IBM ThinkPad X41 Troubleshooting

The notebook does not appear to power on.

Before turning the notebook on be certain that the laptop is not damaged or missing any parts necessary for function. When pressing the power button and there is no response make sure to:

• Press the power button long enough (approximately 4 seconds).

If there is no response, then proceed to the following:

• Ensure the battery pack connection of the notebook is secure and tight.
• Plug in the AC adapter to its connector on notebook’s left side and allow a charging time of 30 minutes.
• The battery may be completely discharged, so allow for a 24-hour charging time after no response from the 30-minute charge.
• After the 24-hour charge, if no response occurs, replace battery entirely as it may be dead; keep the old battery for the time being.
• If no response after the battery replacement, other problem(s) may exist elsewhere and notebook may require replacing other parts.

Parts needing replacement may include the motherboard, power supply, button, or inverter.

The display screen is blank and the notebook is powered on

Try the following possible solutions:

• Press Fn+F7
• If the standby status indicator is on (is green), press Fn to resume from the standby mode
• If you are using the battery, or the AC adapter, and the status indicator indicates that the computer is turned on (is green), press Fn+Home to make the screen brighter

The notebook is powered on and working, but an odd sound is emanating from the notebook.

If there appears to be an unusual sound that was not previously heard, resort to the following steps:

First, locate the source of the rattling.

• Potential sources of sounds could be from the hard drive and the fan for the heatsink.

If the sound is coming from the hard drive location:

• It is likely the notebook is beginning to fail and will need replacement down the line.
• Before the drive fails, be sure to store any important data on an external drive.

If the sound comes from the fan attached to the heatsink:

• Fan may be clogged with dust from use and require cleaning via compressed air (do not blow it out using your mouth).

If there appears to be a Fan Error:

• Fan's cooling system has failed, in this case you would need to take your device in for service at a local electronic repair store or if you can replace the fan yourself.

Fingerprint Authentication Problems

If your finger(s) have any of the following conditions, you may not be able to register or authenticate it:

• Your finger is wrinkled.
• Your finger is rough, dry, or injured
• Your finger is very dry
• Your finger is stained with dirt, mud, or oil
• The surface of your finger is very different from when you registered your fingerprint.
• Your finger is wet
• A finger is used that has not been enrolled

To correct any of these situations, try one or more of the following:

• If your finger appears to be wrinkled, rub the skin of your finger to smooth out wrinkles
• If you are hands are dry or rough, apply lotion, let dry and try again
• Clean and dry your hands to remove any dirt, oil, or excess moisture from your fingers
• If your hands a wet, dry hands and try again
• Enroll a different finger for authentication

For more information, see the X41's manual.