Why Toshiba Tecra TE2100 laptop locks up or will not boot at all?
One of our biggest customers use a lot of different Toshiba laptops and one of the models is Toshiba Tecra TE2100. We repaired many of these units and we noticed that some of them had very similar problems:
- Laptop locks up when you move it or sometimes freezes by itself. The video is still on, but the acupoint (keyboard mouse) and the keyboard itself do not work anymore.
- You can start the laptop, but you see CMOS (RTC) battery error on start up. After you clear the error, the laptop boots fine. After you reboot the laptop, you get the same error.
- Laptop will not boot at all. There is no power or power LED blinking. There is no hard drive activity. There is no external or internal video.
- When you press power button, laptop shows some activity, but there is no video on LCD screen.
At the beginning, when we just started working on this model, we tried to fix CMOS (RTC) battery error by replacing the RTC battery. Unfortunately, it didn’t help to fix the problem at all. We found that the main culprit of the problem is a poor connection between the system board and the power board (CMOS battery is connected to the power board). In some cases you can fix the problem by reseating the power board. Carefully disconnect if from the system board and connect it back. Turn on the laptop and see if it fixed your problem. If it didn’t help, most likely you have to replace the system board and the power board. Unfortunately, I cannot say exactly which one is causing the problem, the system board or the power board. The same story with laptop lock ups, try to reseat the power board.
You can fix a video problem by reseating the video card. We noticed, that over time the video board pops up from its connector on the system board and you can get video if you push it back in place.
Conclusion: before you start replacing parts, disassemble the laptop and try to fix the problem by reseating the power board and the VGA board. My disassembly guide for Toshiba Tecra TE2100 can help you to take apart the laptop.
July 13th, 2007 at 5:43 am
how can i get to set up of toshiba 220 CDS .. i want to the laptop to boot from Cd and i am having problem what key will i press that we take me to the bios set so that i can ask the system to boot from Cd
June 28th, 2007 at 11:19 pm
I Have Toshiba satellite 330CDS model.When I make turn on it indicates the orange led blinking at regular way but I don’t know the codes please tell me . The blinking number is 3-2-1-1 and repeatedly what it mean?
Thankyou
June 17th, 2007 at 11:03 pm
ROSY,
I do not sell or repair laptop parts. I buy and install them.
Here’s my post about finding notebook spare parts, it might help somehow.
June 16th, 2007 at 6:48 am
we are a reseller in mexico and sometimes we can´t find some parts to repair laptops, I would like to know if you sell parts o do you repair them? and if you are a wholesaler or not?
if you do please send me information about your company, products and services, sales terms, etc.
June 3rd, 2007 at 10:30 am
Jack,
The hard drive connector is hard-soldered into the mainboard, you can see it on the step 22. If the hard drive functions without any problem then most likely there is nothing wrong with the controller and you have a failed LED (located on the power board).
Not sure about that. I haven’t used Tecra 2100 laptop myself and cannot confirm if there are any hard drive heat related issues.
May 31st, 2007 at 2:35 am
Hi CJ… first I’d like to thank you for all the valuable info you have provided everybody on the Tecra 2100. Some of my questions have already been answered due to your attentiveness, as well as the disassembly guide you’ve offered.
I purchased my TE2100 as a refurbed unit almost 2 years ago, and it has been very reliable, and surprisingly rugged, since I work on the road, and have it running in the car with me more often than not.
It seems that my main battery and the CMOS battery have both died within a couple months of each other. The primary battery charge light blinking orange now, I’m working on finding a replacement battery or having a local “Battery Clinic” company rebuild my old pack with new li-ion cells. Thanks to that manual, I finally know where that elusive cmos battery is! (I failed in finding it the first time I partially disassembled the computer)
During the time that I’ve observed my battery performance falling off, my HDD indicator light has quit illuminating at all. I never see any light action from it anymore when the HD is accessing. Is there a connection inside that might have come undone, or is this hard-soldered into the mainboard? How likely is it to be just a failed LED or error in the IDE controller itself? The drive otherwise functions fine without issue.
And another problem that has been bothering me is that the original 20gig IBM hard drive would be extraordinarily hot after shutting down. It’s the same with the WD 120 gig I replaced it with, due to the fact that the IDE bay is tightly sealed, with no apparent provisions for ventillation. The temperature is so hot as to be unbearable if applied to one’s cheek, although not my hand. It hasn’t caused any operational problems, but I’m concerned for my new hard drive that I don’t want it to die an early death due to thermal extremes. Is this normal? Is there any clever way to remedy this? (placing the laptop on top of a forced air “laptop cooler” platform does little if anything to assist in the HD’s cooling, that I could observe)
I’ve always been habitually adamant on cooling my hard drives in my desktops to minimize the fatigue that heat can render to a hard drive. So this is really bothering me.
I’ve even gone so far as to experiment with a small tri-folded piece of aluminum foil against the top of the drive within the bay with about a half inch overhanging the outside (door removed) and fanned out to form heatsink fins. I’ve only done this just to tinker with it while the comp is stationary at home. While this does noticeably dissipate SOME of the heat, it’s not a good long-term solution, and is a definite no-no for portability.
Sorry to be so long-winded… but I’m just glad to finally have access to somebody who apparently knows this machine well.
Any info would be greatly appreciated. Thanks CJ!
Jack
May 24th, 2007 at 8:57 pm
Natik,
Try reseating the video card and the power board, it’s possible these board do not make a good connection with the motherboard. Reseating them might help.
May 23rd, 2007 at 3:11 pm
a customer brought me a toshiba tecra2100 with a problem of the screen,in that when u power it on it loads sometime with the screen normal&at times with the screen dim.u can see windows but it will be dim in the background of the screen.i tried to work on the VGA board only but the time i fixed it back after some time when u power on it lights a green led shortly 4 a sec an then starts blinking an orange led.what do think is da problem pliz help coz the customer needs his laptop the way he brought it.i wil be glad if any one saves me thanx.
May 7th, 2007 at 5:32 am
kiyani,
You cannot crack the BIOS password on a Toshiba Tecra M3 laptop. There is no workaround for it. You’ll have to take this laptop to an authorized repair center.
May 4th, 2007 at 1:45 am
When I start my Toshiba Tecra m3 laptop it asks for BIOS password how to crack it