T30 shifts display automaticly?

[Vivi]

Hello,
I am experiencing weird stuff with one of my T30 notebook,
Everything works fine, just suddenly, it shifts screen to external automaticly and you need to press FN+F7 to change it back (no matter where are you , win,dos, bios etc)
T30 has latest bios v2.10 update but still same errror

Any ideas?

[RealBlackStuff]

Welcome to the forum.
I would suggest to swap the keyboard first with a known good one, since you seem to have more than one T30.
If that doesn't help, go into your BIOS and load/save the default settings.
Then report back.

PS did you also install the latest Embedded Controller program 1.07 ?

[Vivi]

Welcome to the forum.
I would suggest to swap the keyboard first with a known good one, since you seem to have more than one T30.
If that doesn't help, go into your BIOS and load/save the default settings.
Then report back.

PS did you also install the latest Embedded Controller program 1.07 ?

yes

tryed with another keyboard, same result, automaticly switches to external display, no matter windows, dos, bios, or else, very strange
i also tryed to change in bios display - LCD ONLY - but also same problem

[RealBlackStuff]

Have you installed all the T30 drivers from Lenovo, specifically the Video driver, Hotkey, Presentation Manager (try uninstalling this, it may be the cause), LCD/Monitor?

[SMA]

How do you know that the screen has switched to external?
Do you actually have an external monitor attached and is it turned on?
Or are you just assuming that that is what is happening, since the FN+F7 can bring the display back on?

[RealBlackStuff]

Another possibility could be a loose GPU.
In that case, start looking for another motherboard!
Lift up the front of the keyboard but keep it connected. When the LCD goes off again, press on the big ATI chip, to see if that brings back the display.

[Vivi]

How do you know that the screen has switched to external?
Do you actually have an external monitor attached and is it turned on?
Or are you just assuming that that is what is happening, since the FN+F7 can bring the display back on?

I dont have external monitor attached, and I am assuming that it goes to external, since FN+F7 brings back screen.

[Vivi]

Another possibility could be a loose GPU.
In that case, start looking for another motherboard!
Lift up the front of the keyboard but keep it connected. When the LCD goes off again, press on the big ATI chip, to see if that brings back the display.

I think that drivers have nothing to do with it, since screen goes to external no matter if you are in bios, windows, dos etc,
I also tryed to push ATI chip, but that does not bring screen back, only FN+F7 does.
Very strange symptom.

[SMA]

I dont have external monitor attached, and I am assuming that it goes to external, since FN+F7 brings back screen.

in that case, I believe it will be more correct to say that the screen goes out, but comes back on when pressing FN+F7.
It can be just the backlight. When the screen has goon out, then try to shine a bright lamp and the screen and see if the
picture is still there - it may be, but just very faint.

[rkawakami]

Inspect the external VGA port and make sure that none of the pins are shorting to each other or there's any kind of contamination between the pins. It almost sounds like the system thinks there's a monitor connected and therefore it switches the video to it. The BIOS setting for LCD only should prevent this from happening though...

[Vivi]

Inspect the external VGA port and make sure that none of the pins are shorting to each other or there's any kind of contamination between the pins. It almost sounds like the system thinks there's a monitor connected and therefore it switches the video to it. The BIOS setting for LCD only should prevent this from happening though...

well, after a more detailed inspection, i did as SMA suggested, to use bright light to see if just lamps are out, and yes, it just turn off the lamps, i tryed to replace inverter board, but problem still persist, after some time, the lamps are off, and with hitting FN+F7 you can turn it back on for some time OR press small button at right top corner of keyboard (same as would be to close notebook) - but after some time, lamps go off again.

[Harryc]

OR press small button at right top corner of keyboard (same as would be to close notebook) - but after some time, lamps go off again.

I'd check that lid switch to see that it is working properly.

[Vivi]

I'd check that lid switch to see that it is working properly.

I desoldered that switch but still same problem persist.

[RealBlackStuff]

IBM/Lenovo has this checklist: http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site. ... IGR-4YQHUC
And I also recommend: PC-Doctor

[SMA]

There is always a small risk when taking something that works apart,
but that might be your best choice here, since you also have a working T30.

Try swapping the entire LCD Assemblies (without opening them up) between the faulty T30 and a working T30 and watch whether the error goes
with the LCD Assembly to the other machine or whether it stays with the T30 bottom.
By doing so, you will get the number of components that can be the cause of the problem reduced to the half of what it was before.

It takes a little more table space to work with 2 machines open at the same time.