I have a Toshiba Satellite laptop, just about 9 months old, and I am having problems wiht it. I am basically a decent end-user of programs, but my actual knowledge of computers is spotty as I am self-trained.
My laptop keeps shutting off. It isn't overly hot, and I have run 3 spyware programs (Defender, Malwarebytes, and Spybot S&D), as well as Avast, and they all say my computer is fine. So does the Toshiba diagnosis center (or whatever it is called).
My laptop just shuts off, flashing a blue screen for about 1/2 a second.Then it reboots, and asks if I want to run it in safe mode or regular mode.
There IS a message, something about a power driver failure, but it happens so fast that I can't read the message even when I am expecting it.
I run Vista, and have 4G of RAM so it runs great. My processor is an ADM Turion X-2 Dual Core Mobile RM-72 at 2.1- gH.
Anyone have any ideas? I don't know if reinstalling Vista will work....hell, I don't have ANY ideas.
Posted by TomDavidson (Member # 124) on :
To read what the blue screen says, right-click on your My Computer icon, select "Properties," then select "Advanced System Settings." Click on the "Settings" button under the "Startup and Recovery" section, then disable "Automatic Restart." This will give you a chance to read the stop code.
Posted by scifibum (Member # 7625) on :
How often does it happen? Is it predictable?
On the theory that it is related to power management, how does being plugged in affect it? What about being plugged in with the battery disconnected?
Reinstalling the OS is something to try, but it'd be nice to try to rule out a hardware problem before you go to the effort.
Posted by Kwea (Member # 2199) on :
It happens when the laptop is plugged in or on battery. It happens at weird intervals, no way to predict when. Sometimes it happens 3 times in 2 hours, other times it happens once every 2 days.
I just unclicked the restart per your suggestion, and I also clicked on the logging option, so if there is a failure it should create a log for the event.
Posted by scifibum (Member # 7625) on :
Hopefully you can get some insight from the blue screen after following Tom's directions.
Posted by Kwea (Member # 2199) on :
It just did something completely different. The screen just fuzzed out into this form of lines, multicolored, and froze there.
I think I am screwed, as I bought this at CompUSA right before they went out of business. Posted by Sterling (Member # 8096) on :
Under 1 year, it might still fall under manufacturer's warranty.
ADD: What's the computer's model number? There seems to be some possible diagnoses places like here, but with the laptop not getting hot, my first guess is out the window.
Posted by TomDavidson (Member # 124) on :
Can you successfully power it off, Kwea, by holding down the power button?
Posted by BackwardBlackbird (Member # 12224) on :
Usually when something like this happens with my laptop, it's because I got recently got rid of a virus. Usually, my computer freaks out a couple of times and then it checks and repairs the disk, which fixes the problem. Instructions and tips can be found here: http://maximumpcguides.com/windows-vista/how-to-use-check-disk-in-windows-vista/ That site might also be able to help with the problem; it's pretty good. So is askbobrankin.com, and you can send him your question if the site doesn't have the answer. I have a pretty spotty knowledge base about computers myself, but those two sites keep my computer from dying fairly frequently.
Posted by Kwea (Member # 2199) on :
Yeah, it powers off fine with the button.
It was Circuit City, not CompUSA, and I think I know where the receipt is, with the manual in my file cabinet. I will have to check it out.
I am buying TB external HD tomorrow and backing up my HD just to be on the safe side....I can't afford to lose any of my data now, right before graduation and my NCLEX testing. I had been considering buying one now that the price has come down to about $100 for a good one, this just caps it.
Posted by CaySedai (Member # 6459) on :
My laptop recently gave me fits. It would hang up in logging off/shutting down mode. I even let it sit overnight once and it was still shutting down in the morning. The only thing I could do was shut down with the button.
I did get an external hard drive - which I have used to copy files to, but not a regular backup because it didn't work properly at the time. But since I reformatted/restored it, it's been working fine. I lost some work in one class, but I've since decided to drop that class anyway.
What tipped the balance - I was planning to do restore anyway but was forced to earlier than planned - I couldn't get it to boot up. So I had to do the full reformat/restore in order to get it to work at all.
Posted by Kwea (Member # 2199) on :
Yeah, mine hangs up when I try to have it shut down as well. Just started doing that a few nights ago.
Not looking good at this point, I guess.
I did the disk check, and it found no bad sectors, but it did say something about 76 things needed combined or something during stage one of it.
It hasn't crashed since, but it is still hanging up if I try to shut it down with anything other than the power button. Posted by Bokonon (Member # 480) on :
Sounds like an issue with the motherboard/power supply end of things, to me. EDIT: Which includes the driver for the power stuff.
-Bok
Posted by Kwea (Member # 2199) on :
Yeah, I suspect it is hardware, not software....although I am not sure that accounts for everything.
With my luck it's probably both hardware AND software.
On a laptop that isn't very old at all.
Posted by Kwea (Member # 2199) on :
I just bought an HP 1 TB USB drive to backup my files. That way when I send this laptop back to Toshiba I can still use my data to study. I have until Feb.10th to take it in/send it back under warrantee, so I will wait until after school is done and send it back in January.
Not happy about it going bad already, but at least I won't have to pay to get it fixed.
Posted by SoberTillNoon (Member # 6170) on :
If you computer is only 9 mo old and This problem was not present from the day your purchased it and you never carry the thing in your bag while it is on then it is probably due to a resident program or a program that changed a part of windows in an incompatible way. You would probably do well with a reinstall.
Good thing with vista (and 7) is that if you don't reformat your drive it will install on the same drive with no problems at all.
Posted by Kwea (Member # 2199) on :
I don't carry it while it is on, I don't think. I do carry it in a backpack, with a section for a computer, packed in a padded computer case.
Posted by SoberTillNoon (Member # 6170) on :
yeah, then just do a reinstall. The thing should have came with at least a not-quite-vista disc. If you, like me, do not like these half install discs then you can obtain a copy of the full install media through any means - regardless of what people think of the legality of these means - because the install media is not at all encrypted and Microsoft does not sell the media just the license you are in no way in violation of the DMCA.
Posted by Kwea (Member # 2199) on :
Didn't even come with a disk. Posted by SoberTillNoon (Member # 6170) on :
That is garbage. I had heard they started doing that. Borrow a friend's or get a copy some other way. Just use your colourful sticker on the bottom of your PC or it is illegal.
Posted by Kwea (Member # 2199) on :
I think I can download a legal copy of the repair CD.....but I am not convinced that a reinstall is going to work.
Posted by SoberTillNoon (Member # 6170) on :
It is always worth a shot before sending the thing away for repair.
Posted by Kwea (Member # 2199) on :
yep.....but it's also why I bought a TB of backup.
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