New toughbook isn't working so well

I just got my new CF-28 (1GHz, GPS, 13.3" touchscreen, etc).

Oh how excited I was to open it up and try it out. Drive swapping didn't go so easy though, and had to open the caddy's up and physically swap them out (The 1GHz and 600MHz caddys are different).

So, booting up, loads up Grub (bootloader, dual boot computer), select windows, see the windows logo and the blue scroll bar, and it dies. The toughbook turned itself off. Ok, try it again but with Linux. Same deal, see the Ubuntu logo and scroll bar, then it's dead.

Pulled the HD caddy wondering if the drive was screwed up. Loads through Bios, tells me the OS isn't found, waits about 15 seconds, then it's dead.

Out of curiosity, but with no real hopes, I throw in my DVD drive and the Windows XP cd, it starts loading the setup, and somewhere during that, dead.

My luck with eBay is really not so great.

 

when it keeps switching off?????? is it anything to do with over heating??????

 

Not sure, suppose it could be overheating. Either way, I'm a bit pissed to get an overheating laptop right out of the box.

I'm afraid to screw with it just incase the seller will just tell me to get lost...

I shoulda bought from the other place selling them (for slightly more, but including a backlit keyboard and DVD/CD-RW combo drive). Stupid me.

 

might be worth a try messing with the acpi setting in the bios, incase the operating systems are getting confused and think is out of battery or something.
i have a ups on my desktop, and the xp install cd turns it off while installing if i leave the serial cable in
maybe try running the laptop with the battery out, maybe the battery is so dead it is drawing too much current
check the drive connections, check the battery connected, and worth checking the bios for other settings that sound wrong e.g. cpu/ram clocks etc
(obviously i have no idea what settings are in a toughbook bios)
if all that fails try a program to test the ram memtest86 i think one is called
i hope it turns out to be ok... partly because i've ordered one too!

 

best bet ask the seller see what he advices you,
i'd say leave it and see what the seller says....
he might give it to you for half the price instead.........

but what i think it could be is a software issue,
best way to check this switch it on and go into the bios and leave it for 5mins if it doesnt switch of then its fine just a software crash, so just re-install winxp..........
have you got any bootable os....

 

It crashes in Bios too. Lasted roughly 10 seconds.

Here is what I've tried;

Removing Hard drive
Removing CD drive
Removing battery
Running without AC power (just battery)
Default Bios settings


At this point I'm pretty sure it's overheating. If that's the case, I just don't want to have to pay return shipping.

 

Overheating doesn't fit the bill with me... It would take longer than that to generate enough heat... Unless you have an intermittant short somewhere.

1. What is the seller's return policy?
2. If the seller's policy is "as-is" then go to the next step.
3. Open the case and have a look. You may find a stray wire or something bad. Look for any worn or burned area.
4. Are you sure your caddy is making all the correct connections. The ribbon cable end should have a definite "snap" when going into place! Check to make sure.
5. Did you add RAM to it? If you did take it out... You may have a bad module.
6. If/when you open the case look for the snap connectors for the on/off switch. Make sure they are fully seated.
7. Let me have a little bit more Jack Daniels and I'll talk to my father-in-law. (I'm down here visiting) He's got a doctorate in computer science. (But he's had more to drink than I have!)

You do have a copy of the manual don't you? If not I added a link around here somewhere.

7. Don't stress... We'll get this figured out!

 

No extra ram or cards of any kind have been added.

He will return it, on my dime to ship (Sucks alot), so I'm debating half/half on what to do. The on/off switch is a good suspect, because it has been replaced with a filler plate instead of the lock. not sure if it's doing it or not though. I suppose I could swap out my other bottom case (Which I intended to pop the lock out and put into the new unit, I've got a key for it!), and test it out.

Overheating does sorta fit though, but I'm not really up for ripping apart the heatsink portion (Though arctic silver does kick more ass than thermal pads).

Something I'm curious about though, is like most sellers with laptops, he claims to have marked it somehow. One of my other toughbooks (The parts book) carried the same claim, but I've been all the way through that thing.

 

its been marked with a uv pen, you will be able to see it with black light.....

and too be honest toughbook is right, it could be a intermittant problem and main problems i seen are the on/off switch and the charging block.....

is the battery full......
if just left off is the battery charging light coming on........

 

The battery light is now green (Was orange when I first plugged it in) when it has AC power. Without AC power, the light is off.

I think I'll just send this one back, and get one of the 800MHz ones I see with the backlit keyboard and a combo drive (and GPS of course) for a little more money. I hate having to repair things I find not working right out of the box. If this was a month from now, I'd have no issues with ripping it apart and figuring out the cause, but I don't want to press my luck and have another parts book.

 

have you tried to see if it powers up with out the ac charger plug in just the battery on its own?????
also powering it up with just the ac charge plug in and the battery taken out???????
also take out the floppy drive and then test again????
also go into the bios and load the default values and save and exit then try???????
have you downloaded the manual toughbook put up it has a check list of what to do if the toughbook dies on you??????

 

Did you buy your laptop from these guys???

http://cgi.ebay.com/Panasonic-RUGGE...ryZ42205QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

 

I did. Excellent customer support.

 

I'm thinking about either ordering the CF-28 800Mgz with GPS or just hold out for the CF-29 with GPS. Speed is not so much the concern as I will slipstream WinXP to get all the junk out. I'd just like a brighter screen that is daylight readable.

I don't know... Flipping a coin will probably decide... Though if money we no object...

 

Naw, I ordered from the other guys that had the 1GHz ones. I'm gonna get one from them though once I get my money back.

 

I just have to know... was it these guys???

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=290143879151&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT&ih=019

This is who I wanted to order the 1Ghz with GPS. If you tell me it was those guys then I won't feel so bad about missing out. I'm bidding on a CF-29 now... But I doubt I'll win it.

Have you sorted your out yet?

 

yep thats the guy he's on about.........

 

I sent my 1GHz one back, and just won this one;
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=280139570602

I just hope he refunds the money promptly. I'll be on a tight budget until he does. And yup, the one you linked is the guy I bought it from. He said mine was the only one that had issues, but who knows. Doesn't sound like they were tested though. Mine would die within 2 minutes every time (And that was right under the AC duct, after sitting 45 minutes). It also died as quickly as 15 seconds, from power button to off.