New A31p user needs help

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ulrich.von.lich · #1 Post by **ulrich.von.lich** » Fri Oct 12, 2007 1:45 pm

I just received a second-handed A31p. It's like a tank compared to my T43. I really like its design despite the all plastic finish (even the bottom). It has a remarkably quiet fan but a much louder hard drive. I suspect it doesn't have much life to live.

Does anyone know if there's a way to extract the contents of the IBM hidden partition? Unlike T43, there's no Rescue & Recovery software which allows me to create reinstallation disks. I have a COA of Windows 2000 French version and unfortunately it's no longer supported by IBM.

Another question: is its UXGA IPS screen interchangeable with the ones on R50Ps and T4XPs??

Many thanks!!

poweragemk · #2 Post by **poweragemk** » Fri Oct 12, 2007 4:53 pm

ulrich.von.lich wrote:I just received a second-handed A31p. It's like a tank compared to my T43. I really like its design despite the all plastic finish (even the bottom). It has a remarkably quiet fan but a much louder hard drive. I suspect it doesn't have much life to live.

My A31p 60GB hard drive was also super noisy...I think it's just the model. But I replaced it with a new Samsung anyway, because even if it wasn't in danger of dying, it was annoying as hell.

ajkula66 · #3 Post by **ajkula66** » Sat Oct 13, 2007 12:57 am

The UXGA screen, I'm sad to say, it's NOT the same one that has been used in T4/R5 series, so you're stuck with looking for an exact replacement model, should the need arise-hopefully not anytime soon.

I don't know how it is with French version, but you should be able to press F11 while booting and recover from scratch. I've had A31Ps with W2K where that has been doable...

Hope this helps. Welcome to the A31P owners club, it's a bunch of loonies that you'll have trouble finding anywhere else!

ulrich.von.lich · #4 Post by **ulrich.von.lich** » Sat Oct 13, 2007 4:18 am

Thanks!

Hehe a bunch of loonies.. I think people love it for a reason. Personally I find it very attractive. I've never seen such a thick laptop before, it just feels awesome to hold it. I also like its palm rest a lot, feels somehow more comfortable to type on than the one on my T43 (absence of the touchpad and the fingerprint reader maybe..) The screen is still stunning after 5 years etc.

Here's something I feel not alright: It takes more than 5 minutes to boot Windows 2000 and nearly 1 hour to install Office 2003. Doesn't it seem a little too long for a P4 M 1.7Ghz?

Yes I was able to press F11 to restore my system. However, I'm thinking of getting a new hard drive. Since I don't have/can't order the recovery CDs, my only choice would be to clone the hard drive right?

ajkula66 · #5 Post by **ajkula66** » Sat Oct 13, 2007 9:38 am

You have a taste similar with mine...I already feel bad for you...

Have you run PC-doctor on your HDD?

The times quoted are excessive indeed...that's where I would begin.

How much RAM do you have in there? As I'm sure you know, more the better, especially if you're running a lot of applications at the same time...

RWDPLZ · #6 Post by **RWDPLZ** » Sat Oct 13, 2007 12:23 pm

5 minutes to load Windows is WAY too long. My A30p with 128MB RAM and 20GB 4200rpm hard drive loads XP in 45 seconds. Time to upgrade!

The two best upgrades I've found are RAM and a faster hard drive. I have my A31p maxed out with 2GB of RAM, and very shortly I'll be getting a Hitachi 100GB 7200rpm hard drive. Even with just 1GB of RAM and a 60GB 7200rpm hard drive, the performance difference is amazing!

You can upgrade the processor up to a 2.6Ghz, but those are expensive.

ajkula66 · #7 Post by **ajkula66** » Sat Oct 13, 2007 12:54 pm

RWDPLZ wrote:

You can upgrade the processor up to a 2.6Ghz, but those are expensive.

Not only are they expensive, but the machine tends to get VERY hot with one of those inside.

Been there, done that, went back to standard 2.0 (2653-R6U) maxed out in all other respects (RAM and HDD most notably).

ulrich.von.lich · #8 Post by **ulrich.von.lich** » Sat Oct 13, 2007 7:40 pm

Thanks for the advices!!

Now I have enough reasons to believe that my hard drive is guilty of the performance issue. I tried to boot ubuntu on a Travelstar 5K80 and it was running as fast as it should be.

I ordered an Ultrabay 2000 HDD adapter so that I'd be able to clone the HPA from the old hard drive to the new one hopefully.

It has 768MB but I'll probably replace the 256MB stick with a 1GB one (PC2700, which seems cheaper nowadays). I was about to buy a P4M 2.5Ghz but I think I'll just get a 2.0Ghz as ajkula66 said the former would be VERY hot.

Will I be able to use the same fan after upgrading the CPU from 1.7Ghz to 2.0Ghz?

ajkula66 · #9 Post by **ajkula66** » Sat Oct 13, 2007 7:46 pm

The fans are different between 1.7 and 2.0 but these are really cheap nowadays...

Personally, here's the order I'd suggest:

a) New HDD, preferably 7200rpm.
b) More RAM, until you max it out at 2 Gig
c) New CPU/fan.

Good luck.

ulrich.von.lich · #10 Post by **ulrich.von.lich** » Sun Oct 14, 2007 9:30 am

ajkula66 wrote:The UXGA screen, I'm sad to say, it's NOT the same one that has been used in T4/R5 series, so you're stuck with looking for an exact replacement model, should the need arise-hopefully not anytime soon.

Would you please tell me how they differ? Do they have different thicknesses or do they use different inverters etc?

The LCD is fine now but it's starting fading at the bottom. I'm afraid I'll eventually have to replace it in some time. A replacement UXGA LCD panel for A31p [05K9967] costs nearly $1000 on the IBM website, which is more expansive than a UXGA panel made for T or R series.

So is there any chance to install a different UXGA panel in an A31p? (I saw some people in this forum have even managed to put QXGA panels in Thinkpads)

ajkula66 · #11 Post by **ajkula66** » Sun Oct 14, 2007 11:52 am

There is NO other panel for A31P...connections, inverters, everything is different, and no other screen fits. So no, you can't swap screens with later model ThinkPads...otherwise I would've had one from T60P in my A31P a long time ago....

The only machine that SAFELY takes an QXGA screen is R50P. People, from what I've heard, have managed to fit it into a T60, but with severe alterations.

On a machine of A31p's age, new screen is not an option. A good used screen can be found for a lot less money, even if you have to have someone buy it here and ship it to you...Or you can find an A30P or A31P with corrupt video card and a good LCD...I've just sold one for less than $200 with a PERFECT screen...

Hope this helps.

Good luck.

beeblebrox · #12 Post by **beeblebrox** » Mon Oct 15, 2007 2:19 pm

ajkula66 wrote:There is NO other panel for A31P...connections, inverters, everything is different, and no other screen fits. So no, you can't swap screens with later model ThinkPads...otherwise I would've had one from T60P in my A31P a long time ago....

The only machine that SAFELY takes an QXGA screen is R50P. People, from what I've heard, have managed to fit it into a T60, but with severe alterations.

On a machine of A31p's age, new screen is not an option. A good used screen can be found for a lot less money, even if you have to have someone buy it here and ship it to you...Or you can find an A30P or A31P with corrupt video card and a good LCD...I've just sold one for less than $200 with a PERFECT screen...

Hope this helps.

Good luck.

Why don't you simply replace the light bulb? It is about $20, check the Bay or LCD4less or so. Takes 15 minutes work on the LCD. A31p is easy to fix.
You don't change your car's engine when the headlights fail.

ajkula66 · #13 Post by **ajkula66** » Tue Oct 16, 2007 11:53 pm

Replacing the backlight is NOT that easy if one is doing it for the first time...and the fact that you're working on a FlexView which is far more prone to damage than regular LCD doesn't really help...

Been there, done that...and the next time around I'll pay someone (likely our friend jamiphar here) to do it for me...

New A31p user needs help

New A31p user needs help

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