Saturday 29 June 2013

How to Troubleshoot IBM Laptop Computers



Troubleshooting IBM laptop computers can be a painstaking process due to the necessity to rule out a large number of potential problems. However, there are several key problems that are most likely to afflict an IBM laptop, and these can be checked for and troubleshot first and foremost. Since these problems--such as driver errors and LCD display malfunctions--are leading causes of laptop issues, it is usually possible to immediately narrow the scope of your troubleshooting endeavors and thus make the process much more manageable.

1 Check for power issues. Your IBM laptop battery may be dead, but is your AC adapter successfully plugged into the wall, or has it come loose? Also, try different wall outlets or surge protectors.
An individual wall outlet may, for whatever reason, not be providing you with power. Try multiple outlets before assuming your IBM problem is anything but the most simple of power issues.

2 Check for available driver downloads. New drivers may alleviate unresponsive keyboard or trackpad issues on your IBM. Check the IBM (now Lenovo) support page (see Resources below) for new drivers, and download them, double clicking the download to install. Restart your IBM for any changes to take effect.

3 Listen to your laptop fan. If your laptop fan is not running, you may have a general system power failure or motherboard problem. Send in your IBM to the manufacturer for repair, as this will require a professional. A motherboard problem will require a completely new computer.

4 Check your LCD display. Use a VGA connector to hook your IBM up to an external monitor. Turn on your IBM and the external monitor and see if the external display works. If it does, you have isolated your IBM computer problems to your LCD display.

5 Replace your IBM LCD display. Use a Phillips screwdriver to remove your old display. Remove the screws surrounding the bezel of your current display. There may be plastic or rubber covers over these screws, so look closely and pop these off if necessary. Remove the bezel after you have taken out the screws by peeling the bezel off, starting at one corner.

6 Remove the screws on either side of the display, beneath the bezel. These screws will be located in two metal brackets, one on the left and right side of the display. Then, unplug the inverter cable from the inverter. This cable can be found just beneath the display, at the bottom center of the IBM. Carefully remove the old display once the cable is disconnected.

7 Slide in the new display and immediately replace the metal bracket screws. Reconnect the inverter cable. Put the bezel back into position and then replace the bezel screws and screw covers.

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