Opening IBM ThinkPad

N

Novice2000

New Member
I need to change the cmos battery on an IBM ThinkPad. I unscrewed the screws underneath, but the laptop still won't come apart. How do I get this thing apart so I can change the cmos battery?
 
typically Thinkpad notebooks have a small pannel that covers the ram (for easier access) usually the Cmos battery is in there (on older models) just look for a small plug and red and black wires because sometimes the battery gets shoved up under the pannel.
 
apj101 said:
are you sure you need to change the battery??? what is telling you this?
Click to expand...

I get a cmos error when I turn it on. If I press Enter, it will still let it start up, which is weird, because on a normal desktop computer, a cmos error won't allow the computer to boot up. This is the first laptop I ever came into contact with. I guess cmos errors on laptops don't interfere with it booting up. And the date is always January 1, 2099. Everytime I correct the date and time, it changes back to January 1, 2099 whenever the laptop is turned off and turned back on, and the time gets all screwy again.
 
AdmnPower said:
typically Thinkpad notebooks have a small pannel that covers the ram (for easier access) usually the Cmos battery is in there (on older models) just look for a small plug and red and black wires because sometimes the battery gets shoved up under the pannel.
Click to expand...

I brought it into Circuit City so they could tell me what kind of memory it takes. They took that back cover off, but I didn't see a cmos battery there. I'll look again, but I think it only had enough room for the memory sticks.
 
AdmnPower said:
typically Thinkpad notebooks have a small pannel that covers the ram (for easier access) usually the Cmos battery is in there (on older models) just look for a small plug and red and black wires because sometimes the battery gets shoved up under the pannel.
Click to expand...

I just looked. There's no cmos battery there. I never knew that changing a cmos battery in a laptop could be so difficult. Opening this damn thing is impossible. :(

If anyone has any ideas of how I can open this thing and find the cmos battery.....pllllleeeeeaaaaasssssseeee....help. :confused:
 
rather than just cracking it open why don't you get back to use on the model of the laptop before you go tearing it appart so we can figure out where exactly it might be. lol wouldn't want you to break anything.
 
ya, changing the cmos battery on some lappys can be a real pain! i had to completely strip out the motherboard to change my old compaq's.
i found complete repair manuals for both laptops i have owned (both were manufactured by HP) on the manufacturers web site. i would check IBM's site for yours. also, make sure you get all the screws -- they can be tricky to find.
 
I have no experience with the I series thinkpads but personally own and have worked on my T60, R51, R50, A31, A30 and A21m's without any problems of getting into them and also like others have mentioned I believe on all the models I own except for the T60 the cmos battery was located by the ram dims.. but you had to remove the case to really get at it unless your good.

so i'd suggest poking around on the manufacturer's website to find schematics of your machine which will help you both find the c mos and see how it the machine comes apart like this

http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/document.do?sitestyle=lenovo&lndocid=MIGR-49AJF5
 
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