Advice needed: trying to boot up a Lenovo Thinktank PC

The item was given to me, unopened from its box, by a friend who now finds they no longer have original intended use for it, which was related to professional IT. For a start I just want to get the machine to boot up but I’m not getting much beyond a Lenovo screen and the BIOS setup utility, after playing on the F keys. Got to a screen where it was set to launch Windows 10, but just ends up shutting down after lots of black screen time.

Model 10SQ - CTO1WW

I am only very modestly tech savvy, have a lot to learn, so easy-to-follow explanations would be appreciated as how I might get this machine to actually boot into Windows.

yoyo

Sounds like the hard disk might be on the way out. Is there any clicking sound or noise coming from it? Shouldn't be difficult to replace it with an SSD

It's a ThinkCentre M720t.

First, try to enter safe mode: https://pcsupport.lenovo.com/ie/en/products/desktops-and-all-in-ones/thinkcentre-m-series-desktops/thinkcentre-m720t/solutions/ht116905-how-to-enter-or-boot-to-safe-mode-in-windows-7-8-81-and-10

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117901632#Comment_117901632

It’s brand new, as in unused, and has been handled by me extremely carefully.

Over decades, through trial, error, books, magazines, help centres, I’ve got a share of PCs going. Following above instructions just ain’t working, just a load of clicking, black screen and shut downs.

It certainly won’t enter Safe Mode. I’ve put many a PC into Safe Mode and worked from that over the decades. This one refuses to go anywhere except to make a lot of clicking noises.

Firblog

Download the windows 10 creation tool, create a bootable usb, boot the PC from the usb, go to install windows 10, if the HDD doesn't show - replace it, if it shows but win10 doesn't install successfully - replace it; if windows 10 does install - problem solved.

A clicking HDD does not sound good. It has a 3 year warantee. Enter the serial number in here: https://pcsupport.lenovo.com/ie/en/products/desktops-and-all-in-ones/thinkcentre-m-series-desktops/thinkcentre-m720t/10sq/10sqcto1ww/warranty

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117901801#Comment_117901801

You are talking to a class 1 Idiot here 😂

I know about cars, planes, engines, and will use an analogy, I can’t get my old-fashioned ICE car started, so I hear the solution is to tow-start it. Trouble is I don’t have a car to tow-start it. Or something like that.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117901648#Comment_117901648

My head is burned out tonight looking at it. Will wake up fresh as a daisy tomorrow and look into that.

Checking out You Tube videos on hard drive issues, quite frankly I don’t think the sounds coming from this are abnormal, just the normal sounds of the arm moving back and forth. So I don’t realistically imagine warranty will come into it. Will take another look at the whole thing later, and do a little more reading up through various sources on troubleshooting. Turns out not to be the actual spec I need for my purpose as it has only 4GB RAM, when I need 8-16GB; but I still wanted to actually get the machine going at least.

I’ve been literally sort of blindly playing around on the directory to see if I can get anywhere from there but so far to no avail.

I was trying to post some sample pictures and managed for my finger to select a picture of Joe Duffy I had been using on another thread and because of the clusterfúck that is this website it will not actually allow me to delete that irrelevant picture. If it were some explicit image accidentally posted it would be a very serious matter. Boards leaving themselves open to legal cases. Logging out, restarting my device etc does NOT clear the issue. This is a very serious data breach as far as I’m concerned.

*I've managed to delete pictures on my laptop. Had to delete them all from bottom up. It really is an editing fiasco, not acceptable.

Maybe I’m getting somewhere through my own trial and error, nothing to do with online advice I came across on sites.

Jeff2

Was going to post that.

On startup press esc then click system recovery.

With the Directorys showing up then HDD should have been fine.

Nah, still stuck in a boot loop. I’ve thrown in the towel. Either I’m a complete numpty or something’s not quite right with some little thing in the hardware elements in the boot process. I think the drive mechanism itself is absolutely fine. I’m not about to get out my screwdriver set.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117903977#Comment_117903977

4GB of RAM?!?

This is the spec it should have:

Processor - Intel Core i3-8100 Processor (6MB Cache, 3.60GHz)

Operating System - Windows 10 Home 64

Operating System Language - Windows 10 Home 64 English

Form Factor - Tower B360 210W 85%

Memory - 12GB (4x3) DDR4 2666MHz UDIMM

Video Adapter - Integrated Graphic Card

First Graphic Dongle - DisplayPort to VGA Adapter

First Hard Drive - 1TB Hard Drive, 7200 RPM, 3.5", SATA3

Networking - Integrated Intel Gigabit Ethernet

Keyboard - USB Traditional Keyboard Black English (UK)

Pointing Device - USB Calliope Mouse Black

Speakers - Internal Speaker Tower

Publications Pack - Publication-English

Warranty - 3 Year On-site

https://www.boards.ie/profile/Deleted%20User

https://www.boards.ie/profile/Deleted%20User

Memory - 12GB (4x3) DDR4 2666MHz UDIMM

Apologies, you are correct.

I had been checking the tiny writing on the box, which I can’t property see small written material on full background due to corneal scarring, and I just about read 4GB, but didn’t see the qty 3

Jeff2

If you start it on USB Ubuntu you can go online and reinstall.

If your in Dublin just drop around here with USB and I'll copy a startup USB for you In about 5 minutes.

The USB only needs to be 3GB.

old_aussie

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117901659#Comment_117901659

HDD can be faulty on delivery, hence the term DOA

Jeff2

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117906809#Comment_117906809

A dead HDD won't read the Directiorys IMO.

Look at the pictures.

mickuhaha

I had a similar issue as you seem to. Windows would enter a boot loop and windows recovery would not work. Drive scaned and in good order. I reformated drive and I reinstalled Windows on the drive via window 10 usb. It seemed to work but then a few days later ended up in same boat again. I done a fresh reinstall again. And lasted about an hour. Then back to same issue. What fixed it was to reinstall windows 10 but to keep all old files. Has been working ever since. Try boot from usb first to test the laptop. Then if works, If you could clone the drive to a new drive and then try reinstall from usb on the new drive. You could order a 120gb ssd from Amazon for under 20 to test with.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117906884#Comment_117906884

I want to be very careful about reformatting and doing too much messing with the drive etc simply because it is brand new out of the box. It has remained unused up to this, having lain for about a year wrapped up in its sales packaging owing to changed circumstances of its original purchaser, and who then gave it to me to use, I having mentioned that I was ordering a machine for gaming (and not even having being aware of the presence of this unused item).

If I am to get it operable myself, it has to be done carefully as it is still under warranty, but I am not the purchaser/owner of the warranty. If it doesn’t work out for me without too much dodgy fiddling about I will duly return it to the friend who gave it to me well before the warranty runs out. But I will give it a bit more time to try and sort without it taking up too much of my time and headspace. I can source another machine, as originally planned, for my own purpose and the original owner can no doubt either sort it themselves (tech has been their career) and they would certainly find some use for a high capacity server.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117906850#Comment_117906850

It’s reading and sorting directories fine. I will go on the command prompt later when I can make space to put it all together again, I have looked up a few ideas.

Firblog

Get the purchase info from your friend; contact lenovo support, they will talk you through troubleshooting the issue you're facing, and if they cant get it to work will arrange to have it collected and repaired.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117908554#Comment_117908554

i intend to perhaps eventually return it to my friend, who gave it in good faith, if I cannot indeed get it working at all. I would rather the original purchaser, who gave it to me would deal themselves with the warranty issue, if it applies (ie there is a fault ). However I want to fully explore all troubleshooting options first. Hence I’m taking time over it. I’m very mediocre at tech, but often find problems are what causes me to learn new stuff. Started out in 1993 on tech (actually before that too on first Macs and prior to that on early IBM PCs as well) when it was MS-DOS first, then we had GUI only after XP so I gave up on the inner workings and concentrated only on the outer workings, as it were. Things have become infinitely more complex since with networking, cloud, etc. I’m actually first time learning a heck of a lot of stuff on an online web development course atm with certification at the end. Assembling it in practicality is what counts. but unless you have years of consistent experience and knowledge you know very, very little and you are the idiot numpty as I describe myself. I’m far from beyond beyond learning, though.

In my last job, which involved enabled self-learning and information, I actually taught basic IT skills to people with little and none,

Now I laugh at some really complicated online advice re getting on command prompt. A lot of tech people like to over-complicate things in my experience, and are not always great at explaining stuff.

On the machine here I can access Command Prompt by tapping F2 repeatedly after pressing power-up button on hardware. It brings me to a screen where I can gain access to the coo and prompt and I’m in. Thereafter lies a vacuum as to what I might do and online help send to end at gaining access to the command prompt! Bellow demonstrates where I’ve been at.

At least this time I’ve avoided adding a stupid picture of RTE presenter Joe Duffy from another thread I am used to posting on and have moderated in the past 😱😂

Firblog

It looks like a version update to windows has failed; 'windows.old'; again you'll need to create a windows 10 boot usb, using windows 10 creation tool, with that you can access some troubleshooting tools including the ability to go back to an earlier version of windows.

You seem pretty good on the google box, just look up how to create the usb boot disk and access the tools.

BTW I really appreciate all the inputs to this thread.

Jeff2

I'v fixed many a laptop with no experience.

Now is easier than ever as you can press a few buttons and do it online to reinstall the original software.

The command prompt X drive to me is odd.

Recovery drive should be D:\ drive so what is the X drive. Just curious.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117909865#Comment_117909865

I’ve looked at the Microsoft Community Forum about the X, and will try certain things suggested at the command prompt. The current layout of my room, and lack of sockets, means there is no dedicated space for the item so I have to assemble it all together every time on my coffee table.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117909274#Comment_117909274

i took a “holiday” from handling the Lenovo machine, it being sacred Sunday 😂 and all; I did go and purchase some good USB flash drives and prepared two to have on standby, one Windows, one Ubuntu. Handy for my drawer anyway.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117909865#Comment_117909865

The x is repair mode partition.

Disk looks absolutely fine 🙂

Looking promising! If this succeeds I’m going to set myself up in business troubleshooting and charging for it. 😂

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117909865#Comment_117909865

It’s the Windows recovery partition, Jeff. I’ve learned a heck of a lot in a few days.

Jeff2

That's strange, recovery is usually drive D:\

Hopefully you get it sorted now.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117916242#Comment_117916242

Not so sure! Windows installed fully from the USB drive, then as I was customising it suddenly it crashed. Will look again later to stop it doing my head in. I may have to look at the command line again and clean up the partitions a bit.

Jeff2

In command prompt wiil you type in dir D:\ the press enter and see what comes up.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117916279#Comment_117916279

I’ve got to this screen to try and repair disk, whether or not it will work is another thing. I’m having doubts about all of this. Anyway I will let it cook, so to speak.

ozmo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117916577#Comment_117916577

I wouldnt trust it if it just crashed that soon after installing it - even if it said it repaired the fault.

Looks like a hardware issue - probably why it was never used.

• most often its the harddrive - they can die if used in a pc with the airvents covered (like if used on a bed/blanket or something).
• next most likely thing is ram - if you can get windows to start - run a "Windows Memory Diagnostic" (its built into windows 10)
• or you can download a test boot disk from Microsoft if computer cannot boot.

I would just buy an ssd harddrive anyway - way better than mechanical disks - easy to fit and cost about 40 euros on amazon for a small 256G one- sometime 512 during the sales. You will need download windows 10 from Microsoft website and put it on a 8gb USB key when changing the harddisk.

Nah, tried everything I could throw at it, now dismantling my attempt at personalisation/password, restoring to factory setting. I guess there is some factory issue or I would have got it going. First time I’ve been totally stumped, except when years ago an old hard drive failed and even then I managed to recover a third of the data.

…and back to the relaxing pursuit of learning css etc, which I’m then going to teach Joe Duffy so he can create very impressive websites in order to recruit sophisticatedly scammed callers to Liveline.

Flinty997

I'd disconnect that hard drive and just try booting of a USB drive.

As others have said already. If you want to be able to restore it back to factory. I would just use a different hard drive, a SSD etc.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117916969#Comment_117916969

It’s under warranty, can’t touch it other than the type of safe software stuff I’ve done. Anyway it’s just resetting here in front of me back to the way it came with its warranty. There could well be a factory fault, I really don’t know. One last thing thing I will do, reorder boot sequence.

No, nothing at all has worked. I honestly don’t really believe it can really be got going again by means other than a hardware fix or suchlike under warranty. Something is not switching on in the boot sequence no matter what. May possibly be a hardware issue, but it’s anyone’s guess.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117916894#Comment_117916894

The machine has 1 TB, it’s a serious professional hackers/business machine. I know exactly why it was never used, circumstances totally unrelated to the machine and not at all relevant here. It never got out of its packaging, I had to extract it from very tight packaging and the trick will be to pack it all nice and securely again. Apropos of nothing, I’m a bit too familiar with packing stuff in recent times and the very thought of it gives me nightmares 😱😱😱 Can’t even watch Coronation Street in case I see Kirk packing boxes 😖😤

Mods, when you see this, thread can be closed. 🙂 Thanks to all.

Flinty997

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117917492#Comment_117917492

It's just a basic office machine. Probably best not to mess with it if you are unsure.