newbie seeking advice of the collective

[longfellow6-6]

Hi all,
First off, whatever advice shared is greatly appreciated.

I have two slightly busted thinkpads
T-30 wireless cpu speed unknown. it just died... 4 series of 4 beeps (motherboard security chip per Levano) 512 ram, battery is fair.

T-23 busted screen 1.13 cpu no wireless new battery 1GB ram

The harddrive is from the T-30. I have everything else from port rep to floppy drive and ultrabay battery. running XP

Here is my question; as a average computer person (desktop experience HD replace, ram changes etc. laptop ???) which is the least expensive to fix , which is the lower risk, and finally which would be the wisest. swapping the screens or getting the mother board fixed/replaced

[AlphaKilo470]

Well, if your T30 has the 14" XGA screen, then the cheapest fix would be to buy the 14" LCD bezel for your T23 along with the cable for the 14" XGA LCD and perform a screen swap (the 13" XGA, 14" XGA and 14" SXGA+ screens on the T2x laptops use different cables).

You could also hunt down a cheap barebones T20 or T21 (those models can be had for pretty cheap nowadays) with working screen and put that on your T23.\

I personally would try to find a good deal on a T30 motherboard though. However, for most everyday applications, the T23 and T30 will perform similarly.

[rkawakami]

Welcome to thinkpads.com!

Assuming that the T30 was operational for you in the past and that the beeping error is a recent activity, then I would simply (??) disassemble the laptop using the Hardware Maintenance Manual, and re-seat everything that plugs into something else. This includes the CPU, memory, MiniPCI card, security chip, etc. and see if that helps. Besides being a good practice for your eventual surgery, it won't cost you anything. While it can be slightly risky, if you follow the directions in the HMM, and are careful to document which screw goes where, you probably won't cause any more problems than what you already have.

[longfellow6-6]

Welcome to thinkpads.com!

Assuming that the T30 was operational for you in the past and that the beeping error is a recent activity, then I would simply (??) disassemble the laptop

IT DID just happen. A question about the security chip as this is what the error code points to. Do I need it? I'm up for the good practice knowing there are several experts here to answer questions.

Thanks for the quick support. Excuse me while I scrub for surgery

[longfellow6-6]

Well I got the T-30 apart with minor casualties. The shock absorber is done. The only other issue is the BIOS battery plug is stuck and the wires pulled out. They appear to go back into the plug and seat. Am I correct on that assumption? The security chip did appear to be loosely seated. I still wonder if it is necessary or what it's function really is. This T-30 won't be logging onto the company network any time soon.

Any suggestions for the removal of lots of dust. The current plan is Q-tips and iso-alcohol. I'd like to get it back together soon while the process is still fresh in my memory

Ray and Alphakilo470 many thanks for the support and advice.

I'll post again after I get her cleaned up and put back together

[rkawakami]

Sorry for the delay in responding... I was in O.R. myself with a T23 that came in today. Patient was DOA but with a couple of hits with the Weller, I was able to induce (induct? ) a revival.

I really don't know all of the details about the security chip. I do believe that if you remove an existing chip, without deactivating it, the system will throw an error. It's suppose to provide encryption of your files but I'm hazy on if it's just locally on your hard drive or during file transfers.

Searching the forums for "security chip deactivate" doesn't really help (me) all that much either.

[RealBlackStuff]

To clean up the dust, it's always helpful to get a can of compressed air, available at the likes of Radio Shack & co.
Especially the input/output vents and the fan for the CPU cooling need to be as clean as you can get them.
Also blow away all the breakfast crumbs from under your keyboard.
The security chip belongs to that particular motherboard, and AFAIK is not interchangeable with other mobos.
If you need another mobo, make sure you get the same type, either regular or 'type 2'.
You can opt for with or w/o security chip. Personally I don't care for them either way, and swapped my original mobo with chip for another w/o the chip.

[longfellow6-6]

Thanks so much for the tip!!!:D

Thought it would be hours of cleaning with a pack of Q-tips.

I'm hoping that the cleaning will have a positive effect on the noise level from the fan. The T-23 is much quieter!

Didn't need to swing by Radio Shack as my better half is a photographer by trade. FYI, the Bessler brand (they make enlargers) was highly recommended by the inhouse expert here. It was bought a a high end camera shop. It was significantly more powerful than the generic.

Wish me luck in the reassembly tonite

Thanks again
This forum rocks

[longfellow6-6]

The patient didn't make it. Reseated everything and still got the 4x4 beeps security chip error. My question is, do I need and exact match of machine type ( 2366 B2U) ? I would like to move to a 2Ghtz if possible.

Thanks

[ArtShapiro]

[quote]Didn't need to swing by Radio Shack as my better half is a photographer by trade.
[/quote]

Sorry that your repair efforts have been fruitless so far.

I'd just like to relate to everyone the solution I found for getting dust out of long-unopened computers. We Don't Need No Steekin' Wimpy Can of Compressed Air! I use my electric leafblower, held far enough away such that the computer doesn't go flying. It's sobering to observe the mushroom cloud of dust that results.

Art

[rkawakami]

Sounds like something "Tim, the Toolman, Taylor" would heartily agree with !

Just be careful that you don't accidentally blow away a couple of loose parts that might just be hanging on by a (solder) thread.

[The Spirit of X21]

I use my electric leafblower

ROFL!!

[vanaya]

I happen to use the "Quick Pump" inflater from Coleman. That's the pump that comes with the Inflatable mattress I make my mother-in-law sleep on when she comes over . It works great!!