Going to "hijack" this thread, because there is no need to have another one. I have just changed the RTC and Backup batteries in the T4700CT and also changed the belt in the floppy drive, as well as cleaning the old dried up grease and put some new silicone based (doesnt attack plastics) grease.

Now the computer turns on and also can clearly hear the floppy drive spinning, but it has random moments when it doesn't show anything on the display, even though if I wait for some minutes, can enter windows (hearing the disk rumbling). My concern is that after a quite positive session in win 3.11, I returned to dos and with every typed word the situation went worse and worse. It was just giving me jiberish on the screen. If I wrote CD GAMES it returned FD GAMEK or similar stuff... until I could not even understand what should be written there.

I am aware that even if the laptop is almost untouched and the internals look like the first day, that the caps might be bad and should be recapped as soon as possible, but could that be the cause of my problems with what is going on on the screen? Or might that be connected with the registers ICs and/or video IC (which would be a bummer really), or does anybody know if this type of laptops had any problems with the LCD itself (even if I really don't think it is related to the actual panel itself, will try tomorrow with an external screen attached)?

Anyhow, it is a fantastic machine, with a real sound system, 16MB of RAM (also here not so sure what is going on, because it only counts to 8MB at POST), 200MB of HDD, an awesome detachable mouse and all the papers in the original travelling bag.

Martin85 wrote on 2025-09-29, 19:25:

Going to "hijack" this thread, because there is no need to have another one. I have just changed the RTC and Backup batteries in […]
Show full quote

Going to "hijack" this thread, because there is no need to have another one. I have just changed the RTC and Backup batteries in the T4700CT and also changed the belt in the floppy drive, as well as cleaning the old dried up grease and put some new silicone based (doesnt attack plastics) grease.

Now the computer turns on and also can clearly hear the floppy drive spinning, but it has random moments when it doesn't show anything on the display, even though if I wait for some minutes, can enter windows (hearing the disk rumbling). My concern is that after a quite positive session in win 3.11, I returned to dos and with every typed word the situation went worse and worse. It was just giving me jiberish on the screen. If I wrote CD GAMES it returned FD GAMEK or similar stuff... until I could not even understand what should be written there.

I am aware that even if the laptop is almost untouched and the internals look like the first day, that the caps might be bad and should be recapped as soon as possible, but could that be the cause of my problems with what is going on on the screen? Or might that be connected with the registers ICs and/or video IC (which would be a bummer really), or does anybody know if this type of laptops had any problems with the LCD itself (even if I really don't think it is related to the actual panel itself, will try tomorrow with an external screen attached)?

Anyhow, it is a fantastic machine, with a real sound system, 16MB of RAM (also here not so sure what is going on, because it only counts to 8MB at POST), 200MB of HDD, an awesome detachable mouse and all the papers in the original travelling bag.

Go for the caps first. My 1st one got new ones, no problems at all and there were some similar to Yours. 2nd unit is still waiting for the job. Trash on the screen often is related to RAM as well. Re-seat it if You have addon in the slot. The WD graphic card may need to be reseated as well - it's under the panel with small LCD screen.

Hi Spitz.
Did you change all the caps? I mean every single one on all of the boards? SMD and THT? Because I am looking for the really tiny ones, which are like 3mm in diameter, and can really find only bigger ones.
The RAM count might be a bad DRAM card? Because it makes no difference at all if I keep the card in the machine or if I take it out.
Hopefully is only the caps. Will post when I have more news! 😀

Martin85 wrote on Yesterday, 10:10:

Hi Spitz. Did you change all the caps? I mean every single one on all of the boards? SMD and THT? Because I am looking for the […]
Show full quote

Hi Spitz.
Did you change all the caps? I mean every single one on all of the boards? SMD and THT? Because I am looking for the really tiny ones, which are like 3mm in diameter, and can really find only bigger ones.
The RAM count might be a bad DRAM card? Because it makes no difference at all if I keep the card in the machine or if I take it out.
Hopefully is only the caps. Will post when I have more news! 😀

Hey!

I left them alone, just the leaky ones 😉

I see.. (Un)fortunatelly, the caps in my toshiba were all in great shape, but the actual condition of the caps is unknown. I think that this machine was only loaded with basic software and then forgotten. I will try turning it on again in the next days, and if nothing happens... I will bite the bullet and will order some new caps. The thing I worry the most is breaking any of the plastics, while doing it again. 😀

Martin85 wrote on Today, 13:31:

I see.. (Un)fortunatelly, the caps in my toshiba were all in great shape, but the actual condition of the caps is unknown. I think that this machine was only loaded with basic software and then forgotten. I will try turning it on again in the next days, and if nothing happens... I will bite the bullet and will order some new caps. The thing I worry the most is breaking any of the plastics, while doing it again. 😀

Are there any errors on the small B&W LCD screen?

None whatsoever... It just shows the "pipe" and when the HDD and FDD are seeking, their respective icon appear.