Help in remote diagnosis this ThinkPad X60! (Overheating, USB boot issues)

[virtuality]

I just got it back from (a well respected aftermarket, not Lenovo) service, stress tested but nothing found, a hard disk just died in it with "sector 0" error.

Symptoms, still:
- When uploading to Box.com with Java multi-uploader it overheats and - I guess as a protection - shuts down or resets.
- When formatting an encrypted partition - the same.
- When handling a very big Word document in LibeOffice - the same. Though, it opens the same document in MS Word 2007 flawlessly.

Other issues:
- Hiren's Boot [USB] doesn't work when there is no physical hard drive in it. (It works perfectly on another machine.)
- FreeDOS says an "Invalid Opcode

"error when starting. (It also works perfectly on another machine.)
 
What to do with it?

 

[max347]

Update the BIOS and see if the problems persist

 

[virtuality]

Update the BIOS and see if the problems persist

Have the latest BIOS [2.19].

 

[max347]

For the lower two issues, try inverting the current SATA controller setting.

ie, if it is in AHCI, switch it to compatibility/ata and see if that makes a difference.


For the overheating issues, I really doubt there could be any other explanation than poor seating of the hsf or no/reused thermal paste. You'll need to open it up to fix that one, but the x60 is actually really easy to work on.

 

[aceO07]

See if the fan is moving. You can open it up carefully and remove anything blocking the fan. I had to open up my X61t to replace the hsf unit and didn't find it that easy. Lots of parts and screws to keep track of. It may be much easier on the non-tablet version.

 

[max347]

Well, I would guess that you would get the ibm fan error if it wasn't moving at all, but its a possibility.

This is not of an X60, but should be very similar-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Od48R4XxlU

 

[virtuality]

Thanks for all your help. HIREN's worked without the AHCI, strangely.

 

[virtuality]

I also got a tip to test 1st 3 issues on a newly formatted Windows without even installing any essential Windows updates or anything but is it reasonable? Though, I did this and did not measure any significant difference in the system temperature using Speccy.