Member Avatar for mikeo14

you see, my ibm laptop suddenly was acting strangly and it wont go passed that " press f1 for boots options " screen and now when i turn it on the screen is blank! and the standby light is on when the lid is up! maybe the lid button is f*cked up. I do not know, but even if I were to get it out of standby how would i get it to load windows!?, note: I haven't spilled anything on it or dropped it or anything, it just started acting strange when I turned it on one day

udos-thinkpad.jpg 329.43 KB
  • 5 Contributors
  • 7 Replies
  • 216 Views
  • 18 Hours Discussion Span
  • Latest Post Latest Post by mikeo14

Dani AI

Generated

Symptoms as described — an IBM laptop that once reached the "press F1 for boot options" screen but now shows a blank LCD while the standby LED stays lit — narrow the likely causes to a stuck lid-detect, a display/backlight failure, or a power-management/motherboard fault. The usual battery/power-reset (noted by and attempted by ) did not clear the problem, and the OP reported a visibly slanted lid button, which makes the lid-sensor hypothesis plausible.

Noninvasive checks that distinguish display problems from a system that never POSTs: a bright flashlight held close to the LCD will reveal a faint image if the backlight or inverter has failed; attaching an external VGA/TV display shows whether the BIOS/POST signal is present; listening for HDD/fan activity, POST beeps, or observing LED blink patterns indicates whether the machine is powering far enough to start POST; forcing a complete power-off by holding the power button for 10–30 seconds can clear a hung EC/suspend state. If the BIOS screen appears, the problem is firmware/boot-related rather than a dead motherboard.

If POST is absent and the unit is out of warranty, minimal hardware isolation is the next step (with ESD precautions): reseat or swap RAM modules, remove the hard drive and optical drive to see if the firmware proceeds, and temporarily remove the CMOS coin cell to reset BIOS defaults. The lid detect is often either a tiny mechanical microswitch under the bezel or a reed (magnetic) sensor in the hinge; actuating the microswitch with a nonconductive probe or carefully bringing a small magnet near the hinge (keep magnets away from the HDD) will confirm if the switch is stuck. A confirmed faulty switch or bent bezel is usually repairable.

If none of these checks produce POST activity or LED/beep changes, a failure of the power-management circuitry or motherboard is likely and professional repair or replacement should be considered. Hard-drive data can be recovered by removing the drive and using a USB enclosure/adapter, and the laptop model number (on the base) will point to the correct service manual and exact lid-sensor location.

Recommended Answers

All 7 Replies

Member Avatar for Comatose

Well, The title has EVERYTHING to do with your question, now doesn't it?

Member Avatar for Coconut Monkey

Let's make that title a little more informative eh?

Member Avatar for Coconut Monkey

Done. :)

Hey, don't you take the credit now! :p

Member Avatar for mikeo14

Sorry guys, I just wanted to get you to see my post, so what do i do about the laptop?

Member Avatar for nizzy1115

Did you try pulling the battery out as well as disconecting it from the outlet? Then after about 30 seconds put the battery back in and plug it into the outlet.

Member Avatar for mikeo14

as a matter of fact I did and I pressed the power button while i had the battery out in hope of draining the capacitor, but no... it did not work i have a feeling maybe the lid button that tells wheteher the lid is open or closed is messed up it is sort of \ slanted \ . but even when it would come on i didnt hear any fans and it only went to that one screen i described, after i return from school sometime today I will get the insturction for taking my lid off so i can get a better view of the standby button or whatever, until then good night and good luck

Be a part of the DaniWeb community

We're a friendly, industry-focused community of developers, IT pros, digital marketers, and technology enthusiasts meeting, networking, learning, and sharing knowledge.