm again...

if all else fails i may have to.
EDIT:
-Sorry i dont think it has anything to do with ibm APS since i dont even have the application installed.
-I have a spare harddrive i could use to reinstall windows and such... hmm..

[christopher_wolf]

Interesting

First off, APS is independent of the HDD you choose. As all HDDs can be be told to ramp the head, hardware and software inside the Thinkpad decide whether or not to send the signal to the HDD to ramp the heads off the platters if a shock is anticipated.

Take a look at the videos and HMM for the T41 on the IBM/Lenovo support site if you want a good look at how to take apart a Thinkpad T41. I really doubt, though, that it is a problem related to the RAM. It quite possibly sounds like a mainboard problem. Does it shut off when the T41 is shocked or is it *entirely* random?

[Jiro]

I just tried to recreate the shock (it wasnt much of a shock to begin with) and failed to get the same negative result. Im starting to think it has something to do with the power, though i dont know any real nice experiments to confirm this. When I first observed that it did not do this seemingly random restart when plugged into the AC adaptor, I turned on the computer running on batteries alone for 30mins -with no problems. I then plugged in the AC adaptor and ran it for 2 hours (idle) and it didnt do it. I then thought the whole ordeal was over somehow (i dunno why - which troubles my mind), however, i was greeted with the same restart problem soon after using the computer.

So this has led me to believe, thus far, that the problem does not infact occur in idle. But I really feel that this is pretty weak theory.

I'll say more about the problem the best i can remember to give you guys a better idea... about 7 hours ago when the shock happened and it happened, i rebooted. Then about 4 mins after windows booted and loaded up all the startup programs it happened. I rebooted. Then again it happened again in the same manner, except, the screen had a brief frozen display of streaks and artifacts, then went black and then i turned it off... then I turned it back on, convincing myself that it was something to do with a startup program, went into msconfig to turn off everything on startup... again it happened. Then it happened again, but this time I turned off completely. I tried hitting the power button and the thing would not even turn on... worried i tried everything so i randomly thought about unplugging the ac adaptor and turning it on... and it turned on... after this the frequency of it happened drastically decreased but it still happens. Then I thought it might have been somesort of harddrive problem since i physically nudged it. (I must have forgot that the computer refused to turn on at one point--pointing to a problem that does not include harddrive problems) But i preceeded with "seatools HDD diagnostics" (a bootable cd) but it didnt help much.

[Jiro]

This is extremely bizzare... the problem has just disappeared... hmm...

[Jiro]

ok nevermind... this is strange. It was working fine all day and then it just happened again...

EDIT:
Im beginning to believe this is much related to the motherboard flexing problem for the T-series.

[Jiro]

Okay, does anybody know what it means when you turn on your thinkpad t41 and it then makes 3 beeps like...

Beeeeeeeeeeeep... beep..beep.

Thats what im getting sometimes now. Blank screen from cold power up, then that error code beeping pattern. Then i have to power it down and turn it on again and it does it again. Then after awhile it goes away but in the OS the computer then goes kaput again... OMG someone help me!

Called the guys up, they said they would call me back about if it was possible if they could send a guy to my house to replace the motherboard or send a padded box so i can ship it to some service location... its been about 12 hours... been waiting dilegently... no call...

[GomJabbar]

One long and two short beeps, and a blank or unreadable LCD.
1. System board. 2. LCD assembly. 3. DIMM.

Above from Hardware Maintenance Manual.

[womble]

> Other things I should note are:
> -motherboard was replaced one week ago prior to this by ibm
> warranty services
> -happened shortly after i nudged the corner of my laptop with
> my elbow by accident. (it actually did what i described right
> after this incident)


I had similar problems for a while- when I picked up a T41 by the front edge, it would reboot or the screen would just blank and hang.

Turns out there was a loose connection on the motherboard that was disconnected whenever the case was flexed. IBM replaced the motherboard and the problem went away.

It resurfaced after about 12 months. Lenovo replaced the motherboard again, and it's been fine for the last six.

[Jiro]

Hi womble i would like to know where your motherboard was flexing or where this connection is on your motherboard?

[Jiro]

Just recieved my laptop back with no complaints... however, i turned my computer on and it said new hardware detected... it was an Ati mobility fire gl t2... wow. I used to have a radeon7500. How much an improvement is this? And was this a mistake?

[JHaislet]

Yeah, probably a mistake, but usually the Fire GL's have twice the ram as their counterpart (in your case the 7500). So yeah, I'd say you came out well ahead! Think of it as an upgrade from a T41 to T41p.

[Jiro]

im happy but im a little concerned about future warranty work. If I have to get the motherboard replaced again like in a year or so would they decline it because the motherboard they think they have in there isn't in there? At the same time i dont really want to call them and say what they did because they might take it back or maybe charge me money lol...

[JHaislet]

You should be able to get the hardware ID/tag from the motherboard and see if it's registered with your system online. I forget exactly what the correct term for that ID is, but regardless, it should be registered with your computer in their warranty system.

Also, I wouldn't worry about it too much, being a T41(p), you probably don't have more than what, a year or two left on the warranty?

[Jiro]

haha ya, still have a year and half left. Im really happy as this new videocard opens more possibilities. Now, which drivers... ati? or omega? Fire GL or 9600 hmm...