DEC's service quick reference guides for the HiNote VP 550/575 and 700 series organise troubleshooting by symptom, then give the Phoenix BIOS test points and error messages; the user's guides add the battery questions. DEC supported repair to module level only, by exchanging field-replaceable units such as the CPU card, keyboard, hard disk module and the complete shell.[1][2][3]
HiNote VP 550/575 series (DEC service guide Figure 1-5)
No display, no disk noise, power light off (VP 700 Service Quick Reference Guide)
On battery
On AC power
The notebook may be in suspend: press Suspend/Resume. The battery may be loose (remove and refit it), flat (connect the AC adapter or fit a charged pack) or in need of forming. The system may have hung: press the reset button on the back, then power on again.
Check the outlet and that the adapter plug is fully home. If neither the notebook's power LED nor the LED on the adapter lights, replace the adapter. Press Suspend/Resume and the reset button. If all of these are good, suspect the notebook's internal power circuit.
[2]
The reset button on the VP 700 is on the back, between the serial and parallel connectors.[2] If no indicator lights and the hard disk is silent, DEC takes the notebook to be getting no power at all.[2]
Starts POST on battery, then shuts down: the battery is critically low, the system may have hung after a screen saver (press reset), or the memory or LCD connections or system board power circuit are at fault.[2]
Power on, no display: suspend mode, a hang, memory or LCD connections, or the system board power circuit.[2]
Power on, error code or message on screen: usually a keyboard, memory or hard disk failure; look the message up below.[2]
"CMOS checksum error" at start-up: the CMOS battery has run down after the notebook was left off for more than a year. Press F2, set the date and time, load defaults, save, and leave the notebook on the AC adapter for 24 hours. See HiNote VP Battery Replacement.[4]
"System battery is dead - Replace and run SETUP": the CMOS clock battery has failed.[5]
The Phoenix BIOS writes a test-point code to I/O port 80h at the start of each POST routine. A card that displays port 80h shows the last test begun if the machine hangs. On a terminal error the BIOS sounds a beep code and tries to show the code on screen.[6]
Phoenix BIOS beep codes for terminal errors (VP 550-575 Service Quick Reference Guide, extract)
Symptom tables (VP 700 Service Quick Reference Guide)
Symptom
Checks
No LCD picture, lines on the LCD, backlight but no picture, or garbled characters
LCD cable seated at the motherboard; LCD power cable seated at the inverter; then replace the panel. Garbled characters with correct display settings point to the video chip, which means a new motherboard
No external CRT picture, wrong colours or unstable picture
CRT output enabled; monitor powered; cable and port pins; display settings supported by the monitor; try another monitor
Keys do nothing, give wrong characters or repeat
Language setting (COUNTRY.SYS); keyboard cable damaged by bending or not seated; replace the keyboard; replace the keyboard controller BIOS chip
External keyboard or PS/2 mouse fails
Mini-DIN connection; clean the trackball and sensors; try another device; test the keyboard circuit
Hard disk not found, will not read or write
BIOS settings; disk connection; try the disk in another VP 700; if it works there, the controller on the motherboard is suspect
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