“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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October 11th, 2008 at 2:39 pm
My dad bought a used Toshiba Satellite A75 S229 that did not have an operating system. It does have the system recovery dvd with it and we have windows xp cd. When we start the pc as directed with the dvd power on hold down c when Toshiba shows on screen it will start to do a system recovery but will only run for about 5 minutes then shuts down. We restart it says continue will work again about 5 minutes. The system recovery dvd has said it was done but at no time were we told to install windows xp cd. What am I doing wrong. Dad is frustrated and so am I. He is on a fixed income and has paid money for this thing can we fix it.
October 11th, 2008 at 7:54 am
(Warning may have bad spelling, Sorry) Hi guys im 14 and well i got the same problem with my dads laptop its a toshiba and well the fan is quite like i dont think its spinning real fast and well i come to my dads for the holidays and i play games on his laptop and been doing it for years but untill it started just blanking as blanking i mean when you cut the power from a desktop dads laptop just turns off aka shuts down with out warning and im a real hardcore gamer and i know a few cool tricks about computers and i told him what the problem is and yet he dose not beleave me i dont him he should do
1. take it apart and give a good clean with a vac
2. take it to a store and ask for cleaning
3. get a damp not wet cloth and keep it under untill hot and dry (50% risk, not reccommended)
4. buy new parts
or 5. get a new god damn laptop!
but he thinks he knows every thing about computers when he knows nothhing really any idears?
October 2nd, 2008 at 9:19 am
I have a Toshiba A75. I found your website last year and followed the instructions on cleaning the heat sink as well as replacing the power jack. Both worked for what I needed at the time and a big thank you for that. However, I am now having a big problem with it locking up and/or rebooting after maybe 5 minutes after I start it every time. Mostly rebooting.
I have taken it apart again, cleaned between the heat sink and cpu, reapplied thermal grease and it’s still happening.
Should the spring screws holding the heat sink need to be tightened all the way or left a little loose? Oh, everything is clean and clear of any dust so not the issue. I don’t not feel any heat on the bottom of the computer when it reboots either, although overheating could still be the issue. I am lost on what it can be at this point. Any ideas??
Again, thank you for your time. Especially in a time when money is tight for many Americans and sending the computer to the shop or buying another one is not really in the budget. Your help is very much appreciated.
September 29th, 2008 at 9:21 pm
Pam Campbell,
1. Could be bad memory module. Try reconnecting the memory module. If you have only one module installed, try moving it into the empty slot. If you have two modules installed, test the laptop with each one separately.
2. Could be motherboard problem. Here’s what you can try. Remove all memory modules and turn on the laptop. When you start a Satellite M35X without memory, it gives you a beep error (one short – three long – three long – one short). Make sure the volume is turned on.
If your laptop will not give you the error message (will not beep) with memory removed, most likely there is something wrong with the motherboard.
September 28th, 2008 at 9:28 am
oh also, i have taken it apart to see if heat sink is clogged or thermal grease stuck on, but not really a big issue. I put a new layer of thermal grease, cleaned and blowed everything out with compressed air, and still same thing.
September 28th, 2008 at 9:26 am
I have a Toshiba M35x and at first I thought this was the DC power jack problem but under more investigation, on battery, the blue power light ring comes on, the fan starts for a few seconds, and then , nothing, but the blue power light stays on. The only way I know it shuts off or on is the hard drive light flashes. On Adapter is same thing, but the power blue light stays on all the time. It will turn to orange after few minutes, but still nothing else works except the lights.
September 27th, 2008 at 9:32 pm
Robbert van den Berg,
I would run memory diagnostics.
For testing memory you can use Memtest86+.
I linked to this utility in the sidebar in Resources.
September 27th, 2008 at 8:55 pm
Richard Jensen,
Before taking it apart, try cleaning the cooling module with compressed air. Buy a can of compressed air and spray it inside the cooling module (air intakes on the bottom or side) until all dust is gone.
September 27th, 2008 at 4:11 pm
i came here hoping to find out how to open toshiba satellites charger to fix a cable whose ground is almost about to come a coonection issue.
September 27th, 2008 at 4:09 pm
tremendous service and effort on your part, very professional.