Very very strange X31 behavior

[bobbarker]

Yesterday my X31 started giving random BSODs and Linux (completely separate HDD, not dual boot) would completely stop. Did memtest for five passes, no errors. Thought it might have been overheating because I have a fresh linux install (without a proper fan control script) and the XP install is a hand stripped nLite made one that I think lacks proper power management...none of that.

Now, every time it boots up it has to sit there, count all the RAM, initialize the mouse and a handful of other things (it takes a minute to get off the main IBM screen) and I get the classic 1802 error (which I had previously patched). I never unhooked the CMOS battery (there aren't any CMOS battery errors) and can't figure out why it is doing this.

I guess I'll repatch the BIOS and pray it works. Anyone else ever have any random screwups with their X31?

[makai]

Sound like your bios battery is weak. The bios shouldn't revert unless you remove the battery, or it's so weak it can't maintain the bios. Don't know if that's really the problem, but I would change it anyways just to be safe.

As for the 1802 error, I've always wondered why people take the chance of patching the bios for the sake of using an incompatible card. The X31 seems to be more picky about what card gets installed. I've had that experience where an IBM card wouldn't work in my X31 when an Intel would... so I just use the Intel. To me, messing with the bios is more dangerous than dealing with an incompatible card... it's just not worth any speed gain... if any, in actual use.

What you might try if you haven't already, is to start pulling subs out... wireless, spare ram, modem and reset the bios to default, then restart the machine and see if it helps. Perhaps something just needs to be reseated. Also, you might be better off reverting the bios to a non-patched version and going with an Intel card. Bios is dangerous and not something to play around with, no matter where you get it from, or whether it's been gainfully proven.

By the way, how do you know it's not overheating? Processors can overheat in a few seconds!

just my .02 cents!

[bobbarker]

I see what you mean by bothering with BIOS patching. The card my X31 came with was a B card and I got a Broadcom G card for free...and me being the cheapo I am I took the risk. (That and I currently don't know where I put the old card...it's somewhere)

I'm fairly sure it's not overheating because I booted it up after letting it sit ...for more than half a day and it wigged out on me. I've seen procs overheat with bad heatsink connections...this just wasn't it. Feeling the heatsink it's piping it right over to the fan (which runs...not as fast as it could but it does).

I guess the BIOS battery could be low, it'd explain the BIOS loosing the patch, but the random crashing...I dunno.

**Insert about half an hour here**

Patched, HDD back in, now the screen just doesn't come up for most boots (computer is generally unresponsive). It just doesn't come up most times....no idea why. POST errors...? I hope not. I got linux to come up once but it gave some random assed errors about not finding a driver (modprobe...).

As for the CMOS battery, any advice against grabbing a CR2032 battery & some wire and a proper pitched connector? I've already got that stuff laying around and don't want to spend $10 on a "special" battery with some shrink wrap and wire...(the cheapskate is kicking in).

Occasionally I get four repeated beeps with the blank screen....which...I guess means my security(/firewire/IR) chip is fubar...craaap.

***Insert another 5 minutes***

Got the chip out, nothing obviously wrong. Put it back...and it booted right up. No errors, no fussing...perfect. Now I wonder if it'll not crash.

[makai]

Hey bob,

Gee, just a whole bunch of weird things going on! I still think something is going on with the bios or battery, but since it's working now, I hope it runs forever! Maybe the reseat of the "chip" did it... what chip was that, by the way? Maybe the bios was just having a hard time polling and that's why it was bogging down. In any case, I hope it doesn't crash anymore.

I guess if you look at it, both OS's were having a hard time which could point to something intermittent like the "chip" (?), since the OS's were probably looking for the device while loading drivers. Only a WAG, but sounds reasonable.

By the way, did you ever get that battery going? Did you ever send it out to get it rebuilt?

makai

[bobbarker]

I'm going to replace the BIOS battery when I get a chance (weekend!).

The "chip" is the security chip (that thinkpads have), from a bit of googling it's apparently it's part of the IR/firewire chip (have to remove the palm rest to get at it). I don't know how it could be loose because it's a tiny chip and secured by two very tight screws....but it worked...

The battery rebuild failed because the chip in the battery wouldn't output any voltage with the new cells, so I sent it to batteryrefill.com in early April (they sent an email on...April 8th saying they got it) and it's now early May and I've not gotton any emails/phonecalls returned from them...wondering if I'll ever have a battery :/

[bobbarker]

Double post

I'm thinking it's dead. After letting it sit overnight and trying again in the afternoon...no boot. Four beeps. Did the reseat of the chip...four beeps. I'm going to try a fresh CMOS battery...but my poor X31 seems dead. Guess I'll have to move on to a nice 14" T61

[bobbarker]

Realllly hate to triple post--but my poor X31 is still dead.

Checked the CMOS batt. with a multimeter and it read just a bit above 3v. So that thing is fine. I've poked around inside feeling the heat off different things. The CPU is hot but so is the copper heat pipe running stuff past the fan.

Removed the wifi card and the modem card...the only two things I can pull off the thing. Tried two seperate hard disks, two OSs...I'm guessing my poor X31 is dead. Hell I've still not gotton my battery back from batteryspace.com yet (it's been... oh almost two months).