I NEED HELP W/ TOSHIBA LAPTOP COMPUTER

elrapto777 · 07-25-2003, 01:41 AM

Hello! I have a Toshiba Satellite model 4015CDT laptop computer. The laptop computer was given to me in the following stage: When I start the laptop it hangs on the Toshiba welcome screen ("TOSHIBA - In touch with tomorrow.") and thats as far as it goes. I can't get it to start windows, it just hangs on that screen. I looked for updated BIOS but I can't get that to install either by depressing the "F12" key when starting the laptop. It takes me to the screen where it says "Ready for BIOS update. Place the BIOS update diskette in the drive, and press any key when ready to proceed." When I insert the diskette with the BIOS update and I press any of the keys the floppy disk drive light turns on and the motor of the floppy drive runs for about 2-3 seconds and then stops, and then it beeps once. I keep pressing the keys and it keeps doing the same.

(My best two guesses are that the HDD got totally screwed up after defragmenting, or the mobo became faulty for some unknown reason, probably a bump!)

THE SPECS FOR THIS MODEL CAN BE FOUND HERE:
http://www.rockswithfeet.com/linux/hardware/shelley/

According to the person who gave me the laptop, this is what he did before it got messed up: He went on the net and checked his emails, after that he desided to defragment the drive, he shut off the laptop and the next day he turned it on, and it just hanged on the welcome screen. ("It never came back to life!") (This laptop was bought December 28, 1998.)

I WOULD APPRECIATE THE HELP! Since I'm new at fixing computers, I'm still at the basic part of fixing PCs (fixing hardware, not programming or software, yet)... and this one has become a real challenge!

THANK YOU!

NeoStarO1 · 07-25-2003, 01:49 AM

Well I doubt its a BIOS issue.
Some questions:

Which operating system is installed on it? 98? (according to the spec sheet in your link those came with 98 installed)

Do you still have the toshiba restore disk(s) that came with the laptop?

If yes, I would try and restore the laptop using the restore disk.

Edit: Can you boot with a floppy boot diskete? To see if you can view any contents on the hdd.

meese · 07-25-2003, 08:25 AM

By pressing the F8 key during startup can you boot up into safe mode?

elrapto777 · 07-25-2003, 02:20 PM

OS is Wondows 98. I do not have the Toshiba restore disk, neither does the previous owner (I wonder why?!)

About the floppy boot diskette, how do make one? I don't think I have one. (The previous owner only gave me the laptop, but no disks for that purpose!)

Thank You! NeoStarO1

I have tried the "F8" key as well at startup, it doesn't seem to do anything, only the "F12" which it takes you to the screen where you can upgrade the BIOS. I can't even find how I can get into the CMOS setup! (poor me!)

texnition · 04-13-2004, 09:40 AM

I have the same problem. Hangs on boot. I do have the restore disks. When I restored everything looked great for a day. Then the next day, same problem. I think it is a deeper problem.

MadMan2k · 04-13-2004, 09:47 AM

It's probably out of warranty, right?
Try http://www.bootdisk.com for bootable disks and CDs, and make one, and try to access C: (by entering C

from DOS after you boot to it.
If it gives you the C:\> prompt, enter DIR, and see if it gives you a listing of files.
If so, it may be the windows files that are corrupt, so, if you have an OEM copy of a version of windows (preferably linux, hehe), go back to A:, and type format c:.
Press yes (I hope there's no important info on the PC), and wait for it to do its thing. When it's done, you will have a blank hard drive, ready to install an OS.

elrapto777 · 04-13-2004, 05:39 PM

Well, It has been awhile since I posted on my own comment... and I appreciate all of you wonderful people posting here on this thread. THANK YOU!!! I took the laptop to an "experienced" technician, and he did some basic check first... then he scratched his head.... then he did some more advanced check... a bit more head scratching and some conversation with the other tech... then he did some more deep intense check to the laptop... and no more head scratching, but a really big head nod... and he told me that the laptop's HD was completely messed up... that It just died... and all this in one hour and a half LOL... Well, my friend didn't thought the same so he took it and he is still waiting on an answer from TOSHIBA techs... hope he doesn't get old waiting!!

And once again, thank you all !!!