that sick feeling that I've really screwed up this time...

[jeana]

Hey now,

I've been upgrading my sister's old Toshiba T2100CS laptop... added RAM and installed a new drive, installing dual boot Win95/Linux, and setting up networking. Hours of work and shopping for the right parts, etc.

Here's the problem: occasionally the laptop freezes at the Windows shutdown window, and I've been getting around this by unplugging and replugging it (as the power switch will not work in these cases). Well, yesterday there happened to be a large paperclip sitting on my desk, and I saw the little hole marked "RESET". So I unbent the clip and stuck it in. It met no resistance, so I pushed it in UNTIL IT DID. At which point the computer stopped working, permanently.

Yep. Not a blink, not a beep or hum. Dead.

After disassembling the laptop as much as possible, I realize that I'd been scratching bare circuitboard!! However, I can't manage to expose the part of the circuit board that I was scraping because I can't get the dadblasted cover off! The weird part is that if I hold the paperclip just so, probably exactly against the motherboard in the region where I must have damaged it, the power lights go on. But if I move, the power goes off.

The warranty is long past (the laptop is at least five years old) and I don't think that Toshiba supports this model any more. I could get it repaired (have sent email to a couple of Toshiba dealers) but it will probably cost less to buy a better used laptop.

I don't know if there's anything anyone can do to help me... but does anyone know how to remove the bottom cover of this particular laptop so I can look at the mobo? Might it be a job could be fixed with some fine solderwork or a trace pen?

Well, with that one move my local reputation has fallen from demiguru to dangerous clown.

Any suggestions are welcome.

Yours,
Jeana the Lummox

[richamies]

STOP POKING THE PAPERCLIP IN THE BLOODY HOLE!

Right, now we got that sorted....
It sounds like you have damaged a track on one of the PCB's. The 2100 is the old ones in the grey case right?

Let me know what cover ya can't get off and let me have a think about it. I think i've been called to one of these, so I'll see what I can find out.

[Dave_H]

jeana,
Don't feel bad, I would have done the same thing. Why else would the thing say reset?

Now if it said "self destruct" THEN you would be a clown. LOL
Dave

[richamies]

goto http://members.xoom.com\RichAmies and have a look. The stuff should be there within a couple of minutes for you.

[This message has been edited by richamies (edited 01-08-2000).]

[jeana]

Thanks a million, richamies (Rich?)!

Gray case...shifty looking... that's the one! You wouldn't happen to have a schematic of the motherboard on hand, would you?

It's good ol' #1/1A that I've been scratching away at. I'm trying to get at the component side, which is mounted so that it faces down when the laptop is right side up. So, I've been trying to remove the bottom plastic plate.

I had managed to get things to the point that I'd removed the keyboard and exposed the part of the noncomponent side of the motherboard that lies under the battery and hard drive.

The whole right side of the bottom of the Toshiba is loose and the floppy drive is ready to fall out. I've removed all visible screws and pushed at these two slots (I figured all is lost anyhow) on the bottom, releasing some metal catches. But somehow the center/left side of the bottom is still firmly attached and I'm worried about snapping the plastic if I pull any more.

Trying to bend the bottom away a little to see the motherboard where I'd damaged it, I could only see lots of tiny little resistors and tracks, and nothing like a switch, jumper, or loose connection that could be easily fixed. Darn. What in sam hill was that "RESET" hole about? I guess this was a really really good RESET switch, that causes you to get a whole new computer when you push it!!

Searching for the points at which the bottom is still attached to the motherboard, I removed the cover(#40) where we insert the memory upgrade and pried away at the bottom plate again. This revealed a fairly thick plastic column extending from the gray bottom plate up through a hole in the motherboard. Couldn't pull the motherboard off this column without applying enough strength to flex the mobo, so I gave up and reassembled everything, hoping the computer would have fixed itself as sometimes happened.

It hadn't. I'm stumped.

Sheesh, I'll be glad to start working on tower cases again!

Yours truly,
Jeana, still wearing a ruff and pointy cap




[This message has been edited by jeana (edited 01-08-2000).]

[richamies]

Unfortunately, no I don't have access to schematics(bummer!).
I can't even remember much about the unit itself, so I'm pretty useless on this one I'm affraid. Your best bet is to probably take out the damaged board and get in contact with a brokerage of some description. These places usually get hold of faulty stuff and sell the good bits. If the track has been damaged or a component is actually missing off the board, it could have done more damage to the board than first seems apparent.

And I'm sure Rich will do nicely

Could be worth taking the board to an electronics repair company and getting a quote.

If I'm looking at this right then the PCMCIA/PCCARD slots are at the front on the left, make sure you take out the little levers before trying to get it out of the case. I'm more experienced on IBM laptops, and these will always come off with a little tug on them, using some long nose pliers.

Hope this helps you out a bit

[This message has been edited by richamies (edited 01-08-2000).]

[ktwebb]

You do have to get physical when taking apart a Toshiba laptop. As long as ALL the scres are out, you have to tug. I know, it feels like the thing is going to crack right down the middle. It took me a while to get the courage up to just yank the sucker open the first time I worked on a laptop. I went to the ATLAS site (Authorized Service Provider site for Toshiba) and their is a PDF for your laptop. Honestly, the file is too big for me to get on my dialup and send it too, but I will do it Monday at work if you want to post your email address, I will send it too you.

[jeana]

Thanks ktwebb!

I will email you my address: I really appreciate it.

Jeana

[Axel]

It sounds like you may either have poped a resistor off the board or, if there was actually a reset button in there, you may have jamed it and it only needs to be pulled out again. By putting the paperclip back, you may be moving the button just enough to restore the contact.

Rather than repair it, you may check out a few of the local junk PC shops and buy another one for less than it would cost to diagnose and repair the one in hand. Then put a drop of glue ot sealant in that reset hole.

Good luck. I know the guilt must be nagging you.

[jeana]

How right you are Axel! But it's not just guilt nagging me: it's me sister! >

ktwebb:
Thanks a LOT for the T2100CS repair info! I haven't got the cover off yet but it's just because I've been swamped at work and can't touch the project yet.

I think I'll shop around for a little while and see if I can buy a new motherboard for the little tyke. Who knows, maybe I can get one with an upgraded processor stuck on!

Otherwise, I guess I'll have to shop for a new laptop for Sis...

[jeana]

Just to complete this story (new people on the forum, writing back with the results is good manners and helps build up a knowledge base):

I found a T2110CS (a screamin' 75MHz upgrade from the original 50MHz) with a broken screen and I grafted the motherboard into the T2100CS. In order to access the board I had to remove almost every peripheral, with the help of ktwebb's PDF. Whaddayaknow, the new board had a reset button that was missing on the old one (my sister must have broken it off at some point.)

The laptop now works perfectly! It did burn up a $150 4 gig drive, but probably the ventless, fanless chassis runs too hot for the newer large drives. Currently I have a minimal Red Hat Linux install on the old 300MB drive that serves me well for emacs.

So, happy ending: my sister has a new Gateway and I have a laptop of my very own.

Thanks, ktwebb and richamies!!

[thekingofpain]

Whoa im doin the "lucky me dance" for ya, glad it worked out... arnt these guys great!?!