Toshiba Laptop - Hardware or Software Problem? Not sure which.

Jules2408

Baseband Member
Messages
42
I have a laptop PC I have been using as a back up. It is:
- Toshiba P30 Satellite \
- Intel pentium processor
- 40 GB hard disc\
- Windows XP operating system

This back up laptop PC has been very reliable (but has been replaced by a new daily use model).

I was transferring some document files from this laptop PC to a Toshiba USB 2 GB flash memory unit which I had done before a few times.
On this occasion after completing the transfer and following the required processes and steps for removal of the USB unit from the laptop, the PC froze when I removed the USB device.

To shut the computer down I found I could only hit the power button to complete shut down.

When hitting the power button later to re-start the computer, and with mains power connected, power turns on normally and the power button illuminates normally but there is apparently no power flow into the PC.
- the 3 LEDs on the front case of the PC illuminate normally - DC - in LED, Power LED and Battery LED.
- there is NO power to the disc drive so the HDD drive LED light does not display
- there is no power to the CD/DVD drive as the CD/DVD drawer will not open when you press the eject button.
- there is no power to the screen so it remains black
- the cooling fans operate for a few seconds when power button on the PC is switched on but then go silent as if the PC is in hibernation mode.
- the power button remains illuminated (after it has been pressed initially) whilst there is power connected to the PC but the PC does not function.

I have removed and then re-installed the battery but this changed nothing as expected.

I can turn off power by pressing the power button and the PC turns off. When the power button is pressed again later the same problem arises, ie. the laptop will not power up but the power button and the same indicator lights on the PC are illuminated as described above and nothing will function.

Looks to me like an irretrievable crash in the software has occurred when the Toshiba USB device was removed rather than a hardware malfunction but I am not sure. I have had this laptop PC freeze occasionally in the past (not USB related) and had to turn it off with the PC power button. But on those occasions it has always functioned normally when switched on again later. It certainly will not do that now.

This laptop PC has not been dropped or abused in any way and it is only moved from room to room very occasionally. It has not been modified in any way or connected up to any other hardware other than to my canon printers and the mentioned Toshiba USB flash memory device.

If anyone can throw any ideas up as to what I might try to to rectify the problem it would be much appreciated.

Any comments appreciated . Thanks
 
Unplug the power, remove the battery, hold down the power button for 15 seconds. Plug JUST the AC back in again, and turn the system on again. If it still isn't turning on, you could have fried something (latent ESD when grasping the drive - has happened to me twice over the years) or it could be just a badly (coincidental) timed system board failure.
 
Thank you.

Have now tried that but no change. Problem remains as described. Thanks for the input anyway. Much appreciated.
 
Back
Top Bottom