IBM Thinkpad T20

Clinical Waste

Does anyone know where I can get the Bios EPROM chip on this system flashed.
It is corrupted (0175: Bad CRC1 Stop Post Task -error) and needs to be flashed or replaced.

Any IBM employees here know if IBM do it? or any specialist places (within Ireland)?
Its well beyond its warranty period.

Fionn101

You should be ableto flash the bios by using a floppy disk ,

Goto the toshiba website and search the support forums,

If you run completey out of luck, reply to this and i'll take a look


Fionn

Clinical Waste

It craps out before it even gets a chance to boot off any device, so downloaded bios from IBM website is useless.

Fionn101

What does happen when the machine turns on ? (step by step please)

Can you get in to the BIOS at all and reset to factory defaults ?

also you could replace the motherboard or the chip if your good with electronics (for a new eeprom chip goto sparepartswarehouse.com , although i don;t advise that)

Try calling around for a spare motherboard , I recommend

International Marketing and Computer Surplus -066-976-2702

or other laptop repair centres

But let me know what happens on boot first , I'm sure you'd rather not spend money and try to fix it

Take it easy

Fionn

SouperComputer

are you sure its out of warranty. Some t20s came with a 3yr warranty and may be still under it.

the motherboard is shagged im afriad. unless you want to go to the bother of sourcing a bios prom and soldering it onto the old board.

sorry the news isnt better

Clinical Waste

Okay, when turned on, the logo appears, then the specs are listed:

Pentium III 700Mhz
256Mb RAM
IBM xxx Hard Disk
etc....

Then it beeps and the message:

0175: Bad CRC1. Stop Post task

Access to the bios, F1 setup, F12 change boot device are all non accessable before or after this point.

I have changed the CPU, the hard disk and the memory, and whilst they appear on the spec list at the beginning, still the laptop stops at the same message.

As SouperComputer says it is mobo. SO I am looking for a mobo now to replace it.

Warranty definitely dead. Machine date is early 2000.

Fionn101

The IBM website says that it is the system board thats at fault for the 0175 stop error ( http://www-3.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/document.do?lndocid=MIGR-4K2MCU )

If you can;t flash the bios I suggest contacting a laptop hardware repair place or if your ok changing the mobo yourself then get a replacement from the supplier listed above, should not cost much at all ,

Well at least the error is definatley diagnosed , try flashing the bios again before paying out any money !!


Fionn

SouperComputer

Originally posted by Fionn101
The IBM website says that it is the system board thats at fault for the 0175 stop error ( http://www-3.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/document.do?lndocid=MIGR-4K2MCU )

If you can;t flash the bios I suggest contacting a laptop hardware repair place or if your ok changing the mobo yourself then get a replacement from the supplier listed above, should not cost much at all ,

Well at least the error is definatley diagnosed , try flashing the bios again before paying out any money !!


Fionn

fionn, he cant flash the BIOS. thats the problem!

Fionn101

yeh i remmebr know , should really re-read posts

well you know it;s the system board at fault , go replace it ,

For future reference look up the error message before replacing all the other parts , (not wanting to sound smug or anything , but it;s a good check to do , you mentioned that you;d replaced most other stuff)

Fionn

Clinical Waste

Actually, first thing I did was check the error code on IBM's webpage.

But "system board" as with "gpf" and other obscure error codes usually covers a broad range of faults.
If the chip was faulty the board could misinterpret this as a board failure (and lets face it board failyres are rare)
Long shot for the Hard drive (but CRC in the error message measnt I had to try)
And hey whilst at it may as well try the memory. (weirder things have happened)

Thanks for all your help guys, now just to find a new mobo.