Thinkpad 600X Error 161 &163, hangs at blinking cursor *PIC*

[DJFender]

Now, I tried every single thing I could, I'm fairly adept with IBM/Dell/Asus Machines and computers/laptops in general, its just that I havent seen anything this bad wrong with one.

theres no IBM or thinkpad logo in the corners like my (now toast) 600E...

I'm thinking its the bios or something related, but since I cant reflash it like I would a desktop computer, I'm wanting to replace my entire mobo with a working spare that someone might have...

Admin edit: Added *PIC* warning to subject line

[Rob Mayercik]

Last time I got those errors, the CMOS battery (tucked in by the RAM sticks) was dead. Those codes have to do with the time and date not persisting (because the battery hasn't the power to maintain them).

Try a new battery (tape the wires on your old one to a new cell from Radio Shack) and see if the problem goes away.

Rob

[ieee488]

I'd definitely try a new CMOS battery first.

I tried the removing tabs from old battery and electrical taping them to a new battery, but it was altogether unsuccessful. I now just buy a new battery on eBay.

[DJFender]

I tried 3 known working CR2032 and 2025 batteries, still no dice, it just keeps hanging there.....blinking...menacingly...

[ieee488]

According to the Hardware Maintenance Manual, the other culprit is the system board.
ftp://ftp.software.ibm.com/pc/pccbbs/mo ... 9n8608.pdf
page 23

[basketb]

Have you excluded the HD as being a/the culprit? I.e., have you tried booting from another HD, CD, or floppy?

[DJFender]

Have you excluded the HD as being a/the culprit? I.e., have you tried booting from another HD, CD, or floppy?

these were all working spares from my previous 600E and all work, I tried dismantling it (no miniPCI, no stick ram, no drives.) but still no luck....just the menacing cursor...



I'm sure the bios is shot.

[rkawakami]

Two things that I can suggest:

- with the system powered up at the blinking cursor, press the recessed reset button next to the power slide switch. That should turn it off. This probably won't help but it's worth a try before you...
- re-seat the CPU board. This means pulling the keyboard/bezel off. You can download a copy of the 600X Hardware Maintenance Manual from here:

http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site. ... IGR-4DGNTQ

[u.mac]

After 161/163 the 600x wants to enter the BIOS. If your BIOS was passwordprotected by supervisor-pw, you now have to enter the right password - because your battery went empty.

Uwe

[DJFender]

After 161/163 the 600x wants to enter the BIOS. If your BIOS was passwordprotected by supervisor-pw, you now have to enter the right password - because your battery went empty.

Uwe

Problem is, I got this machine used and the guy is probably long gone...

[DJFender]

Grr, I give up, am gonna feed it to the buzzards unless I can get a 2645-4EU mobo...

[rkawakami]

There could be something else going on with your system other than a supervisor password. If you do not see any padlock icon when booting the system (after the memory "value" OK message and 161/163 errors) then possibly the BIOS isn't getting as far as checking to see if there's a password.

I've just tried by own 600X. It has a supervisor password and I pulled the CMOS battery out. I get the 161 and 163 errors and then get prompted for the password. If I just press the ENTER key (i.e., no password), that leads to an ERROR screen. If I click on the OK button, that pops up another ERROR screen with an arrow pointing to a book (RTFM, undoubtedly). Have you tried pressing any keys when you are at the blinking cursor condition?

And another note: you will not see the IBM logo since the display is in a non-graphics mode. This is a normal result of the CMOS boot errors.