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#1
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Toshiba W-7 went dark
When it rains it pours. The Toshiba LP W-7 64 went dark. It was fine, was
shut off and when I hit the On button a few days later, just a black screen with a blinking " - " in the upper left-hand corner. Tapping the F8 is supposed to bring up Safe Mode (as per Google) but instead up came a screen to do a memory scan. After it finished I tried again and it came up with 6 tabs of technical info that's alien to me. None of the tabs were for Safe Mode. I had no way to know what to do on any of the screens. Anyone know how to get Safe Mode to come up on a Toshiba W-7? Where do I go from here? The LP actually gets little use and is like new. I hate to recycle it. I noticed a few days before that the battery wasn't charging. Since it was almost always used plugged in, it didn't matter. |
#2
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Toshiba W-7 went dark
In message , HB writes:
When it rains it pours. The Toshiba LP W-7 64 went dark. It was fine, was shut off and when I hit the On button a few days later, just a black screen with a blinking " - " in the upper left-hand corner. Tapping the F8 is supposed to bring up Safe Mode (as per Google) but instead up came a screen to do a memory scan. After it finished I tried again and it came up with 6 tabs of technical info that's alien to me. None of the tabs were for Safe Mode. I had no way to know what to do on any of the screens. Anyone know how to get Safe Mode to come up on a Toshiba W-7? Where do I go from here? The LP actually gets little use and is like new. I hate to recycle it. I noticed a few days before that the battery wasn't charging. Since it was almost always used plugged in, it didn't matter. Safe Mode is part of Windows; the computer needs to be working even to run that. (I. e. it's _not_ part of the computer.) Sounds to me as if some part of the computer itself is not working: I'd have guessed the hard drive, but the message suggests it might be the memory. As an outside thing to try, but as it's easy to do: try physically removing the battery, then seeing if it will boot; the non-charging suggests the battery may have died; if it has, it _might_ have done so in such a way that it's loading things excessively. Unlikely, but as I say easy to try. (If system shows no sign of life at all with the battery out, then the battery is OK, but the external power supply may have died - does it have a light on it you can check? [Or have you a voltmeter?] - or something in between: the power in socket, or its solder connections, is a common culprit.) If that proves not to make any difference, then in view of the message about the memory, I'd _try_ removing and reseating that, in case it's just not making proper contact: if still no, remove, clean its contacts, and reseat. If still no good and there are more than one module, try booting with just one then just the other. Failing that, perhaps the same with the hard drive - I've had them just slide out of contact. -- J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/1985 MB++G()AL-IS-Ch++(p)Ar@T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf Does my Bradshaw look big in this? |
#3
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Toshiba W-7 went dark
"J. P. Gilliver (John)" wrote in message ... In message , HB writes: When it rains it pours. The Toshiba LP W-7 64 went dark. It was fine, was shut off and when I hit the On button a few days later, just a black screen with a blinking " - " in the upper left-hand corner. Tapping the F8 is supposed to bring up Safe Mode (as per Google) but instead up came a screen to do a memory scan. After it finished I tried again and it came up with 6 tabs of technical info that's alien to me. None of the tabs were for Safe Mode. I had no way to know what to do on any of the screens. Anyone know how to get Safe Mode to come up on a Toshiba W-7? Where do I go from here? The LP actually gets little use and is like new. I hate to recycle it. I noticed a few days before that the battery wasn't charging. Since it was almost always used plugged in, it didn't matter. Safe Mode is part of Windows; the computer needs to be working even to run that. (I. e. it's _not_ part of the computer.) Sounds to me as if some part of the computer itself is not working: I'd have guessed the hard drive, but the message suggests it might be the memory. It did a memory check and found it was OK. As an outside thing to try, but as it's easy to do: try physically removing the battery, then seeing if it will boot; the non-charging suggests the battery may have died; if it has, it _might_ have done so in such a way that it's loading things excessively. Unlikely, but as I say easy to try. (If system shows no sign of life at all with the battery out, then the battery is OK, but the external power supply may have died - does it have a light on it you can check? [Or have you a voltmeter?] - or something in between: the power in socket, or its solder connections, is a common culprit.) If that proves not to make any difference, then in view of the message about the memory, I'd _try_ removing and reseating that, in case it's just not making proper contact: if still no, remove, clean its contacts, and reseat. If still no good and there are more than one module, try booting with just one then just the other. Will try this tonight. It's worth a try. Thanks. Failing that, perhaps the same with the hard drive - I've had them just slide out of contact. -- J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/1985 MB++G()AL-IS-Ch++(p)Ar@T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf Does my Bradshaw look big in this? |
#4
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Toshiba W-7 went dark
HB wrote:
When it rains it pours. The Toshiba LP W-7 64 went dark. It was fine, was shut off and when I hit the On button a few days later, just a black screen with a blinking " - " in the upper left-hand corner. Tapping the F8 is supposed to bring up Safe Mode (as per Google) but instead up came a screen to do a memory scan. After it finished I tried again and it came up with 6 tabs of technical info that's alien to me. None of the tabs were for Safe Mode. I had no way to know what to do on any of the screens. Anyone know how to get Safe Mode to come up on a Toshiba W-7? Where do I go from here? The LP actually gets little use and is like new. I hate to recycle it. I noticed a few days before that the battery wasn't charging. Since it was almost always used plugged in, it didn't matter. Some laptops won't run without a main battery installed. However, if the main battery is dead, the laptop may not come up even when the laptop's power adapter is plugged into A/C power. I'm not sure how the circuitry is designed but I have seen some where the battery was used as a capacitor in the power logic. If voltage regulation relies on a working main battery, try removing it. How old is the battery? Sounds like it is too old and you need to replace it. F8 brings up the boot menu, not necessarily Windows safe mode. Once in the startup menu, you decide how to continue booting. Safe mode is just one of the boot options. F8 should bring up the boot menu which look like this: https://neosmart.net/wiki/wp-content...ot-Options.png (from https://neosmart.net/wiki/f8-key/) However, that boot menu is presented by the kernel loader of Windows. When you see the Advanced Options boot menu, you're already in Windows. If Windows is corrupted, you might not get the F8 boot menu. Toshiba is a brand name, not a model number. You never identified your laptop. "LP" (laptop) doesn't identify WHAT you have. It's possible Toshiba ****ed up the F8 standard of getting into the Windows boot menu and replaced F8's action to perform something else. Don't know because you never identified the model for anyone else to go look in the manual for that model. |
#5
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Toshiba W-7 went dark
"VanguardLH" wrote in message ... HB wrote: When it rains it pours. The Toshiba LP W-7 64 went dark. It was fine, was shut off and when I hit the On button a few days later, just a black screen with a blinking " - " in the upper left-hand corner. Tapping the F8 is supposed to bring up Safe Mode (as per Google) but instead up came a screen to do a memory scan. After it finished I tried again and it came up with 6 tabs of technical info that's alien to me. None of the tabs were for Safe Mode. I had no way to know what to do on any of the screens. Anyone know how to get Safe Mode to come up on a Toshiba W-7? Where do I go from here? The LP actually gets little use and is like new. I hate to recycle it. I noticed a few days before that the battery wasn't charging. Since it was almost always used plugged in, it didn't matter. Some laptops won't run without a main battery installed. However, if the main battery is dead, the laptop may not come up even when the laptop's power adapter is plugged into A/C power. I'm not sure how the circuitry is designed but I have seen some where the battery was used as a capacitor in the power logic. If voltage regulation relies on a working main battery, try removing it. How old is the battery? Sounds like it is too old and you need to replace it. It's the original battery. Was in the LT when relative gave it to me. BTW, all it says on the Toshiba is Satalite. It's 64-bit. F8 brings up the boot menu, not necessarily Windows safe mode. Once in the startup menu, you decide how to continue booting. Safe mode is just one of the boot options. F8 should bring up the boot menu which look like this: https://neosmart.net/wiki/wp-content...ot-Options.png (from https://neosmart.net/wiki/f8-key/) That's what I'm familiar with. Never saw that window yesterday. I finally got a screen asking to insert the original CD. None exists so I guess I'm out of options. However, that boot menu is presented by the kernel loader of Windows. When you see the Advanced Options boot menu, you're already in Windows. If Windows is corrupted, you might not get the F8 boot menu. Toshiba is a brand name, not a model number. You never identified your laptop. "LP" (laptop) doesn't identify WHAT you have. It's possible Toshiba ****ed up the F8 standard of getting into the Windows boot menu and replaced F8's action to perform something else. Don't know because you never identified the model for anyone else to go look in the manual for that model. Sorry, didn't think to add that. It's a Satellite. The better half just said to remove the HD, give it a few good whacks with the sledge hammer and dump them in the electronic recycle bin at the dumpsters. I often take her advice. I appreciate everyone's time trying to help. |
#6
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Toshiba W-7 went dark
HB wrote:
It's the original battery. Was in the LT when relative gave it to me. BTW, all it says on the Toshiba is Satalite. It's 64-bit. Doesn't answer the question "How old is the battery?". Toshiba is a brand name, not a model number. You never identified your laptop. "LP" (laptop) doesn't identify WHAT you have. It's possible Toshiba ****ed up the F8 standard of getting into the Windows boot menu and replaced F8's action to perform something else. Don't know because you never identified the model for anyone else to go look in the manual for that model. Sorry, didn't think to add that. It's a Satellite. Satellite is a model family name. There are many models under that family. Searching on "toshiba satellite battery" shows there are more than one model for batteries that fit various Satellite models. https://support.toshiba.com/sscontent?contentId=4007069 In that example, the part number is the model number. https://qph.fs.quoracdn.net/main-qim...c2abb818da2d-c In that example, the model number is overtly identified. https://www.notebookcheck.net/filead...d38b165e44.jpg In that example, the model number is right after "Satellite". https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=url44LeZvgo That's a video on where to look for the model family name and model number. You can also go to Toshiba's support page and enter in either the model number or serial number, whichever is legible, to find out what you have. I doubt a legitimate label from Toshiba on their laptop would only say "Toshiba" and "Satellite". You need to look at the underside label. If the underside label on the laptop has been obliterated to become illegible that you cannot see or decipher a model or part number, there should be a model number printed on the main battery that you can use to search for a replacement battery. Unlike the label on the underside of the laptop, the label on the battery gets no wear. Batteries don't last forever even when properly stored. They're made of chemicals that deteriorate. Is that old laptop not worth the $20 (*) for a replacement battery? (*) Per pricing at Walmart but only for some models of battery packs. The better half just said to remove the HD, give it a few good whacks with the sledge hammer and dump them in the electronic recycle bin at the dumpsters. I often take her advice. I appreciate everyone's time trying to help. Some locales do not allow dumping electronics into their waste facilities due to the lead in the solder. The unit may not be recyclable if you smash it to pieces. Your locale may require you drop it off at a hazardous waste recycle center, so don't smash it up. Or drop it off at the Goodwill. Someone else might want it, wipe the drive, and start with a fresh install of the OS. They might figure getting a new battery makes for a cheap laptop. |
#7
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Toshiba W-7 went dark
"VanguardLH" wrote in message ... HB wrote: It's the original battery. Was in the LT when relative gave it to me. BTW, all it says on the Toshiba is Satalite. It's 64-bit. Doesn't answer the question "How old is the battery?". Toshiba is a brand name, not a model number. You never identified your laptop. "LP" (laptop) doesn't identify WHAT you have. It's possible Toshiba ****ed up the F8 standard of getting into the Windows boot menu and replaced F8's action to perform something else. Don't know because you never identified the model for anyone else to go look in the manual for that model. Sorry, didn't think to add that. It's a Satellite. Satellite is a model family name. There are many models under that family. Searching on "toshiba satellite battery" shows there are more than one model for batteries that fit various Satellite models. https://support.toshiba.com/sscontent?contentId=4007069 In that example, the part number is the model number. https://qph.fs.quoracdn.net/main-qim...c2abb818da2d-c In that example, the model number is overtly identified. https://www.notebookcheck.net/filead...d38b165e44.jpg In that example, the model number is right after "Satellite". https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=url44LeZvgo That's a video on where to look for the model family name and model number. You can also go to Toshiba's support page and enter in either the model number or serial number, whichever is legible, to find out what you have. I doubt a legitimate label from Toshiba on their laptop would only say "Toshiba" and "Satellite". You need to look at the underside label. If the underside label on the laptop has been obliterated to become illegible that you cannot see or decipher a model or part number, there should be a model number printed on the main battery that you can use to search for a replacement battery. Unlike the label on the underside of the laptop, the label on the battery gets no wear. Batteries don't last forever even when properly stored. They're made of chemicals that deteriorate. Is that old laptop not worth the $20 (*) for a replacement battery? (*) Per pricing at Walmart but only for some models of battery packs. The better half just said to remove the HD, give it a few good whacks with the sledge hammer and dump them in the electronic recycle bin at the dumpsters. I often take her advice. I appreciate everyone's time trying to help. Some locales do not allow dumping electronics into their waste facilities due to the lead in the solder. The unit may not be recyclable if you smash it to pieces. Your locale may require you drop it off at a hazardous waste recycle center, so don't smash it up. Or drop it off at the Goodwill. Someone else might want it, wipe the drive, and start with a fresh install of the OS. They might figure getting a new battery makes for a cheap laptop. On the back it just says Satellite followed by numbers. I don't know which numbers would be relevant. This is the 1st number. C655D (or 0) S5063 system unit. What makes you think it's the battery since it worked fine without it as long as it was plugged in? I had this same "going blank" with the blinking "-" in the upper left hand corner before and they were desktops. I don't remember the exact figures anymore but to fix them, according to the shops where I lived at the time, wasn't worth what it would cost. An XP and a Vista both went the same way. It wasn't dead when plugged in as info came up when I tapped F2 or F8 but not safe mode. Nothing that showed was familiar to me. A repair tech would know what the info meant but it was Chinese to me. So it didn't need a battery to run. I hate to toss it because it's like new. No one liked it because it was slow. I was hoping to do a system recovery but couldn't get into safe mode. I don't know any other way to do a system restore or recovery. |
#8
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Toshiba W-7 went dark
On 11/03/2018 10:11, HB wrote:
(much snipped for brevity) I think either I or Vanguard must be mistaken. He seems to be implying that you were about to crunch the entire laptop with a sledge hammer, whereas I think your other half meant just the hard drive, assuming it was dead, did she not? This is a standard way of preventing personal data being retrieved from binned HDs. Personally, I use a lump hammer and a cold chisel on a concrete floor or step. But is the HD really dead, or has it just got corrupted ... On the back it just says Satellite followed by numbers. I don't know which numbers would be relevant. This is the 1st number. C655D (or 0) S5063 system unit. I would suggest going to Toshiba's site and comparing what you have with pictures of other models and their given designations one of which will probably be close to the above. When dealing with problems or buying spares, it is *nearly always important* to know exactly what it is that you have. What makes you think it's the battery since it worked fine without it as long as it was plugged in? I had this same "going blank" with the blinking "-" in the upper left hand corner before and they were desktops. I don't remember the exact figures anymore but to fix them, according to the shops where I lived at the time, wasn't worth what it would cost. An XP and a Vista both went the same way. Shops may be right in that it may not be commercially viable for them to make certain types of repairs, or for you to pay them to do so, but probably they also hope that they can persuade you to buy a replacement from their stock, while some repairs, a new battery is a good example, you can do yourself economically. It wasn't dead when plugged in as info came up when I tapped F2 or F8 but not safe mode. Nothing that showed was familiar to me. A repair tech would know what the info meant but it was Chinese to me. So it didn't need a battery to run. I hate to toss it because it's like new. No one liked it because it was slow. I was hoping to do a system recovery but couldn't get into safe mode. I don't know any other way to do a system restore or recovery. Most PCs can do some primitive diagnostics from the BIOS. The BIOS is usually entered by pressing or holding down a particular key at a particular stage in the boot process - favourites are Del, and either F10 or one of the other function keys across the top of the keyboard. Again, going on to Toshiba's site and identifying the model number may help you find out which key is the magic one. Some laptops, such as Dells, can even perform full diagnostic tests by pressing a different magic key, IIRC F11, but my memory for such intermittently used information is getting a little dodgy these days, and anyway you have a Toshiba, not a Dell, so it's likely to be a different key, if full diagnostics are available at all. You may find this page on my site, useful - although when written I mostly had desktops in mind, since writing it I've repaired some laptops as well, and while the details may be different, the principles are exactly the same: http://www.macfh.co.uk/JavaJive/PCHa...areFaults.html In particular, either ... If the laptop can boot from a USB stick, then download an Ubuntu or other Linux distro - make sure you get a suitable one, 32-bit or 64-bit as appropriate - install it on a 2GB or larger USB stick, depending on the size of the download, and see what messages Linux generates as it tries to boot the PC. This may give you some useful pointers to a hardware fault. If the PC boots from the stick, then you should see your hard disk partition(s) as clickable icons down the left hand side menu (in Ubuntu, other distros may be different, for example the icons may be on the desktop). Try this and come back to us with a description of what happens, particularly whether the PC boots at all, whether Linux lets see your HD at all, and even the contents of it. Or ... If you can mount the HD in a desktop, do that and diagnose it from there. If, as is likely with an old laptop, you have an IDE drive, you would need a 2.5"-to-3.5" HD connector/convertor and attach the other side of that to a spare IDE connector and power cable, whereas a SATA drive can be attached directly to a standard SATA cable, but you may need a convertor for the power cable - it all depends on the particular combination of laptop HD and desktop motherboard and power supply cables. Try this and do a chkdsk on the laptop's HD - you will probably have to go into Disk Manager and give the laptop HD a drive letter first. Either way, you should be able to find out if the HD can be retrieved by repartitioning and reinstalling, and the first should also suggest whether and how much of the rest of the PC is functioning correctly. |
#9
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Toshiba W-7 went dark
With the battery in, laptop won't boot. With the battery out, the
laptop boots. That how it appears you describe the problem. Did I get your description wrong? If not, seems pretty simple diagnosis: it's the battery. Doesn't the laptop's own boot screen offer a choice to hit a special key or key combo the restore the computer to factory-time setup? https://support.toshiba.com/support/...tentId=2737864 A special-use partition is created on the HDD to perform the factory default installation. It is either an image to lay back on the HDD or an installer to perform a default install. If the laptop didn't come with recovery CDs, the manual probably mentioned how to create them after you received the prebuilt computer. |
#10
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Toshiba W-7 went dark
In message , HB writes:
"VanguardLH" wrote in message ... HB wrote: When it rains it pours. The Toshiba LP W-7 64 went dark. It was fine, was shut off and when I hit the On button a few days later, just a black screen with a blinking " - " in the upper left-hand corner. Tapping the F8 is supposed to bring up Safe Mode (as per Google) but instead up came a screen to do a memory scan. After it finished I tried again and it came up with 6 tabs of technical info that's alien to me. None of the tabs were for Safe Mode. I had no way to know what to do on any of the screens. Anyone know how to get Safe Mode to come up on a Toshiba W-7? Where do I go from here? The LP actually gets little use and is like new. I hate to recycle it. I sympathise. I hate to give up on a machine - often to well beyond its worth, if I were to put a price on my time. I just don't like scrapping things. (I certainly don't smash them up.) I noticed a few days before that the battery wasn't charging. Since it was almost always used plugged in, it didn't matter. Some laptops won't run without a main battery installed. However, if the main battery is dead, the laptop may not come up even when the laptop's power adapter is plugged into A/C power. I'm not sure how the circuitry is designed but I have seen some where the battery was used as a capacitor in the power logic. If voltage regulation relies on a I don't think those are common now though. working main battery, try removing it. How old is the battery? Sounds like it is too old and you need to replace it. I don't _think_ your fault _is_ the battery, but _have_ you yet tried booting it with the external power connected and the battery physically removed? It's an easy thing to try. It's the original battery. Was in the LT when relative gave it to me. BTW, all it says on the Toshiba is Satalite. It's 64-bit. F8 brings up the boot menu, not necessarily Windows safe mode. Once in But even that boot menu is part of Windows, or at least part of what is loaded from disc. Other options are other keys depending on model, and _are_ part of the machine - the BIOS. (A long time ago, it was almost always the delete key; then often one of the F keys. When I wanted to change boot order recently on this Toshiba Protégé [to make an image], I tried lots, and eventually had to download the manual, which told me it was F12 _while_ turning the power on.) I think your system is not getting as far as booting from disc as far as the boot menu, though why that is we haven't determined yet. [] That's what I'm familiar with. Never saw that window yesterday. I finally got a screen asking to insert the original CD. None exists so I guess I'm out of options. If it got that far, that message came from something loaded from the HD, so the HD is at least working some of the time. It also _sounds_ like the problem might be entirely software, i. e. some important OS file has or files have been corrrupted. The call for the original CD means it was going to lead you through recovery, which, depending on what has been corrupted, might still be achievable with _an_ install CD rather than _the_ official one; you might still be able to download one totally appropriate to your machine, or more likely I'm sure you can get hold of one (either by download or other means - even borrowing one) that would _work_ even if not a total match. However, that boot menu is presented by the kernel loader of Windows. When you see the Advanced Options boot menu, you're already in Windows. If Windows is corrupted, you might not get the F8 boot menu. [] The better half just said to remove the HD, give it a few good whacks with the sledge hammer and dump them in the electronic recycle bin at the Ouch. Don't give up yet. dumpsters. I often take her advice. I appreciate everyone's time trying to help. I still think it's likely to be RAM, HD, or just corruption. RAM - you were going to try reseating, cleaning, or ideally (but only possible if there are more than one module) trying only one out of two. If you want to _thouroughly_ check the RAM, it's easy, just takes time (you don't have to be there though): if you download the best-known test, which I think is called memtest86, it will actually fit on a floppy (though as you are unlikely to have one can be put on a CD); this is actually bootable from the floppy or CD, so will run without a hard drive present at all: it is its own OS - it boots itself, then offers you various tests on the RAM, which can run once or continuously; people usually say run them for several hours or overnight. Since your fault seems to be coming up fairly rapidly, I don't _think_ you'd need to do _that_ thorough a test, though it might be worth doing more than the minimum, as Windows may use the RAM in different ways. Personally, I don't _think_ your RAM has "gone bad"; I've never had this happen, though I certainly believe it can, and others here including Paul have. I _have_ had them work loose, or get dirt in the contacts, though. HD: This is in some ways the most worrying possibility, as if it _is_ faulty, it's (especially from what you've described so far) likely to be intermittent. Unless you're unlucky enough to have one of those laptops where there isn't a cover over the HD, then take off the cover over the HD, and listen - and perhaps feel - whether it's operating oddly (making worrying noises, or vibrating oddly - or, sometimes not spinning up at all). Difficult to tell by sound and feel, though, especially if you haven't another machine to compare it to. Depending on what you decide, and you may do the other things first, other steps would be to take it out and connect it to another machine: you're unlikely to have any other machine you can put it into as a secondary drive (don't put it into a different machine as primary drive and try to boot from it, that would likely corrupt things somewhat), so that means either a desktop (best as you'd be going direct to the SATA), or via some sort of USB interface. (Doesn't have to be a housing - though the cheapest of those are cheaper than a "cable" or dock! - it can be, indeed, a "cable" [these actually aren't just wires but have electronics in them] or a dock.) _Ideally_, one with a separate power supply, though housings may not have those. First, I'd then interrogate the SMART data - that can be interrogated via a USB interface; there are lots of utilities that will interrogate it (I use https://www.passmark.com/products/diskcheckup.htm). Ideally, do it two or more times, separated by a while, as you'll then see how things are changing, if any are. (Several of the utilities, including the one I use, will give you a predicted failure date if one of the important parameters is worsening, though in a very simplistic manner as they just use a straight-line prediction of when it'll fall below permissible - I've had predicted dates like 2037! But it's useful to be able to see if the parameters are changing.) You can also do assorted tests: how well these will work through a USB link is variable, but they won't usually do any _harm_. HDTune (if it works) will give (dropping) spikes; if these are in the same place on two or more runs, they suggest a bad patch. (Though if only one or two and they're narrow, that _can_ mean there are faults, but they're being handled by the drive's own handling mechanism, and can be lived with if they don't get worse. But keep an eye on.) Corruption: if it's just corruption of some important file, the main concern is _how_ it happened: your description _implies_ you didn't shut down improperly. However, increasingly with each version of Windows (updates etc.) these can happen. Provided it's _not_ due to an intermittent hardware fault, I suspect it can be restored no problem; at worst (or perhaps one could say, least effort beyond a point), that might involve reinstallation of Windows (though if it comes to that, use the various utilities around to extract the product keys etc. first, if you haven't got them), but I suspect, with the knowledge of those here, that it needn't come to that. Use of the Recovery Console (from a CD if necessary) would _probably_ suffice. [I said provided it's not due to intermittent hardware; of course, even if it _is_, it should be recoverable, but if that's the cause, it'll happen again.] I _suspect_ the most likely fault, based on what you've described so far, is corruption of one or more important files, followed by a loose or dirty connection at the RAM or HD. -- J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/1985 MB++G()AL-IS-Ch++(p)Ar@T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf Security is the perfect excuse to lock you out of your own computer. - Mayayana in alt.windows7.general, 2015-12-4 |
#11
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Toshiba W-7 went dark
J. P. Gilliver (John) wrote:
VanguardLH wrote ... Some laptops won't run without a [working] main battery installed. I don't think those are common now though. The OP isn't asking about recent hardware that is "common now". The OP is asking about something that has sat in closet for many years while its battery deteriorated and its CMOS battery died. Toshiba introduced their Satellite family in the early 90's. As yet, we don't know what model the OP has or its age. If it got that far, that message came from something loaded from the HD, so the HD is at least working some of the time. It also _sounds_ like the problem might be entirely software, i. e. some important OS file has or files have been corrrupted. The HDD should be removable: open an access panel, remove a couple screws (if used), and pull out the HDD. The laptop should boot to the POST screen and then fail with a message saying the OS loader could not be found. That would prove the laptop's hardware can do a cold boot. |
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Toshiba W-7 went dark
On 10/03/2018 07:15, HB wrote:
When it rains it pours. The Toshiba LP W-7 64 went dark. It was fine, was shut off and when I hit the On button a few days later, just a black screen with a blinking " - " in the upper left-hand corner. Tapping the F8 is supposed to bring up Safe Mode (as per Google) but instead up came a screen to do a memory scan. After it finished I tried again and it came up with 6 tabs of technical info that's alien to me. None of the tabs were for Safe Mode. I had no way to know what to do on any of the screens. Anyone know how to get Safe Mode to come up on a Toshiba W-7? Where do I go from here? The LP actually gets little use and is like new. I hate to recycle it. I noticed a few days before that the battery wasn't charging. Since it was almost always used plugged in, it didn't matter. Does this look like the LapTop that you are refering to; https://support.toshiba.com/support/...eeText=2743964 |
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Toshiba W-7 went dark
"Patrick" wrote in message news On 10/03/2018 07:15, HB wrote: When it rains it pours. The Toshiba LP W-7 64 went dark. It was fine, was shut off and when I hit the On button a few days later, just a black screen with a blinking " - " in the upper left-hand corner. Tapping the F8 is supposed to bring up Safe Mode (as per Google) but instead up came a screen to do a memory scan. After it finished I tried again and it came up with 6 tabs of technical info that's alien to me. None of the tabs were for Safe Mode. I had no way to know what to do on any of the screens. Anyone know how to get Safe Mode to come up on a Toshiba W-7? Where do I go from here? The LP actually gets little use and is like new. I hate to recycle it. I noticed a few days before that the battery wasn't charging. Since it was almost always used plugged in, it didn't matter. Does this look like the LapTop that you are refering to; https://support.toshiba.com/support/...eeText=2743964 This looks like it. Please see my reply to VanguardLH of 9:54 above. |
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Toshiba W-7 went dark
On 13/03/2018 02:00, HB wrote:
"Patrick" wrote in message news On 10/03/2018 07:15, HB wrote: When it rains it pours. The Toshiba LP W-7 64 went dark. It was fine, was shut off and when I hit the On button a few days later, just a black screen with a blinking " - " in the upper left-hand corner. Tapping the F8 is supposed to bring up Safe Mode (as per Google) but instead up came a screen to do a memory scan. After it finished I tried again and it came up with 6 tabs of technical info that's alien to me. None of the tabs were for Safe Mode. I had no way to know what to do on any of the screens. Anyone know how to get Safe Mode to come up on a Toshiba W-7? Where do I go from here? The LP actually gets little use and is like new. I hate to recycle it. I noticed a few days before that the battery wasn't charging. Since it was almost always used plugged in, it didn't matter. Does this look like the LapTop that you are refering to; https://support.toshiba.com/support/...eeText=2743964 This looks like it. Please see my reply to VanguardLH of 9:54 above. Does this possibly ring a bell? (I havn't been right through it myself yet); https://www.justanswer.com/computer/...p-utility.html https://tinyurl.com/y9uku7nx |
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Toshiba W-7 went dark Punch in help windows explorer for BIOS
We set a topic for you to understand the computer bios. This is from
our laptop under the help menu in windows explorer. BIOS: frequently asked questions Here are answers to some common questions about basic input/output system (BIOS). What is BIOS? BIOS is a program built into personal computers that starts the operating system when you turn on your computer. It is also referred to as system firmware. BIOS is part of your computer's hardware and is separate from Windows. Do I need to do anything with BIOS? No, BIOS doesn't need to be managed and you don't need to change any settings. Advanced users might choose to change certain settings, such as the order the computer searches devices when starting. What kind of BIOS does my computer have? You can view general information about your computer's BIOS in System Information. Click to open System Information. Click System Summary in the left pane, and then look under BIOS Version/Date in the right pane to view the BIOS manufacturer, version number, and the date the BIOS was released. For specific information about the BIOS used by your computer, check the information that came with your computer or go to the computer manufacturer's website. How do CMOS and ACPI relate to BIOS? Complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) refers to a chip inside your computer that saves your BIOS settings. As a result, the terms CMOS and BIOS are sometimes used interchangeably. For more information, see What is CMOS? Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI) is an industry standard that defines power management features and other configuration information for computers. Some previous versions of BIOS don't support ACPI, and so the computer might not successfully enter advanced power modes such as sleep or hibernate. For more information, check the information that came with your computer or go to the computer manufacturer's website. How do I access my computer's BIOS? Procedures vary depending on the BIOS manufacturer. Usually, you must press a key (such as F2, F12, Delete, or Esc) or a key combination immediately after you turn on your computer before Windows starts. For more information, check the information that came with your computer or go to the computer manufacturer's website. How do I update BIOS? Procedures vary depending on the BIOS manufacturer. If you think you need to update your BIOS, check the information that came with your computer or go to the computer manufacturer's website. Warning Be careful when changing BIOS settings. The BIOS interface is designed for advanced users, and it's possible to change a setting that could prevent your computer from starting correctly. Updating BIOS should only be done if necessary (to solve a compatibility problem, for example). It can be a complicated process, and if an error occurs, your computer could be rendered inoperable. Be sure to follow the manufacturer's instructions exactly. On 3/9/2018 11:15 PM, HB scribbled: When it rains it pours. The Toshiba LP W-7 64 went dark. It was fine, was shut off and when I hit the On button a few days later, just a black screen with a blinking " - " in the upper left-hand corner. Tapping the F8 is supposed to bring up Safe Mode (as per Google) but instead up came a screen to do a memory scan. After it finished I tried again and it came up with 6 tabs of technical info that's alien to me. None of the tabs were for Safe Mode. I had no way to know what to do on any of the screens. Anyone know how to get Safe Mode to come up on a Toshiba W-7? Where do I go from here? The LP actually gets little use and is like new. I hate to recycle it. I noticed a few days before that the battery wasn't charging. Since it was almost always used plugged in, it didn't matter. |
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