[TriLUG] Advice Please

Wed Feb 19 20:30:25 EST 2025

Hooked up a good working monitor via HDMI.  No change in behavior after
putting the battery back in.

Dwain

On Wed, Feb 19, 2025 at 6:26 PM Dwain Sims <dsims at bayleafnc.org> wrote:

> It is HDMI.  I'll try it in a while and let you know.
>
> Dwain
>
> On Wed, Feb 19, 2025 at 4:55 PM Wes Garrison <wes at xitechusa.com> wrote:
>
>> 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 :
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>>> >> > 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  :
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>>> >> 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.
>>> TriLUG mailing list : https://www.trilug.org/mailman/listinfo/trilug
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>>> Welcome to TriLUG: https://trilug.org/welcome
>>
>>