T41 ThinkPad Weird Beeps Then No Power

[wcstech]

I have a T41 2372/8RU ThinkPad that did something strange last week, and I have no been able to find a solution.

It was on (I'm not sure if it was actively being used or just sitting idle).  The user left the room, and when she came back it was beeping and she could not use the keyboard.  So she powered it down by holding the power button.  After that, it would not power up again.  Nothing.  No POST.  No beep codes.  No sounds of HD spinning or fan running.  No status lights on the display (besides the battery light).  Nothing.

I did my standard remove the battery trick, which usually fixes this type of thing, and still nothing.  It sat unplugged for several days, and when I booted it this morning it gave about a dozen beeps and booted to Windows XP.  Once it was at the login screen, it began beeping at a rate of once per second indefinitely.  When I power it down, it will not boot again unless it is left unplugged for a while or I use the trick of removing the battery, unplugging the AC, pressing power 10 times at 1 sec intervals and then holding for 30 seconds.  Then it will boot once doing the same beeps.  When powered down, it is lather, rinse, repeat.

Anyone have any suggestions?

[Mornsgrans]

Please describe the beeps more detailed (short or long beeps and how many)

Please also try to start up with detached battery.

[wcstech]

Beeps are just basic short beeps with no pattern, about 1 sec apart.

I've tried starting with no battery, with another battery from a known good T41, and with another AC adapter.  No luck on any of them.

It almost seems like a keyboard error once I get it to power on (either bad keyboard or stuck key, though I get no keyboard error message), but it will only power on successfully once and then I have to either unplug it for a long period of time or do the magic power button incantation again to get it to boot.

[Mornsgrans]

These seem to be the possible beepcodes:

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Four  cycles  of  four  short  beeps
and  a  blank  screen.
System  board  (security  chip)

Five  short  beeps  and  a  blank
screen.

System Board

------------------------------------------------------

In both cases the system board needs to replaced.

[wcstech]

Those don't really describe what it is doing.  I've looked at the official beep code chart and none of them describe what I am seeing/hearing.

When it beeps, it doesn't go to a blank screen.  It boots fine into Windows XP Pro and continues to beep.  It just won't let me use the keyboard (which means I can't log in).  After that, when I shut it off via power button because I can do nothing else, it does NOTHING.  I press the power button and get no beeps, no fan, no HD, no power at all until I unplug it for hours or do the magic power button incantation of 10 presses at 1 sec intervals and then hold it for 30 seconds.  Then, it will boot again (with beeps) and get to the Windows login screen (continually beep), not allow keyboard use, and the only thing I can do with it is do a hard shutdown.  Again, I'll have to unplug it or do the magic thing to get it to boot once again which will result in beeps and no keyboard with Windows loading fine.

Also, the beeps aren't in any kind of pattern.  It just beeps a dozen times at 1 sec intervals, quits beeping after POST and during Windows loading, and then resumes beeping at 1 sec intervals once the Windows login screen appears.  There are no "sets" of beeps.

[TuuS]

One very simple cause could be a shorted keyboard. It's acting like you have one of the keys held down. Once the buffer fills, it will beep, then repeat, and since there are keystrokes waiting in the buffer, you're unable to use any other keys.

Unplug the keyboard and substitute a known good one, or external one. 

[Mornsgrans · Accepted solution]

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TuuS schrieb:

One very simple cause could be a shorted keyboard. It's acting like you have one of the keys held down. Once the buffer fills, it will beep, then repeat, and since there are keystrokes waiting in the buffer, you're unable to use any other keys.

Unplug the keyboard and substitute a known good one, or external one. 

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TuuS ist right!

The next step will be:

- detach the keyboard but leave it connected

- attach additionally an USB-keyboard 

- attach power cord, turn on computer and detach the keyboard cable carefully

If laptop starts up without beep-noise, the keyboard is faulty (maybe a liquid-damage??)

[wcstech]

That's exactly what I was thinking, but wanted some more input into other possible causes.  I hope it is only the keyboard.

[TuuS]

A stuck key would have the same effect. You could probably free unplug the keyboard as soon as you press the power button and see if it boots up or not, that should tell you if the keyboard was the problem, then just buy a new one, but if you have an external keyboard it would be a more thurough test.

[wcstech]

It is indeed the keyboard.  Thanks!  System board just didn't seem right given that it would boot and the beeps had no pattern.  It was the no power after one successful boot thing that was strange.

I have a spare T42 that I can swap the keyboard out on and then order a new keyboard for the T42.