Fujitsu Siemens Amilo Xi 2428 failure

[goodpsusearch]

I got that laptop from my uncle.

He says he has already sent it to 2 PC shops and they told him that the motherboard needs to be replaced.

It boots normally but there is no video on the screen.

When connected to an extrernal LCD using VGA cable, everything is fine until it boots windows vista. Then the screen turns black for some seconds, only the cursor can be seen, then you see desktop again, then black with cursor only again, and then this:
https://www.badcaps.net/forum/attach...1&d=1297644735


Is it the video card?

Specifications:
http://www.procomparison.info/notebo...o-xi-2428.html

GeForce 8600M GS

[Scenic]

Re: Fujitsu Siemens Amilo Xi 2428 failure

yep.. typical G84/G86 breakdown symptoms..

you either get multicolored pixelsalad from the start/BIOS (sometimes random symbols) or it seems to work at first, but as soon as the nvidia driver loads stuff like you described happens..


if you need to get the data off of it, try booting in VGA mode (no graphics driver) or safe mode.

if you're "lucky", the GF8600 is actually on a MXM card and can be swapped out (preferably for an ATI)..

i've replaced a GF8400M in a FSC laptop once.. to keep the costs low (and because the owner didn't really do any 3D stuff), i've replaced it with an ATI Mobility Radeon X300 32MB



was pretty much a gamble though, as i didn't know if they are compatible.
turned out it fits and works fine.. just had to order some new thermal pads for the VRAM..
ran one heck of a lot cooler too.. (obviously.. no power -> no heat )

[goodpsusearch]

Re: Fujitsu Siemens Amilo Xi 2428 failure

I tried safe mode and it worked. No blue screen.

I also tried to boot with Windows Live XP DVD and it worked flawlessly.

But all that is only possible with the vga connector. The internal lcd still has no video.

[Scenic]

Re: Fujitsu Siemens Amilo Xi 2428 failure

i just found this again..

http://www.mxm-upgrade.com/Tech_13.html

comparison of MXM cards.
The GF 8400M - 8600M are MXM Type II
the ATI Mobility Radeon X300 in my pic above is MXM Type I, so it's smaller, but still has the mounting holes in the same spots.

Pretty much all you can do is reflow the GPU and hope that will fix it for some time, or check if there's really a MXM card in there and replace it with "new" one which isn't well known to die a lot like the GF8400-8600 and some 9xxx'ers

Lower end card = less heat = less chance of killing itself over time due to thermal cycling..

[goodpsusearch]

Re: Fujitsu Siemens Amilo Xi 2428 failure

Finally I took the card out of the laptop... But it doesn't look like the MXM ones in the link above... So, what can I do now?

[Scenic]

Re: Fujitsu Siemens Amilo Xi 2428 failure

that's proprietary crap that i thought had died out since MXM...
sorry but.. unless you can find one on ebay or something, you're out of luck

you could try reflowing it... but that probably wouldn't last too long..

[goodpsusearch]

Re: Fujitsu Siemens Amilo Xi 2428 failure

Thank you very much for your replies!

Searching through Google, I read in a forum that some owners of that laptop solved the problem buying from a German guy:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Amilo-Xi-2528-AT...item53e0182aaf

The price looks ok, but most of the description is in German and I don't know exactly what he is saying...

I have never bought anything from ebay. What do you think?

[Scenic]

Re: Fujitsu Siemens Amilo Xi 2428 failure

FSC ATI Radeon Mobility HD 2300 Graphics card
fits for Fujitsu Siemens Amilo Xi2428, 2528, Si 2530 and many more.

You'll get an email after you've bought the item. Please follow the directions in that email, because it will greatly speed up the handling process.

[red part]
this card is 100% working.

Because this card isn't fitted by us and it's a very delicate item, it is sold AS IS (no warranty)

only if you send the notebook to us and have us install it [for an additional fee of 30euro], the card is sold with 3 months warranty

that's basically what it says..
the price seems reasonable (considering its a core 2 duo notebook, so fairly modern)

i don't really know about the warranty part though :/

[goodpsusearch]

Re: Fujitsu Siemens Amilo Xi 2428 failure

Does he accept returns if the card doesn't work?

[Scenic]

Re: Fujitsu Siemens Amilo Xi 2428 failure

he says so on the "about the seller page" (oddly enough, in both English and German)

http://members.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI...rid=zeytech*de

One month return policy!

We provide every item with a month return policy.
Unless we say the item is bad, or defective, all items are fully tested, and they are in a perfectly working condition.

Please tell us in written form if the item is broken before sending it back to us.
[email & fax]
We will replace it or refund the full costs - except shipping.

[goodpsusearch]

Re: Fujitsu Siemens Amilo Xi 2428 failure

I will order it today. Thank you

[goodpsusearch]

Re: Fujitsu Siemens Amilo Xi 2428 failure

The graphics card arrived yesterday. With the help of my tech friend we installed the card in the laptop and tested it.

Now the laptop screen works, but 3 minutes after I boot at Vista I get blue screen of death again like the one of the first post.

Working at safe mode, I uninstalled the nvidia drivers from add remove programs and driver sweeper, I also made sure that the display device has been changed to standard VGA adaptor and then I found the Fujitsu Siemens version of the drivers for the new ATI card and I installed them... But I still get that damn blue screen...

[Fluval]

Re: Fujitsu Siemens Amilo Xi 2428 failure

Is this a fresh install? Have to tried Fresh install?
Try installing the Intel INF Drivers
Updated the drivers for Lan and Wifi
Have you tries new memory - if you have 2 modules remove one and try and then swap them and try again.
Run MSCONFIG and try Diagnostic startup or Selective startup and load only the basic services ie video.

Fluval

[goodpsusearch]

Re: Fujitsu Siemens Amilo Xi 2428 failure

I stopped being lazy and did a fresh install of Windows 7 Ultimate 64bit GR.

Nearly every device was recognized by the OS. For the rest I could use the Vista drivers from Fujitsu Siemens site (they haven't released drivers for Win 7).

It really feels like new now. Without Scenic's help that laptop would be useless and I would like to thank him for that.

[Scenic]

Re: Fujitsu Siemens Amilo Xi 2428 failure

no problem

as for the drivers.. get everest from somewhere and identify the components used in there, then get the newest drivers directly from the makers of those parts instead of using the outdated FSC ones.

for example, if this thing uses a Realtek soundchip (ALCxxx), go to the realtek website and download the newest drivers for win7..

knowing fujitsu-siemens, i bet the drivers on the FSC support page are about as old as the laptop is..

[goodpsusearch]

Re: Fujitsu Siemens Amilo Xi 2428 failure

no problem

as for the drivers.. get everest from somewhere and identify the components used in there, then get the newest drivers directly from the makers of those parts instead of using the outdated FSC ones.

for example, if this thing uses a Realtek soundchip (ALCxxx), go to the realtek website and download the newest drivers for win7..

knowing fujitsu-siemens, i bet the drivers on the FSC support page are about as old as the laptop is..

Yeap... 2007 :P

[c_hegge]

Re: Fujitsu Siemens Amilo Xi 2428 failure

I believe on some laptops you can simply remove the graphics card. I forget the model, but a friend once told me that he fixed several laptops by removing the graphics card and using the onboard Intel graphics, as the 3D graphics power wasn't needed, but of course, the laptop has to actually have onboard graphics for that to work.

It's nice how you got an upgrade from vistrash to 7 out of it too, although I would have upgraded it to XP.

[techlight]

Re: Fujitsu Siemens Amilo Xi 2428 failure

I install , in the same model , the ati 2300 hd graphics card and everything ok . but i cant find the correct drivers. The only drivers that works with windows xp sp3 is ati dd cc 9.10. But after the first boot i get a Blue Screen of Death. I download and patch the drivers the mod Tool.. Any driver that can work with my model? Thanks!!!

[goodpsusearch]

Re: Fujitsu Siemens Amilo Xi 2428 failure

What I did was search in the download section of Fujitsu Siemens site and select laptop models that had that specific graphics card that I used as a replacement. Then I downloaded the graphic card drivers and tried to install them.

Good luck!

[techlight]

Re: Fujitsu Siemens Amilo Xi 2428 failure

Not a chance i installed the Omega Drivers xp 48442 everything ok , but after a while i get a black screen... Please help me!!