Ok so I have a Toshiba A105 s4284 that I just bought from a friend that bought it in january and it was working fine until just recently, all of a sudden the screen just goes completly black when I'm in the middle of something, I mean the computer doesn't shut off at all its just the screen. I've looked around on all the other forums trying to see if anyone else was having the same problem i was and I couldn't find anything. It doesn't just fade, it goes completly black, I've tried the fn + F5 key and that didnt work, I've jiggled the hinges to see if that was the problem and still nothing. When I shut the laptop it doesn't even go into stand by mode like it should its like the laptop froze. I've tried to run a virus scan on it and it gets to a certain number then the computer restarts or it goes black again. I'm good with computers but not that good so I have no idea as what to do, any help would be so much appreciated. Thanks in advance :)

Ok so I have a Toshiba A105 s4284 that I just bought from a friend that bought it in january and it was working fine until just recently, all of a sudden the screen just goes completly black when I'm in the middle of something, I mean the computer doesn't shut off at all its just the screen. I've looked around on all the other forums trying to see if anyone else was having the same problem i was and I couldn't find anything. It doesn't just fade, it goes completly black, I've tried the fn + F5 key and that didnt work, I've jiggled the hinges to see if that was the problem and still nothing. When I shut the laptop it doesn't even go into stand by mode like it should its like the laptop froze. I've tried to run a virus scan on it and it gets to a certain number then the computer restarts or it goes black again. I'm good with computers but not that good so I have no idea as what to do, any help would be so much appreciated. Thanks in advance :)

have you tried hooking it to a external computer monitor and see if it goes black to .could be a bad .lcd

Hallelujah!! Finally I have found someone else who is having exactly the same problem as I am having. I have been searching forum after forum looking for help regarding my black screen problem. It just suddenly goes black whilst I am in the middle of something, but not off, it's like the computer has completely frozen. I then have to hold downt he on/off button for about 30secs-1min for it to switch off, but sometimes that doesn't work, so then I have take out the battery and put it back in!! What a load of shit this Toshiba is. no way will I be buying Toshiba again.

Did you ever find out what the cause was and how to fix it. Any help would be REALLY appreciated.

Thanks
Lee

Hallelujah!! Finally I have found someone else who is having exactly the same problem as I am having. I have been searching forum after forum looking for help regarding my black screen problem. It just suddenly goes black whilst I am in the middle of something, but not off, it's like the computer has completely frozen. I then have to hold downt he on/off button for about 30secs-1min for it to switch off, but sometimes that doesn't work, so then I have take out the battery and put it back in!! What a load of shit this Toshiba is. no way will I be buying Toshiba again.

Did you ever find out what the cause was and how to fix it. Any help would be REALLY appreciated.

Thanks
Lee

... and did YOU connect to an external monitor to see what happens as caperjack suggested?

... and did YOU connect to an external monitor to see what happens as caperjack suggested?

you took the words right out of my mouth.lol

I have this same exact issue...usually happens when I am playing a game or have been watching videos on You Tube for a while. The entire screen blacks but it stays on. You have to then hold down the power key until it turns off. Then, you have to hold it down to restart the laptop. When you restart asks if you want to restart windows normally or some other mode. Mine is a Toshiba A215-S4817.

Anyone figure this out? The laptop runs Vista.
Glenn

I have this same exact issue...usually happens when I am playing a game or have been watching videos on You Tube for a while. The entire screen blacks but it stays on. You have to then hold down the power key until it turns off. Then, you have to hold it down to restart the laptop. When you restart asks if you want to restart windows normally or some other mode. Mine is a Toshiba A215-S4817.

Anyone figure this out? The laptop runs Vista.
Glenn

No,we didn't figure it out yet,need more info,will ask you same question we asked previous poster ,did you hook it to a normal computer monitor and see if it does the same thing to that monitor!!????.

Hello,

No I have not hooked up a monitor to test that out. However, based on the way it freezes it would seem to not be just a monitor issue.

I have checked around other threads and most seem to think this is a problem of overheating. There was one Toshiba model that was actually recalled because of this. The system does run hot after prolonged use.

One of the quick fixes they suggest is to prop up the back of the laptop allowing flow of air underneath and around laptop during use. I have tried this since last night and have not had the problem...

Glenn

...

One of the quick fixes they suggest is to prop up the back of the laptop allowing flow of air underneath and around laptop during use. I have tried this since last night and have not had the problem...

Glenn

The simpler ones often come to us last!

Yes, this is a great problem avoider and well recommended.

a 8 dollar can of compressed air ,to blow out the heat sinc and fan through the side is recommended to.

Ok so I have a Toshiba A105 s4284 that I just bought from a friend that bought it in january and it was working fine until just recently, all of a sudden the screen just goes completly black when I'm in the middle of something, I mean the computer doesn't shut off at all its just the screen. I've looked around on all the other forums trying to see if anyone else was having the same problem i was and I couldn't find anything. It doesn't just fade, it goes completly black, I've tried the fn + F5 key and that didnt work, I've jiggled the hinges to see if that was the problem and still nothing. When I shut the laptop it doesn't even go into stand by mode like it should its like the laptop froze. I've tried to run a virus scan on it and it gets to a certain number then the computer restarts or it goes black again. I'm good with computers but not that good so I have no idea as what to do, any help would be so much appreciated. Thanks in advance :)

Ey I think that I have the soulution :) and sorry for my bad english but I'm mexican :P.
I had the same problem with the same notebook.
You need to do this.

Control Panel -> Hardware and Sound -> Power Options.
from there it doesn't matter which plan you pick (Balanced, Power Saver, High Performance). choose one and click Change Plan Settings, then Change Advanced Power Settings.
Under Procecessor Power Management, make sure the Minimum and Maximum settings are at 100%.

After this, your notebook are going to run like a dream :D.

I wish this help you :).

Please tell me if help you =). Good look.

Thank you, for the information. I called Toshiba customer support and this apparently is a known issue. There workaround was the same as yours. I hope it works.

Ey I think that I have the soulution :) and sorry for my bad english but I'm mexican :P.
I had the same problem with the same notebook.
You need to do this.

Control Panel -> Hardware and Sound -> Power Options.
from there it doesn't matter which plan you pick (Balanced, Power Saver, High Performance). choose one and click Change Plan Settings, then Change Advanced Power Settings.
Under Procecessor Power Management, make sure the Minimum and Maximum settings are at 100%.

After this, your notebook are going to run like a dream :D.

I wish this help you :).

Please tell me if help you =). Good look.

Sorry. I meant "Their" not "there".

I'm a member of the black screen club too :-). Mine is a HP.

Now that someone has suggested it might be due to overheating, I note that I have had had random black screen problems only since I installed an extra 1 GB of RAM into the underside of the the HP. I expected a lot of heat to be generated but was not sure what the side-effect would be. I wonder if things get too hot the notebook shuts the screen backlighting down in order avoid 'meltdown'.

I'll try providing better ventilation by improving the air circulation as suggested above. That might work. The HPs are not too brilliant on ventilation - some of the major air grilles are at the underside of the computer where they can be completely cut off if the notebook is sitting on a soft or uneven surface. I'll have to improvise something to elevate the notebook above the surface to allow free circulation underneath.

Philip

What a shambles HP laptops that overheat turn out to be. It makes mockery out of HP's former good name.

having the same problem started doing it every so often but now it does it everytime i turn it on

Well I have a Dell Inspiron 1720. The warrenty expires today so Dell will not help me with issue unless I for over another 170ish bucks.... I tried installing updated NVdvia 8699m driver which supposedly causes this, but to no avail. I also tried hooking up a different moniter, nada. It is ironic it started doing this same day my warrenty expired ( even though it is not suppose to expire until 1159 tonight...) I ever did a complete restore, and nada, it still does it, intermittent and no warning nor visible error code. sometimes it comes back, sometimes it does not (and it is not going to sleep or hibernate, etc.)

i also have the same problem but i have a Hp laptop that runs vista
it happens when im playing a game i think it has something to do with overheating
when it goes black i hold the power key till it turns off then i hold my laptop in front of a fan for a few minutes and it starts right up does anyone know what i should do to prevent this problem?
should i send it back?
or buy a fan for it?
any comments will help thanks

The same problem occurs on all computers when a user is gaming for more than 3 hours. The virtual memory is eaten up and the video memory gets eaten up.

Save often. shutdown every two hours for a 15 minute coffee break.
Videos and games are memory hogs. Its worse for laptop computers because they were not really designed for continuous Gaming or watching multiple videos.

Always maintain 20% free space on the HDD.

hello
i have same problem
but i solved it almost
in Vista go to power options and choose balanced and let your brightness to be full low and then it wont turn off


try it and comment if it works
i hope it will work

Change the resolution to 1024 x 768. 32bit
Some of the higher resolutions are bogus.

If you have a phone or camera attached, detach them.
Don't recharge your phone or camera from the laptop.

There was one Toshiba model that was actually recalled because of this. The system does run hot after prolonged use.

Hi, do you know the model of the toshiba that was for recall. My laptop is being sent away as a last resort for it's overheating.

Thanks

No,we didn't figure it out yet,need more info,will ask you same question we asked previous poster ,did you hook it to a normal computer monitor and see if it does the same thing to that monitor!!????.

I have the same problem with my toshiba laptop. Only my screen will not come back on. Also, when connected to another monitor, it will only say "your monitor is going to sleep." Any ideas of how I can fix this?

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Originally Posted by pdiaco
My notebook, a HP Compaq nx6120, 3 years old, also displays the above symptoms, since about 10 days ago. The screen appears black, but if one looks really closely the applications' windows are still there and functional but without any backlighting.

Is it as someone has commented a hardware backlighting problem, or is it a virus? If it's only happening with HP notebooks, then i'll not be getting HP again unless they fix this problem without charge.

I hope that this is not a problem that occurs with other notebooks.

I'm wondering though if travelling in a suitcase may have done it. It survived other trips.

Philip
I'm having the same problem with my Toshiba laptop. The only problem is that I can't get mine to come back on. Also, when connected to another monitor, it will only say "your monitor is going to sleep". I beleive this is a virus... does anyone have any ideas on how to fix tis when you can't even see what your doing. My screen is also blank when booted and in start up mode.

Hi,
You are piggybacking threads everywhere,
Please start your own thread with detailed information about your machine, OS and tour problem. that way you will have a good chance someone will assist you.

maby the button that turs it black when you shut it is stuck down try and pull it up x

:-/

I second the compressed air. Blow out all the vents with compressed air esp. the fan and heatsink. That should make things better.

If it doesn't, and you are up for the daunting task, you might want to open up your processor and apply a drop of thermal grease on your processor chip. I do that to my laptop once a year and it works just fine.

hey, i have the SAME problem! after 4 times sending my laptop to the company,they finally told me that ther's a problem with the hard disk! does it make sense? i don't think so! :S can anyone gives me his opinion about that?

Thank you!

It is a monitor issue as I have the exact same problem with a Toshiba laptop. When I hook it up to an external monitor, that works fine. I just cannot get the screen to show anything on the laptop's display.

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