Why my Toshiba laptop suddenly shuts down by itself without warning?
“My Toshiba laptop suddenly shuts down by itself without any warning. Sometimes it works fine for hours, sometimes it shuts down in 10-15 minutes.” This complaint we hear from our customers over and over again. About 15-20% of all Toshiba laptops we get for repair, suffer from an overheating problem. Yep, OVERHEATING!
This is one of the most common problems with Toshiba laptops we deal with.
Indications of laptop overheating problem:
- The keyboard and the bottom of your laptop are very hot when the laptop is working.
- The CPU fans are working all the time at maximum rotation speed and operate much louder than before.
- The laptop suddenly shuts down by itself without warning. When it just started, the laptop was shutting down after 1-2 hours and how it shuts down after 5-10 minutes of operation.
- The laptop works fine when it runs idle, but shuts down as soon as you start using any memory demanding applications (DVD player, image editing software, video editing software, etc.).
If the CPU heatsink is not clogged with dust and lint completely, you can use canned air and just blow it inside the laptop through the openings on the bottom and on the sides. It’s nice as a precaution measure, but it might not work if your laptop already has a problem and the heatsink is completely clogged.
- Open the laptop case, so you can access the CPU fan and the heatsink. In some cases you can access the heatsink through the latch on the bottom of the laptop. Sometimes (for example Toshiba Satellite A70/A75) you have to open the laptop case all the way down.
- Carefully disconnect the fan cables on the system board and remove the fan. If the fan makes unusual sound when it spins (grinding sound), I would recommend to replace the fan.
- Clean the fan and the heatsink with compressed air.
- I would also recommend removing old thermal grease from the CPU and applying new grease for better heat conductivity.
UPDATE: I just received a nice tip from MC N’Colorado. I think it could be useful for all of you with guys:
I decided to use a shop vac to suck the dust out and it worked. I tested it by letting the machine run all night and it worked. It’s been a couple of weeks now and I’m glad I did it. I was ready to take the machine apart, now I’m glad I didn’t. I’d suggest you use a heavy duty shop vac to clean out the fan and heat sinks first.
I agree. Try to fix the problem without taking the laptop apart first but I would recommend using a powerful air compressor instead of a vacuum cleaner.
If your laptop is still under warranty, you can take it to any Toshiba Authorize Service Provider and fix the problem at no charge to you.
Toshiba laptop disassembly guides with pictures and instructions.
Toshiba Satellite A15 Clogged Heatsink
Toshiba Satellite A35 Clogged Heatsink
Toshiba Satellite P15 Clogged Heatsink. Absolute champion!
Entry Filed under: Toshiba Laptop Problems
814 Responses to “Why my Toshiba laptop suddenly shuts down by itself without warning?”
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Pages: « 82 … 75 74 73 72 71 [70] 69 68 67 66 65 … 1 » Show All
February 26th, 2008 at 7:24 am
My Father has left his grandson a Toshiba Tecra T8200, serial number91534557G ST820 - 0
PT820E -01Eqp - EN. Windows 98 second edition.
This could be his inrtroduction to computers and assist him in his school work.
Is there any means of down loading some sort of user manual or instructions.
I don’t even know how to switch it on.
I have connected it to the ext power supply, two lights come on but that is all. Any help? Desperate Peter.
February 22nd, 2008 at 5:55 pm
Tim,
The CPU and the socket are keyed. There is only one way to install the CPU back into the socket, if you position the CPU incorrectly it will not feet.
Take a look at the CPU and you see that in one corner pins are “missing” (this corner is marked with a small triangle), then look at the socket and find the corner where holes are “missing” (this corner is marked too). Match the mark on the CPU with the mark on the socket and carefully install the CPU back into the socket.
February 22nd, 2008 at 4:57 pm
Stupid me, i removed the processor from the heat sink before noting the positioning of the processor. This is a toshiba satellite a75 laptop. Does anyone know what side is up (or how it’s positioned)?
Thanks!
February 22nd, 2008 at 10:21 am
I have a Toshiba Satellite M45 S235 that just quit the other morning. No led lights, could power on by battery or AC. removed battery and AC cord, pushed power button to drain static and installed just the cord with no luck. Moved around a little and after five or six times I got the blue led to come on showing AC power and it went right back out. This has happened a few times. I have two AC adapters and both give same results with or without the battery. I have taken the case off unplugged the DC jack and plugged it back in and still experience the same issues. Any suggestions? I’m thinking maybe a short on the motherboard or something similar. Thanks for any help.
February 21st, 2008 at 11:16 pm
Greetings.I am in tanzania,i have two toshiba satelite laptops and all have probles.when i on the first one its go on but screen shaked and britnes of light covers all the screen as u can not see any icon.
We have shotage of laptops spare parts in our country,
February 21st, 2008 at 4:31 am
Arek Stefaniak,
You can find a new keyboard for your Toshiba Satellite A25 laptop if you google for this part number: P000402600
February 20th, 2008 at 6:52 pm
I am looking for key bd for my Lap-top A25 Toshiba computer.
Where I may find the replacement?
Best regards
Arek Stefaniak
eareks@netrscape.net
772-344-4625
February 19th, 2008 at 1:23 am
Do you have a driver for laptop toshiba satellite p25-s5626???
February 18th, 2008 at 1:35 pm
[…] the processor. It will help to keep your laptop cooler. Here’s another resource with covers laptop overheating in more […]
February 17th, 2008 at 10:14 pm
Thanks so much for this post … this is aproblem that I have had with this laptop for years. runs like a champ now!