Ibm Thinkpad T23 Boot Problem

Hi, I have the impression that my T23 has the same problem, twmspro described when he started this topic. Ive checked the BIOS Battery, too (3.0 V).
So I read the manual mentioned above ( ftp://ftp.software.ibm.com/pc/pccbbs/mobiles_pdf/62p9631.pdf ). As Ive never disassembled a laptop before (Ive already done it with my PC) Id like to know whether it is really necessary to diconnect all 17 parts ?

Are there some parts that could still be connected, like the CPU? Which parts are difficult to diassemble or to reassemble. Which should I buy parts before I start reassemble do it (like thermal conductance paste)? Thank you for everything!

hello again.
thx for the help so far.
i found the problem for the 1-3-3-1 beep meanwhile:
The RAM (512mb, DIMM, left front corner of the T23: you just have to open 1 screw) wasn't connected in the slot properly.
I took it out and pushed it in deeper again...afterwards the thinkpad started without any issues each time.
after a week the problem returned, because the RAM got loose again, so i repeated the procedure.
good luck to everyone
mwalimu

ps: sorry for my bad typing in my first post, i was in a bad internet cafe with a broken keyboard

I had the exact same problem as described in the first post. After futzing around trying various things, I removed the motherboard. The two 'magnet' things seemed to be firmly in place. However I applied a bit more force and one of them came right off. I resoldered it back on, reinstalled the motherboard, and voila! it works!

Thanks twmspro!! (and google for finding his post)

Hi, I'm having the same problem. My fan pulses and the screen remains blank. I removed the mobo and found that the 'magnet thingy' was loose and I don't have a soldering iron. Anyone know where I could get something soldered?

Hi,

My problem was a bit different, the t23 would boot, work fine for a few minutes but the second you moved it, it would freeze. I followed the hardware manual as indicated in this post and there was the magnet at the bottom of the case.

It did not come from the location posted on this forum (checked the bottom of the system board as well). I spent a good deal of time trying to find out where it came from with no luck, in the end I just reassembled the t23 without it and it works fine.

I had exactly the same problem on my mom's T23. The computer worked fine for a couple of hours at a time, but after that it always froze and only the CPU fan continued going on and off. Also the display had a darker bar at the top edge of the screen. Those were the only life signs at that point.

I might also add that the problem was worse while running on battery. It only worked for about 15 minutes and then froze every time. It always started working again after a few hours, though.

I opened up the computer yesterday in hope of finding a loose "magnet thingy". I disappointingly found that all three were attached, but when I applied some force, two of them popped right off. The one on the top of the MB and the one in the pictures above. The contact surface of the "legs" of the magnets had a worn coppery color. I polished them and soldered the two magnets back on...

(dramatic pause)

...and what do you know, that seems to have solved the problem! I was at least able to run the computer normally with the battery for over two hours, which is something I couldn't even have dreamt of before.

So bottom line, even if the magnet things seem to be attached, I'd still remove them by applying some force after going through the trouble of opening up the computer. It won't do any harm and I suppose they'll fail on every T23 sooner or later.

I'll do some more testing, but it looks very good so far. Many thanks to all of you guys!

Btw, I registered just to post this.

Thanks for sharing your success story with us, Mirakov. Feel free to drop into the Introduce Yourself thread in the General section, or have a look around our other forums as well.

I have the same problem, symptoms and everything. EXCEPT I had removed the magnet thing and was on my way to solder it back to the mobo when I tripped over in my garage and the magnet thingy was smashed to pieces on the ground. Now what do I do?

I've got a T23 with the same problem. I took the motherboard out via the service manual, and sure enough, that part was half broken off the board. I don't believe it was the same part pictured (see page 5 for a working image of the part - the image posted on page 1 is now defunct), but if you just poke around the board, tipping random large components on the bottom side of the board, you'll find it.

My original problem was the laptop not POSTing but just spinning the fans up and down repeatedly. After resoldering that component, the laptop boots and runs 100% perfectly. Sure, it's an outdated laptop, all but entirely useless in the modern age, but, well? It still works.

Hi, I'm new to the forum. I have the same problem. Ud think after all this info Id have it fixed aleady right? Well not so lucky. when I get to the mobo everything seems tight and sturdy but i still poke around and take apart and put back to only limited joy afterwards. But I atleast it seams that I have pinpointed the general area of the problem which is around the harddrive. Actually it seems to be the whole bottom right quarter of the laptop that is sensitive to movement and touch. But when I touch anything particular and then something else particular, I get the same response. which leaves me with no definite answer. I took off and resoldered any magnets in that area already. Can anyone tell me what I should do? Thanks in advance