Laptop won't start

[nihil]

Here is the maintenance manual:

http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/si...cid=MIGR-46464



A vague possibility is that your CMOS battery might be flat, which could be why it won't let you into the BIOS setup.

If it is a RAM problem it may not give you beeps provided that the right quantity is being reported.

Try removing the bottom strip and see if that makes a difference

[oofki]

I'm trying to think of all the times I have seen any computer freeze at the post screen. I know the most common one is when a drive is attached to an IDE channel but with no power and it causes the computer to post VERY slowly or not at all. Try removing the HDD and CD/DVD drive.

There probably isn't a way to reset the CMOS on those but one thing you can try is to remove the power, battery, and CMOS battery and let it sit for 48-72 hours. FYI the CMOS battery in IBM's are usually a nickel sized/shaped battery with a yellow cover.

If that does not work try re-seating the CPU and Memory. Try it without the battery in and only the power cord and try it with the battery and without the power cord. There are limited things you can do to diagnose a notebook since most people do not have CPUs/Memory/Motherboards ready to used for trial-and-error diagnostics. The best of luck to you.