Toshiba T3100 boot issues after reassembly
Posted by The_Jwh4@reddit | vintagecomputing | View on Reddit | 5 comments
HDD access light is on then off, but no beep, no num lock light response, no ram count. EXCEPT for two occasions when I got a beep, num lock response, but I did not have the display connected.
Also, I would appreciate input on how to repair gas plasma lines like the one pictured.
Any thoughts?
Electronic_Algae_524@reddit
This is precisely why my T3100e won't be disassembled. I'd like to remove the old HDD since it's dead, but no way I'm going to touch the display. It's perfect. I have the T3100e booting off an XTIDE anyway.
olifiers@reddit
I would suggest connecting an external monitor to help debug the state the machine is in.
If it seems to boots with the plasma display disconnected, you know where the problem lies. Make sure the connector is well seated, there are no shorts etc. Preventing the machine from booting suggests you got a power issue at hand, either a short or a bad connection.
Did the machine boots with the internal display before you serviced it?
The lines issue is very common in these displays. There's no safe method to fix it as far as I know, but I've seen people fix it with mildly application of hot air gun and pressure over the contacts where the line manifests.
The_Jwh4@reddit (OP)
1: sadly, I don’t have an ega monitor
2: I should have specified that the issue is agnostic of the display being connected.
3: the machine was in perfect working order, not even lines on the screen, but had a shattered hinge and a faulty fdd which prompted the disassembly. I was very careful, but obviously not careful enough. These are notoriously delicate machines.
istarian@reddit
They're mostly just really old machines (Toshiba 3100 came out in 1986, 40 years ago) and were already quite complex compared to a basic PC clone with an Intel 8088 microprocessor.
Plastics have a limited lifespan (maybe 20 years with reasonable care) after which they begin to substantially degrade and lose their strength and flexibility. Eventually it will crumble into fine powder/dust.
and many hinges used in laptops either seize up when the original lubricant dries up (becomes solid gunk) or the spring loses it's springiness and becomes stiff.
muse_head@reddit
As far as I've seen it's not really worth the risk trying to repair those lines if you care about the display, there's a strong chance of damaging it even more.