Do these suffer from the sticky surface issue like a lot of the older models?
A friend of a friend is going to throw one away if I don't take it off their hands.
yes, scrappy scrappy you can just scrape it away: I think I NAILED this old ThinkPad restoration... polymatt https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xvyYPVkkztQ
rasz_pl wrote on 2023-10-04, 22:10:yes, scrappy scrappy you can just scrape it away: I think I NAILED this old ThinkPad restoration... polymatt https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xvyYPVkkztQ
Hmm ok.
Well I'll probably pick it up on the weekend.
From what I've been told it isn't sticky to the touch as of now, the hard drive just clunks and isn't detected and there MIGHT have been some liquid spilled in it at some point.
So it might just be junk but I'll post some pics and info on the weekend after getting it.
It comes off easily enough, just use a plastic scraper and/or plastic scouring pad. Keep applying IPA and only use a rag you will throw away or lots of kitchen roll. Don't clean it with a cloth you intend to keep, that black stuff never comes off.
Though I haven't seen a 770 in over 20 years, I know it's the rubberised coating and it's one of the proper made-by-IBM models from that era, so has the same sticky problem as the 760 and 600 series. My 760LD and 600X have both gone a bit sticky but I left it at just removing some of the coating, mostly on the palm-rest, otherwise they're still matte rather than shiny and are still quite okay to use - that may depend on the climate they're from though.
They do look nice once the coating is fully removed, have done that on at least one of the 600s.
I think no matter what, you should save it. Even if the hard drive is dead, the rare part of the 770 series is the caddy itself, so you've got a good starting point if the caddy is there.
Thermalwrong wrote on 2023-10-04, 23:51:It comes off easily enough, just use a plastic scraper and/or plastic scouring pad. Keep applying IPA and only use a rag you wil […]
It comes off easily enough, just use a plastic scraper and/or plastic scouring pad. Keep applying IPA and only use a rag you will throw away or lots of kitchen roll. Don't clean it with a cloth you intend to keep, that black stuff never comes off.
Though I haven't seen a 770 in over 20 years, I know it's the rubberised coating and it's one of the proper made-by-IBM models from that era, so has the same sticky problem as the 760 and 600 series. My 760LD and 600X have both gone a bit sticky but I left it at just removing some of the coating, mostly on the palm-rest, otherwise they're still matte rather than shiny and are still quite okay to use - that may depend on the climate they're from though.
They do look nice once the coating is fully removed, have done that on at least one of the 600s.
I think no matter what, you should save it. Even if the hard drive is dead, the rare part of the 770 series is the caddy itself, so you've got a good starting point if the caddy is there.
Great info, thank you.
Supposedly the machine is intact but I won't really know what's up with it until this weekend.
To my knowledge, the 770 rubber doesn't ALWAYS melt like the older ones (701 for instance), but it scratches and wears very easily in age. And it can melt, it just doesn't always seem to do so.
Make sure to remove the CMOS battery when you get it though -there's a VARTA battery in there that will kill it if you don't get it out.
I probably have too many old laptops.
3lectr1c wrote on 2023-10-07, 01:36:To my knowledge, the 770 rubber doesn't ALWAYS melt like the older ones (701 for instance), but it scratches and wears very easily in age. And it can melt, it just doesn't always seem to do so.
Make sure to remove the CMOS battery when you get it though -there's a VARTA battery in there that will kill it if you don't get it out.
There's a varta battery in addition to the coin cell CR2025 and the main system battery?
Just picked up the laptop, haven't done anything to it except open the lid. It's of course missing the trackpoint nub. It is NOT sticky at all anywhere which is nice.
I'm going to pull any batteries and clean it up a but tonight, it seems to be fully intact.
Thermalwrong wrote on 2023-10-04, 23:51:I think no matter what, you should save it. Even if the hard drive is dead, the rare part of the 770 series is the caddy itself, so you've got a good starting point if the caddy is there.
Hard drive is pooched but the caddy and it's connecting cable are there.
Yep, there's a VARTA battery in there too, used as a suspend/resume/hibernation battery.
I probably have too many old laptops.
3lectr1c wrote on 2023-10-08, 17:18:Yep, there's a VARTA battery in there too, used as a suspend/resume/hibernation battery.
Damn, well I guess I'll tear the bastard apart tomorrow and get that out.
I'm guessing it's under the keyboard, was hoping to get away without a complete teardown of this thing but it is what it is.
I have to leave for dinner shortly but I decided to not wait and get the little bastard out right now.
Found the battery in this spot, looks like there might be some corrosion on the connector at the end of the wires. I have to run right now but I think I'll end up taking out the mainboard and cleaning everything tomorrow.
It's middle-left under the keyboard, yes. Not too hard to get to I'd imagine. I don't have a 770 myself, but I've seen photos. They're there.
Rule of thumb for me, and what I'd recommend for everyone is: If it's a laptop from before the 2000s, do a full teardown to check for a VARTA or other brand NiMH or NiCad cmos or suspend battery.
If the laptop in question is a Dell or a Sony, check if it's early 2000s too. Dell last used them in 2003, and Sony last did a couple years before that (for the most part at least - I've seen evidence they used it in at least one laptop from 2010! https://www.ifixit.com/Device/Sony_Vaio_PCG-71312l)
All the ThinkPad 700 series laptops pretty much had one. The 76x series is particularly devious - it's hidden inside the keyboard assembly, and is completely invisible unless you know it's there and take the keyboard lower bezel apart.
Edit: You beat me to it! Your reply came in as I was typing this.
I probably have too many old laptops.
3lectr1c wrote on 2023-10-08, 18:21:It's middle-left under the keyboard, yes. Not too hard to get to I'd imagine. I don't have a 770 myself, but I've seen photos. T […]
It's middle-left under the keyboard, yes. Not too hard to get to I'd imagine. I don't have a 770 myself, but I've seen photos. They're there.
Rule of thumb for me, and what I'd recommend for everyone is: If it's a laptop from before the 2000s, do a full teardown to check for a VARTA or other brand NiMH or NiCad cmos or suspend battery.
If the laptop in question is a Dell or a Sony, check if it's early 2000s too. Dell last used them in 2003, and Sony last did a couple years before that (for the most part at least - I've seen evidence they used it in at least one laptop from 2010! https://www.ifixit.com/Device/Sony_Vaio_PCG-71312l)All the ThinkPad 700 series laptops pretty much had one. The 76x series is particularly devious - it's hidden inside the keyboard assembly, and is completely invisible unless you know it's there and take the keyboard lower bezel apart.
Edit: You beat me to it! Your reply came in as I was typing this.
Excellent info!
3lectr1c wrote on 2023-10-08, 18:21:I've seen evidence they used it in at least one laptop from 2010! https://www.ifixit.com/Device/Sony_Vaio_PCG-71312l)
I recently found one of these in a Sony VGN-AR61e, which was sold around 2008/2009.
It's a terrible machine in a lot of ways.
Alright, new rule is: If it's a Sony, check it no matter what.
Why Sony, why??!!
Besides the death battery, what else was not great about that laptop?
I probably have too many old laptops.
3lectr1c thanks again for the tip on the hidden battery.
There is definitely evidence of leakage and some minor corrosion on the board where it was connected. I'm in the process of cleaning things up right now and will post some pics later.
Cleaning up this stuff with some vinegar and then isopropyl alcohol.
That's what they'll all do... it's a real shame. There are certain laptop models that I suspect I'll never own working because of those batteries. The WinBook XP and the Toshiba Satellite Pro 430CDT being the main two that I'd like someday.
I probably have too many old laptops.
Did some more work on this old machine today. Put it most of the way back together, installed a new CR-2025 battery and now I'm going to memtest the memory it came with.
I think I'll buy one of those 2.5" ide to CF card adapters and experiment with that on here. I managed to find a compatible power supply in one of my boxes of junk too!
