CF-52 booting issues

I got a used CF-52 as a parts/repair unit and have started working on it. (I had to take a brake from the CF-M34's not reading the cd drive). It doesn't have harddrive caddy or battery. The cover on the bottom with the special tamper proof screw had nothing in the M-pci-e slot. Removing the speaker/power button cover to look in the wwan slot shows nothing there. It had no ram but I installed some sticks of 512 I had lying around. The power light and fan comes on when I power up with the dvd multi drive put in. But it won't let me eject the multi drive like it's not getting any power to it. I can pull the dvd drive before and after boot and the MP light starts working. If I put the dvd multi drive back in after booting the MP light goes out and the unit shuts off. No light or image is getting to the screen or external screen used on testing. The power button won't power down after start up either. Just trying to decide if it is worth salvaging or I need to go ahead and part it out.

CF-52CCABXBM

Description: Win XP (Vista COA), Intel Core Duo T7100 1.80GHz (Centrino), 15.4" WXGA,80GB, 1GB, 56K, 1Gb Ethernet, Intel 802.11a/b/g, Multi-drive

 

make sure the ram is good and correct specs.

 

That model of 52 is notorious for post failures.

 

Do any of you think re-flashing the bios might help. I know it won't see the dvd drive that came in it or the brand new CF-74 dvd drive I tried in it. Maybe a usb floppy will work. Have to do some reading up on it and give it a try in the morning.



I don't think it is the ram at all. With no ram installed it won't even make the beeping noises.

 

Anyone have the bios file for the CF-52 MK1? I have been looking for it last night and this morning but no luck so far. Even the Panasonic site didn't' have it. I guess they consider it too new to have problems.

 

I am not entirely sure but in the BIOS Security tab you can disable the DVD drive. It says it stops data transfer but my experience on my locked CF-51 is that it powers down the DVD drive after a few seconds!
Worth a shot!

 

Don't bother with trying to flash the BIOS. It really looks like you have bad ram. Start by pulling both sticks of ram and try rebooting with only one stick installed. You could have a bad ram connector so try one stick in one slot and then move that stick to the other slot. Next try the other stick in both slots. Do you have any other ram available to try? Do all this without the DVD drive installed and battery. Do you have a smartcard reader on this system? Open the cover on the bottom that looks like a fat 7(the one with the security screw). Under the cover by the end closest to the handle is a small card 1/2" by ~ 1.5". That is your BIOS board. Is it even there?

 

MrRe: It won't post at all so I can't disable anything, I just took the DVD drive out for now.

Rusty503: This unit came with no ram in it. I have used this ram in other laptops and have tried different ram. It won't even beep with no ram in the unit. I have also tried other varios combos to try to get it to. Boot. No smart card on the unit. I have the cover off that had the tamper resistant screw on it off. No wireless card there, the bios board is still there. I have talked to another member on PM about that board. I haven't split the case open yet but I am just about down to that point. Trying to decide if the motherboard is bad or it just had a bad bios flash. It is is a bad board I may try the oven trick on it to try an get it to post.