Date: Fri, 11 Mar 2005 12:36:55 -0800 (PST)
From: Matt Hanson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: System troubleshooting - Was: Is it okay to reload current BIOS
version?
--- [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
>
> Esc key does nothing!
> Yes I have read through some, nothing helps. I have a strong feeling it
> is due to the "save to disk" when you improperly shutdown.
"save to disk"? By this I'm guessing you mean that you were putting the
system into standby, or hibernation where the data for the state of the
booted system is written to the hard drive. That allowing the system to
"wake up" in the same state it was previously. Yes? I think of "save to
disk" as meaning saving files from the Internet to the hard drive, but
assume this isn't what you're referring to.
> The reason I
> say this is because I think all this started when the system locked up
> and I unplugged it and removed the battery.
If you are referring to putting the system into standby or hibernation, the
Libretto's usually display a message saying something like "Can't restore
from hibernated state, press any key to boot normally." Or something like
that.
Here's a list of things I've tried with my 110 system I've tried:
1. Reassembling the system and checking all connections
2. Putting the system in the EPR connected to an external monitor
3. Checking the 3 fuses on the MB shows continuity for each
4. Booting it with nothing but the AC adapter (no battery, HDD or FDD)
5. Booting with nothing but the battery
6. Booting with just the FDD & AC
7. Booting with FDD & battery
8. Reseating the 32MB memory upgrade and display cable
9. Reseating all connections in the lid
10. Booting without the expansion memory
11. Booting with an old 750MB HDD
And here's 4 suggestions that Dr. Xin suggested to me the other night:
1. Hold the reset button long enough when power on it.
2. If no hard drive connected or hard drive is broken, Libretto will keep
blank.
3. If you can get the BIOS prompt, why actually perform a BIOS upgrading?
4. Make a parallel tester (the manual tells you how to make one). Then
it'll tell you the error and you'll know if it's dead
His suggestion #2 seems to be inferring that that Librettos won't boot
without a hard drive installed. But I'm pretty sure it will, or >should<
boot if the floppy drive is connected and has a bootable disk in it.
#4 is a tough one for me. I've read through the service manual, and it
seems that you need a program called a "DIAGNOSTICS PROGRAM" program in
order to run any tests with that parallel tester he's talking about.
Appendix F shows the wiring diagram for making the "Parallel Port
Wraparound Connector". It's a bit confusing to me, but I guess you just
wire the numbered pins together. The information next to the pins doesn't
make any sense to me.
The "System Board Troubleshooting" section of the manual described the
process of troubleshooting the motherboard. Note that the chapters and
pages for chapter 2 in the manual are mixed up. There are two chapter
ones. It's easiest to find the "real" chapter 2 and its table of contents
by just searching for the term "System Board Troubleshooting". I think if
you just substitute a 2 for a 1 in all of the chapter references, 1-1 =
2-1, 1-2 = 2-1, 1-3 = 2-3, etc... things make more sense. So though the
main index shows the system board troubleshooting in "2.4 System Board
Troubleshooting", when you actually get to the chapter, it's labeled "1.4
System Board Troubleshooting".
However I can only find one reference to a "Parallel Port Wraparound
Connector" (actually referred to as a "Printer port wraparound connector"
elsewhere) in the "System Board Troubleshooting" section as Xin inferred.
That's on page 1-19, (supposed to be 2-19) in the chart, "Table 2-3 Printer
port LED boot mode status (2/5)". And that's a section of chapter 2
entitled, "Procedure 2 - Printer Port LED Check on Boot Mode" where a
device called a "Printer Port LED" is required to run the tests.
I don't suppose there's anyone on this list knows anything about these
things, is there? I'll have to send some of this to Xin.
Matt
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