I wont an IBM ThinkPad T30 in a work auction. It came with a docking station, a broken LCD and recovery disks. My thought was to use it as a desktop by hooking my existing monitor, mouse and keyboard to the docking station. When I plug in the monitor it doesn't recognize the computer (and vice versa). I'm not sure if this has to do with the fact that there is no operating system on it. How can I get the monitor to work on this laptop. It boots up and holds a charge just fine, but I can't move forward without being able to see what is happening.
Thanks, ken
2007-09-24 06:33:40 · 5 answers · asked by kenbarhoover 2 in Computers & Internet ➔ Hardware ➔ Monitors
Usually a key combination should switch you from internal (LCD) display to external display. It should not matter if you have an operating system or not. I think the ThinkPad combination is
Fn+ F7
2007-09-24 06:41:07 · answer #1 · answered by gkk_72 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Look on your keyboard. You should see your Numbers or Function keys to have not only the regular letters and numbers on them, but also some have a blue inlaid function. When you hit the Fn key on your keyboard and hold it down, look for a similar key that has a TV picture with an arrow pointing out, this switches your display from LCD to monitor, or both. Look online for "Thinkpad T30 Fn key functions" and you should be able to better understand it. The function is there, just depends on what keys you need to hit to switch your monitor port.
If the PC boots and you can get into the BIOS, you can change your main monitor to your SVGA port instead of the LCD.
I would try doing the above by connecting your monitor straight to the notebook without the docking station first.
2007-09-24 06:40:52 · answer #2 · answered by rmkenterprise 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
If there is no OS on the laptop, that could prevent it from detecting the dock and sending a signal out to the montior. Check right on the laptop itself, and normally there will be a place to attach the monitor without using the dock.
If with the monitor attached directly to the laptop you still do not get a picture, you have something else wrong with the laptop besides a bad LCD. In fact, that may be what makes the LCD appear to be bad....
2007-09-24 06:40:59 · answer #3 · answered by dewcoons 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Look on the back edge of the laptop, there should be a 15 pin video connector available there for you to do just that.
Just hook up the video cable from your other monitor to that connector.
Hope this helps.
2007-09-24 06:37:57 · answer #4 · answered by Dick 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
hm ur probably right u should just do the recover thing or ur laptop is jsut broken period.
2007-09-24 06:37:03 · answer #5 · answered by thelvl58 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋