[TriLUG] Advice Please

Wed Feb 19 16:55:01 EST 2025

Honestly it sounds like something may be wrong with the *screen*.

Can you try plugging into an external monitor?  Preferably using the 15-pin
VGA d-sub if your laptop is old enough to have that.

Then try toggling through screens with Fn+F7
_________________________________
Wesley S. Garrison
Network Engineer
Xitech Communications, Inc.
phone:  (919) 260-0803
fax:       (919) 932-5051
__________________________________
"Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from email."

On Wed, Feb 19, 2025 at 4:52 PM Dwain Sims via TriLUG <trilug at trilug.org>
wrote:

> David and Bill:
>
> Thank you so much for the great suggestions.  I am giving this the old
> college try.....
>
> On Wed, Feb 19, 2025 at 11:53 AM David Burton <ncdave4life at gmail.com>
> wrote:
>
> > Dwain, try disconnecting or removing the battery entirely, and
> > disconnecting the AC adapter, then pressing the power button, then
> > reconnecting the AC adapter only, and then trying again to power it on.
> >
>
> Battery has now been pulled out completely.  Tried to power on and nothing,
> as expected.  Reconnected a new USB charger....
>
> I have now connected a third different USB-C charger with the battery out,
> this one off of my HP Dragonfly (65 watt).  Same behavior.   The charger
> that came with it has been powering an older X1 Carbon (45 watt) since this
> started.  So I think that one was OK too.  I tried a different GaaN charger
> (65 watt) I use with the Dragonfly all the time.  No difference.
>
> >
> > If not, it could be the power supply. Reconnect the battery. I think that
> > laptop uses a USB C charger, so:
> >
>
> It does.
>
>
> > 1. Try charging the laptop with a different USB charger. And,
> >
>
> Did that.
>
>
> > 2. Try using the laptop's USB-C charger to run something else (preferably
> > something that will load it heavily, like the laptop does).
> >
> > I think that when you first connect the charger to the laptop, if the
> > battery is installed the LED on the "Thinkpad" logo should blink. Watch
> it
> > as you plug in the charger. Does it blink?
> >
>
> The red LED on the top cover of the P14s does come on when I plug it in
> with any of the 3 chargers.  And the white LED on the power button.  And
> the keyboard LEDs cycle on and off.   But no beeps and nothing on the
> display..  I also get a red/orange LED next to the Power USB port.
>
> >
> > Dave
> >
> >
> > On Wed, Feb 19, 2025 at 11:27 AM Bill Farrow via TriLUG <
> trilug at trilug.org>
> > wrote:
> >
> >> Before you abandon hope:
> >>
> >> Did you try a forced hard reset by holding down the power button for 30
> >> seconds, disconnecting power and battery?
> >>
> >
> Bill, I have held the power button down for a very long time.  The Keyboard
> lights cycle on and off every 15 seconds or so while I have the button
> pressed, but nothing else happens.
>
> >
> >> Did you try booting into Lenovo recovery mode?
> >>
> >
> It will not boot into anything.  Just a blank screen and no beeps.
>
> I am starting to lose hope!
>
> Dwain
>
>
> >>
> >> Bill
> >>
> >>
> >> On Wed, Feb 19, 2025 at 11:15 AM Dwain Sims via TriLUG <
> trilug at trilug.org
> >> >
> >> wrote:
> >>
> >> > Many thanks to all who replied.  Here I am with an update.
> >> >
> >> > I was able to pull the bottom plate off of the P14s last evening.
> >> > Nothing looks amiss.  The battery looks brand new. No swelling at all
> >> > (unlike most Dells!   This is the brand I have encountered this the
> most
> >> > on.)
> >> >
> >> > So this system has 16GB of DDR RAM, and it appears that 8GB is
> soldered
> >> on
> >> > the MB and 8 GB is in a single DIMM slot.
> >> >
> >> > I pulled the DIMM and tried again.  No change in behavior.
> >> >
> >> > I also pulled the NVMe card and tried that config.  No change.
> >> >
> >> > I am starting to conclude that the problem lies deep in the
> motherboard
> >> > someplace, and the GPU seems very suspect.
> >> >
> >> > I am now left with a very new looking paper weight.  Sigh.  I guess I
> >> could
> >> > sell it for parts?
> >> >
> >> > Dwain
> >> >
> >> >
> >> > On Tue, Feb 18, 2025 at 3:20 PM Joseph Mack NA3T <jmack at trilug.org>
> >> wrote:
> >> >
> >> > > On Tue, 18 Feb 2025, Dwain Sims wrote:
> >> > >
> >> > > > No beeps.  That is a bad sign!
> >> > >
> >> > > yes. that means the BIOS didn't start checking the hardware.
> >> > >
> >> > > is the battery OK (not swollen, charged, pull out the battery and
> run
> >> off
> >> > > the power cable)?
> >> > >
> >> > > try swapping the memory sticks around. In some machines, the BIOS
> will
> >> > not
> >> > > run if the memory is dead. In others the BIOS makes a loud beep if
> >> > there's
> >> > > no memory.
> >> > >
> >> > > Does the ON button flash when you press it?
> >> > >
> >> > > Joe
> >> > >
> >> > > --
> >> > > Joseph Mack NA3T EME(B,D), FM05lw North Carolina
> >> > > Don't upgrade a working machine - it won't work any
> >> > > better - it could work worse; it may not work at all.
> >> > > Homepage http://www.austintek.com/ It's GNU/Linux!
> >> > >
> >> > >
> >> > --
> >> > This message was sent to: Bill Farrow <bill.farrow at gmail.com>
> >> > To unsubscribe, send a blank message to trilug-leave at trilug.org from
> >> that
> >> > address.
> >> > TriLUG mailing list : https://www.trilug.org/mailman/listinfo/trilug
> >> > Unsubscribe or edit options on the web  :
> >> > https://www.trilug.org/mailman/options/trilug/bill.farrow%40gmail.com
> >> > Welcome to TriLUG: https://trilug.org/welcome
> >> --
> >> This message was sent to: Dave Burton <ncdave4life at gmail.com>
> >> To unsubscribe, send a blank message to trilug-leave at trilug.org from
> >> that address.
> >> TriLUG mailing list : https://www.trilug.org/mailman/listinfo/trilug
> >> Unsubscribe or edit options on the web  :
> >> https://www.trilug.org/mailman/options/trilug/ncdave4life%40gmail.com
> >> Welcome to TriLUG: https://trilug.org/welcome
> >
> >
> --
> This message was sent to: Wes <wes at xitechusa.com>
> To unsubscribe, send a blank message to trilug-leave at trilug.org from that
> address.
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