Touchscreen Problem on CF29H

Hi All!

I was hoping someone might have the answer to this...I searched the forum and didn't find anything exactly like it. I have a CF-29H mk3 touchscreen model. I've installed the driver and I can calibrate it however after I've finished touching all 9 points and press enter it says "error Dtm Parameter Error please input again." I've tried many times to no avail. I also tried uninstalling/reinstalling the driver.

When I touch the screen without calibration the cursor goes to the bottom and I can move it back and forth but it'll only stay at the bottom of the screen.

I read on the forum about dust getting it between the bezel and the touchscreen but I don't think that is the issue as I can touch all of the x's in the calibration screen.

Any help would be appreciated!
Thanks!

 

It's either gunk in the touchscreen bezel or gunk in and around the touchpad... Believe me... I do this daily..

A thin piece of plastic 2-3 sheets of paper wide will get it all out... DO NOT push too hard!

 

I tried it and there was some gunk around the touchpad as well as some between the bezel and the touchscreen on the bottom. It looks to be gunk-free now but I was still unable to get calibration to complete. It has the same error message. Is there anything else I can try?

 

Keep doing it... That's what it is.... Maybe try some compressed air? Or a thinning piece of plastic to allow the dirt to go around it (IE loosen it up!) then blow it out. Sometimes a thick piece of plastic can make it worse!

The issue is that something is either pressed down on the bezel or the touchpad and registers just enough to break the calibration... But not enough to kill overall full functionality... It is most likely 1 grain of sand making contact... I've had them where I am scratching my head for a few days... Go back and do it again and THEN finally get it out...

It is 1-2 grains of sand/dirt/debris/drek/garbage, etc...

 

Well, hmmm...
I tried compressed air...compressed air while moving the plastic along the inside of the bezel....just the plastic piece by itself...it looks completely clean.

I cleaned the touchpad as well but still was getting the error. I went into BIOS and disabled the touchpad so I could at least eliminate one possibility but it still doesn't calibrate.

So Toughbook I was wondering....were you able to touch the calibration points on the units that had the dirt before you cleaned it?

 

Yes... I was able to touch them... And have them register... But then when you click on "OK" then you get an error... Sometimes the touchscreen seems to be okay during these times... Just the registration points are off. Other times the cursor is stuck either in the lower right corner or along the right side. Not sure why most problems occur on the right side... Maybe more dirt from right handed people.

Others can chime in... But I still think that there is a grain of sand or something that is stuck either behind the bezel or the touchpad frame.

This has always been the fix for me. There have also been times when I ship a unit or receive a unit and during shipping.. Something falls in between and something like this happens. Its a definite pain in the rump... But you'll get it... Just don't scrape through the foam between the bezel and the touchscreen...

 

I wonder if I should take the screen apart...as I understand it the touchscreen is glued down?

Has it ever been necessary to disassemble the screen and remove the touchscreen to get it clean?

 

The touchscreen is held to the bezel by thin strips of double sided high density foam tape. It seals it and also gives it some measure of shock absorbancy... There is no glue. NO you DO NOT want to remove the touchscreen unless you KNOW that is the issue. However... Removing the back of the LCD and removing the LCD will allow you to look behind the bezel and show anything of note that may be behind it. You need to do this in as clean a "Clean Room" as possible to cut down on any dust that may get in between the touchscreen and LCD when you put it back together.

I don't know if it has ever been necessary... But it certainly has made cleaning a little easier.

 

Update...

I did end up taking it apart to clean it however it was really clean already. Nonetheless, I blew out the screen again but it will still not calibrate. The funny thing is that I have an identical CF-29 sitting right next to it that actually does have particles/dust/dirt between the bezel and touchscreen and it calibrated perfectly.

I'm beginning to suspect that the touchscreen has been damaged. There are two small cuts in the screen protector(like someone scored it with a box cutter). While they are very small and hard to see without the right angle I wonder if they penetrated the protector and cut into the touchscreen. I don't know, just my theory.

I guess this one will live on with the touchscreen disabled.

 

Uh... Yeah... If the touchscreen has ben penetrated like that I suspect it is no good. I'd keep an eye out for a Touchscreen or whole LCD unit on ebay. They do come up occasionally.