T-30 Booting problems

Message

jgra · #1 Post by **jgra** » Sat Feb 09, 2008 7:18 pm

Hello everyone, I sure could use some help with this laptop. This might be a bit long but will try to describe what going on and what I have done.

I had a t30 that I used alot but thanks to my daughter the LCD got cracked and the keyboard had some messed up keys. I put the laptop up for a couple of months and used one of my others. I do some laptop repairs as a hobby but by no means am I an expert.

Well I got a wild hair to fix it so I bought a new lcd and keyboard off of ebay. I also bought a new touchpad to upgrade since this one did not have on it and also added a wireless internal NIC. I got all the parts, put everthing together installed the drivers and everything was good to go. Worked like a new laptop. About a week ago after my daughter used the laptop again I went to turn it on and the screen was very dark like there was no back light. I swapped the inverter with another just like it but nothing changed. Things got worse to where about 5 seconds after it started it would shut down. You had to unplug the adapter for a few second or it would not do nothing but it would do the same thing after it started.

To make a long story short, where I am now is I can get the lapotp to boot but it has to be hooked up to a external monitor. I first had to unplug the cmos battery to clear it. In the bios display setting you have boot with LCD, CRT, or both. If you select anything but crt the laptop shuts down and you have to clear cmos again. Once boot to a external monitor if you toggle between the lcd and crt with the FN F7 option it shuts right down. I even tride swapping out the lcd cable and leaving the lcd unpluged. All with the same result. I was going to try to flash the bios but the battery does not seem to be charging anymore and part of the flash has to see a fully charged battery.

So I am kinda stuck here. Its not so much the laptop, I have others its gotten to be a pride thing here to be able to get this going. Sorry for the logng post. Any help would be great

phool@round · #2 Post by **phool@round** » Mon Feb 11, 2008 2:05 am

Welcome to the Forum!

First, I think your daughters usage of the laptop probably should be supervised. Evendently she has the same wild hair as one of her parents.......lol.

Let's start with the basics. What model of T30 do you have? Did you match the LCD with the exact model you have? Can you see an image on the screen even though it is dark?

Here's what it sounds like to me, not knowing your daughter. The screen doesn't match the T30 model. Just a guess but when you are getting the results that you are it would appear so. If you press the FN key again after you say it blanks, does it start the hard drive spinning again, even without anything on the screen?

jgra · #3 Post by **jgra** » Mon Feb 11, 2008 3:13 pm

Hello, Thanks for the reply. The screen I replaced it with was out of another t30. It was a complete lid assy with the matching inverter. After the install it worked great and continued to work for a couple of months. When booted to a exteral monitor and you go to switch to the laptop lcd ,as soon as you hit the FN F7 the laptop shuts down and does not try to restart. If you try to press the power button nothing will happen until you unplug the power cord for about 5 seconds. Then when it does restart the leds light up and it shuts down withing 3 seconds. The only way to get it to boot back up on a external screen it to unplug the cmos battery and clear the config. By default the disply boots to crt in the bios settings. If you change it to lcd or both then the same thing happens all over again. Its either in the motherboard or the bios need to be reflashed. I have never run into this one before.

phool@round · #4 Post by **phool@round** » Mon Feb 11, 2008 7:05 pm

What model of T30 do you have? Do you have another video cable from the previous screen?

jgra · #5 Post by **jgra** » Mon Feb 11, 2008 8:22 pm

It is a model 2366. I have swapped out the video cable and still have the same result. I have even tried unpluging the cable from the motherboard and tried to boot it up and still the same thing. Even with leaving the inverter unpluged problem does not go away. i thought it might be something with the video card but it works great on external monitor until you try to toggle back to the lcd. I just also tried a different ram module in both location but no luck there. This one got me stumped.

phool@round · #6 Post by **phool@round** » Mon Feb 11, 2008 8:49 pm

The model number is 2366-XXX where the X's are what will identify it.

jgra · #7 Post by **jgra** » Mon Feb 11, 2008 8:51 pm

sorry it is 2366-43u

phool@round · #8 Post by **phool@round** » Mon Feb 11, 2008 9:10 pm

Are you attached to a docking station? Have you held the FN key down for 10 seconds or longer to make sure your not in suspend? What version of BIOS is currently installed?

jgra · #9 Post by **jgra** » Mon Feb 11, 2008 9:12 pm

No docking station. Will try the FN key for 10 seconds and let you know

jgra · #10 Post by **jgra** » Mon Feb 11, 2008 9:16 pm

No luck with the 10 second deal

jgra · #11 Post by **jgra** » Mon Feb 11, 2008 9:41 pm

Bios is v2.01 there is a updated version but it wont let me install due to the battery not fully charging. I dont want to buy new one. Might have to see if I can borrow one from someone

phool@round · #12 Post by **phool@round** » Mon Feb 11, 2008 9:43 pm

Take a look at this topic RobbyRobot linked to in a post just under yours; http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?t=45602

jgra · #13 Post by **jgra** » Mon Feb 11, 2008 9:51 pm

Thanks, I just read it and have swapped out everything already. I even put the old setup back in that worked but the lcd was cracked and bleeding but it would light up. Still the same problem after swapping back to the old one.

phool@round · #14 Post by **phool@round** » Mon Feb 11, 2008 10:02 pm

Well if that's the case then I think the backlight has gone out. You could try swapping those, from the cracked screen to the new one that won't light.

jgra · #15 Post by **jgra** » Tue Feb 12, 2008 4:24 pm

Yea I tried all that but still having no luck. I think its a power problem with the motherboard that wont let it boot off the laptop LCD. laptop just shuts down. The only way to even get it to turn back on with the power button is to unplug the ac cord for about ten seconds. I have never run across this symptom before. I do want to thank you for all of you ideas. Havrnt had much responce from anyone else. Thanks a bunch!!!

jgra · #16 Post by **jgra** » Sat Feb 16, 2008 9:12 am

Hello, I did notice something today. With everything booted up to a external monitor which is the only way everything is operating great, on the laptop the circle with the Z is lit up. Could it be stuck in sleep or hibernation mode. If so why does it work on the external monitor ok. I have tried every setting I can think of.

jgra · #17 Post by **jgra** » Sat Feb 16, 2008 9:32 am

I just did that and all that happened was the light next to the Z lit up and the Zwas still lit up. Should it do something else.

phool@round · #18 Post by **phool@round** » Sat Feb 16, 2008 10:16 am

The "Z" light your referring to is the power indicator light. The one next to it, to the left, is the "Scroll Lock" light.

Here is a copy of the HMM for the T30, take a look at it; ftp://ftp.software.ibm.com/pc/pccbbs/mo ... 2p1840.pdf

Check to see if you screen matches up with your system board.

jgra · #19 Post by **jgra** » Sat Feb 16, 2008 10:49 am

Thanks, I just checked the new screen and by the part number it matches up with my model. This just dont make any sence. With the cmos cleared it just shut right down after about 5 seconds with nothing lighting up on the lcd. If hooked up to a external screen everything works GREAT. Laptop boots to the external and operating system loads but Laptop LCd is still black, As sood as you hit FN-F7 the laptop just shuts off. I even with the LCD and inverter unplug still does the same thing. I even tried it with the LCD cable unpluged from the motherboard jut to see if the laptop would stay on for more than 5 seconds. My only guess it is the motherboard.

phool@round · #20 Post by **phool@round** » Sat Feb 16, 2008 10:55 am

Check your system board for the FRU/PN, see if it matches the one specified in the HMM for your system.

I'd suspect the system board too at this point. What is happening with the FN+F7 key combination is that it's putting your laptop to sleep, touch FN again aftwards and it should after a few moments come back to life although you may not get an image on the screen.

Do you have another CMOS battery (for the T30) to try out in your effected T30?

jgra · #21 Post by **jgra** » Sat Feb 16, 2008 11:06 am

Yea I tried another cmos battert but no change. After it shuts down hitting the Fn button does nothing. In fact the only way to get the laptop to do anything is to unplug ac adapter for 5 seconds but then it will just shutdown ,even though its hooked to the external. If you want it to boot you have to unplug the cmos for a few second then you can at leats boot to the external. Like I said I have other laptops. This has been more of a persopnal changle for me. I tinker with these as a hobby. If I have learned anything from this is that I can take a T30 apart in about 30 seconds with my eves closed. Maybe motherboard destined to be doorstop LOL. You have been a great help. Thanks a bunch.

T-30 Booting problems

T-30 Booting problems

Who is online