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Psion Series 7 General Maintenance

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Psion Series 7 - where things are (edge)
Psion's diagram of the rear left edge: lid catch, IR window, RS-232 port, CompactFlash tray and battery

Maintenance guide for the Psion Series 7. The Psion netBook has the same case, board, screen and battery, so most of this applies to it too. The contemporary Series 7 FAQ found the machine well built, with sturdy hinges and no small or loose parts likely to snap off.[1] The two faults that most often end one are the screen cable working loose in its clamp and RAM being lost when the main pack is removed.[2][3] Keep the machine away from vibration, watch the screen whenever the main pack comes out, and back up before any work.

Safety

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There is no mains voltage inside the machine. The external adapter supplies 15 V DC ± 10 % at 1.5 A.[4] The hazard is the lithium-ion pack: do not puncture, crush or short it, and read Psion Series 7 Battery Service and Battery Refurbishment before opening it. The board is CMOS; use an anti-static strap.

Backing up

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The internal C: drive is RAM, and several ordinary maintenance jobs can empty it. Psion's route is the PsiWin desktop software. A route that needs only the machine is to copy the whole of C:, including the System folder, to a folder on a CompactFlash card and copy it back afterwards. Close every application that starts at boot first. Time, home city, sound and hidden-file preferences have to be set again afterwards.[5]

Back up before changing either battery, before opening the case and before swapping a personality module.

Regular cleaning

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Keyboard and case

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  • Clean the keyboard and case with a barely damp cloth. The key legends are white transfers, not the hot stamping or laser etching of the Series 5 and 5mx, and do not fade.[1]
  • The lid and base are covered in leather, well bonded to the case, with lightly textured exposed plastic and no coating to peel.[1] Adam Richardson describes the leather on his machine as having "gained a patina over time".[6] Treat it as leather: keep it dry, out of direct sun, and clean it gently.
  • The leather is tightly folded at one point when the screen is pushed fully back.[1] Avoid opening the lid to its limit.
  • The rubber RS-232 port cover is flimsy; Eric Lindsay called it "lousy", though his lasted four years.[7]
  • The keyboard is a sealed unit and should not be dismantled. A soaked keyboard can be removed as in Opening the machine and dried with a dehumidifier.[7]

Screen

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  • Clean the touchscreen with a barely damp lint-free cloth. No solvents.
  • Run the brightness as low as is comfortable. Full brightness cuts battery life by around 50 % and, according to the FAQ, probably shortens the life of the screen.[1]
  • The backlight cannot be turned off, and the screen is dimmer for about 20 seconds after switching on. Both are normal.[1]
  • The screen is much less affected by temperature than the Series 5's.[1]

Card slots and connectors

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  • Clean the CompactFlash and PC Card contacts with a foam swab and isopropyl alcohol.
  • About 6 mm of play in a Type I CompactFlash card is normal, because the drawer takes Type II devices. If a card is not reliably recognised, shim behind it with a thin piece of card that cannot come loose inside.[3]
  • Reformat cards brought over from a Series 5 on the Series 7 itself: copy the contents off, format drive D:, and copy them back. Series 5 system files on the card can interfere with the Series 7, and applications installed from SIS files should be reinstalled rather than copied.[1]
  • A CompactFlash card is silent, uses less power and survives drops better than an IBM Microdrive.[1]
  • Do not power a serial mouse from the RS-232 port. One report describes a Psion serial port burnt out this way.[5]

Batteries

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Power[4]
Item Specification
Main Li-ion pack, three 18650 cells, 10.8 V, 1500 mAh. Up to 8½ hours' use, over 10 hours at minimum brightness[8]
Backup CR2032 lithium coin cell
Mains adapter 15 V DC ± 10 %, 1.5 A; input 100-240 V 50/60 Hz[8]
  • Charge for the full three hours. The charge LED goes out at about 70 % capacity, which is the usual reason a healthy pack seems to be fading.[8]
  • Replace the CR2032 if its age is unknown. It holds RAM while the main pack is out.
  • Give a stored spare pack a full charge every three months.[8]
  • Use only the Series 7/netBook adapter. No other Psion adapter has the same voltage and current.[8]
  • Do not deep-cycle the pack to "condition" it. Li-ion cells have no memory effect.[8]

The pack rebuild is on Psion Series 7 Battery Service and Psion netBook Battery Service.

Removing the main pack

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Watch the screen every time. A microswitch in the battery lock should switch the machine off as the catch is released. On some machines it switches the backlight on instead, the system does not shut down, and pulling the pack wipes the internal disk. If the screen lights but stays black, hold the catch open with one hand and switch the machine off with the other before sliding the pack out.[3]

Check the battery catch from time to time. One of the rubber feet is on its underside, and sliding the machine across a desk or carrying it loose in a bag has dragged the catch open and reset the machine.[3]

The screen cable

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The screen cable fault is mostly a matter of prevention.

  • Keep the machine away from vibration. One owner's repeat failures stopped when the machine moved from a rucksack pocket resting against a bicycle to a front pocket.[2]
  • Carry it in a case, in a padded compartment.
  • If the display starts to fade or the touchscreen drifts, deal with it promptly. Pressing firmly on the logo above the keyboard is the temporary fix; a paper or cardboard shim under the cable lasts longer.[2][9]

The repair procedure is in the troubleshooting guide.

Opening the machine

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The top cover is held by one screw under the logo sticker.[2][10]

  1. Remove the main pack, the backup cell, the personality (ROM) module and any memory expansion.[2]
  2. Cover the keyboard with paper or card, then warm the logo sticker with a hairdryer for about 15 seconds and peel it off. Without the cover the key legends lift too. If the sticker resists, warm it again.[2]
  3. Remove the single screw underneath.[2][10]
  4. With the lid half open, remove the hinge pins beside the module slots.[2]
  5. Unclip the front of the top cover and draw it forward. It carries the logo, the on/off button and the stylus button, and needs some force.[2][10]
  6. Disconnect the keyboard at its flexible PCB connector. The keyboard then lifts out as a module and unclips from slots at the front.[10]
  7. Remove the side mouldings (three screws). The right-hand moulding carries the microphone.[10]
  8. Lift the battery sense switch off the top left corner of the board.[10]
  9. The LCD flexible PCB need not be disconnected to lift the board: remove the two screws holding it and leave it connected. Watch the PC Card eject button on the right as the board comes out.[10]

Resets

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The reset hole is under the backup battery hatch.[1]

  • Soft reset: press an unfolded paperclip in gently until you feel a click, then switch on without touching any keys. Saved files survive.[1]
  • Hard reset: Psion's user guide says to remove all power sources (mains adapter, main battery and backup battery).[11] The FAQ gives a quicker method: with the machine on, press the reset hole until the screen goes off, then hold both Shift keys while switching on.[1] Either wipes the internal disk.
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  • Cross-head and jeweller's screwdrivers, plastic spudgers, fine long-nose pliers
  • Anti-static wrist strap
  • A hairdryer, for the logo sticker
  • Isopropyl alcohol, lint-free cloths and foam swabs
  • A fresh CR2032 and a known-good CompactFlash card for testing
  • A 15 V 1.5 A supply with the correct barrel, 4.75 mm outside and 1.75 mm inside diameter[12]

See Recommended Tools for the general kit and Battery Refurbishment for cell work.

Preventive maintenance checklist

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  1. Back up C: to a CompactFlash card or a PC.
  2. Charge the main pack for a full three hours, whatever the LED shows.
  3. Replace the CR2032 if its age is unknown.
  4. Check the battery catch and the rubber foot on it.
  5. Press gently on the logo and watch the display. If it changes, the screen cable needs attention.
  6. Clean both card slots and confirm cards are recognised reliably.
  7. Inspect the leather, particularly the fold behind the hinge.
  8. Check that the microphone still records; its contact is a press fit and known to fail.[7]
  9. Store the machine closed, in a case, away from vibration.
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References

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  1. ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 "Psion Series 7 FAQ: General & hardware information", oocities.org/epoc_32, February 2000. Retrieved 2026-09-30.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 "Series 7 Repair And Supplies", PsionWiki (advice originating with Thomas F. van der Zijden on The Digest). Retrieved 2026-09-30.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 "Psion Series 7 FAQ: Known issues & bugs", oocities.org/epoc_32. Retrieved 2026-09-30.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Psion Computers PLC, Series 7 User Guide (August 1999), p. 205 (specification). Hosted on this wiki: File:Psion Series 7 User Guide (August 1999).pdf.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 OpenPsion, "Linux on the Psion netBook HOWTO: FAQs". Retrieved 2026-09-30.
  6. ↑ Adam Richardson, "Psion Series 7", Mass Made Soul. Retrieved 2026-09-30.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Eric Lindsay, "Psion 7 and NetBook Portable Computers". Includes material posted to comp.sys.psion.misc by Ralph Barrett. Retrieved 2026-09-30.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5 "Psion Series 7 FAQ: Power & charging", oocities.org/epoc_32. Retrieved 2026-09-30.
  9. ↑ Psion support answer, quoted in the HPC:Factor thread "Psion Netbook Pro - unresponsive touchscreen", post of 28 October 2011. Retrieved 2026-09-30.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 10.5 10.6 Craig Newell, "Disassembling the NetBook", 14 December 1999. Retrieved 2026-09-30.
  11. ↑ Psion Computers PLC, Series 7 User Guide (August 1999), p. 201 (resetting the Series 7).
  12. ↑ OpenPsion, "Linux on the Psion netBook HOWTO", section 3.4. Retrieved 2026-09-30.


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