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    T420s problem showing blank screen

    Discussion in 'Lenovo' started by cn_habs, Aug 1, 2013.

  1. cn_habs

    cn_habs Notebook Deity

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    Hi everyone,

    How are you all doing today?

    I've been having some issues with my T420s as some times during use, the system would stop working and the screen would show a single color (white, yellow, red, etc) all across the LCD.

    The IBM guys have already replaced the motherboard onsite for me but that didn't fix the problem. Obviously, I ran the hardware tests at the Lenovo Service Center but came empty handed again. Is it because there are 1 Kingston and 1 Samsung RAM sticks aren't compatible together? I swapped them but that still didn't fix the problem.

    Does anyone have any suggestions? Lenovo Tech Support just told me to use the recovery disks at this point.

    Thanks,
    Jason
     
    cn_habs, Aug 1, 2013
    #1
  2. Kaso

    Kaso Notebook Virtuoso

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    The LCD itself?
     
    Kaso, Aug 1, 2013
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  3. A1X

    A1X Notebook Consultant

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    Sometimes memory problems are hard to detect; try to use the laptop with only one memory stick, then with the other one. See if it happens again or not.
     
    A1X, Aug 1, 2013
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  4. cn_habs

    cn_habs Notebook Deity

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    I tried that and unfortunately that didn't fix the problem...
     
    cn_habs, Aug 2, 2013
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  5. A1X

    A1X Notebook Consultant

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    A1X, Aug 3, 2013
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  6. cn_habs

    cn_habs Notebook Deity

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    Mod please delete this post...
     
    cn_habs, Aug 4, 2013
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  7. cn_habs

    cn_habs Notebook Deity

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    Wow thanks for that link! That's EXACTLY the issue I had! Yes 30 secs to 1 min sounds about right but the screen had never gone one color back then.

    Lenovo CS thought the motherboard was at fault so they had it replaced a month ago. Ever since, it's been showing a single color and not that fuzzy white and black screen.

    I see that you had the same problem so you got your motherboard replaced twice? How long have you been trouble free? I am more inclined to think this is a design flaw more than anything else.
     
    cn_habs, Aug 4, 2013
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  8. A1X

    A1X Notebook Consultant

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    Yes, I had my motherboard replaced twice until the problem has gone away. 4 months trouble free now. What is the production date of your T420s? 2011? My (uneducated) guess is that a 2012 motherboard will solve this issue. Based on BIOS build date (I know this is not for sure but probably the motherboard left the assembly line with a BIOS up to date for that moment in time), the 1st replacement motherboard came with a BIOS date of 2011 (September if I remember correctly) and exhibited the same issue as the original one, and the 2nd replacement mb came with a BIOS date of July 2012. Hope you'll get that sorted.
     
    A1X, Aug 5, 2013
    #8