Viewer Sent His Broken Thinkpad - Nothing Went To Plan

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[@mirkopacchioni4158]

Not all devices are repairable and if the problem is the motherboard it's even more difficult, you still made a good video of it, nice work.

[@hypercane2023]

Effort is key 👍

[@RandoView]

I'm guessing this is repairable, but... there's literally no point in putting in the effort to repair this laptop.

[@FatherMcKenzie66]

bro is that Salvini on your pfp?

[@rotarydisaste3337]

The battery indicator is blinking in orange colour which means the battery has insufficient charge and will refuse to power on just like my t420.

[@DarkGT]

All devices are repairable if you are willing to put more money than the value of device you want to fix.

[@pootnannies]

a possibility of why it worked before you put the heatsink back on was loose corrosion. when you put the heatsink on, loose corrosion could have shorted some pins together. this still may be salvageable simply for the challenge of it. either way it's nice to see you attempt to repair different types of electronics.

[@tylern6420]

this reminds me of when rip felix had that ylod PS3 that kept dying and coming back alive (he was tricked), before he broke the motherboard by trying to rip off a CPU because he didnt want to overheat it

[@CidKagenouNotShadow]

It's microscopic error if that was really the case. Not worth it since you can buy cheaper laptop at the same price of fixing this one. If the data on HDD still intact, simply put it into the new one and you're good to go

[@markellii3093]

I thought that ipa had coated some garbage near some pins making it non conductive. And after it dried out, that garbage was conducting once again

[@k.p.5263]

2:28 a lot of screws are better than a lot of glue 😉 Lenovo provides a "Hardware Maintanance Manual" for every ThinkPad Modell, it is a full manual with pictures how to completely dissasemble the device. It is also helpful to assemble it again, since they tell you where which kind of screw must be used if you are doing it for the first time, it takes a bit longer, but if you are used to these models, you can swap a motherboard in 30 minutes 😉

[@valkasolidor6727]

The tech equivalent of a barn find "will it run?" episode. You don't always win, but I agree with making the effort!

[@travisash8180]

He tried but he failed !!!

[@justajeffyes]

Just seeing how they spelled Jeffrey as "Jeffery" really triggers me 😂 since most people spell my name like that (my name is Jeffrey too)

[@edwardfletcher7790]

People that do that to a laptop aren't usually clever... LoL

[@hypercane2023]

Hello jeff I call my wild cockatoos jeff heaps of them

[@NotDrJeff]

Me three! Except I misspelled my own name as Jeffery, until my teacher publicly embarrassed me in front of the class 😐 Not as bad as getting Geoffrey though 😂

[@justajeffyes]

@@NotDrJeff nah Geoffrey hits different 😂

[@travisash8180]

Should have put the name Hugh Janus. That would be funny !!!

[@KunaiAkali]

This video hit personal for me as I work for a company that provides technology for disabled students and we use laptops similar to this one, albeit slightly newer (T440s from around 2014 I believe.) The ones that are in decent condition still work and run fine and are pleasant to use most of the time. Great video as always.

[@oliver_lauritsen_oa]

T440 is a great device but the fan sometimes break out of nowhere but thanks to Lenovo approach to right to repair the parts is easyly available

[@KunaiAkali]

@oliver_lauritsen_oa luckily we have a drawer full of broken ones (without screens, keyboards etc) and it's fairly easy to take a fan from one of those and swap it out!

[@KunaiAkali]

@@JeffHundo thank you 🤠

[@klwthe3rd]

I own my own IT Security business and i donate these older thinkpad laptops(after i refurbish them) to good charities that need a reliable laptop for whatever their mission statement. Nice to see others doing the same thing.

[@polocatfan]

yeah thinkpads made in the last 10-15 years are honestly great.

[@peterthepanda]

If this was eBay… Seller: In very good condition. 10/10 😂😂😂

[@SlartiMarvinbartfast]

"Powered on when last used"

[@monhi64]

DK Oldies: Refurbished

[@JohnZombi88]

Facebook Marketplace: "no lowballs I know what I got. $6000"

[@xox101]

The T400 was impossible to kill so this one must have really been put through the mill. Surprisingly these laptops still make sense today with Linux installed. And you can still get a T400 bios with the whitelist removed allowing you to swap out the WiFi card for a more modern one. Used to have two of these, a mate is still using one with believe it or not Windows 10! The other one dedicated it's screen to said mate when he managed to break the screen on the one I gave him. He also managed to destroy the motherboard by plugging a USB drive in upside down while pissed. Bought a motherboard off Ebay and it was up and running again within an hour. Agree with you about the screws though. Only way to take these apart was to use sheets of card with the outline of the laptop drawn on them and punch each screw through the card in the appropriate place.

[@Slay1337pl]

Yeah, they're fine for Linux today, unless you care about noise, energy efficiency, battery life, performance, size or any combination of these.

[@Allister2000]

I still have two previous generation laptops (T61 and T61p) running the Middleton bios (as you mentioned) and Linux. They still work and are useful at times.

[@randomchannel9331]

lenovo and their whitelists lol i remember when they blacklisted my RX480 GPU to not run without bios mod

[@TheRailroad99]

The USB issue was very common for the T40x/T50x series, the plastic in the ports is rather brittle and shorting the USB will hinder the BIOS from booting up. By bending back the remaining contacts, you can make the laptop boot again (however don't use that port again)

[@DeLorean4]

Lenovo ≠ IBM IBM Thinkpads were absolutely legendary. They even had an ad campaign for a while where people told stories of how they'd survived floods and fires.

[@traviswalker8933]

Electronics aren't indestructible. This laptop has been purposefully submerged by the previous owner.

[@Knaeckebrotsaege]

Curious how people touting how great the IBM-made Thinkpads were seem to always sweep the whole T4x series that ALL died from flexing under the rug. Or the 770 with the dying IDE controllers. Or the 600 series that pretty much had battery charging logic issues from day 1. Or the T2x pentium 3s with randomly dying motherboards that would stop POSTing out of the blue. But yeah... _sooo great and perfect_ /s

[@Pasi123]

In my opinion the best ThinkPad was the T60 made by Lenovo

[@gilah6565]

Transition models (Before T430) were also pretty good

[@nushnume]

Well maybe it could have survived a flood if it would have been disassembled and cleaned up right after it got wet. This laptop probably sat like this for more than 5 years. The corrosion was way too bad and it ruined the motherboard

[@nikitazaycev8636]

There is a small caveat tho, which is trying to power on a potentially liquid damaged device is a BAD idea. Mainly because there might be a nasty short caused by the corrosion, which upon powering up sends the 19v directly into the cpu or another important component, killing it instantly. Its crucial to disassemble the device and check for shorts and fix them up (yea, board repair), PRIOR to powering it up.

[@mas7rreaper126]

That’s probably what killed the laptop in the end

[@monhi64]

Yeah I was kinda shocked he was powering it on but I think he just did not care about actually saving it

[@petermolnar8667]

No way the previous owner didn’t try powering it on with that much corrosion… so imo it didn’t make the situation any worse

[@TheUltimateRecycler]

Thanks Hugh, it's great to see repairs that don't go to plan as well as the successful ones! The trouble with many repair channels is that they only show heavily edited repair videos where everything magically goes right and artificially perfect! Thanks for staying real! 😊👍

[@TheUltimateRecycler]

@HughJeffreys - ^Scammer?

[@ca3340h3993]

I have to say it's really a shame to see that thinkpad in such poor condition. For the record, The laptop I'm still using to this day is a ThinkPad R60. It has been upgraded with a Core 2 Duo T9300, 6GB RAM, a 500GB SSD, newer WiFi card and Windows 11. And it still runs reasonably well (at least for basic use). I absolutely love old ThinkPads. RIP T400

[@klwthe3rd]

You are my idiot sir!!😉😉😉😉

[@archygrey9093]

I'd still be using my old thinkpads if it weren't for the terrible battery life, now i use an x270

[@MartinE63]

From an era where proper service manuals existed. Still using and supporting the very similar T201 laptops around the family over a decade later. Compered to Dells from20 years ago they are a dream to work on.

[@Max_Mustermann]

As far as Lenovo is concerned, on their website they provide pretty good service manuals for most of their laptops including consumer models.

[@samfedorka5629]

I've fixed dozens of these, often for liquid damage, and it's really not that bad to keep track of the case screws. You can use a screw mat until you get used to it, but after a while it's pretty obvious which screw length made the most sense to use where, and lenovo were consistent throughout generations, so the T410 and 20 weren't too far off. Having the most commonly broken items very easy to replace was considerably better than other manufacturers. A screw removal tool is crucial for corroded fasteners. Great video, I think with the screen damage it's not repairable, and there's very little value in the parts. The most damaged laptop I saw in my time was one which had been dropped in a bucket of paint. Every single item in it was damaged, with the exception of one flatflex cable. It was replaced under warranty.

[@BlindMansRevenge2002]

Right idea with drilling out the head of that screw! What you have to do, is then step up to the next size drillbit so that you can actually get into the shaft/threaded portion of the screw to weaken its hold onto the case. Going up to the next size drill, bit drilling into the screw and then tugging to see if it loosens if it pops off great if not, go up to the next size drill bit and repeat. Did this before with a Sony VAIO that had a rounded off screw.

[@RsBlackleo86]

From what I understand Thinkpads can be super durable devices. At the end of the day they(Thinkpads) are susceptible to simple and quirky faults like any other laptop or phone. What I am trying to say is that this device may decide to work if you don't attach the cracked screen or replace it. If you really wanted to you could possible scavenge a new vga port from an old/dead part and use an external display. Let me know if you do this and it decides to work!

[@DsiPro1000]

Yep mines space bar is stuck down and ctrl backspace works for a while then it comes back on.

[@edwardfletcher7790]

Jeeeezuz, did they keep it on the deck of a boat or drop it in a chlorinated pool ?? I'm a Repair Tech too and I've never seen anything like this 😲 At least you can salvage the webcam from it for home security 👍

[@cladadverse]

The reason it has so much screws is because of magnesium roll cage, which helps in providing rigidity and act as a passage for keybaord drainage holes.

[@LawpickingLocksmith]

Great effort! Times when IBM had quality keyboards and the whole units were so well built that I would have had the same curiosity to go this deep. To this day I wish IBM would have kept their laptop range.

[@traviswalker8933]

They would have went the same route as the rest of the market with slimmer laptops.

[@Kelrohir]

Thinkpad like this one are still a thing you know

[@traviswalker8933]

@@Kelrohir you won't find a thick and heavy Thinkpad.

[@Kelrohir]

@@traviswalker8933 There is no point to make them thick and heavy as they were before since the component are just smaller and more efficient

[@traviswalker8933]

@@Kelrohir the customer demand is also a factor. No one wants to carry around a 2.5-3 kg laptop.

[@YearsOfLeadPoisoning]

Incredible that they've recovered this ThinkPad from the Somme

[@Magnetik_moto]

2:25 Fun fact: Some Thinkpads (like T42) had a label showing screw lenghts and their numbers. Every screw hole at the bottom of the laptop also had na number so you know where the screws should go. Unfortunately T400 doesn't seem to have this feature.

[@Jyrchi]

I think the other expansion slot is for a WWAN-chip. That's why there are cables running to it with some heat-shrink protecting the connectors.

[@ozzelot3349]

It indeed is. And looking up the T400 on ThinkWiki, the third slot is either for Intel Turbo Memory HDD cache, or UWB (wireless USB).

[@jozsefizsak]

I can't say I enjoyed this one since I have a T400 and it's a nice computer, which makes this video the stuff of nightmares. BTW, Lenovo gives you a hardware service manual for each model that has diagrams and charts clearly showing the diameter and length of every single screw.

[@aldovalkovich755]

I would have really been amazed at the success of this repair. However it is always a pleasure to see you at work, you always learn something😊👋

[@klwthe3rd]

That's what people lement about these old Thinkpads. If you want to spend the money, you CAN fix it. It can be revived with enough time and money. Modern laptops you can't do that no matter how much you spend because they werent designed to be upgraded. They are mostly hermetically sealed and you break everything trying to repair them. I have a pristine T400 in my Thinkpad collection and it's one of my favorite vintage laptops. I'm going to polish it again right after this comment. 🥰🥰🥰

[@alfiegbfan]

that wasn't a repair, that was a straight up autopsy. i commend you for even trying to bring that thing back to life.

[@DarkGT]

It worth some component level repair. Those are quality machines, many thinkpad enthusiasts will pay for it.

[@robinjacks4906]

Did you check the USB ports on the side for bent pins creating a short? I've had this problem before on a ThinkPad T61 where the board showed power but the power button did nothing. Great video!

[@user-eg3li4hb9o]

This laptop's design is closer to IBM than lenovo. Lenovo could never make a so well built laptop. And even if it is old, newer ones have a lot to learn from this one. Great video as always!! Keep up the good work!

[@bryans8656]

Your great running commentary is what makes your videos so engaging, and it's why I subscribed.

[@rohitkhanna4487]

I still have a IBM Lenovo t61p made in 2008 with Centerino chip (Aka Caleron with Wifi). The Fan corrsion is not probably due to liquid damage but more due to dampness where the unit might have been stored(probably a damp shed) and these beautiful machines had magnesium cage alloy for the mother board that could corrode as magnesium oxidizes into a white powder. These machines were truly upgradable because Thinpad used to come with manuals instructing how to take them apart and you could buy the individual assemblies from thinkpad, batteries, wifi card, keyboards, display cables, assembly, power jack you name it and you could buy it. These machines were so realiable that the ISS space station had these machines. Given the current scenario Lenovos have become trend followers following aple, you cant even but batteries for new machines 2-3 years down the line.

[@JankPods0201]

From what i know, The Centrino is The Core 2 Duo, Because ThinkPads are High End machines.

[@kenshinflyer]

I have profound respect for the Lenovo Thinkpad. Be that as it may, this particular example has fought the good fight. *salutes*

[@j.lietka9406]

Hugh, that is one tough laptop! Great effort! Thank you 🤓

[@2010ngojo]

You would think this laptop stands out from the rest of their electronics. But little did you know, all of their electronics are like this. This guy lives in a swamp.

[@ellisgarbutt1925]

I had the same thought what if all thr electronics looked like that

[@HB-Productions]

My old work used to use the T430 models. If taken care of and not abused they were solid laptops. Though by about 2020 or so they really showed their age even with maxed out RAM and SSDs the poor dual core CPUs really didn't agree with the heavy W10 installs.

[@HailAnts]

Years ago I bought a used ThinkPad on eBay and at one pointing I also bought a docking station for it. Unfortunately, even though it physically plugged in fine, it turned out to not be compatible with my model, and it wouldn't turn on after that. I found a guy online that repaired them, and he was right in my city. I went to him and, long story short, he just gave me a new (used) motherboard for my model (he had piles of them laying around) and said good luck. Something I found out is that, at the time (early 2000s), IBM had fantastic online support for all their laptops. I didn't need to talk to anyone, but they had complete, exploded-view diagrams of how to take them apart. I worked in IT third shift so I took the whole thing apart one night on a conference room table and installed the new motherboard. And to my amazement it worked! Only thing that was still wrong was the screen wouldn't display correctly. But I figured that was just a software issue. Installed new firmware and it was as good as new! And I had never taken any laptop apart before this..

[@88takmic]

I admire your persistence! If I were you I would have given up long ago!!!

[@JaykPuten]

Oh I found the screw that represents me I'm glad Lenovo was inclusive in their screws picking all shapes sizes and attitudes "I'm not leaving you're gonna have to break me" Really forward thinking of them

[@perpetualcollapse]

ThinkPad master-race raise your hands ✋

[@stratechillenog]

I have this exact laptop sitting in my closet. It’s flashed many Xbox 360 drives. Great piece of equipment.

[@thespartanvlog]

Hello from Cuba 🇨🇺

[@cristiancruz5079]

The old reliable IBM Thinkpad on this Lenovo flavor. I’ve been around thinkpads for almost 6 years so far at my workplace and I can say they are very well made…the latest gen, well they already start going south with quality. Those early 2008 until 2017 are built to last. I’m still using a t530 (2013) as my daily. Greetings to Hugh for having this awesome channel.😊

[@Dekkia_]

On Ebay those go for 50-100$ depending on their specs. I don't think it is worth repairing that much damage for that little money but as a thinkpad enthusiast I disagree with the statement that it's worth "almost nothing".

[@gnuPirate]

Still an extremely interesting / inspiring and useful video as always, thanks Hugh!

[@danieldaniel-qr1my]

You already did the best 💯 keep it up with these great videos 💯

[@bigrobloxpro]

I used my t400 for 5 years back in school. These things are absolute bricks save for one weakness: the backlight. I once stuffed the laptop into my bag with too much stuff, and pulled it out to find I had no backlight. No worries- I had a spare bad condition but working t400😂. Ensue a full exterior swap from my pristine one including top lid, screen bezel, palm rest, keyboard. I feel your pain 😅

[@hrsurya31_]

Those old Thinkpads were a tank! My dad has this exact model, the speakers are broken, the CPU fan too (now it's running off an external fan), the screen has a horizontal lines running across, and it's still running fine! The hard drive has been interrupted countless times, yet I wonder how it still hasn't corrupted. I was particularly surprised when it still turns on after the fan breaks, because all it took is a press of the escape button to bypass the warning! But my dad isn't willing to fix it, because he said it's better to buy a used laptop with the money the charge him to repair it. I would definitely preserve it once it breaks. Thanks for the video!

[@JankPods0201]

The ThinkPad Is The People's Laptop, They are REALLY Good, Not gonna lie.

[@chrisjames3087]

I use a service vac from my days as a copier tech to clean up messes like that. Good work in spite of mediocre results.

[@Lesterino]

I like how Hugh just roasts the notebook right from the start

[@moe_1886]

Nah, definitely not enough screws Hugh! 🤣 That was one filthy laptop, both outside and in! Just seeing the state of it would have deterred me from thinking anything else other than it being e-waste, but at least you gave it a shot! Cheers Mate 😎

[@retroravers]

I found it outside and the back of Mc computers and there’s more laptops and pcs that are like that there I just picked up another one and it works running windows 11 😂😂🎉🎉

[@LSniumUwU]

Hugh Jeffreys has such a relaxing voice, I wish he was the voice on my Google Maps directions.

[@negri2811]

When you get a stubborn screw get a flathead of the size and put some rubber band on the tip between... I was amazed.

[@mikepersechino9873]

Some of that is the rubberized coating coming off, it starts breaking down over time. You can see it in some of the early shots.

[@SlinkyStoney]

Just got a broken laptop soaked in floodwater and mud. They both have dead HDD and LCD but only one survived because the power brick was swept away while the other had it intact and the owner tried to turn it on after being cleaned on the exterior and thinks it is completely dried.

[@MorDreadful]

The thing with Lenovo Thinkpad is that some are actually Mobile Workstations and, as this one here, are the ones that usually have Docking Station ports or higher end CPUs for that time. Like the P52s, I have one that I been refurbishing, that has a CPU which was not standard for that time, will take up to a 1TB M.2 and no more than a 2TB 2.5" SSD. It also has a hidden sim card reader where the external battery is. I say external battery as this also has an internal battery for mobile charging/UPs type system. The CPU is NOT the same for that time as the one for the workstations have a built in GPU too which is not a standard for laptops. I use laptop and workstation for the very reason that a laptop is the general user and a workstation has limited storage compared but could have higher RAM I believe with extra functionality. Workstations should not be confused with gaming laptops either as they are not capable of that and are designed for 3D rendering/design, Data Science, can be sued for Photo editing (potentially video) and even some forms of programming and web design for instance. They are specific laptops designed to be taken home, worked on while commuting etc. and are business oriented. I advise anyone thinking of buying a Lenovo Thinkpad to check as not all are workstations, the P series certainly are workstations. Do your investigations as if you buy the wrong one and want to do gaming, generally you will be in for a surprise as they just do not do that. Mobile workstations are NOT actually laptops. Laptop the word came about with being able to work on the device on your laptop, mobile workstations are not really design to be used on the laptop which is why some had/have the docking station port on the bottom. Mobile workstation are generally pricey, obviously with refurbished still going for around £500, some more depending on year and CPU. Instead of the square CPU in the P52s, as mentioned it has a built in GPU so the CPU/GPU chip is rectangular, soldered onto the board and will not generally be available to consumers due to their purpose and design. IF you are a someone studying and will be working with 3d rendering, data Science etc. as mentioned then yes, these can/are be/very good work horses, but, for the general public and gamers at large? DO NOT BUY is my advice. There are clear differences between the two.

[@saurabhbiswas9196]

Coincidentally i still use this exact same laptop in my office for backups 😂

[@ominkan3129]

Always love your videos. Even a failure provides a lot of good information. Good video work, good commentary, good subjects. A very professional individual.

[@allennicholson4248]

I had a Sony Vaio brought into my shop in 2014 that had sat in a box with water leaking into it for 2 weeks. The board was covered in corrosion. Toothbrush and alcohol brought it back to life. It did need a replacement hard drive and LCD as they were banjaxed from being submerged. The battery was also banjaxed but the customer didn't care. I was shocked that it came back to life with no loss of functionality except for the battery.

[@coldspring22]

I have T400 which I still use as a backup laptop. Not bad machine with 8GB of ram, SSD drive and light weight linux distro. My main machine is T420 with 16 GB ram. These old Thinkpads are still well worth keeping in running condition.

[@danielhaupt2066]

I usually give boards like this a good bath in cleaning vinegar, leave to soak for a an hour and scrub with a soft brush, then wash it all off with clean water and dish soap and a good long dry, that way I have brought back to life soundcards, videocards, ram sticks and other water damaged parts

[@Saavik256]

The Centrino platform on laptops used Pentium M processors. In general, it hasn't been a particular success. My daily driver is a T430 I bought second-hand refurb a couple of years back, upgraded the ram, replaced the hdd with an ssd, and it works great.

[@Pasi123]

Yeah, the first Centrino's were Pentium M and the last ones seem to have been Haswell based (Intel Core i 4th gen). But I don't remember seeing Centrino stickers on anything newer than Core2

[@kamel418]

It would be fun to buy an identical one and swap the components to see where exactly the damage happened

[@michvod]

It is mainboard that failed in this one ...

[@tylern6420]

during my work experience i had a wierd screw somewhere that needed to be gripped with a tool because it was too tight to just spin it loose also, many screw casualties, and i swear hard drives always have that one screw attaching the platters that is just much harder to get off I dont know if it was Intentional or a skill issue, but it would be wierd for companies to just implement hurdles past the point of no return

[@decm8]

Try putting the board in an oven in hopes of a temporary reflow. When you put the cooler on, it probably flexed the board, unbridging some already far gone soldier points that need reflowing in turn causing it to not turn on anymore. Although what I say could be wrong. what I say is just an assumption. I am no professional.

[@ryankery5052]

Most computers can have a 2nd battery, because they can have a cmos battery.

[@jenniferjelke2502]

A few issues: The flashing yellow LED means that the battery is no longer functioning. Removing the palm rest also reveals the biometric fingerprint reader. Lenovo had nothing to do with 'designing' this model. Lenovo only manufactured it after acquiring IBM's personal computing division. IBM ThinkPad's have always been well known for using steel hinges. Using a nylon brush probably knocked some components loose. Chances are that the CPU is overheated. There's not much thermal paste on there.

[@k.p.5263]

finally a ThinkPad Video 🥰🥰🥰 feel free to do more 😇 but with a little less destruction 😉😇

[@rf159a]

I have a 2010 Toshiba Laptop with the Centrino chip. It actually still works!! Slow as a snail but still boots and my files are still there!!

[@popaandrei9982]

Those two slots are mini pci-express slots. One for a 4G SIM module and one for an Intel Turbo Flash Memory Module.

[@SaiyedR]

I also repaired this model many times, but assembling and disassembly is very frustrating thing with this model.

[@em0_tion]

You were hella impatient on the disassembly and cleaning, which were the most important, but also annoying and infuriating parts! 😆 It's a good laptop that -isn't- wasn't far from being fixed, just not your thing, but that's ok. Thanks for the attempt. 👍

[@madcat4563]

One of the laptop hand me downs I got as a kid had an Intel Centrino. I remember that pinkish sticker. I have also owned an old laptop that was a chore to get to the motherboard or even hdd.

[@leonkernan]

I remember when these came out, they were rubbish then. Clearly someone agreed and tossed it in a ditch

[@rivciks5045]

That is a very good laptop. Im still using a similar model a Thinkpad r400 as a second device.

[@theinsideoftechnology5134]

Do a part 2 and try disconnecting things and see what's causing the problem

[@rotarydisaste3337]

If the battery indicator lights up orange just like 1:11, it means the battery has not enough juice in it and the computer will refuse to power on.

[@aKuBiKu]

False. These don't rely on the battery to power on. Orange means it's charging.

[@panagiotispappas1001]

I once found two of the same laptops in an electronics recycling bin and one of them was dead and would make the led on the charger blink and the other one turned on once, then started turning on and off really fast by itself while making a screeching sound and then it died too! I tried different chargers and they all had the same outcome, the led on the charger would just blink and the laptops would be completely dead! Yes I made sure to use the right voltage chargers! Still don't know why that happened but it's something to expect when picking up old laptops from e-waste bins.

[@basilesanast1]

I have a Lenovo ThinkPad T440 and holy crap they are upgradable to the fact that you get tired taking them appart

[@everydayblind]

These poor things were tanks. Still remember my t410, served me well through more than hell and still running, just not with me but a kid that needed it for school.

[@JerziTBoss]

The M.SATA slots were for caching solid state drives since back then ssd were kinda small to be used as boot drives so they were small fast caching drives to mitigate slow mechanical drives. Nowadays if you manage to find big enough drive you can use it as boot drive for operating system. My Thinkpad Edge E431 had one M.2 Sata slot for same exact purpose but I put there 128GB m.2 ssd to use as boot drive few years back keeping the mechanical drive as slow storage for media. Shame this one couldn't be rescued. Thinkpads are built like a tanks but even they have their limits.

[@KorAllRBare]

*TIP* Steel and in particular hardened steel heats up quite quickly ruining drill bit and or cutting edge, ergo it's near impossible to drill it at fast speeds, to negate this the drill speed needs to be quite slow, and what also helps is a dab of cutting fluid..

[@barthanes1]

Hey, you got the fan to spin. I think it's a win. I once got a liquid damaged vaccuum cleaner working again. It sounded like a jet engine, and the brushes looked like someone was welding when I turned it on. Some things should stay in the trash.

[@KpaBaPa]

I have repaired a few of those think pads. never managed to put all the screws back in and had spares :D Also first time I did one, broke the VGA port as I didin`t know that needs to be unscrewed as well for the base to come off.

[@rayoflight62]

When a laptop met a large cappuccino. I recall those laptops with Windows Vista, how many of them I had to downgrade to XP in order to make them functional. Vista was the beginning of the end; nowadays a laptop with windows make no sense. Thank you Mr. Jeffreys! Greetings, Anthony

[@kenshinflyer]

When I had my Centrino Duo laptop, I actually ignored the "Windows Vista" sticker and had Windows XP installed instead.

[@Pc.Farmer]

With all that corrosion on that board I wouldn’t brush that hard on that board 😂

[@dedr4m]

I've only just stopped using my old T400 roughly a year ago, I don't have a battery for the T500 I kept aside for higher resolution however, which I still do use for my "anonymous browsing" sessions alongside custom ROMs and such so as to spoof hardware specs and such so as to randomize my "online identity". Edit reason: I was too vague.

[@Damascus_404]

Nice - I use to have one, but pretty sure it was an IBM around 2005?

[@MirceaD28]

I would love to see a board repair on this one. Some injecting voltage... it will be a fun video.

[@TheRailroad99]

The T400 is great! I've had one for years, it was very reliable (and my version with the switchable ATI 3470m was actually capable of playing many games including Crysis)

[@hetside]

The cleanest Linux user’s ThinkPad:

[@PurblePink8678]

The dirtier it is, the more incelish the owner

[@aku2dimensional]

That BrickPad probably spent the last ten years in a musty basement or garage, if it didn't actually get wet from flooding or from rain water. Best thing to do in this situation would be to salvage what you want and toss the rest in the bin at your local recycling center.

[@splatt3d]

There is a youtube video you should check out of a commodore 64 left out in the mud for a decade. The guy washed it in water. He had nothing to lose. But then afterwards, he soaked the entire motherboard in isopropyl alcohol to displace all the water. The computer powered up without any problem.

[@achilles3140]

Even Hugh can't bring this one back to life heh

[@ozzelot3349]

It has signs of life even in this state... yep, that's a ThinkPad all right.

[@merhaba12he]

Oh my grandfather has an acer laptop. It had thermal issues so we decided to rende its thermal paste. It took 4 hours to disassemble and reassemble. I promised myself from that day on, I wont be working on older laptops.

[@handmade_videos]

Recently I worked on similar laptops, the Lenovo T61 and R61. They really screwed up with all that screws. Greetings

[@pikatrainer3835]

A larger Screw driver & a Rubber band can be helpful with rounded/stripped screws.

[@jo9732]

Those laptops were great. I’ve got one knocking around running Linux. It’s past it’s prime but it does zoom and KZbin and email and basic stuff.

[@key462]

Absolutely crazy that this decades old laptop is eay easier to disassemble and upgrade.

[@st3v3sm1th]

I've always recommended used Thinkpads to friends who ask what to buy, based on their toughness and repair-ability. This era were some of the best for longevity & repairability (I still use a T410 for sofa browsing) The modern ones are not so tough or fixable. They've succumbed to the lightweight & disposable fad. Such a shame.