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From: Pen on 4 May 2010 12:54
On 5/4/2010 12:00 AM, beltrixx wrote:
> On May 3, 8:09 pm, beltrixx <beltr...(a)gmail.com> wrote:
>> On 2 mayo, 21:26, Barry Watzman <WatzmanNOS...(a)neo.rr.com> wrote:
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>> Well, the nice thing about this is that you have wire leads to a plug,
>>> so you can cut off those leads and deal with the replacement in whatever
>>> manner works best. You don't need an exact mechanical replacement.
>>
>>> what are the dimensions of the BATTERY (I'd cut off the shrink wrap to
>>> measure this as accurately as possible). Normally, the 3032 number
>>> would suggest 30mm x 3.2 mm.
>>
>>> The next issue is, is this a "one-time" battery or a rechargeable?
>>> Another reason to cut off the shrinkwrap is to see if there are any
>>> numbers on the battery itself.
>>
>>> BIG DANGER HERE: If you replace a rechargeable with a one-time, it may
>>> explode when the laptop tries to charge it.
>>
>>> Cut off the wires, insert the plug into the socket, and see if there is
>>> any voltage coming out of the ends of the wires (that would go into the
>>> battery).
>>
>>> Several sources suggest that it IS a rechargeable battery:
>>
>>> http://www.alliedelec.com/search/productdetail.aspx?SKU=8840030
>>
>>> beltrixx wrote:
>>
>>>> Hi,
>>
>>>> Yes I'm certain that it is a VL3032 one. Googling for "VL3032" I have
>>>> found references to Lithium-Vanadium rechargeable batteries but I
>>>> don't know for sure if the one in my laptop is rechargeable or not.
>>
>>>> The problem is that the laptop is rather old (17 years) so it is
>>>> almost impossible to find technical docs or info regarding such a
>>>> specific issue like this and I don't know if this battery can be
>>>> replaced by a standard CR2032.
>>
>>>> Please, have a look at these pics of the battery :
>>
>>>> http://sites.google.com/site/beltrixx/images_blog/decpc425slc/VL3032-...
>>>> http://sites.google.com/site/beltrixx/images_blog/decpc425slc/VL3032-...
>>
>>>> Do you think it can be replaced by a standard CR2032 or CR3032?
>>
>>>> Regards,
>>
>>>> Manel (beltrixx)- Ocultar texto de la cita -
>>
>>> - Mostrar texto de la cita -
>>
>> Hi,
>>
>> I've checked that the voltage between the wires (without the battery)
>> is about 3V so the battery must be rechargeable. Also, every time I
>> placed the tester tips on the wires a reset happened. Is that normal?
>>
>> I'll look for an appropiate battery and try to leave the laptop
>> charging an entire day once I have installed it, if nothing else is
>> damaged it should work perfectly.
>>
>> regards,
>>
>> Beltrixx.- Hide quoted text -
>>
>> - Show quoted text -
>
> I'm starting to think the problem has nothing to do with the
> batteries. I tested the voltage of the Lithium VL3032 battery and it
> was about 2V (the battery holds a charge and seems able to be
> charged); I also left the computer without any battery and the error
> displayed was the same.
>
> The laptop was unable to power on and I thought it was a problem
> related to the resume function but maybe the problem is related to the
> motherboard. Neither the power button nor the sleep button (the one
> that is clicked by the screen when you close it) work, so to start the
> laptop, I must click the reset hole and after a few seconds is when
> the CMOS Timer Error displays. This can be a clue for some motherboard
> related error, isn't it?
>
> I'll put back all the batteries but there's little more I can do with
> my hardware knowledge ...
>
> Anyway, thanks everybody for helping me with this old computer.
>
> Kind Regards,
>
> Manel (beltrixx).
Compaq/HP has some Docs for this, but they need to be
expanded onto a floppy, which I don't have access to at this
time. Therefore, I don't know how helpful they may be, but
here's a link.
http://www.compaq.com/legacysupport/digital/epid68.html
From: beltrixx on 4 May 2010 14:49
On 4 mayo, 18:54, Pen <nos...(a)nospam.net> wrote:
> On 5/4/2010 12:00 AM, beltrixx wrote:
>
>
>
> > On May 3, 8:09 pm, beltrixx <beltr...(a)gmail.com> wrote:
> >> On 2 mayo, 21:26, Barry Watzman <WatzmanNOS...(a)neo.rr.com> wrote:
>
> >>> Well, the nice thing about this is that you have wire leads to a plug,
> >>> so you can cut off those leads and deal with the replacement in whatever
> >>> manner works best.  You don't need an exact mechanical replacement.
>
> >>> what are the dimensions of the BATTERY (I'd cut off the shrink wrap to
> >>> measure this as accurately as possible).  Normally, the 3032 number
> >>> would suggest 30mm x 3.2 mm.
>
> >>> The next issue is, is this a "one-time" battery or a rechargeable?
> >>> Another reason to cut off the shrinkwrap is to see if there are any
> >>> numbers on the battery itself.
>
> >>> BIG DANGER HERE:  If you replace a rechargeable with a one-time, it may
> >>> explode when the laptop tries to charge it.
>
> >>> Cut off the wires, insert the plug into the socket, and see if there is
> >>> any voltage coming out of the ends of the wires (that would go into the
> >>> battery).
>
> >>> Several sources suggest that it IS a rechargeable battery:
>
> >>>http://www.alliedelec.com/search/productdetail.aspx?SKU=8840030
>
> >>> beltrixx wrote:
>
> >>>> Hi,
>
> >>>> Yes I'm certain that it is a VL3032 one. Googling for "VL3032" I have
> >>>> found references to Lithium-Vanadium rechargeable batteries but I
> >>>> don't know for sure if the one in my laptop is rechargeable or not.
>
> >>>> The problem is that the laptop is rather old (17 years) so it is
> >>>> almost impossible to find technical docs or info regarding such a
> >>>> specific issue like this and I don't know if this battery can be
> >>>> replaced by a standard CR2032.
>
> >>>> Please, have a look at these pics of the battery :
>
> >>>>http://sites.google.com/site/beltrixx/images_blog/decpc425slc/VL3032-....
> >>>>http://sites.google.com/site/beltrixx/images_blog/decpc425slc/VL3032-....
>
> >>>> Do you think it can be replaced by a standard CR2032 or CR3032?
>
> >>>> Regards,
>
> >>>> Manel (beltrixx)- Ocultar texto de la cita -
>
> >>> - Mostrar texto de la cita -
>
> >> Hi,
>
> >> I've checked that the voltage between the wires (without the battery)
> >> is about 3V so the battery must be rechargeable. Also, every time I
> >> placed the tester tips on the wires a reset happened. Is that normal?
>
> >> I'll look for an appropiate battery and try to leave the laptop
> >> charging an entire day once I have installed it, if nothing else is
> >> damaged it should work perfectly.
>
> >> regards,
>
> >> Beltrixx.- Hide quoted text -
>
> >> - Show quoted text -
>
> > I'm starting to think the problem has nothing to do with the
> > batteries. I tested the voltage of the Lithium VL3032 battery and it
> > was about 2V (the battery holds a charge and seems able to be
> > charged); I also left the computer without any battery and the error
> > displayed was the same.
>
> > The laptop was unable to power on and I thought it was a problem
> > related to the resume function but maybe the problem is related to the
> > motherboard. Neither the power button nor the sleep button (the one
> > that is clicked by the screen when you close it) work, so to start the
> > laptop, I must click the reset hole and after a few seconds is when
> > the CMOS Timer Error displays. This can be a clue for some motherboard
> > related error, isn't it?
>
> > I'll put back all the batteries but there's little more I can do with
> > my hardware knowledge ...
>
> > Anyway, thanks everybody for helping me with this old computer.
>
> > Kind Regards,
>
> > Manel (beltrixx).
>
> Compaq/HP has some Docs for this, but they need to be
> expanded onto a floppy, which I don't have access to at this
> time. Therefore, I don't know how helpful they may be, but
> here's a link.http://www.compaq.com/legacysupport/digital/epid68.html- Ocultar texto de la cita -
>
> - Mostrar texto de la cita -

Thank you Pen, but I did know about this download page and I used it
to download the drivers some time ago. The docs are in fact, for the
386 version of the same computer and do not provide information on the
problems you can encounter so they are useless.

This problem is related to a POST error code, so the technical
background involved would make it very difficult to be covered on an
end-user manual such as the one linked.

I haven't had the chance to use any of these drivers because of the
nature of the error on my laptop, which prevents it to boot and start
the OS normally and I'm starting to think there are little chances to
fix it up unfortunately.

Thanks anyway for helping ;)
From: Barry Watzman on 4 May 2010 16:12
Some laptops will not POST without a CMOS battery; this not as common
now as it used to be, but this is an older laptop.

Check and see in the BIOS (if you can get into it) if the laptop is set
to take some action ("resume") on power up OTHER THAN "boot".

2 volts is a very low voltage for a lithium battery. I don't conclude
that the existing CMOS battery is good.


beltrixx wrote:
>
> I'm starting to think the problem has nothing to do with the
> batteries. I tested the voltage of the Lithium VL3032 battery and it
> was about 2V (the battery holds a charge and seems able to be
> charged); I also left the computer without any battery and the error
> displayed was the same.
>
> The laptop was unable to power on and I thought it was a problem
> related to the resume function but maybe the problem is related to the
> motherboard. Neither the power button nor the sleep button (the one
> that is clicked by the screen when you close it) work, so to start the
> laptop, I must click the reset hole and after a few seconds is when
> the CMOS Timer Error displays. This can be a clue for some motherboard
> related error, isn't it?
>
> I'll put back all the batteries but there's little more I can do with
> my hardware knowledge ...
>
> Anyway, thanks everybody for helping me with this old computer.
>
> Kind Regards,
>
> Manel (beltrixx).
From: beltrixx on 5 May 2010 02:57
On May 4, 10:12 pm, Barry Watzman <WatzmanNOS...(a)neo.rr.com> wrote:
> Some laptops will not POST without a CMOS battery; this not as common
> now as it used to be, but this is an older laptop.
>
> Check and see in the BIOS (if you can get into it) if the laptop is set
> to take some action ("resume") on power up OTHER THAN "boot".
>
> 2 volts is a very low voltage for a lithium battery.  I don't conclude
> that the existing CMOS battery is good.
>
>
>
> beltrixx wrote:
>
> > I'm starting to think the problem has nothing to do with the
> > batteries. I tested the voltage of the Lithium VL3032 battery and it
> > was about 2V (the battery holds a charge and seems able to be
> > charged); I also left the computer without any battery and the error
> > displayed was the same.
>
> > The laptop was unable to power on and I thought it was a problem
> > related to the resume function but maybe the problem is related to the
> > motherboard. Neither the power button nor the sleep button (the one
> > that is clicked by the screen when you close it) work, so to start the
> > laptop, I must click the reset hole and after a few seconds is when
> > the CMOS Timer Error displays. This can be a clue for some motherboard
> > related error, isn't it?
>
> > I'll put back all the batteries but there's little more I can do with
> > my hardware knowledge ...
>
> > Anyway, thanks everybody for helping me with this old computer.
>
> > Kind Regards,
>
> > Manel (beltrixx).- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

Hi,

I know is a very low voltage but when the computer is powered through
the AC adaptor, the Lithium battery voltage is about 3 V. It should
power up, isn't it? there is no way to get into the BIOS although I
have tried all possible key combinations (Fn+F1, Fn+F2, Fn+Esc, Ctr+Alt
+Del, Ctr+Alt+F1 and so on) and the fact that neither the power button
nor the sleep button is working makes me think of a motherboard
failure.

Assuming you are right about the fact that this laptop maybe refusing
to power up due to a defective CMOS battery, how long would it last a
brand new replacement? I have read that VL3032 batteries can be
recharged 1000 times aproximately and probably I cannot rely on the
main battery of the laptop (Ni-Mh) due to its age, so it would become
necessary to have the laptop always plugged using the AC Adaptor and
this would imply using one recharge cycle of the Lithium battery every
time the Ac adaptor is used.

A workmate has been testing and recharging the batteries and these are
the results :

1) 7.2 V 60 mAh battery pack : can be charged but if the laptop is not
plugged, charge is lost very fast.
2) 3V VL3032 Lithium battery : is dead. Voltage is about 2 V (end of
service life according to its leaflet) although it shows 3V if
measured while connected to the mobo. My friend has not been able to
charge it because this type of battery is not compatible with his
charger.

I'll look if I can simulate #2 using two standard 1,5V rechargeable AA
batteries for a while. The recharge current (from the board to the
batteries) would be so low that it would make it impossible to damage
the batteries but I first would need to check whether the current
originated from the batteries would damage any chip on the mobo.

In my opinion this laptop isn't well designed at all and is far from
being flawless. The mere presence of three batteries inside it make it
a matter of science fiction powering it up but this won't make me give
up so fast, I need it to power it up and boot into the OS !

Thanks everybody for your help ;)

Regards,

Manel (beltrixx).
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