IBM Thinkpad 390E_Dead!!!!! 1

[floormatt]

Please help,
I recently purchased a refurbished LP. Less than two months old and it has died. My user had left for a meeting, come back and it was dead. Almost like it was on suspend but would not come back. I rebooted with no success. It will come up with a black screen start to read the floppy and then stop. So needless to say I cant even boot from a floppy. I have the same LP for parts, and this is what I have tried so far.

Battery, Memory, Processor, Will not work w/external monitor either, cmos battery, storage.

I have tried about everything I can think of other than systemboard, with no resolve.

Any suggestions will be appreciated.
Matt

 

[johnodq]

Sounds like the battery is very low or not holding a charge, try another battery and see if it helps.

Please let me know if the advice I give is of help.

 

[floormatt]

Thanks for the reply,
Shouldnt it work with the powersupply, without a battery? I did try a different battery.

 

[johnodq]

Its awhile since I worked with thinkpads, but from memory the connections are always a bit iffy, so the most common faults I used to find were connection of the battery or drives, and quite often use of the reset button (at the back) with the battery removed would help.

Sorry I can't help more.

Johnodq

 

[floormatt]

Well it is working! I took the main battery and backup battery out powered it on and left for the evening, yesterday. When I came in I put the batteries back in and powered it up, and it worked. Not sure exactly what it was. I did use a different battery, cmos(backup) than the original when it bombed out. I tried this same battery yesterday with no success. Anyway any ideas on the subject?

Appreciat the help JOHNODQ!!

Matt

 

[mudskipper]

Actually, johnodq is right. I've seen MANY laptops come into the shop because they display the same symptoms as yours. The FIRST thing we usually did was let it charge overnight. A majority of them worked.

It seems that many laptops will not boot, even with external power plugged in, if the battery is low.

Good catch, johnodq! Mudskipper
-----------------
Groucho said it best- "A four year-old child could understand this!
Quick! Run out and find me a four year-old child: I can't make heads nor tails out of this!"

 

[floormatt]

True, but I did not let the battery charge. I took the main battery, and cmos out. Powered it on, and left it for the evening. When I came into work I put both batteries back in, they were left out all night, and it come up. So I dont think it was the battery.

But then again What do I know.

Thanks for the input,
Matt

 

[mudskipper]

Ah....my mistake....I misread it!! A few times, lately, I have done this. Guess it is time for me to slow down and pay attention!!

Oh well.... Mudskipper
-----------------
Groucho said it best- "A four year-old child could understand this!
Quick! Run out and find me a four year-old child: I can't make heads nor tails out of this!"

 

[johnodq]

Mind you Mudskipper a battery left unplugged could pick up enough residual charge to kick start the computer !

Also leaving the CMOS powered down could have helped.

The build quality on Thinkpads is always suspect.

Johnodq
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Make It So !