Are you a Toshiba laptop user? If yes, then you may get frustrated because sometimes your laptop won’t turn on despite pressing and holding the power button. If that is so, you don’t need to worry because as it turns out, it’s a very common problem among Toshiba laptops and can be fixed easily using a few troubleshooting steps.
Reasons a Toshiba Laptop Won’t Turn On
Multiple factors contribute to this issue, some of which are listed below. You can check them one by one to ensure your laptop is running smoothly.
Faulty RAM:
A faulty RAM can be due to a number of reasons:
- Overheating of the system.
- Outdated software.
- New virus in the system.
- Damage due to careless handling.
- Unsteady voltage
Since RAM stores the actively used information and is basically responsible for all the day-to-day tasks of your computer, faulty RAM will make your motherboard’s function faulty.
BIOS failure:
A corrupt BIOS is one of the leading causes of a black Toshiba laptop screen. It can get corrupted leading to BIOS chip failure due to a number of reasons:
- Overheating of system
- Overvoltage
- Virus in the system
- Disruption in the flash memory of the PC
Virus in the system
If you have downloaded any recent updates, your system might have gotten exposed to malware or virus that is resulting in this issue with your laptop.
Troubleshooting Steps to Fix a Toshiba Laptop That Won’t Turn On
You will need to follow the following troubleshooting steps in order. High chances are that your laptop will get fixed after trying the first few steps but if it does not, you don’t have to worry. Before calling Toshiba Customer Care support, you can move on to the last resort troubleshooting steps.
1. Power Draining Your Toshiba Laptop
Your laptop can have a static buildup that is making your laptop stuck on a black screen and not allowing it to function further. A laptop can have an external or an internal battery. If the battery is external, this step is a piece of cake for you.
- Unplug the laptop if it is inserted into a charging port.
- Now, simply unclip and remove the battery.
- Press and hold the power button for around 60 seconds.
- Reinsert the battery.
- Plug in your laptop again and turn the power on.
For an internal battery, the process is a bit lengthy.
2. Troubleshooting the Charger
If power draining your battery does not help, the problem likely lies in your charger:
- Turn off the laptop and unplug it from the power switch.
- Remove the battery.
- Press and hold the power button for 60 seconds.
- Reinsert the battery.
- Turn it on with just the battery. If it turns on, your laptop’s battery is fine but your charger is going bad.
A Toshiba laptop can detect a bad battery. Because the charger was getting bad, it prevented the laptop from turning on so as not to let the bad battery affect the motherboard of your computer. Technology is smart, and this is just one way of showing it.
If you have an extra charger lying around, you may use it. Otherwise, you will have to purchase a new one.
3. Troubleshooting the Battery
If troubleshooting the charger did not help, you can try troubleshooting the battery.
- Turn off the laptop and unplug it from the power switch.
- Remove the battery.
- Press and hold the power button for 60 seconds.
- Plug the charger back in without reinserting the battery.
- If the laptop starts working, it is probably the bad battery that is causing the problem.
Try purchasing a new battery to get your laptop running back at its normal speed.
4. Updating Graphics Card Driver
Updating your Graphics Card driver is one way to fix this issue in Toshiba laptops. If you think your computer knowledge isn’t sufficient to perform this update, you can use “Driver Easy“. Driver Easy is a free update tool for Windows. It will recognize the system on its own and will perform the needed updates for your drive system.
5. Check out for the Faulty RAM
A faulty RAM prevents the communication between the motherboard and RAM. this, in turn, does not allow your laptop to turn on. You can inspect your computer’s RAM in two ways:
5.1 Rearrange your RAM Sticks
Improper or faulty connection in RAM won’t let your Toshiba laptop turn on. Power off your computer. Remove the power cord from the outlet. You might need to remove your battery to access the RAM. Remove the RAM and then reset it while ensuring it has got the correct connection this time. If there are multiple RAM sticks in your Toshiba laptop, make sure to rearrange them all one by one.
After reseating the RAM stick(s), reassemble your laptop. Plug it back in and switch it on. Highly likely chances are that your Toshiba will start working properly after that.
5.2 Try Running a Windows Memory Test
You can run a memory diagnostic test to check the health of your RAM. Type Windows Memory Test in your search bar and click it. Then, click Restart and check for problems.
When your laptop restarts itself, it will show you a RAM diagnostic report. If the report declares everything clear, then you are good to go. But if it does not, you might need to get new RAM strips for your PC.
6. Resetting the CMOS Battery
The CMOS battery in your laptop is responsible for powering the BIOS firmware. BIOS controls the normal functioning of your computer, and hence, resetting it normally fixes most of the issues your laptop is facing.
- Power off your Toshiba laptop.
- Remove the power cord. Make sure you are properly grounded.
- Disassemble the back casing of your laptop.
- Remove the CMOS battery from the motherboard. You can use the Toshiba laptop manual lookup to find where your battery is located.
- Hold down the power button to drain all remaining excess power.
- Reinsert the CMOS battery back into your laptop after 15 to 20 minutes.
- Reboot your computer to see if the issue has been resolved.
- If this procedure looks very challenging to you, you can always give your laptop to an expert tech guy or call Toshiba customer care.
7. Clean your Cooling Fan
If recently, you have excessively heard your fan constantly running at a very high speed, there are high chances that your CPU or GPU is constantly being overheated, which in turn, does not allow your Toshiba to turn on.
In order to fix this overheating issue, you need to fix your internal cooling system that involves the cooling fan. You need to open your laptop (steps mentioned above in the article). Use an alcohol swab to clean the fan. Allow the alcohol to dry for around 30 minutes. Reassemble your laptop and turn it on. If the issue still persists, you may need to change your cooling fan or replace the entire cooling unit.
8. BIOS Recovery
A BIOS corruption issue might be the problem behind your Toshiba laptop issues. If your laptop has a built-in function for BIOS recovery, you can use three keys to perform a BIOS recovery function: F2, F9, F(n) + B.
- Before and after your attempts to turn on your laptop, hold down each of the above-mentioned keys.
- If this method does not work, you can try pressing these keys repeatedly before and during laptop startup. Prior to trying the new key, make sure you power off your laptop.
9. System Restoring your Laptop
If none of the above methods work, it’s time you may do a complete system reboot of your laptop. Make sure to complete all the above-mentioned steps before coming to this last resort. In order to do a complete system reboot, you need to follow the few basic steps given below:
- Make sure you have a bootable windows disc. Insert it into your laptop.
- When asked, choose repair.
- Click the options in this order “Troubleshoot” > “Advanced Options” > “System Restore“.
- When the next screen appears on System Restore, click the “Next” option.
- Pick the needed restore point. Click “Next” to proceed further.
- Now, click “Finish”. The system restore will start.
- Reboot your laptop once the restore finishes. Turn on your laptop and check if the issue has been resolved.
Conclusion
The bottom line is a Toshiba laptop not turning on is a common problem. If the same problem is happening to you, you do not need to freak out at all. Try these steps one by one. Otherwise, head on to Toshiba Customer care support to find answers to your queries.
