Lenevo T590 cooked?

[lan101]

Lenevo T590 I think it's either a board or the soldered memory failing.

I did the battery reset thing there's a small push button with a paper clip on the bottom. Went through that procedure. It will come on sometimes to the Lenevo screen and attempt a windows boot then just reset back into this sequence again. I think either way this thing is cooked but just wondered if anyone's seen that sequence before. Couldn't verify much online.

Power button, caps lock, num lock, esc, F1, and F4 all light up.

Here's a quick video to show it. Thanks for any insights.

 

[lan101]

On a lenevo forum someone made a claim that this worked but it didn't here.

I fixed the problem this way: disconnected external power, pushed the reset hole by a clip in the back for 10 s, and pushed the reset hole and power button simultaneously for 60 s. These steps completely disconnect the computer from its internal non-removable battery and reset it. Connected the X1 laptop with an external power source, pressed the power button for more than 10 s, and waited for 15 min. The laptop finally woke up and entered Windows safe mode. Entered “msconfig” in the Start, under Boot tab, unchecked Safe boot option, OK, and then restarted. The X1 carbon restarted normally

 

[frase]

Looks like the lights of the titanic slowly going out as it is sinking. Is this your's or a customers as it looks to me like a bad BIOS update. Though it could have a major board issue, so without disassembly and checking the board itself you maybe pulling at straws. Can you enter the BIOS at all and does it POST? You can try another boot method if you can reach BIOS to liveboot etc.

The laptop may be bricked at this point and to make matters worse the RAM is soldered on, though you could check continuity with a Multimeter I suppose.

Here is the manual -

https://download.lenovo.com/pccbbs/mobiles_pdf/t490_t590_p43s_p53s_ug_v2_en.pdf

 

[lan101]

Looks like the lights of the titanic slowly going out as it is sinking. Is this your's or a customers as it looks to me like a bad BIOS update. Though it could have a major board issue, so without disassembly and checking the board itself you maybe pulling at straws. Can you enter the BIOS at all and does it POST? You can try another boot method if you can reach BIOS to liveboot etc.

The laptop may be bricked at this point and to make matters worse the RAM is soldered on, though you could check continuity with a Multimeter I suppose.

Here is the manual -

https://download.lenovo.com/pccbbs/mobiles_pdf/t490_t590_p43s_p53s_ug_v2_en.pdf

If the lenevo screen does come up as soon as you hit the enter key it'll just reboot again within a few seconds.

A few times it'll attempt to enter the windows recovery but then just reboots again...that's why I was leaning on bad RAM.

The whole soldered ram thing to me is the silliest thing ever other than to save the manufacturer a dollar or 2.

Bad bios was also another thought. It may have tried to grab a bios update in windows updates or something. Sad it'll prolly just get thrown out lol.

 

[Porthos]

I reread the topic. It was never mentioned if a different AC adapter was tried.

 

[lan101]

I reread the topic. It was never mentioned if a different AC adapter was tried.

Nope. Same reaction on battery or plugged in. It appeared to charge according to the lights.

 

[dannyict]

I had this same thing on a E590, was a bios update gone wrong and the motherboard had to be replaced (was still in waranty)

 

[YeOldeStonecat]

I've had the old "emergency reset button" on the bottom work quite a few times, it performs a power drain from the capacitors on the systemboard. NOT to be confused with the NOVO button on some earlier Lenovo laptops...mostly Ideapads...which puts it into a recovery mode.
If it has a removable battery...remove that also....and then run the reset button routine.
Sometimes a good solid 60 second hold....while also holding the power button....can help.

Even though it's a 3x digit model number..(usually means a bit older for Thinkpads)...the 590 was mostly what..2019? Thinkpad T series usually run for...many many years. Heck I still have a pile of my old Thinkpads going past 10 years old that still run fine.

I dunno, seems to me like this one isn't charging up. The DC jack wobbly?

 

[phaZed]

Looks like a bad BIOS flash/corrupt BIOS issue, to me. Depending on the BIOS, you may need to re-flash it (Manually with a chip-clip) or replace it with a pre-flashed one from online, if available.

 

[YeOldeStonecat]

Newer Lenovo's also have the self healing BIOS....if it blows up, you can revert. I forget when they added that..may have been after the 590.

 

[lan101]

I've had the old "emergency reset button" on the bottom work quite a few times, it performs a power drain from the capacitors on the systemboard. NOT to be confused with the NOVO button on some earlier Lenovo laptops...mostly Ideapads...which puts it into a recovery mode.
If it has a removable battery...remove that also....and then run the reset button routine.
Sometimes a good solid 60 second hold....while also holding the power button....can help.

Even though it's a 3x digit model number..(usually means a bit older for Thinkpads)...the 590 was mostly what..2019? Thinkpad T series usually run for...many many years. Heck I still have a pile of my old Thinkpads going past 10 years old that still run fine.

I dunno, seems to me like this one isn't charging up. The DC jack wobbly?

Yeah I did the button hold down options for 60 or more seconds with both battery plugged in and unplugged. DC jack is fine. I'm thinking BIOS just because it'll go to the Lenevo screen for a few seconds and then whether I hit enter or F12 it just goes back into this mode again and again.

 

[lan101]

I had this same thing on a E590, was a bios update gone wrong and the motherboard had to be replaced (was still in waranty)

Yeah this one's probably just gonna get thrown out unfortunately lol. Not worth spending much time on. Wasn't used for much other than online stuff. Out of warranty so it'd be more expensive then a refurb most likely.

 

[frase]

Yeah this one's probably just gonna get thrown out unfortunately lol. Not worth spending much time on. Wasn't used for much other than online stuff. Out of warranty so it'd be more expensive then a refurb most likely.

That is the best option if it is your own as I stated before would be a BIOS failure, did you do this at any point as you have not clarified that going through the post's here. Windows itself will never update the BIOS on itself, this has to be flashed manually by the user. So it looks like the board has an issue. As I stated originally there maybe a CMOS jumper on the board that can be reset by adjusting pins to OFF or ON with the Jumper or shorting them with a screwdriver, other than simply removing the battery as this will clear the CMOS completly. A shame as IMO the Lenovo Thinkpads are one of the best laptops for general use. It may be a good time to learn about dissamebally and repairing this for yourself in your spare time.

 

[Porthos]

Windows itself will never update the BIOS on itself

Not quite true. Depends on the age of the system.
Every NEW consumer Dell and HP I have set up in the last several months got a bios update from Windows update.

 

[frase]

Oh ok sorry never knew that.

 

[britechguy]

Not quite true. Depends on the age of the system.
Every NEW consumer Dell and HP I have set up in the last several months got a bios update from Windows update.

Slowly, but surely, all of the OEMs are beginning to hand their updates to Microsoft for inclusion in Windows Update. I think the days of every OEM having it's own "service station" as the only way BIOS updates (and all other updates) being offered are numbered. I think they'll still exist, but only because there will always be those out there who will go to the ends of the earth to avoid Windows Updates.