Member Avatar for abrenner

A couple of weeks ago, my trusty IBM T22 would occasionally lock up and freeze to the point that the only way I could shut down and restart the machine was to hold down the power button. I suspected that the CPU was getting too hot. I cleaned the fan which wasn't very dirty, and made sure I had good air circulation. The last time it locked up, I was able to power it down, but it is now dead. When I push the power button, the hard drive light flashes and goes out. Nothing else comes up, the hard drive doesn't spin up; the startup screen doesn't appear, no beeps or sound, nothing at all. I suspect the CPU, but before I lay out $75 for a refurbished CPU, I'd like to at least verify that this, and not the PSU, for example, is the problem. Can anyone help me further diagnose this problem before I start replacing parts? My main battery is fine, the CMOS battery reads over 3v open circuit, every thing was working just prior to lockup.

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This note gives a concise, practical checklist to help narrow down whether the failure is power-related, the mainboard, or (less likely) the CPU before buying parts. It follows up on ’s description and on ’s suggestion that either the CPU or motherboard could be at fault, but focuses on low-cost, low-risk steps that reliably isolate the problem.

Try these steps in order (start with the easiest):

  • Safety first: remove AC and battery before opening. Work on a nonconductive surface and ground yourself briefly.
  • Check the AC adapter: verify the adapter’s labelled output with a multimeter under load or try a known-good, compatible adapter. A bad adapter is the cheapest and most common cause of “no power” symptoms.
  • Power-only tests: remove the battery and boot on AC only; then try battery only. Hold the power button 30–60 seconds with everything disconnected to discharge caps, then retry.
  • Minimal hardware boot: remove HDD, optical, PC card/Wi-Fi, and all but one RAM module. Reseat or swap memory sticks (bad RAM can stop POST). Try booting with no RAM to elicit beep codes if the speaker is present.
  • Visual check: look for swollen or leaking capacitors, burn marks, or loose cables around the DC jack and power circuitry. Bent pins or corroded connectors can kill startup.
  • Basic voltage checks (if comfortable): measure the DC jack voltage and any obvious standby rail on the board. If no board rails are present, suspect DC-in/power circuitry; if rails are present but no POST, the logic board or CPU is likely.

If data is important, remove the HDD and use an external enclosure to recover files before further teardown. If the above narrows it to board-level power circuitry or you lack tools, a reputable shop can test rails and the power switch for a small fee — that test often saves the cost of guessing parts. When buying used parts, insist on “tested” and a return window.

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Member Avatar for Chaky

There is 50-50 chance to be either CPU or motherboard. Only way to make sure which one is faulty, is to change the CPU and see what happens. Not advisable. Best thing would be for you to take the laptop to service shop.

Or, you can take a chance, and buy new , which is really cheap. ( too)

BTW, I think this is 2nd hand stuff.

Member Avatar for abrenner

Thanks for your reply. Unfortunately the links included in your post were for parts for a T21 machine. The lowest price I could find for a replacement motherboard was $207 p/n 26P8098, and for a CPU, $75, p/n 08K3346. One of the repair shops in the Washington DC area that I know to be very reliable is Richard's computer. They want $99 just to diagnose the problem. Now I'm getting close to the price of a new laptop with the same specs, or a refurbished T22. I was hoping for a less expensive alternative.

Member Avatar for Chaky

They claim it to be T22 compatible.

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