[TriLUG] Advice Please

David Burton via TriLUG trilug at trilug.org
Wed Feb 19 23:40:35 EST 2025 

Does pressing the CapsLock or NumLock key cause the corresponding status
lights to go on and off?
(If so, that would mean it is running, because the CPU has to receive the
keystrokes and tell those lights to go on and off.)


On Wed, Feb 19, 2025 at 8:30 PM Dwain Sims <dsims at bayleafnc.org> wrote:

> 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 :
>>>> 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.
>>>> TriLUG mailing list : https://www.trilug.org/mailman/listinfo/trilug
>>>> Unsubscribe or edit options on the web  :
>>>> https://www.trilug.org/mailman/options/trilug/wes%40xitechusa.com
>>>> Welcome to TriLUG: https://trilug.org/welcome
>>>
>>>

More information about the TriLUG mailing list