Lenovo Thinkpad T580 Troubleshooting

The laptop fails to turn on or does not boot up properly.

Ensure the laptop’s batteries are properly charged before attempting to turn it on. Plug it into a wall outlet then attempt to turn it on.

Note: Try multiple outlets in case the one you are using initially is defective.

Connect the power adapter to the laptop and plug the other end into a working outlet. If the battery icon does not turn on, the power adapter is broken and will need to be replaced.

As laptop batteries age, they lose charging capacity and may not be able to properly hold a charge anymore. To test if the battery can’t hold charge anymore, plug the power adapter in and note whether the computer turns on. Then, unplug the adapter and attempt to turn on the computer. If the computer only turns on when plugged into the power adapter, the battery is faulty and will need to be replaced. For a step-by-step guide on how to replace the internal battery yourself, visit our replacement guide page here .

If the laptop fails to boot up normally and encounters a boot-up error message, the hard drive may be damaged or defective. To solve this, first open up the device and check to see if the hard drive is damaged or loose. If the hard drive is loose, tighten the bolts and secure the hard drive.

Note: To access the hard drive, the laptop cover must be taken off. For a detailed guide on how to access the hard drive, visit our replacement guide here.

In the case that the hard drive isn’t loose or damaged, it may have an internal defect and will need to be replaced if the computer continues to boot up improperly. For a step-by-step guide on how to replace the hard drive yourself, visit our replacement guide here.

If the laptop powers on with a black screen and notable change in the screen luminosity, the motherboard may be damaged. This is a serious problem and the computer will not function until a new motherboard is installed. For a step-by-step guide on how to replace the motherboard yourself, visit our replacement guide page here.

The laptop can’t connect to the internet.

To check if the WiFi is enabled, follow these steps:

1. Go to the settings for Windows 10 and click on Network & Internet
2. Check to see if the WiFi switch is on and airplane mode is off

If you are connected to a WiFi network and you can’t connect to the internet, the network itself might be faulty. To diagnose the problem, run the network troubleshooter widget found in Settings -> Network and Internet -> Status -> Network Troubleshooter. If the troubleshooter finds no errors and you have access to the router, attempt restarting the router.

The Internet (WiFi) card within the computer may be damaged or loose. Make sure that it is properly placed within the slot and that both the grey and black wires pinned to it are in the right slot. If you have exhausted all other troubleshooting solutions and you believe the internet card is the issue, consider replacing it with a new card.

The trackpad does not work or fails to trace movements correctly.

If you have multiple mouse devices connected to the computer such as an external mouse, the trackpad is often overridden. To re-enable the trackpad, go to Windows settings and navigate to the Touchpad settings (Home -> Devices -> Touchpad). Make sure the setting “Leave touchpad on when mouse is connected” is clicked. 

If the trackpad is loose, you may have to tighten the screws that bind it to the computer. To identify which screws you need to tighten, reference our trackpad replacement guide here.

The cable for the trackpad can occasionally fall out of its slot on the motherboard and cease functioning. To find this cable, look for a blue cable running next to the internal battery and a port labeled with a blue “MB”. If the cable is disconnected from the slot, reconnect it.

Note: To access the trackpad cable, the cover of the computer must be removed. For a detailed guide on how to remove the laptop cover and access the blue cable, reference our replacement guide here. 

Sometimes the trackpad driver can be incompatible with recent Windows 10 updates. If this is the case, you will need to download and update the trackpad driver.

Automatic Method:

1. Type “Device Manager” in the Windows search bar
2. Click on “Mice and other pointing devices”
3. Double click on the device with the phrase “Touchpad” in the name
4. Click on the Driver tab and select “Update Driver”
5. Windows will automatically search online and download the most up to date driver

Manual Method:

1. Click on this link to go to the ThinkPad T580 device page on Lenovo’s website
2. Select the Manual Update tab and download the “Mouse, Pen, and Keyboard” driver

If the trackpad is damaged or otherwise non-functional after trying the above solutions, it may need to be replaced. For a step-by-step guide on how to replace the trackpad, visit our replacement guide here.

The laptop fails to make any sound using its native speakers.

If you have external sound devices such as a headset, the native speakers can get disabled. To re-enable the native speakers, go to Settings -> System -> Sound and make sure the output device is set to the native speakers. If the problem persists, there is a troubleshooting option below the output device setting that will automatically try to find and solve errors on your device.

Since the speakers receive power and instructions from the motherboard, they won’t operate if they aren’t plugged in. Open up the device and locate the speakers. If they aren’t plugged into the motherboard, reconnect them.

Note: To access the internal speaker device, the cover of the computer must be removed. For a detailed guide on how to remove the laptop cover, reference our replacement guide here.

If none of the above solutions solve the problem, the native speakers may be damaged and will need to be replaced. This can be done by opening up the computer cover and disconnecting both speakers located in the front corners of the laptop from the motherboard. To take out the speakers, remove the 2 screws holding each speaker in and pull the speakers out.

Note: Both speakers share the same cable

The screen fails to turn on or has a glitchy appearance.

This may seem obvious, but ensure that the computer can turn on. Check to see if the laptop’s battery indicator turns on when pushing the power button. If the computer fails to turn on, use one of our solutions to the “Laptop Will Not Turn On Properly” section of the troubleshooting guide.

Check to see if the internal screen cable is unplugged from the device. If the screen cable is unplugged from the device, plug it back in. To learn how to locate and check the internal screen cable, check out our screen replacement guide here.

If the screen is visibly cracked, has dark flickering zones, or is easily falling out of the monitor, the whole screen may have to be replaced. For a step-by-step guide on how to replace the screen, reference our replacement guide here.

The computer dies quickly on either native battery, replaceable battery, or both.

Remove the replaceable battery and ensure that the pins in the input port are not damaged or bent. If they are, carefully try to bend them back. For a step-by-step guide on how to remove the replaceable battery, visit our replacement guide here.

Ensure the internal battery is properly plugged in. There is a port underneath the “M” key within the case that the battery cable should be plugged into.

Check to see if the power supply is working properly. If the battery won’t charge, it could be that the cable and power supply you are using is defective and will need to be replaced.

If either the replaceable or internal battery is damaged, the battery will not hold a charge as effectively. If you find that no other solution is working, your battery may be damaged and will need to be replaced. For a step-by-step guide on how to replace the internal or replaceable battery, check out our replacement guide here.

The native camera is not functioning.

Make sure the physical camera cover switch (Lenovo’s ThinkShutter) is not currently covering the camera. If it is, simply turn it off and the camera should now work properly.

Check to see if the camera cable is disconnected from the top of the monitor and / or motherboard. If the cable is loose or disconnected at either of these ports, reconnect the cable. To learn how to take off the cover of the laptop and take off the monitor screen, consult our replacement guide here and here.

If none of the solutions above solve your camera issue, the camera may be damaged and will need to be replaced.

The native microphone is not working.

Sometimes the microphone driver needs to be updated to work with new Windows updates. If this is the case, you will need to download and update the microphone driver.

Automatic Method:

1. Type “Device Manager” in the Windows search bar
2. Click on “Audio Inputs and Outputs”
3. Double click on the microphone device
4. Click on the Driver tab and select “Update Driver”
5. Windows will automatically search online and download the most up to date driver

Manual Method:

1. Click on this link to go to the ThinkPad T580 device page on Lenovo’s website
2. Select the Manual Update tab and download the “Audio” driver

If the solution above doesn’t solve your microphone issue, the microphone may be damaged and will need to be replaced.