“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.).
Solution:
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!
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September 2nd, 2008 at 9:46 pm
Abe,
You’ll find step-by-step Satellite M45 disassembly guide at http://www.irisvista.com
September 1st, 2008 at 9:54 pm
I have the same problem with my Toshiba, so I decided to open it and see what’s going on. I found that if I remove the screws from the fan it will work a little longer, however I’ve noticed that the fan got very hot at the spindle, so i removed the sticker and drop a very little drop of Oil, voila!!! No more noise and the computer works great!!
Please spread the word, it may save you a couple of bucks and it’s very easy to do.
September 1st, 2008 at 7:30 am
hi, i have a problem with my Tecra 9100. previously i had a problem where by the fun was sometimes operating much louder, and it was obviously the laptop to shuts down suddenly by itself. what happened is now when i press the start button, a green light shows that the computer is on but its not on, what i mean is the fun is not working and even no displays. the only thing is the processor is getting heat seriosly after a few seconds. I need help on this please
September 1st, 2008 at 6:32 am
TO JASON, NO. 817….You should be entitled to assistance from Toshiba, since, as you say, the replacement they sent you caused the new problem. You need to write a detailed, formal letter, not an email. It needs to be on paper, and keep a copy for yourself. State the facts, including dates if you have them, or the closest dates you can recall, and these facts should all follow the timeframe that the events occurred. State the reason clearly why you believe it is their obligation to help. But remember to remain diplomatic: you want to attract their sympathy, and appeal to their compassionate human nature as well as their professional duty. Also, if you get an inital reply brushing you off, send another similar letter, stating the facts again, and request a direct phone number to speak to a person “in charge”. Almost certainly they won’t give you a phone number, but they will know you mean business. You could also mention that you are considering contacting certain organisations, such as a Consumer Commission (here in Australia it ACCC). A good letter can work miracles, but be prepared to have to write up to half-dozen. Don’t give up, becuase that is what they expect most people to do. Remember: be diplomatic and factual. Good luck.
August 30th, 2008 at 9:01 am
how do i restore my toshiba satellite m35x-s111 back to factory settings.
August 28th, 2008 at 4:20 pm
I need help on replacing the motherboard of my toshiba M45-S331 series.
Anybody with an idea? Ribbit computers says it’s a bad motherboard? What causes motherboard to go bad?
August 28th, 2008 at 1:15 pm
I have an ongoing issue with my U205-S5034 . The power cord broke while under extended warranty, however the replacement sent to me did not function well with the laptop and eventually cause the powering device to break. Toshiba claims it is not their problem, because it is no longer under warranty. I think they are wrong. Their new powering device was the cause of the new problem.
August 28th, 2008 at 11:25 am
My toshiba M45-S331 is down.It freezes up before it boots. I took it to the shop,they told me is the motherboard.
What can I do? I did recovery already,that was not a solution.
Thanks.
August 28th, 2008 at 2:12 am
I have an A200 which turns off after playing games for 30 minutes due to overheating. Fan looks fine and is clear. At 2K in price I am annoyed they couldn’t fix the system fault of overheating. No wonder they are remaindering them at the store i bought them from. Buy another laptop which runs cooler next time.
August 27th, 2008 at 8:58 am
i have satellite a75. works and charges ok with battery. when battery is removed, and i power laptop from ac adpater it will shut down within 3 or 5 seconds and power light stays on. however, if i press f2 and go to the bios ,laptop stays on as long as i leave it on. i tried different adapers, tried booting from dvd drive but no luck. . dc jack looks ok, because i wiggled the connector and light stayed on. i did clean the fans and vents, and put new cooling gel on cpu. any ideas
thanks