Help diagnose A31 problem? Probably dead, but...

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Deb Suran · #1 Post by **Deb Suran** » Thu Jun 15, 2006 6:45 pm

So the middle goddaughter brings me her A31 for service. It doesn't boot. Hit the On button and the LEDs flash briefly, then nothing. Its demise was sudden, and apparently complete. I assume a dead mobo but am open to suggestions for anything else it may be that I can try to diagnose. It's not the RAM or the battery or the AC adapter or the HDD (I have an identical machine so swapping out parts was easy). It makes a brief, soft click-like noise when the LEDs flash, then nothing.

Diagnosis deceased?

JHEM · #2 Post by **JHEM** » Thu Jun 15, 2006 6:48 pm

Deb Suran wrote:Diagnosis deceased?

Try a new CMOS battery Deb!

Regards,

James

Deb Suran · #3 Post by **Deb Suran** » Thu Jun 15, 2006 7:01 pm

Oops - should have said batteries. And the machine I stole the CMOS battery out of started without that battery, then I got an error.

But thanks, James!

JHEM · #4 Post by **JHEM** » Thu Jun 15, 2006 7:34 pm

Check that the CPU hasn't come loose in the mini-ZIF socket Deb.

Regards,

James

Deb Suran · #5 Post by **Deb Suran** » Thu Jun 15, 2006 7:40 pm

Oy - I was hoping to avoid that whole trip again, just did that with a bunch of A22s a few months ago, and the ones that were dead stayed dead. *sigh*

ARD · #6 Post by **ARD** » Sat Jun 17, 2006 2:30 pm

My A31 simply died one day.
I swapped the CMOS battery, dead.
I swapped the LCD inverter, still dead.
I swapped the motherboard, still dead.
I swapped the entire LCD assembly from a 14.1" to a 15", still dead.
I removed the RAM, the mini PCI wireless card, unplugged the CMOS battery, plugged it back in, it booted up fine like nothing wrong had happened.

Go figure.

sassnak · #7 Post by **sassnak** » Tue Oct 17, 2006 6:10 pm

I just aquired a Thinkpad A31 that is having this exact same problem. Did you ever find a solution? I did try the listed suggestions. Thanks!

rayztheway · #8 Post by **rayztheway** » Fri Oct 27, 2006 1:04 am

Hey all, My husbands A31 crashed one day and would not start up and had the same symptoms as u described. At closer look I found it to be a crushed USB port. A prong touching anything metal will create a short. Look closely at your slots.

Frank Ponte · #9 Post by **Frank Ponte** » Fri Oct 27, 2006 7:59 am

rayztheway wrote:Hey all, My husbands A31 crashed one day and would not start up and had the same symptoms as u described. At closer look I found it to be a crushed USB port. A prong touching anything metal will create a short. Look closely at your slots.

10-4 on the USB port. I acquired a dead A31 for parts and it wouldn't boot. Upon close inspection there was a shorted pin in one USP port. Some careful surgery removed the pin (there's a second USB port). I then filled the bad USB cavity with some black silicone to prevent reuse. The A31 has ben working A-OK since.

Hope this helps!

Frank

sassnak · #10 Post by **sassnak** » Fri Oct 27, 2006 2:33 pm

Thanks so much! I did in fact have a USB port that was messed up, so I fixed it and it boots fine now.

Help diagnose A31 problem? Probably dead, but...

Help diagnose A31 problem? Probably dead, but...

Re: Help diagnose A31 problem? Probably dead, but...

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