Startup problem - no startup options

[bylund]

I've been having numerous problems with my X61 7675-CTO with Win Vista Business and most of them are due to Lenovo's system updates. But this one is a "residue" from when I had my computer sent in for service. Ever since, upon startup I hear three beeps: one long and two short ones. Furthermore, no buttons seem to work while starting the computer - not the blue ThinkVantage button, not F8 (to choose e.g. safe mode) and no other buttons. So when I have problems (which I do...) I cannot start the computer in safe mode, I cannot run Rescue & Recover and I cannot run PC Doctor.

I have tried everything I can think of, but I really have no clue why these startup options won't work. Will I have to reinstall Windows to get this to work? (I really, really don't want to do that.) Are there any drivers or updates I can apply to alleviate this problem?

Thanks.

[bananaman]

Unfortunately, per the Lenovo Secret Beep Decoder Ring, this means a problem with any of:

1. System board
2. LCD assembly
3. DIMM

[bylund]

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bananaman wrote:

Unfortunately, per the Lenovo Secret Beep Decoder Ring, this means a problem with any of:

1. System board
2. LCD assembly
3. DIMM

---

Thanks, bananaman, that's real bad news.

 

It is "funny," however, that the sounds were there as I got the laptop back from Lenovo's technicians. Obviously, they don't do any testing whatsoever after having "fixed" problems (they replaced the system board). If they did, then wouldn't they have reacted to the beeps?

I noticed the beeps, but I didn't think much about it until some days ago when I started having BSOD problems and needed to boot in Safe Mode - but that was impossible due to no keys functioning. And now my warranty has expired... Any suggestions of what I can do? I can try calling Lenovo, but I don't think they have ever delivered a solution but to "send it in" - and that is, this time, the cause of the problem...

Or should I perhaps ignore the beeps and just continue using the computer. I've managed to get rid of the BSODs, so it seems to be working (for now...).

[bananaman]

If you get the beeps, I would send it back to Lenovo and get it fixed.

It sounds like something is flakey, and if it is under warranty you shouldn't have to put up with it.

I can believe a scenario where it worked at Lenovo, but then exhibited the problem when it arrived at you. There are plenty of things which could cause that - for example physical shock, heat, cold, humidity - all can happen to the laptop on its way to you. It happens.

[bylund]

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bananaman wrote:

If you get the beeps, I would send it back to Lenovo and get it fixed.

It sounds like something is flakey, and if it is under warranty you shouldn't have to put up with it.

I can believe a scenario where it worked at Lenovo, but then exhibited the problem when it arrived at you. There are plenty of things which could cause that - for example physical shock, heat, cold, humidity - all can happen to the laptop on its way to you. It happens.

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Well, my warranty has expired. Should've sent it back immediately, I guess, but I didn't recognize it as a problem then. I'll try to call them and tell them what is going on, but I'm not hoping for much. Lenovo hasn't been very helpful so far, even when I had a valid warranty.

[bananaman]

Tell Lenovo exactly what happened i.e. the problem was there intermittently when you received it back after the last warranty repair. Even though the warranty is now over, they might help you. Good luck!

[bylund]

Of course, they won't help. Instead, they'll charge me "up to" $575 to correct whatever the problem might be. But I must say the guy I talked to was very friendly and helpful (which is usually not the case) and he suggested I take my computer to an authorized dealer to have them run a diagnistics to find the error. Then, perhaps, I could call Lenovo back and have them "fix" the problem.

The only thing is that I've had Lenovo fix problems twice during the first year (before my warranty expired) and each time they managed to change the system board and still screw things up. Their "service" always caused new problems, so I'm not very eager to spend "up to" $575 just to have them f%^& up my computer in another way. If they would do it for nothing or for a much lower fee I might consider taking the risk, since I have no clue what is wrong with the computer.

Is there any chance that the "one long, two short beeps" thing could be "solved" through re-imaging the hard drive? If so, then I might try that myself instead of spending more than 50% of what a new X61 would cost on "maybe" fixing the problem.