Toshiba Blank Screen Fixed!

Yes, Toshiba fixed this! BIOS update is required.

Version 1.70 - 2008-02-28

* Added support for Windows Vista SP1.
* A change was made to an AMD SB600 power management register.
* A change was made to resolve a very intermittent blank screen issue.
* Added LTN154AT07-T01, LP154WX4-TLC8, B154EW08 V1, and N154I3-L03 display information to the Brightness Table.

Download BIOS update: safgv170.exe

This solution apply to:

 

This did not work for my A210-184 (PSAFGE). Problem is still there after the BIOS-update :S

 

http://www.csd.toshiba.com/cgi-bin/...jmmfefcgfkceghdgngdgnn.0&ct=SB&all_docs=false

Issue

Toshiba has received isolated reports of the following problem, on the models listed above:

The computer 'locks up' (becomes completely unresponsive), and the computer's display goes blank (turns off).

Normal operation is restored if the computer is turned off (by holding down the power switch for several seconds) and then turned back on, but the problem may happen again.

Resolution

Update the computer's BIOS to fix this problem, by clicking the appropriate link for your computer model from the following list.

* Satellite A210 / A215, Part No. PSAFGU: BIOS version 1.70
* Satellite A210 / A215, Part No. PSAEGU and PSAELU: BIOS version 1.90
* Satellite Pro A210 / A215, Part No. PSAFHU: BIOS version 1.70
* Satellite P200D / P205D, Part No. PSPBLU and PSPBQU: BIOS version 1.40

The computer's Part No. is printed on a label on the underside of the case.

These BIOS versions are the newest available as of March 2008. Yet-newer BIOS versions may be available from the Toshiba Support Website, at support.toshiba.com.

For more help, see Support Bulletin 98081213

 

I have a 2 month old A215-S5808 and never experienced the blank screen issue, but I updated from BIOS v1.30 (skipped over v1.50) to the new v1.70 last night. I updated from within Vista and everything went perfectly. After the update, I got a CMOS checksum error (normal) and hit F1 to load setup defaults and everything was fine from there.

 

i have A215-S5825 toshiba laptop
i have upgraded the BIOS from the above link but i still have the problem

 

You need to update Windows and all software from Toshiba:

http://www.csd.toshiba.com/cgi-bin/tais/su/su_sc_home.jsp

Call Toshiba for help.

What is your part number?

 

After doing what the above instructed i continued to have the same result, screen would die after several minutes, whether game play or using word..... frustrating as . I updates the drivers and updated bios and everything kept dying... so i self trouble-shooted... i used google= my favorite tool.

I did some re search on the graphics card model.. if your unaware of what it is its a radeon X1200.... ATI chipset 690.

Now with the new ati drivers installed i went back a few time to check the settings and played around with them to see what best suited my computer. i sacrificed graphics for performance and now it seems to work better (still on trial) so if you dont mind as a gamer dropping your screen quality for performance it should work, ive gone 1 hour now and no crashing (will keep that posted )

(to change the setting for your graphics card for the punters at home who are not so computer orientated, open your ATI catylist control center. Head to 3d settings, and being to play around with settings

My following actions: Anit Aliasing: x2 (using application settings box no tick, temporal anti aliasing box no tick)

Adaptive Anti Aliasing : Box ticked, bar down to performance

Anisotropic Filtering: using application settings (no tick) bar down at X2

Mip Map detail level bar down to performance

click apply, then rest the computer.

I would however like to bring attention to the temperature of the Toshibas. Me and a friends both have the same series, The A210-PSAFGA, and both have been having the same problem with the black screen, we have the same setting on our computers now and both can go back to normal computer use after serveral minute of the computer being on we notice the computer is REALLY hot, like i wanted to cook an egg on it, same with mine at home, GET a table fan to keep this puppy cool, heat DOES affect the graphics card and may cause your computer to crash, these are the words of an ATI telephone help desk worker. If you find your computers TINY little pathetic fan is not enough GET a table fan off ebay for like 20 bucks or do what i did get a normal house hold fan and use that .

I hope this helps some people who are still finding this issue frustrating,

*Edit* :update 2 hours and no black screen

applications running atm:

Online game (Conquer Online 2.0) 2 windows at 1064X725 << or something like that, and msn.... no crash, usually couldnt even get msn up and puter dies.



Ananlysis: I think that whats happening is that the demand from the graphics card is too high, vista is all looks so it obviously takes a chunk out of the punny 126 mb we get in the graphics card, not only that but running other applications which eats away the memory and destroys the little energy it gets as well. (hence the bios upgrade). But 126 mb... i mean ? why not at least 256 for vista nvm ^^


Hope this helps, sorry for the essay but sometimes as much info as possible helps instead of googling 16 different sites for 1 answer.

 

I tried updateig my bios and my laptop died halfway through now it doesnt do anything... powers up but then just black.. and its out of warranty.

 

Unless the bios chip is in a socket I'm afraid the only way to reflash it is either to get someone who has the equipment to flash it in situ in the motherboard or send it back to Toshiba and pay for the repair

Nobody should EVER try and flash a bios unless the battery is a known good one and fully charged, or preferably attached to the mains power adaptor.

 

major ouch. was there a reason that you were flashing on battery power?

 

Just an fyi, I just had the same thing happen to my A215-S5825 and I went ahead and called toshiba and they told me that it is a known issue and will be covered by toshiba until december 31, 2010 hope this helps anybody out there. I am now sending my laptop back to toshiba to get fixed at no charge.

 

Hi wade3fan07,

I am having the same issue you had with your Toshiba notebook. My model is Satellite A210 - MS508C. Would you be able to tell me how the Toshiba representative was able to recognize this issue as a known issue by Toshiba? I called technical support for help as well but they just told me to send it in. Any help is greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance.

 

I have exact same problem with my A215-S5825. Just got off the phone with TOSHIBA REP. They told me that this issue is not in their database of known issues. Any pointers how to proceed with them?

Thanks.

 

I tried running the BIOS update on the Satellite A210 as well... closed all programs and even gave it lots of time to cool off before running it. It turned off by itself in the middle of updating the BIOS and now it won't turn back on at all. I can't get anything on the screen, no beeps, nothing. Exact same problem as you guys.

I contacted Toshiba support (Canada) about this and because it's out of warranty they're telling me to take it to an Authorized Service Provider (Future Shop) after admitting that it was a problem with the motherboard on these models... so I asked why I should have to pay for it if it's a known issue with this model. I followed the steps for running the update correctly and now I'm left with an even more useless notebook.

He mentioned escalating the issue but never really told me when they would be calling me back--if they even will because it was difficult to understand him. I wish I had other people's luck with customer service. This really sucks on Toshiba's part... to offer an update that toasts your machine and pass you on to an ASP who will more than likely make you pay for the repair. There's a reason Future Shop was selling these so cheap on boxing day.

 

Like everyone else that has posted here, I had the same intermittent screen blanking problem. I updated the BIOS, and that seemed to fix the problem for a few months. Then it started happening all over again.

Here's a few interesting things I've noticed about it:
1 - It never happens when it's running on just the battery. It only ever happens when it's plugged in. No idea why...
2 - When it does happen, I have to unplug it then plug it back in for it to boot back up. If I don't unplug it, the power will come back on, but the system doesn't do anything.
3 - This has only ever happened while it was in Windows. I've let it sit for hours at the BIOS setup screen, and I've had it sit for hours at a windows boot up menu, and it's never gone black.
4 - I had Vista and Windows 7 (beta) dual booting on my pc, and it happened in both operating system.

I believe that is a combination of a hardware issue and an incompatibility with Windows.
I tried the fix suggested where the power saving options are updated as per Toshiba, but no luck.

It's gotten to the point where I do all my work with the laptop unplugged, and when it runs out of battery juice, I turn it off and plug it in for a couple of hours to charge it, then unplug it so I can use it again so I don't have to worry about the screen going blank.

It's almost 2 years old, so no warranty left, so I guess I'll just keep plugging away at trying to find a solution for it.

 

i have the same problem and i dont know what to do, my laptop stocked now for a year...kindly guide me how or which number should i call for assistant ...My model is Satellite A200...its out of warranty now also. thanks a lot...

 

Can you please explain the contac Toshiba procedure or reference # for this Problem.
They clain not having any info for this problem.

 

same problem with my A215-S5825. Just got off the phone with TOSHIBA REP. They told me that this issue is not in their database of known issues. Any pointers how to proceed with them?