I have to type this question fast, before the computer dies yet again. My Toshiba laptop (XPHome 2.7ghz 40gb 512ram) computer just goes blank, and I have to wait a while before I can reboot, or it'll just blank out again within a few minutes. I suspect this is due to thermal overload, but how do I deal with this condition? I have a fan bed to help reduce heat load, but is there a fusible link or something that needs replacement?

I'm thinking of running out and getting a desktop backup tonight, but can I directly plug the HD from the laptop into a desktop for data recovery, or are they completely different beasts, without any way to connect?

Hi, it does sound like a overheating situation. The thermal overload will kick in before it damages the processor. I would call toshiba and have them troubleshoot it for you. You can then take it into an authorized service center if the fan is bad.

As for the hard drive. You need a 2.5" notebook to 3.5" hard drive adapter. Plug it into the CDROM ribbon on your computer as a "secondary master" or "secondary slave" drive and you'll be good to go. You can get one of these at Compusa. Here's the link.

http://www.compusa.com/products/product_info.asp?product_code=294956&pfp=SEARCH

Good luck!

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1974 240D 3.0L 4(M) - 250K -OM617.910 + 300D FW + Rajay turbo power!
1977 6.9 3(A) - 84k

Rig a rack beneath the laptop for some breathing room.

Thanks for the great tips! This is my fifth attempt to view and respond to your posts--it dies about five minutes after startup.

Damned fascist laptop!!

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Palangi

2004 C240 Wagon 203.261 Baby Benz
2008 ML320 CDI Highway Cruiser
2006 Toyota Prius, Saving the Planet @ 48 mpg
2000 F-150, Destroying the Planet @ 20 mpg



TRUMP .......... WHITEHOUSE
HILLARY .........JAILHOUSE
BERNIE .......... NUTHOUSE
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Consider an External USB drive for backup / Expansion.

I've got an old Compaq with a 20g, not enough for serious techie, so I have a 80g external USB.

I'm beginning to use them as backups at client sites, versus tape.

KlK, MCSE

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KLK, MCSE

1990 500SL

I was always taught to respect my elders.
I don't have to respect too many people anymore.

Just bought a 1.0GB thumb drive, along with a desktop to use until I fix this fascist laptop. Not sure if I can backup all my files onto the thumbdrive in five minutes though...

Uh, I can’t tell from the comments if just the monitor is going out or the computer freezing. Of if maybe the computer is freezing because the monitor power supply is toast. If its just the display, plug in an external display, and there’s usually a keyboard combination to turn off the LCD and turn on the external display. This will mostly eliminate the monitor circutry from being a heat source.

You can also remove some peripherals, such as the battery, the floppy and/or cd drive. Removing these will open up added pathways for circulation. After this, point one or more house fans to blow into the open areas. This will greatly slow down over heating. You can probably also remove the keyboard and likely some screwed or clipped on panels underneath the computer to permit even greater cooling. If you remove the keyboard you’ll need an external keyboard. Use caution as connections between components re sometimes just socketed and other times use fairly delicate cables.

Anyway by permitting greater cooling and using an external display you’ll get more time to troubleshoot, or backup data.

That said as suggested above you will probably ultimately want to send it back to the Toshiba's fascist service depot or worse, if its out of warranty, maybe it'll end up at the transfer station....

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...Tracy

'00 ML320 "Casper"
'92 400E "Stella"

I have a couple of suggestions..

1. Get one of those cans of air and spray out all the vents really good.
2. Get into your display control panel, and check the screensaver section. Make sure it isn;t set to activate after just a couple of minutes.
3. Go to the power section fromt he screensaver section and make sure that it is set to the standard laptop setting from the drop down list.
4. click the hibernation button and make sure hibernation is not enabled.
5. Update the video drivers.
6. check to make sure the screen is set to the right type under display properties then settings then advanced.

I hope that helps.

Alon

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'92 300CE - Sold
2004 C240 - 744 - C7 Wheels - Android Radio
2002 C320 - 816 - Sport Wagon

Typing this from the new desktop...

The entire computer shuts down, just like when someone flips a breaker--it just quits with a click. It's not the blue screen of death, rather the power seems to just get turned off. I did successfully download my work files onto the thumbdrive. Would a failed monitor inverter cause the entire computer to shutdown?

Make sure the fan inlet and outlets are not blocked at all. There shouldn't be anything under the bottom, if that's where the fan inlet is, like laying it on the carpet or having papers around it.

Make sure no changes to the laptop fan settings have been made. There should be a temperature display panel to show operating temps.

Is your virus software up to date? Are all your unused sockets turned off?

www.grc.com has some utilities for changing various Windows settings.

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Regards

Warren

Currently 1965 220Sb, 2002 FORD Crown Vic Police Interceptor

Had 1965 220SEb, 1967 230S, 280SE 4.5, 300SE (W126), 420SEL

ENTER > = (HP RPN)

Not part of the in-crowd since 1952.

I have a Toshiba laptop that suufers tyhe same symtoms when my wife uses it on her lap with a blanket. I think it is certainly heat related. When it shuts down I take it and hold it in front of my fan for a ouple of minutes and scold the wife and it works fine. keep it cool and there should be no problem.

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1983 300 SD 149k

1983 300 D 280k

1980 vw rabbit 1.5 na

1965 356C

Typically if the problem is a heat related short on one of the boards, the system will stop responding to the keyboard and mouse but not shut off – it’ll just freeze. If the computer is shutting off I agree that there is most likely a thermal switch being flipped. This is a fairly typical safety mechanism to stop a faint resemblance to the China syndrome from occurring. Literally if there is enough heat it can melt the solder right off the traces. I'm pretty sure this damage hasn’t happened to yours as we know it will cool off enough to run again. It begs the question of if the problem is due to a failed or failing fan, maybe pet hair clogged air circulation ports, or even a faulty temp sensor. If you haven’t already done so, be sure to put a fan so it’ll blow a high volume right into the air intake. If you have a smallish squirrel cage fan that is excellent for this application. Otherwise, again a house fan will do.

You can probably find parts supply places on the web. When my retired Sony notebook’s display died I was going to buy replacement parts to resolve it. The parts the Sony needed were close to the replacement cost, but if the problem with yours it’s just a fan, thermal switch or clogged air ports, it’s a simple and inexpensive process to swap out the parts.

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...Tracy

'00 ML320 "Casper"
'92 400E "Stella"

Does the fan really start racing before it shuts down? My Compaq (Athlon) laptop had a similar condition after I upgraded to Win2K.

For some reason the CPU overheated whenever the screensaver got activated, so I disabled the screensaver and just close the lid whenever I'm not using it.

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1985 380SE Blue/Blue - 230,000 miles
2012 Subaru Forester 5-speed
2005 Toyota Sienna
2004 Chrysler Sebring convertible
1999 Toyota Tacoma

Note the video display adapters that are installed, verify the correct driver set with Compaq, then remove the drivers, restart the computer and the system will want to reinstall them tell the system where to find the drivers you got from Compaq. I've seen a lot of cases where a slight mis-match of the video drivers will cause this problem.

Another possibility is that the screen saver related files are corrupted. The easiest test here is to try a different screen saver and see if the problem continues.

__________________
...Tracy

'00 ML320 "Casper"
'92 400E "Stella"