LENOVO ThinkPad Edge 14 - Edge 15 – AC adapter testing procedure – Battery pack testing procedure – power on password reset – HDD password reset

Category: Laptop Repair and Service 

Contents of this article 

  • Testing the computer
  • Battery pack testing  
  • Password Resetting 



LENOVO ThinkPad Edge 14 - Edge 15

Testing the computer
Note: The PC-Doctor diagnostic CD does not support any optical drives connected through USB devices or any others. It supports only the internal optical drive of the ThinkPad Notebook.
To run the test, do as follows:
1. Turn off the computer.
2. Make sure that the internal optical drive that is supported as a startup device is attached to the computer you are servicing.
3. Turn on the computer.
4. When the ThinkPad logo comes up, immediately press F12 to enter the Boot Menu.
5. Insert the PC-Doctor CD into the internal optical drive.
6. Press cursor keys to select ATAPI CDx (x: 0, 1, ...) and then press Enter.
7. Follow the instructions on the screen.
8. The main panel of PC-Doctor appears.
9. Select Diagnostics with the arrow keys, and press Enter.
Note: You can select an item not only with the arrow keys, but also with the TrackPoint  pointer. Instead of pressing Enter, click the left button. A pull-down menu appears. (Its exact form depends on the model.)
Note: PC-Doctor menu does not mean the formal support device list. Some unsupported device names may appear in the PC-Doctor menu.
10. Run the applicable function test.
11. Follow the instructions on the screen. If there is a problem, PC-Doctor shows messages describing it.
12. To exit the test, select Quit — Exit Diag.
To cancel the test, press Esc.
Note: After running PC-Doctor, check the time and date on the system and reset them if they are incorrect.
PC-Doctor for Rescue and Recovery
By using PC-Doctor from the Rescue and Recovery  workspace, you can diagnose
the hardware features of the computer without starting up the operating system.
To run the test, do as follows:
1. Power off the computer, and then power it on again.
2. When the ThinkPad logo comes up, immediately press Enter key. The Rescue
and Recovery workspace opens.
3. Click Launch advanced Rescue and Recovery.
4. Click Diagnose hardware.
For more information about PC-Doctor, see the Help for the program.
Power system checkout
To verify a symptom, do the following:
1. Turn off the computer.
2. Remove the battery pack.
3. Connect the ac adapter.
4. Check that power is supplied when you turn on the computer.
5. Turn off the computer.
6. Disconnect the ac adapter and install the charged battery pack.
7. Check that the battery pack supplies power when you turn on the computer.
Checking the ac adapter
You are here because the computer fails only when the ac adapter is used.
# If the power-on indicator does not turn on, check the power cord of the ac adapter for correct continuity and installation.
# If the computer does not charge during operation, go to “Checking operational charging”
To check the ac adapter, do the following:
1. Unplug the ac adapter cable from the computer.
2. Measure the output voltage at the plug of the ac adapter cable. See the following figure:

Note: Output voltage of pin no.2 of the ac adapter may different from the one you are servicing.
3. If the voltage is not correct, replace the ac adapter.
4. If the voltage is acceptable, do the following:
# Replace the system board.
Note: Noise from the ac adapter does not always indicate a defect.
Checking operational charging
To check whether the battery charges properly during operation, use a discharged battery pack or a battery pack that has less than 50% of the total power remaining when installed in the computer.
Perform operational charging. If the battery status indicator or icon does not turn
on, remove the battery pack and let it return to room temperature. Reinstall the
battery pack. If the charge indicator or icon still does not turn on, replace the
battery pack.
If the charge indicator still does not turn on, replace the system board. Then
reinstall the battery pack. If it is still not charged, go to the next section.
Checking the battery pack
Battery charging does not start until the Power Manager Battery Gauge shows that less than 96% of the total power remains; under this condition the battery pack can charge to 100% of its capacity. This protects the battery pack from being overcharged or from having a shortened life.
To check your battery, move your cursor to the Power Manager Battery Gauge icon in the icon tray of the Windows taskbar and wait for a moment (but do not click), and the percentage of battery power remaining is displayed. To get detailed information about the battery, double-click the Power Manager Battery Gauge icon.
Note: If the battery pack becomes hot, it may not be able to charge. Remove it from the computer and leave it at room temperature for a while. After it cools down, reinstall and recharge it.
To check the battery pack, do the following:
1. Power off the computer.
2. Remove the battery pack and measure the voltage between battery terminals 1 (+) and 7 (-). See the following fig.

3. If the voltage is less than +11.0 V dc, the battery pack has been discharged.
Note: Recharging will take at least 3 hours, even if the indicator does not turn
on.
If the voltage is still less than +11.0 V dc after recharging, replace the battery.
4. If the voltage is more than +11.0 V dc, measure the resistance between battery
terminals 5 and 7. The resistance must be 4 to 30 K .
If the resistance is not correct, replace the battery pack. If the resistance is
correct, replace the system board.
Checking the backup battery
Do the following:
1. Power off the computer, and unplug the ac adapter from it.
2. Turn the computer upside down.
3. Remove the battery pack
4. Remove the backup battery
5. Measure the voltage of the backup battery. See the following figure.

# If the voltage is correct, replace the system board.
# If the voltage is not correct, replace the backup battery.
# If the backup battery discharges quickly after replacement, replace the system board.
How to remove the power-on password
To remove a POP that you have forgotten, do the following:
(A) If no SVP has been set:
1. Turn off the computer.
2. Remove the battery pack.
3. Remove the backup battery.
4. Turn on the computer and wait until the POST ends.
After the POST ends, the password prompt does not appear. The POP has been
removed.
5. Reinstall the backup battery and the battery pack.
(B) If an SVP has been set and is known by the service technician:
1. Turn on the computer.
2. When the ThinkPad logo comes up, immediately press F1 to enter BIOS Setup Utility.
For models supporting the Passphrase function, press F1 while the POP icon is appearing on the screen; then enter the POP. For the other models, enter the POP.
Note: To check whether the ThinkPad Notebook you are servicing supports the Passphrase function, enter the BIOS Setup Utility and go to Security -->
Password. If the Using Passphrase item is displayed in the menu, this function is available on the ThinkPad Notebook.
3. Select Security, using the cursor directional keys to move down the menu.
4. Select Password.
5. Select Power-On Password.
6. Type the current SVP in the Enter Current Password field. then leave the Enter New Password field blank, and press Enter twice.
7. In the Changes have been saved window, press Enter.
8. Press F10; then, in the Setup confirmation window, select Yes.
How to remove the hard-disk password
To remove a user HDP that has been forgotten, when the SVP and the master HDP are known, do the following:
1. Turn on the computer.
2. When the ThinkPad logo comes up, immediately press F1 to enter BIOS Setup Utility.
For models supporting the Passphrase function, press F1 while HDP icon is appearing on the screen; then enter the master HDP. For the other models, enter the master HDP.
Note: To check whether the ThinkPad Notebook you are servicing supports the Passphrase function, enter the BIOS Setup Utility and go to Security --> Password. If Using Passphrase item is displayed in the menu, this function is available on the ThinkPad Notebook.
3. Select Security, using the cursor directional keys to move down the menu.
4. Select Password.
5. Select Hard-disk x password, where x is the letter of the hard disk drive. A pop-up window opens.
6. Select Master HDP.
7. Type the current master HDP in the Enter Current Password field. then leave the Enter New Password field blank, and press Enter twice.
8. Press F10.
9. Select Yes in the Setup Configuration window.
Both user HDP and master HDP will have been removed.