Re: [Thinkpad] T21 won't boot -et al

Sometimes bad or failing capacitors can prevent a device from starting up.
Take a look at the capacitors to see if any look suspicious. Here are some
images of failing/failed capacitors on desktop motherboards:
http://www.motherboardrepair.com/index.php?sec=images

As a related side note, my friend had a TRS-80 Model 100 (a laptop-like
device with 8kb RAM, ran on 4 AA batteries for days) that would
intermittently start up but usually not. He replaced several old capacitors
and it worked a lot more reliably afterwards. I know that's a really old
device, but I mention this because it's a case I personally know of where
capacitors were the source of the trouble, and I know people have been
having capacitor related problems in desktop PCs as well. Maybe your
motherboard has some failed capacitors (look for bulges or leaks).

On Mar 28 2006, Matt wrote:

>I know a guy whose A22 has the same issue, no start.
>Replaced cmos battery, still no start.
>The fan briefly moves when the power button is depressed, but nothing else.
>Now the laptop is shelfbound, as it is out of warranty, and he's afraid the
>system board needs replacing.
>
>Best of luck.
>
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Graeme Renfrew"
> <gdrenfrew@hotmail.com> To: <thinkpad@stderr.org> Sent: Tuesday, March
> 28, 2006 3:48 PM Subject: Re: [Thinkpad] T21 won't boot - any common
> fault I should look for?
>
>
>> Thanks for the advice chaps. I'll try and get a new battery tomorrow,
>will
>> probably take a couple of days.
>>
>>
>>
>> I've tried to reseat all the components I can. Power starts going to the
>> speakers (I can hear them 'pop' very slightly) then just dies. Nothing
>> starts whirring (fan etc). Will keep you posted.
>>
>>
>>
>> _____
>>
>> From: Ray Bayles [mailto:canyonlands@gmail.com]
>> Sent: 28 March 2006 16:56
>> To: James@thinkpads.com
>> Cc: graeme renfrew; thinkpad@stderr.org
>> Subject: Re: [Thinkpad] T21 won't boot - any common fault I should look
>for?
>>
>>
>>
>> James is the man! I agree with his suggestions. We have found that the
>> battery change, along with unseating and reseating every possible
>> connection, particularly if you life in a humid climate, will correct
>> many ills.
>>
>> The other two problems to look for if the above do not work, are the hard
>> drive which may have, using IBM's famous wording, "reached the end of its
>> useful product life"... and the inverter or other components related to
>the
>> screen. I have seen a number of crimped ribbon cables that actually
>> become brittle as they age and eventually break a connection.
>> Replacement is
>easy,
>> but finding them is not.
>>
>> RayBay
>>
>>
>>
>> On 3/28/06, James H. E. Maugham <James.H.Maugham@verizon.net> wrote:
>>
>> graeme renfrew scribbled on Tuesday, March 28, 2006 8:31 AM:
>>
>> > Hi there,
>> >
>> > I have an old T21 which worked fine for a few months after I
>> > bought it off eBay. Now it fails to boot and wonder if
>> > there's any common faults/parts that die I should look at replacing.
>>
>> Change the CMOS battery and report back. It's in the batter compartment
>> underneath the main battery, might be covered by a small plastic cover
>held
>> by one screw.
>>
>> Other common T21 failure modes include loose memory sticks, and a CPU
>> that has come loose from the mini-ZIF socket due to thermal expansion.
>>
>> Regards,
>>
>> James
>>
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>>
>>
>>
>>
>> --
>>
>> Sweet is the memory of past troubles.
>>
>> Cicero, 43 BC
>>
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Received on Tue Mar 28 18:33:52 2006