IBM T23 laptop help me please

Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

<hfxmt@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:1107476441.258410.218660@l41g2000cwc.googlegroups.com...
> My laptop is stuck on a blank screen. The "Z" with the circle around
> it on the system status is lit. Does anyone know what this indicates
> and how to get rid of it. I think it might have something to do with
> hibernation or sleep, but the sleep indicator is not lit. I dont have
> a manual and have not been able to find an answer at the IBM website.

Hold down the Fn key and press F7 (methinks it is F7...) to toggle the
internal/external display setting. No dice? Then press and hold down the Fn key?
No workee? Then press and hold down the power switch. If your laptop is in stand-by
the former will help. If it is hibernating, the latter will wake it up. Also,
depending on your settings, simply closing and opening the lid will bring it back to
life.
Uh, or maybe the contrast is set to low (press and hold down the Fn key and hit the
Home key several times...)
--
><eM eL><Washington, D.C.><
><There's no place like 127.0.0.1><

Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

Thanks for the reply. I tried all of those things, but no go. Any
more ideas. Thanks again

Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

Thanks for the reply. I tried all of those, and no go. Any other
ideas? Thanks again

Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

hfxmt@hotmail.com wrote:
> My laptop is stuck on a blank screen. The "Z" with the circle around
> it on the system status is lit. Does anyone know what this indicates
> and how to get rid of it. I think it might have something to do with
> hibernation or sleep, but the sleep indicator is not lit. I dont have
> a manual and have not been able to find an answer at the IBM website.

The circled Z simply means that the unit is "On". Can you hear the fan
spinning when you turn the unit on?

Have you reinstalled all the memory to ensure it's correctly seated?

Try running it on AC only.

Report back.

Regards,

James

Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

Start with the obvious and see if it runs at all and whether or not the
screen (inverter..?) is kaput. are there any obvious signs of damage
(cracked case, etc.) ? NO

Is the fan on when you turn the machine on? YES

Can you see the screen blink/display anything while starting the
machine? YES

Can you get in the BIOS while booting the machine? YES.

Is the machine plugged in (into a working outlet...) Is the battery
OK? YES (Remove it and run on AC only.) SAME THING

Unplug all external stuff including the mouse and network, modem, etc.
cables. Will the machine start? YES

Have you made any changes to the configuration (RAM,
disks, etc...?)

My problem started after going to MS to download the antispam (I think
it was that). That informed me that I have what I took to be an
illegal copy of XP Pro. Me being slightly paranoid that they might
have "sent" something over to prevent the use, I restored to a
configuration from a week earlier. After turning it off, have not been
able to get back in. Did not really want to think that had happened,
and hadnt noticed if the "Z" had been there before, and thought that
was the problem (but the poster above says that just means it is on).


When I turn it on, it asks what operating system to start, XP Pro is
listed twice. I can choose either one with the same result, a notice
comes up that "Windows did not start successfully. a recent hardware
or software change might have caused this". Then a list of choices to
start in various safe modes, last known good configuration, or start
Windows normally. If I choose start Windows normally, it appears to
start loading, then just goes to a blank screen, no cursor. If I
choose last known good configuration same result. If I choose safe, it
comes up with "safe" in all four corners of the screen with nothing
else and still unable to do anything.

I bought the laptop from EBay. It says it should have Windows 2000,
but the seller said it had Windows XP, but didnt send any discs. I
tried to reach him after it arrived w/o the discs, but he never
answered my Email and is no longer a member of Ebay. So I dont even
have a recovery disc.

So what can I do to fix this or is it fixable?. Where do I start?
Will MS send me a disc to go with the product key on the bottom of the
laptop or will I have to buy new software?

I also have a 98 SE that says upgrade with the product key. I'm
assuming I couldnt use that because the machine didnt have 98 to begin
with?

I can buy new software, but obviously dont want to if not necessary. I
wouldnt even know where to begin to install new software, especially
with old stuff lurking on there. I love that laptop though, so I want
to fix it.

Sorry message so long. Thanks for all your help.

Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

<hfxmt@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:1107558176.228988.221100@c13g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...


> My problem started after going to MS to download the antispam (I think
> it was that). That informed me that I have what I took to be an
> illegal copy of XP Pro.
<<snip>>

Well...That's a good piece of info. There is nothing wrong with the laptop and all
you need is to reload a new (legal...) copy of Windoze. I have no idea what happened
during the upgrade (and the subsequent rollback) but you are SOL without either the
restore disk or a fresh copy of the OS. Since you cannot even boot to Safe Mode my
guess is that there are fundamental problems with the registry (drivers, license
management, etc.) so getting a legal copy of Windows and running a clean install is
your best bet.

As an aside, if I were you I'd contact the seller and ask him (nicely at first) for a
legal copy of the OS if the laptop had been advertised on eBay as having such.
Should the seller refuse, inform eBay (in writing...) about it. I'm also positive
that the Consumer Fraud unit of your (and the seller's) state Attorney's General
office would like to hear about it. Go after the SOB if you can...

MS has become very aggressive in detecting hacked/pirated copies of Windows, by the
way, a good thing in my book. I have no clue what the MS people do upon detecting a
hacked copy of Windows though...

--
><eM eL><Washington, D.C.><
><There's no place like 127.0.0.1><

Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

Thanks for the reply eM eL and Duncan. I tried it but it didnt do
anything. I'm just going to order XP. Can you tell me, do I just put
in the disc and it directs me? I am wondering about the old XP files
on there. Do I have to do something to "clean" the HD before
installing, but how would I do w/o being able to get into anything?
Thanks so much for your help.

Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

Thanks everyone for the help. Thank you James for that link. I
should have seen that as much as I looked at IBM lately. I'll give it
a try when I get the software. Thanks again. (Hope I dont have to
come back soon, except to browse)

Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

<hfxmt@hotmail.com> wrote ...
> My laptop is stuck on a blank screen. The "Z" with the circle around
> it on the system status is lit. Does anyone know what this indicates
>> and how to get rid of it. I think it might have something to do with
>> hibernation or sleep, but the sleep indicator is not lit. I dont have
>> a manual and have not been able to find an answer at the IBM website.

Nothing wrong with your system --- that's the power on indicator.

Full description of the 5/3 status indicators on the T2* series (from the T2* Hardware Maintenance Guide):

Indicator/Meaning
1- Drive in use/Green: Data is being read from or written to the hard-disk drive, the diskette drive, or the drive in the Ultrabay 2000. When this indicator is on, do not put the computer into standby mode or turn off the computer. Note: Do not move the system while the Green drive in use light is on. Sudden physical shock could cause drive errors.

2- Num lock/Green: The numeric keypad on the keyboard is enabled. To enable or disable the keypad, press and hold the Fn key while pressing the NumLk key.

3- Caps lock/Green: Caps Lock mode is enabled. To enable or disable Caps Lock mode, press Fn + Caps Lock key.

4- Scroll lock/Green: Scroll Lock mode is enabled. Arrow keys can be used as screen-scroll function keys, but not to move the cursor. To enable or disable Scroll Lock mode, press Fn + ScrLk key. Not all application programs support this function.

5- Power on/Green: This indicator stays lighted whenever the computer is on. If the power-on indicator is on and the standby indicator is off, the system is ready to use. If both the power-on indicator and the standby indicator are on, you can use the computer after it returns from the standby mode and the standby indicator goes off.

6- Battery/Green: The battery is fully charged.
Blinking green: The battery has enough power to operate, but is being charged.
Orange: The battery power is low. The battery needs to be charged.
Blinking orange: The battery needs to be charged when the indicator starts blinking orange, the computer beeps three times.

7- Standby status/Green: The computer is in standby mode.
Blinking green: The computer is entering standby mode or hibernation mode, or is resuming normal operation.
This indicator does not blink in Windows 2000, Windows Me, and Windows XP.

8- Ultrabay status/Green: An Ultrabay 2000 device is installed and in use.
Blinking green: An Ultrabay 2000 device is in the process of being detached.
Turn off: An Ultrabay 2000 device is ready to be attached or detached.
Note: If you are using Windows 2000 or Windows XP, the Ultrabay status indicator does not blink while an Ultrabay 2000 device is being detached. Instead, a message box pops up when the process is completed; then the indicator turns off.

Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

Thanks Philip, that was what I was looking for. Very helpful.
Thanks again.

Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

I think you are spamming... If you carry on, I will report you to your
website, and then you won't need to spam anymore.

Duncan.

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