CF-52 help please!

Hi

I have recently picked up a CF-52 from a surplus sale which was missing the ram, hard drive, dvd drive and a couple of the IO covers, it is a core i5 mode, the model number is CF52PFP58FE.
I have fitted 2gb ram, a new harddrive and dvd drive, installed Windows 7 and it runs fine with a couple of exceptions.

Firstly, I cannot get the DVD drive to do anything, it isn't recognised by windows, pressing the dvd eject button doesn't do anything either and putting a dvd in and closing the door doesnt spin up the disk, I have tried two known working drives and they both are the same.

Secondly, the bios is password protected, as such, I am unable to get into it, reading the posts on here, I guess this is something that I am going to have to live with as removing the password or finding it seems to be impossible from what I have read.

But, can anyone tell me if the bios on the CF-52 allows disabling of the DVD drive, and if so, when it is disabled, would it prevent the eject button from working and the drive from spinning up?
I was toying with the idea that there may be a fuse on the motherboard for the 5v supply to the dvd drive that had blown, I have been looking for the schematics but I have not managed to find any despite searching the www, if anyone could help here, that would be much appreciated.

Finally, and I can't figure this, is there anything odd about the ram on this model?
Initially, I fitted 2 x 1gb PC3-10600 Dimms and the laptop boots, loads windows and sees 2gb Ram, but fitting 2 x 2gb pc3-10600 dimms pulled from my new HP laptop, the CF-52 will not even boot to bios, fitting either 1 of the 2gb dimms in the first slot and it boots fine.

Could it be something in the bios 'restricting' it to a maximum of 2gb ram?

Any help that can be offered will be much appreciated.

Kind regards
Tony.

 

Since the bios is password protected it's hard to say whats going on in there. Most company's don't want other software on there laptops so they disable the DVD player. The memory, well not sure but I would try another brand and see what happens.

Remember we can't talk about getting into the bios. "There will be ZERO TOLERANCE for anyone asking for anything having to do with how to bypass/reset passwords"

 

Hi Blair

Thank you for the reply, you could well be correct, however, I am able to plug in and boot from USB memory sticks and also a USB dvd drive, so I am not sure if that is what the issue is here as surely they would be blocked too?

Regards
Tony

 

The same way here at work to, the DVD is dead but the USB works fine.

 

It has to be a sata dvd. And yes, there is a fuse on the mobo and u can disable the drive in the BIOS, so it can't open the door. But, who needs a DVD-drive today
Some sort of RAM are special...like toughasnails said, try another one.
What is the full model number?

 

Hi

the dvd I have just tried is borrowed from another CF-52 belonging to a friend of a friend, I also got her to check that my dvd drive works which it does.
She wans't keen on letting me remove her ram to test in my unit as you can understand, I will have to try and borrow a couple of Dimms to try different ram.
The full model number according to the label on the bottom I posted in the opening post, but it is CF52PFP58FE, if I can find the model number anywhere else, please let me know where to look.

You are correct about not needing the dvd of course, but it just makes the laptop a usefull dvd player when we are away in the truck on holiday!

Regards
Tony

 

Contact Heartland about removing the BIOS password. You will have to send the unit to them.

Heartland Services

 

I can not find any info on that model. What country are you in?

 

Mklym - Unfortunately I don't think that would be practical, I am located in the UK so the cost of getting it removed plus the shipping both ways to the US would probably be way more than the cost of the CF-52 cost me!

If I could get the DVD drive working, I could live with the bios password to be quite honest,

Regards
Tony.

 

Panasonic Business Systems A Division of Panasonic UK, Ltd.
Panasonic House Willoughby Road
Bracknell Berks
RG12 8FP, UK

01273 765 114

 

link to UK service centers..

Panasonic Toughbook service centre locator - Computer Product Solutions | Panasonic Business

 

Hi

Unfortunately unless I wish to spend an unrealistic amount of money, Panasonic UK support were not at all helpful, all they could offer was for me to send the unit back to them and they could provide me with a
quote for repair, probably a new motherboard?
Again, it would cost many times what I paid for the unit in the first place, they were not able to supply schematics when I asked to buy them, so not at all helpful i'm afraid.

I may bite the bullet and strip it down as described in the service manual and have a look on the motherboard to see if I can spy a surface mount fuse or any damage to the connector that the DVD plugs into.

Regards
Tony

 

It's a pretty good bet the DVD is disabled in the BIOS.
If you are comfortable with soldering/modding, you could try to use a usb DVD in the drive bay. There are a couple internal usb ports that you could wire it to. I did this on a cf29 a few years back.

 

Hey Shawn I hadn't thought of that!, I have 22+ years as an electronics engineer, soldering is my bread and butter, particularly surface mount stuff.
Don't suppose you have any schematics of the main board at all for where to pick up the USB data + and Data - signals

Thanks
Tony.

 

This thread will help. You may have to ground the FPexist or SR2exist pin to enable the usb. Not 100% sure. Alternatively you could solder the usb on the backside of an external port. Just have to remember that port is in use.

http://forum.notebookreview.com/panasonic/747678-cf52-backlit-keyboard-project.html

How I did it on a CF29.

http://forum.notebookreview.com/panasonic/551916-cf-29-floppy-caddy-dvd.html


Ya know...This has me thinking. My CF52G has an IDE DVD drive. I would love to use a SATA 2nd HDD in the media bay. Adapters won't work, but If I "converted" my media bay to a usb SATA, I would be able to use a SATA SSD 2nd drive for storage....

 

Just for fun the cost here in the US to send a 52 to Panasonic and have the pass removed is… ..drum roll please… $300. Yikes.