T42p Fried?

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firebladeboy · #1 Post by **firebladeboy** » Wed Jun 17, 2009 12:44 am

Hi All,

Anyone have any idea on the following?

I left my T42P (working perfectly) in sleep mode at home while travelling for a month. On return, it wouldn't wake from sleep. So I forced power-off and tried to reboot. I get lights, fan-start, then immediate shut-down. I have to remove battery and power to be able to retry...then same result.

Nothing ever appears on screen. Tried on battery and mains and with external screen attached, same result. Tried without additional RAM, CD-ROM and Hard-drive, all same result.

Does anyone have any ideas? I replaced the LCD screen three months ago so I'll be a little annoyed if I have to scrap it.

Thanks for any suggestions.

firebladeboy · #2 Post by **firebladeboy** » Wed Jun 17, 2009 4:19 pm

Hmmmm....slight update. If I remove ALL the memory, including the system board mounted memory, I get a series of beeps on startup. But it DOES stay up in this case. No screen, nothing else but fan and lights......

Does this help anyone with a diagnosis?

Thanks in advance

Ken

sjthinkpader · #3 Post by **sjthinkpader** » Wed Jun 17, 2009 4:44 pm

Without RAM, the beeps are normal so the system appears to be doing what it is supposed to do.

How about trying a different stick of RAM? Without this 3rd stick of RAM, try your two sticks one at a time and see if the system will boot.

firebladeboy · #4 Post by **firebladeboy** » Wed Jun 17, 2009 8:18 pm

Mmmmm...Thanks but I've tried that I'm afraid. Same result.

#5 Post by **richk** » Wed Jun 17, 2009 8:40 pm

Pull AC adapter, battery and cmos battery. push the start button several times, holding it for 10 seconds the last time. Put the CMOS battery back in, plug it in and try again

firebladeboy · #6 Post by **firebladeboy** » Wed Jun 17, 2009 9:01 pm

Hi. CMOS battery is the one wrapped in yellow plastic toward front of motherboard, right? If so, tried that...same result

thinkpadinside · #7 Post by **thinkpadinside** » Thu Jun 18, 2009 9:45 am

youve got a bad mobo then. the cmos is that yellow thing. try to test fuses on your motherboard with a multimeter. if you find one, you may be able to order the part and replace it.

firebladeboy · #8 Post by **firebladeboy** » Thu Jun 18, 2009 11:42 am

Mmmmm....was afraid of that. Fortunately there's the exact mobo on ebay for $179 so I've just bought that. Over the past year I've now replaced the fan, the LCD and now the [censored] Mobo!!

Any step-by-step guides for replacing the Mobo? Any pitfalls I should know about?

Incidentally, is there any way to test my screen to make sure it didn't get fried at the same time (I suspect a power surge)? As I say, I see NOTHING on it at all during the (severely curtailed) boot process.

Questions, questions, questions!

Thanks!

Ken

poshgeordie · #9 Post by **poshgeordie** » Thu Jun 18, 2009 5:49 pm

firebladeboy wrote:Mmmmm....was afraid of that. Fortunately there's the exact mobo on ebay for $179 so I've just bought that. Over the past year I've now replaced the fan, the LCD and now the *****Expletives removed by Moderator***** Mobo!! Any step-by-step guides for replacing the Mobo? Any pitfalls I should know about?

Incidentally, is there any way to test my screen to make sure it didn't get fried at the same time (I suspect a power surge)? As I say, I see NOTHING on it at all during the (severely curtailed) boot process.

Questions, questions, questions!

Thanks!

Ken

Hey Ken

sounds like you're having a rough time there.

To strip down to the motherboard, download the list of how to's link. In there you'll find a T4x screws doc which will help you. Also look at the fuses one too and if you have a test meter maybe check them too?

Regarding the display - other than another suitable mobo I cannot think of any way of testing it.

I'm concerned that you suspect a power surge. This MAY have also taken out the CPU and the memory.

What about buying a cheap lower spec'd banias CPU (a more expensive dothan will be fitted in your T42p I think). Have a look at this thread which discusses replacing banias with dothans on some T4x but will work backwards.
Get one off eBay together with a single 256 stick of 2100 memory and then try the board. I would hope that you could get both for less than $25 -£30 and sell them again later.

Also if you have a separate monitor, connect to it instead of using your display.

If you still have no luck, then it could actually be the motherboard. The CPU and memory are still worth hanging onto as reasonably safe known working items, and with the new board will give you a basic working set up.
You can then put the T42p CPU and memory in and hopefully you'll be up and working again.

One other thing occurs - what's the state of the AC adapter? Are you sure it still works after a power surge? Try out my simple adapter tester.

Get back to us with progress / results etc.

BTW where are you based? If UK I could maybe loan you some bits

firebladeboy · #10 Post by **firebladeboy** » Fri Jun 19, 2009 12:23 pm

Hi Nick,

That's very kind of you to offer loaned parts and also thanks for the info.

I'm British originally but live in Bermuda so you'd have quite a way to send them though!

It's going to be quite a while until I get a chance to install my new Mobo but when I do I'll post the results. If the replacement is sucessfull I may well try some of your suggestions to resurrect the old one!

By the way, to the board moderator, I had no idea d@mned was an expletive!

Cheers,

Ken

poshgeordie · #11 Post by **poshgeordie** » Fri Jun 19, 2009 2:29 pm

Hi Ken

I've just re-read my message to you and I meant to say to check the How to links "in my sig" but missed that out for some reason!

It's a good thing you didn't say Expletives deleted by moderator......bother......Expletive deleted by moderator!!!

I'm quite happy to personally take the board out to you in Bermuda.....

firebladeboy · #12 Post by **firebladeboy** » Tue Jul 14, 2009 9:29 pm

Update:

So I've replaced the motherboard with one off ebay. Now, on reassembling (Including switching the CPU from board to board), I have no graphics whatsover, either on the LCD screen or on an externally attached monitor. The machine appears to be making all the right noises apart from having no display.

Anyone have any idea if I've assembled anything incorrectly or whether my previous fault has also fried something else?

Thanks in advance,

KGW

firebladeboy · #13 Post by **firebladeboy** » Wed Jul 15, 2009 12:23 am

WOW! Further update! In the words of Ogri, (Google if you're too young or not a UK Biker), "She's a runner!"

After assorted tinkering, it's booted, done some hardware install and is fully functional. Now I'm going to fully assemble and pray that this isn't a fluke.

I'll update further later....

KGW

firebladeboy · #14 Post by **firebladeboy** » Wed Jul 15, 2009 1:47 pm

We have lift-off Houston. T42P seems to be totally back to normal. Dunno what could have caused the no-Display issue after the Mobo replacement. I'll see if there's any recurrence.

Thanks to all who offered advice, especially Nick.

Cheers!

KGW

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