Toshiba Qosmio F15-AV201 has a video problem where it only runs in 4 bit mode with vertical lines on the screen
My 18 months old (out of warranty) Toshiba Qosmio F15-AV201 has a video problem where it only runs in 4 bit mode with vertical lines on the screen, and the NVIDIA graphics processor doesn’t seem to be recognized by the system. It had worked fine until it perhaps got overheated during a PC game. I tried letting the machine cool off, starting in safe mode, reinstalled the Toshiba video drivers, but it didn’t help. My local computer repair shop disassembled and tested the unit. They said the GeForce GPU has failed, and since it is soldered on, a replacement motherboard is needed ($1200 for the part)! So I decided to buy a new laptop and not repair the Qosmio (it would have been $1300). The computer was used very little during its life, and its working components are in fine shape. Do you have any ideas on what to do? Can I use the components to build a barebones mini PC, or barebook? Can the 15.4 LCD be modded for use as an external VGA monitor? Are the Toshiba’s Pentium M CPU, RAM, 80G hard drive, Bluetooth, wireless card, and DVD super multi drive useable in a barebones mini or other desktop system? How about a barebones notebook (whitebook)? I would be able to build a small entertainment PC relatively cheaply this way. Am I able to upgrade a used or refurbished notebook using the parts? Alternatively, I could sell the whole notebook for parts on eBay. Advice?
Here’s Toshiba Qosmio F15 disassembly guide, just in case you want to tear it apart some day. The video chip in this model is integrated into the system board and if it fails, the entire system board must be replaced. But wait, do not take it apart (yet) and do not sell it (yet). I believe, at this time Toshiba replaces system boards in Qosmio G15 and Qosmio F15 laptops because of some kind of defect on the system board. It looks like they will replace it even if your laptop is not under warranty anymore. Check out this thread for more information. Just call Toshiba and mention that your Qosmio F15 will not boot and most likely the system board is bad.
June 18th, 2009 at 11:55 pm
i own a qosmio f15-av201 and i my laptop is all blackout. i am from the philippines and bought the laptop in the us and is now out of warranty. i called the local toshiba here and said mine is not included in the “warranty issue”. can someone please help me?
April 23rd, 2009 at 9:35 am
OK, I followed the advice of the other posts and an inserting this comment in the event others might have the same issue.
I have the F15-AV201 (purchased in 2005) and it had the vertical lines on the display (appeared six months ago). This is a defect, on the nVidia graphics chip.
Since the chip is soldered on to the system or mother board, the only fix is to replace the entire system board.
I called Toshiba at the number posted herein, around April 10, 2009. The person I talked to was in the Philippines. Oh, the number was 800.457.7777, then at the first prompt press #1, #3 then #1 (rather than waiting for each prompt.)
Told them the model number and that I heard Toshiba was replacing the system board at no charge. I called it the “Northstar System Board Replacement Program.” He looked up my serial number info and said that it qualified for the “SYSTEM BOARD ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM.” He did not say “Northstar.”
He sent me a UPS prepaid box, sent the notebook in, got it back about seven days later! It had an updated system board that included a better nVidia graphics chip. A system check indicates it has the GeForce Go 6600.
Note: I did not have to argue with the CSR, it’s like they are told not to argue and simply arrange for the repair. Cool.
Note: I got the notebook with Windows XP and all original software installed. It’s like they used the System Recovery disks to reinstall everything. I did include a post-it note saying that the OS was messed up. Also, included with the return were two CDs that contained drivers and applications that are in comport with the new system board. The instructions said to install XP with my old recovery CD, but for all other drivers and apps, to use the two disks they sent me.
So cool that Toshiba is doing the right thing and fixing these at no cost to us.
April 16th, 2009 at 5:05 pm
My DVD Drive went out on my Qosmio G15-AV501. The light stays on and I can’t get it to read anything. I am afraid to replace the drive and have it turn ou to be something else. Also, does anyone know where is a good place to get that drive that will not cost me an arm and 2 fingers?
March 21st, 2009 at 12:18 am
My toshiba qosmio f15-AV201 can not boot and i was told the motherboard is to be replaced. Am from Ghana, how do i go about it. please help because am in desperate state. my mechanic thinks there is no help anywhere. Do you share the same view?
February 11th, 2009 at 8:55 pm
My son’s screen went out, after reading this forum I called Toshiba, 2-3-09, they sent him a UPS box and he mailed it back on 2-5-09. Toshiba has already received it, repaired it and is waiting to ship it back, so overall it should be about 10 days. Excellent service, just hope it is fixed when he gets it back.
January 17th, 2009 at 8:10 am
Bought my F15-AV201 from Best Buy on 1/12/05, really liked the machine and had no problems until 12/25/08 or so and then was in the middle of working on it when pooooof no fan and vertical lines appeared on the screen. Did a web search to see if anyone else had experienced this problem and stumbled across this forum. On 12/27/08 following the posted suggestions, called 1-800-457-7777, then 1, then 3 then 1. They asked for the Serial Number and informed me my laptop was “Out of Warranty”, duh! I told them I was surprised Toshiba had not informed purchasers and recalled these computers as they must have known they had a serious problem. I told the customer service rep anyone in their right mind would buy a Toshiba based on the postings from a most basic web research. She asked for a specific forum, placed me on hold, came back on the line and asked if I could continue to hold while she spoke with her supervisor, came back on line and Low & Behold I now qualified for the “Northstar System Board Replacement Program”. Was sent a UPS prepaid 2nd day box on 12/30/08, exchanged my hard drive with a replacement purchased on e-bay for $45 as they always seem to “lose data”, boxed up my unit and shipped it off which they received on 1/12/09 (due to the holidays I guess). The repair was completed on 1/14/09 and the unit was shipped back to me on 1/15/09. UPS shows it should be delivered on 1/16/09. Overall not a bad experience thanks to the postings of members here. Still would like to know exactly what the “Northstar Upgrade” is? Guess I’ll find out on Monday.
January 1st, 2009 at 11:20 am
Igor,
Did you test the laptop with an external monitor. If external video output has exactly same defect and the lines go away when you move or press on the display, there is a problem with the motherboard, not LCD.
Before you disassemble the laptop, I would suggest testing external video.
If lines appear only on the internal LCD, most likely it’s a problem with the screen.
Will be similar to this guide, same idea.
Replacing LCD in Acer laptop.
January 1st, 2009 at 11:12 am
Antonia,
If it’s only one hair-like vertical line, most likely your problem is related to the LCD screen. To confirm that test video output on an external monitor, it should have no lines.
I don’t know. LCDs just fail sometimes. Possibly bad solder joint somewhere on the LCD controller board, or bad component.
January 1st, 2009 at 11:01 am
You may have a bad motherboard in the G15. This model has a defective GPU on the motherboard. Check the board before buying a screen.
Thanks,
Jared
January 1st, 2009 at 11:01 am
Hi,
I do not have the drivers but you can get them from http://www.toshiba.ca . They can also be found at http://www.driveragent.com .
Thanks
Jared
December 31st, 2008 at 3:54 pm
Jared
Hi again, received the mobo, many thanks.
Do you have the drivers as we are unable to get the machine to boot after using the recovery dvd. I believe that Toshiba issued an update cd when the boards were changed by their repair centre. Any help would be appreciated.
December 30th, 2008 at 8:58 am
Could anybody send information on how to change the LCD screen on a Qosmia G15 AV501?
If you have hair-like vertical lines that go away when you press on the screen, then most likely that the screen failure.
I would try removing the LCD and putting it back and hope for a miracle. Last month it helped me to “fix” a bad LCD on IBM ThinkPad. The screen was bad, it had some horizontal lines on it. Reseating cables and replacing the video cable didn’t help. But, after I removed the screen and put it back I got a perfect video. I think that when I put all screws on sides back in place, they stretched the screen somehow and made it work fine. I’ve never seen the customer again. I don’t know if it’s going to help you, but I think it worth trying.
December 30th, 2008 at 8:33 am
Hi,
I own a Qosmio G15 AV501 and I encounted a similar problem with the LCD monitor. There is one (hair-like) vertical line on the screen. Does this indicate a screen problem? If yes, what could have caused this problem? I keep the laptop on my desk, I never moved it and I rarely put the monitor down? Any suggestions or advise are appreciated. Thanks!
December 2nd, 2008 at 3:53 am
Just to let people know, Toshiba are not always helpful in repairing the motherboard when you have a failed graphics card on the Toshiba F10. After a lengthy phone call, they tried to explain how all laptops have their own problems. They would not repair my laptop as it is out of warranty. The unit itself has only had around 5 months of use as previously it was sitting in its case – obviously in their opinion the computer is having fair wear n tear then! I wont be buying toshiba products again, for use i have certainly not had my money’s worth from thus unit.
November 26th, 2008 at 3:56 pm
Hi Jared
I am slightly confused. I have just been across to your ebay listing but there is no buy it now for this item.
I assume ebay.ca is the same format as ebay.co.uk.
Can I also assume that it will be alright to pay through my paypal account?
Thanks
Yvonne
November 26th, 2008 at 3:10 pm
Hi Yvonne,
Yes I do have them. The boards I have are also the new revision with the better Graphics Processing Unit.
These are brand new. I have about 20 left.
I have them listed on Ebay.ca . Our user id is webepartz.
You may search by seller to find the item or I can sell you one outside of Ebay. Your choice. We ship worldwide too, but only by UPS and it is quite expensive to ship to Eurpoe. This is why I started the auction at only $139.99 and the buy it now at $179.99. All in USD.
You are welcome to bid on it or you may just click on the buy it now button. Or you can reply asking me to sell you one outside of Ebay. I will need your confirmed paypal address too.I will then I will reply with our Paypal ID and shipping costs. The shipping cost you may get from the auction page, there is a shipping calculator near the picture.
Here is the Ebay auction number 250331343805 . There is 1 bid on it right now with 16 hours to go. You can bid and maybe you will get it cheaper than $179.99. No worries, I have more of them.
Thanks,
JaredaJ
November 26th, 2008 at 1:48 pm
Hi Jared
Do you have boards for a Qosmio PQF10E-01L00KEN?
The graphics are fried on mine and struggling to find a replacement board. If so, would you be able to ship to UK?
October 10th, 2008 at 12:47 pm
Hi,
If anyone is looking for a solution for the Toshiba Qosmio F10 F15 G10 G15. I have about 70 NEW boards which are the NEW revision with the better GPU.
I will sell these boards for $190.00 USD each.
Please let me know if you are interested in any.
Thanks
September 27th, 2008 at 12:42 am
Purchased G15 in Jan 05. Within a year the video card malfunctioned (screen went blank). Still under warranty, I recieved “on-sight” repair. Tech came to my house and replaced video card on my dining room table. Toshiba extended my warranty for another year as a courtesy. Just over a year later, the screen went haywire (screen full of green symbols, then went blank again). Called Toshiba to complain, but was told my warranty was up. I told them about letter extending my initial warranty and they requested a fax copy to confirm. But that point was moot because the extended warranty was still expired. I didn’t need to complain too much before they offered me a “systemboard enhancment.” This time I would have to send the laptop to repair depot. They sent a box, I mailed it back via UPS, and got the laptop back in under a week. It’s worth it to note, they never advertised a recall for a known compatability issue with the new video cards and the old motherboards. They were simply going to wait for consumers to call and wait out the warranty period for all those that didn’t call right away. Then my a/c adapter caught fire. I thought I damaged it, so I ordered a new one ($100+). Then screen went blank again within six months. They sent another box to send to the depot to diagnose it, but any repairs needed would have to be paid in advance via credit card, or sent back if I refuse to pay. They would fix anything and everything wrong for a flat fee of $500.00. I knew I wasn’t going to pay, but I sent it in anyway to at least find out what was wrong with it. Well, they sent it back without offering to take my money. They simply cleaned the inside, and replaced the fan…..no charge. According to their actions, I think I can assume that was the only thing wrong. Everything worked fine from then on until I got two of those vertical lines on my screen. Then a month later my a/c adapter caught fire AGAIN! This was the replacement. I called Toshiba support, and spent 4 hours total calling, being transferred, being hung-up on, re-calling support, and kept stating that I didn’t want to pay for new adapter because it was obviously a faulty product. I simply wanted a replacement, but jabbed that I would be calling them every two years for a replacement if they keep catching fire. I also asked repeatedly if they really needed me to contact Consumer Affairs, the BBB, and my local news station’s consumer advocate to help. I asked if they really wanted the bad publicity of their product catching fire and damaging personal property. I finally thought I was going to make headway with a free relacment when Toshiba surprised the heck out of me. The tech suggested that something might be wrong with my computer to make the adapter catch fire. They offered to repair my laptop, no charge, as a goodwill measure. I stated that I couldn’t back up my hard drive because I couldn’t plug the laptop in, so I asked if they could send an adapter first so I could back-up my drive, and then I would send everything back. The tech stated that she was only authorized to provide one goodwill gesture……either repair the laptop, or get a free adapter replacement. I opted for the laptop repair. So, now I’m waiting for my notebook to come back (using old iMac – ugh! – to surf web), and I will let you know how it went. What I have learned so far is that Toshiba seemed to relent when threatened with bad publicity. I kept suggesting to them that I paid a lot of money for this computer which I love, when it works, and that they should back-up their product to keep new and repeat customers happy. Will let you know what happens.
July 25th, 2008 at 2:32 pm
FYI, after having a G15-AV501 sitting in the corner of my room for a number of months, I ran across this thread and called Toshiba. First called tech support, that told me it was out of warranty (and was, in fact, beyond the repair period for this problem), but to call “Customer Care” (888.811.9602) and advised that they would help me out. Once I told the lady at Customer Care about the overheating problem, she immediately asked me if I wanted to take advantage of what I believe they called the “motherboard upgrade program”. They then gave me a UPS number that allowed me to take it to my closest UPS store and send it to them for FREE repair. I dropped it off last Saturday (7/19/08) at UPS. They received it on Monday and are currently working on it. I can track what they’re doing online through the Toshiba website (Repair Center) link. They said it takes about 7-10 days (assuming the part is in-stock). Hope this helps anyone else having this problem…
June 2nd, 2008 at 1:31 am
i have 2 toshiba laptop QOSMIO F15 BOTHE display probilem when i send to service they told mother board problem affter changeing mother board still not workin
anyone can help ………………
May 10th, 2008 at 2:12 am
The video problem is caused by poor solder joints – more info here : http://www.laptoprepair1.co.uk/laptop-vga-video-repair.html
May 5th, 2008 at 12:42 pm
Disappointed,
Did you purchase your Toshiba Qosmio in the USA? Try calling again and talk to a different representative.
I’m not sure if they still fixing this laptops under warranty but I’d try calling again.
May 2nd, 2008 at 4:51 pm
Hi,
I called toshiba about a G15 I own, same problem with fried grphics card. Toshiba will not fix it. I will not be buying another toshiba ever.
March 25th, 2008 at 11:35 am
Hello
Listen everybody problem with you got, is graphic processor with is soldering to motheboard.
Toshiba heave problem with overheat and processor and motheboard after some time is faulty but i know how fix this problem whitaud change processor and graphic memory. So my service is in the London 588 Barking Road but carefully there is two service my is IT REPAIR CENTRE if its somuone is intrest repair laptops send to me email first i give ophone nr.
March 22nd, 2008 at 10:19 pm
Josh,
Sounds like a software related problem. Did it work before? Do you remember when it stopped working? You can revert the operating system back to the time when it worked using System Restore utility.
March 22nd, 2008 at 4:40 pm
would anybody help,As i have a Notebook Toshiba QF10-100 which wont play any DVD or video files –> Absolutely no picture just sound and this doesnt matter what player you are using, everything else is fine [LCD display].
If i am missing any Codecs which i am not aware of how would i know which ones, are there any tools currently available for Toshiba?
February 29th, 2008 at 9:49 am
I would try escalating your issue to a manager at toshiba support and see if they might give you a repair out of warranty. If they won’t then find a competent repair shop to swap the motherboard. If you have never taken a laptop that far apart there are many things that can go wrong.
February 28th, 2008 at 9:39 pm
Hi,
, and it seems (from reading about 1000 other posts) that when you send them in to be fixed, the hard drives come back with factory settings….so I would lose all my information. Is there any way to use an external video card (is there such a thing?) on another monitor so I can get my information off the computer? If not, is there any other way to do it?
I have a Toshiba Qosmio g30 and the video card is toast. It seems like this is a very common problem with this series. What I am wondering is:
I never backed up my data
Also, is it a good idea to buy the motherboard from eBay (the only place I have been able to find the part) and install it myself?
Thanks SO much!
Kim
February 27th, 2008 at 9:55 am
Luckly I found this website. I just got off the phone with toshiba and they are replacing my motherboard for free. I have to take it to a UPS drop-off where they will pack it and mail it for free. My F15-AV201 started experiencing the lines on the screen and I knew my warranty was over. But Thanks to this site, I’ts getting fixed for free. I was worried that they weren’t replacing them any more. But lucky I called! Thanks! Will post back after I recieve it.