Toshiba Problem, Please Help

km9588 · 03-31-2009, 03:19 PM

Hi guys,

I am new to this forum but I figured that I could get some good help here. Anyways, I have a Toshiba Tecra M7 which has been problematic lately and doesn't even turn on. Every time I slide the power switch, an amber led begins to flash above the DC indicator on the front of the laptop and the screen remains black. I have no idea what this means and would like to get to the bottom of this situation so I can have the laptop up and running again.

I will search the forum for similar threads but hope to get some quick responses if possible.

Thanks in advance.

**TriggerFinger** · 03-31-2009, 03:57 PM

Try a reset/power drain... remove all sources of power (remove battery and unplug AC) then press and hold power ON button for 30secs. Put back all sources of power and power ON as normal.

km9588 · 03-31-2009, 04:09 PM

Thanks TriggerFinger. I will try that as soon as I get home and provide feedback.

km9588 · 03-31-2009, 10:38 PM

I did the power drain two times. After plugging the laptop back up and inserting the battery the first time, the AC led flashed amber after pushing the power button. The second time I did the power drain, directly after the first time, I pressed the power button and now the AC led is steady green and the battery led is steady amber.

Does this mean anything good? I hope it is a simple power supply issue and nothing to do with the motherboard or bios.

The screen did not power on after either power drain.

Thanks.

**TriggerFinger** · 03-31-2009, 11:19 PM

If battery LED is solid amber, I think it means battery is low. If it is blinking it means it has almost zero charge.

So what happens when you power ON now (aside from the LEDs lighting up)? Do you hear any fan activity? How about any activity from HDD and CD drive?

km9588 · 03-31-2009, 11:45 PM

I figured the amber light may mean the battery is charging so I let it charge up until now.

However, I just pressed the power button and now the laptop went back to what is has been doing. The amber light above the AC icon is blinking. There seems to be no activity whatsoever.

**TriggerFinger** · 04-01-2009, 07:35 AM

Remove the battery. For trouble shooting purposes try a power ON using AC only.

km9588 · 04-02-2009, 01:33 AM

I have tried to use AC only but the same amber light blinks when pressing power.

Any ideas of the type of problem this could be?

**TriggerFinger** · 04-02-2009, 09:36 AM

Still no audible proof of fan activity or any activity from HDD or CD drive?

If that is the case, I suggest you remove the HDD and CD drive, wireless card and modem, etc... leaving motherboard, LCD, RAM and power ON button. Still on AC power ON the laptop or whatever is left of it. If it continues to show the same problems, then it could be one of those left in there (i.e. motherboard, RAM or LCD).

Post back what you find out.

km9588 · 04-02-2009, 02:57 PM

Doing that now; however, I am getting stuck at some stripped screws. Three of them are forbidding me to pull of the bottom encasement. Trying to find some solutions.

**TriggerFinger** · 04-02-2009, 03:05 PM

Try this link http://www.irisvista.com/tech/

It may not be much but I am hoping you can find a guide for similar model

km9588 · 04-02-2009, 03:35 PM

I know how to take the computer apart but these screws are making it impossible. And one main issue is that two of the stripped screws are the ones holding down the door to the HDD.

03-31-2009, 03:19 PM	#1 (permalink)
km9588 Registered User Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 29 OS: Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005	Toshiba Problem, Please Help Hi guys, I am new to this forum but I figured that I could get some good help here. Anyways, I have a Toshiba Tecra M7 which has been problematic lately and doesn't even turn on. Every time I slide the power switch, an amber led begins to flash above the DC indicator on the front of the laptop and the screen remains black. I have no idea what this means and would like to get to the bottom of this situation so I can have the laptop up and running again. I will search the forum for similar threads but hope to get some quick responses if possible. Thanks in advance.

03-31-2009, 03:57 PM	#2 (permalink)
TriggerFinger Moderator Hardware Team Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: USA Posts: 11,826 OS: Vista SP1, XP SP3, PCLinuxOS2007	Re: Toshiba Problem, Please Help Try a reset/power drain... remove all sources of power (remove battery and unplug AC) then press and hold power ON button for 30secs. Put back all sources of power and power ON as normal. __________________ DBAN - Memtest86+ - BartPE - Linux LiveCD - ImgBurn - HDD Diags - Disk Copy HOW TO BURN AN ISO FILE

03-31-2009, 04:09 PM	#3 (permalink)
km9588 Registered User Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 29 OS: Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005	Re: Toshiba Problem, Please Help Thanks TriggerFinger. I will try that as soon as I get home and provide feedback.

03-31-2009, 10:38 PM	#4 (permalink)
km9588 Registered User Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 29 OS: Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005	Re: Toshiba Problem, Please Help I did the power drain two times. After plugging the laptop back up and inserting the battery the first time, the AC led flashed amber after pushing the power button. The second time I did the power drain, directly after the first time, I pressed the power button and now the AC led is steady green and the battery led is steady amber. Does this mean anything good? I hope it is a simple power supply issue and nothing to do with the motherboard or bios. The screen did not power on after either power drain. Thanks.

03-31-2009, 11:19 PM	#5 (permalink)
TriggerFinger Moderator Hardware Team Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: USA Posts: 11,826 OS: Vista SP1, XP SP3, PCLinuxOS2007	Re: Toshiba Problem, Please Help If battery LED is solid amber, I think it means battery is low. If it is blinking it means it has almost zero charge. So what happens when you power ON now (aside from the LEDs lighting up)? Do you hear any fan activity? How about any activity from HDD and CD drive? __________________ DBAN - Memtest86+ - BartPE - Linux LiveCD - ImgBurn - HDD Diags - Disk Copy HOW TO BURN AN ISO FILE

03-31-2009, 11:45 PM	#6 (permalink)
km9588 Registered User Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 29 OS: Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005	Re: Toshiba Problem, Please Help I figured the amber light may mean the battery is charging so I let it charge up until now. However, I just pressed the power button and now the laptop went back to what is has been doing. The amber light above the AC icon is blinking. There seems to be no activity whatsoever.

04-01-2009, 07:35 AM	#7 (permalink)
TriggerFinger Moderator Hardware Team Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: USA Posts: 11,826 OS: Vista SP1, XP SP3, PCLinuxOS2007	Re: Toshiba Problem, Please Help Remove the battery. For trouble shooting purposes try a power ON using AC only. __________________ DBAN - Memtest86+ - BartPE - Linux LiveCD - ImgBurn - HDD Diags - Disk Copy HOW TO BURN AN ISO FILE

04-02-2009, 01:33 AM	#8 (permalink)
km9588 Registered User Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 29 OS: Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005	Re: Toshiba Problem, Please Help I have tried to use AC only but the same amber light blinks when pressing power. Any ideas of the type of problem this could be?

04-02-2009, 09:36 AM	#9 (permalink)
TriggerFinger Moderator Hardware Team Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: USA Posts: 11,826 OS: Vista SP1, XP SP3, PCLinuxOS2007	Re: Toshiba Problem, Please Help Still no audible proof of fan activity or any activity from HDD or CD drive? If that is the case, I suggest you remove the HDD and CD drive, wireless card and modem, etc... leaving motherboard, LCD, RAM and power ON button. Still on AC power ON the laptop or whatever is left of it. If it continues to show the same problems, then it could be one of those left in there (i.e. motherboard, RAM or LCD). Post back what you find out. __________________ DBAN - Memtest86+ - BartPE - Linux LiveCD - ImgBurn - HDD Diags - Disk Copy HOW TO BURN AN ISO FILE

04-02-2009, 02:57 PM	#10 (permalink)
km9588 Registered User Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 29 OS: Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005	Re: Toshiba Problem, Please Help Doing that now; however, I am getting stuck at some stripped screws. Three of them are forbidding me to pull of the bottom encasement. Trying to find some solutions.

04-02-2009, 03:05 PM	#11 (permalink)
TriggerFinger Moderator Hardware Team Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: USA Posts: 11,826 OS: Vista SP1, XP SP3, PCLinuxOS2007	Re: Toshiba Problem, Please Help Try this link http://www.irisvista.com/tech/ It may not be much but I am hoping you can find a guide for similar model __________________ DBAN - Memtest86+ - BartPE - Linux LiveCD - ImgBurn - HDD Diags - Disk Copy HOW TO BURN AN ISO FILE

04-02-2009, 03:35 PM	#12 (permalink)
km9588 Registered User Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 29 OS: Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005	Re: Toshiba Problem, Please Help I know how to take the computer apart but these screws are making it impossible. And one main issue is that two of the stripped screws are the ones holding down the door to the HDD.