My Toshiba Qosmio G30 suddenly developed the green screen problem
I have Toshiba Qosmio g30(no serious probs since purchase) that suddenly developed the green screen problem.The xp start up screen is green & black/dark gray pixels are also green. There is also some red pixel distortion in scroll bars and menu boxes.
I was using it fine today then i half closed the screen and left it to go on standby or hibernate. Anyway, when i flicked mouse to turn it back on, the green pixels were all over the desktop. PLEASE bear with me on my steps because i really don’t think it is a fatal hardware fault and don’t want to dismantle yet!
1)I thought video card driver corruption – installed new & original drivers but no joy. also tried other various tosh drivers for other parts.
2)problem the same in safe mode so started to get worried.
3)then approached the color management profiles thinking they had been corrupted somehow – short term fix but not happy. basically you can alter the settings to get rid of most black pixels…eg they will be v dark grey. the less there are the less the problem is visible. maybe there’s a prob deep inside windows, startup progs or registry that messes with pixel display/pixel shader? sadly i don’t think it’s that simple.
4)i can safely rule out water damage and have not dropped or bashed it.
5)I then suspected a damaged wire in the hinge mechanism but since i can have perfect blue (without even a single green pixel)i just doubt that any potential damage caused in the hinge would affect only black pixels…..and also only black pixels on all your pcs/laptops! playing around with hinge angle so far fails to solve problem but i haven’t entirely ruled it out since the last thing i did before it all happened was move the screen.
6)The static theory is certainly interesting but how would it have suffered such a problem? can heat / power supply or even sudden hinge movement cause this? Anyway, have tried touching inner frame/depress start fix but no joy yet. will experiment further with this but why would it only mess with the black/grey pixels and not green pixels instead?
7)I will soon try external monitor that should narrow down problem a bit more
8)in the meantime i am going into bios and will try a few other things…some rest for my laptop, a test of black pixels in photoshop etc, and some more static shck therapy!
ANY HELP would be greatly appreciated but surely we can’t all have the same faulty wires…it’s just such a specific problem.
QS remains is it software (windows, color management, drivers, registry, hibernate/standby/start up prob etc), or hardware ( lcd – graphics card communication, static charge, cable damage)
If these pixels appear on the screen as soon as you turn on the laptop, even before Windows starts loading, most likely your problem is not software related and there is something wrong with hardware.
First of all, you should test the laptop with an external monitor.
If the external video is fine and these green pixels appear only on the internal LCD screen, most likely you have a problem with the screen. You can buy a new replacement screen here.
If both external and internal images have the same defect, you might have a problem with the video card. Unfortunately, I believe the video card is integrated into the system board and when it fails, you have to replace the whole motherboard.
As I mentioned above, before you make any conclusions, test the laptop with an external monitor.
UPDATE. September 30, 2008.
Toshiba Qosmio G35 BIOS Update and GPU Repair Program
Based on our Investigation, some Toshiba portable computers have Graphic Processing Units (GPU’s) that may exhibit one or more of the symptoms specified below.
If you experience a failure, you may see one or more of the following symptoms:
- Multiple images
- Random characters on the screen
- Lines on the screen
- No video with power onConsistent with our commitment to customer satisfaction, Toshiba is conducting a free GPU Repair Program for customers whose portable computers contain the subject GPUs in the model identified below and have experienced a GPU performance issue.
Qosmio G35-AV650
Qosmio G35-AV660
Qosmio G35-AV670For more information please contact Toshiba Support at 1-800-457-7777 or a Toshiba Authorized Service Partner near you.
January 22nd, 2009 at 9:45 am
I have a 2007 G-35. I have had the same problems all you described. I have had 2 motherboards repaired. It just broke again last week and Toshiba says they wont do anything about it. This is definitely a class action law suit. Any suggestions on what I can do to get my $2500.00 back?
January 12th, 2009 at 4:26 pm
Same thing happened to me when I had the motherboard repaired. It went away bit by bit the more I used it. Within 2 or 3 days the image defects were gone and it’s been working like new since then (2 months)
January 9th, 2009 at 11:54 pm
I am in London UK. I had the common problem with the screen described here. I bought the machine in July 07 and had the problem December 08, so it is out of warranty. I called Toshiba tech support and described the problem. They said they were extending the warranty for 1 additional year because of the problem and would fix my machine. Someone from the company that repairs the machines called my and said they would organise pickup and return the machine within 5 business days. DHL picked up my laptop and returned it in 5 days! They installed a new motherboard and bios.
However, I now have a new problem. every 10 minutes or so the screen goes all screwy. Verticle columns appear and shift a few sentimetres causing overlap so I can’t really read what is on the screen. Ths seems to last about 30 seconds to a minute on average. The strange thing is that if I put the mouse cursor over where this overlaps, it is not affected. It is only the text or videa of whatever application I am using. The desktop is affected too.
I have not found this problem documented anywhere else yet. I will have to return my computer again and will post once I have a solution from Toshiba.
December 26th, 2008 at 1:32 pm
I have faulty G30-116. I paid £600 for repair. It happened in 13 month from purchase, one month after my warranty. They do not want give me refund. Bustards. What to do?
December 19th, 2008 at 11:05 am
for all the sufferings we had for the Qosmio G30 Video related issue this should be dealt in court.
December 14th, 2008 at 12:51 pm
Hi,
I have a similar problem with the G30-175.
The monitor just doesn’t come on. I can hear everything else working fine. It’s only 1 year and 8 months old and obviously passed warranty now. What can I do? Please help! I’m in the UK too.
Thanks,
Paula
December 14th, 2008 at 2:36 am
Mike,
i had to replace my Motherboard twice (no repair), see also my other posts here. Just reflashed my machine by myself after the new Bios came out, preventiv! Bios update is straight forward and smooth. Cheers…. FRED
December 13th, 2008 at 6:57 pm
Fred,
Did you have the motherboard replaced in your G30? Do you or anyone else know if the motherboard repair (along with the bios update) is successful? Merry Xmas to you too!
Mike
December 12th, 2008 at 8:45 am
# mike Says:
November 21st, 2008 at 2:13 pm
Has anyone tried the bios update, 3.9 to “fix” the green screen problem? At this point I assume the gpu needs replacement along with the bios update… I was wondering if anyone tried the bios update on it’s own? At this point, I’ll try anything..
YES, updated BIOS on my G30 as it came out. No problems anymore so far.I think they changed the fan/cooling parms in the updated version. Merry XMAS to you all
!!!
December 12th, 2008 at 8:22 am
After speaking to a very nice Toshiba rep prior to the news release about the free fix, Toshiba agreed to fix my computer for free. I waited a month for the shipping box from Genamation in Toronto. It sat in Ontario for 6 weeks while they waited for a new motherboard. The shipping company delivered it to my residence and left it on the open front porch in the rain. Glad I live in a low crime area!!!! I removed it from it’s soggy box and dried it off. 3 months was worth the wait. It runs better than ever though the battery only lasts 30 minutes now. Fingers crossed that it keeps working.
November 22nd, 2008 at 9:30 am
Sorry ment GeForce Go 7600 GPU
November 22nd, 2008 at 9:03 am
This problem also effects the F30 which also uses the GeForce Go 7800 GPU. I have 2 of these Laptops and both have lines on screen, crashing in windows when running the Nvidia drivers as a work around I run both using standard windows VGA drivers. I going to contact Toshiba and complain under the sales of goods act as unfit for purpose (which covers products for 6 years in the UK). Will let you know how I get on.
Ed.
November 21st, 2008 at 2:13 pm
Has anyone tried the bios update, 3.9 to “fix” the green screen problem? At this point I assume the gpu needs replacement along with the bios update… I was wondering if anyone tried the bios update on it’s own? At this point, I’ll try anything..
October 26th, 2008 at 12:31 pm
Hi all
I have two G30 wheel chocks. One was droped which I am not to bothered about. The other I closed the screen when I left the office for an hour and when i came back and opened it nothing. During reboot the screen had thick red and green lines on it. Then went all matrix on me. After a while i could only boot in vga mode. The machine has now died on me. This is deff a graphics card problem as one day I had it in the car and it got real cold and when i booted it no lines ect. After 15 min when it had warmed up the same old probs as the rest of you guys. I have been looking around for another motherboard but no luck.
I am in West London uk and Toshiba is only 10 mile down the road from me in Weybridge so they will be getting a vist with a print out of this forum if they tell me its not their problem.
October 23rd, 2008 at 8:55 am
Hi all. My G30 went in for motherboard replacement twice. I dealt with a person at Toshiba H.O. in Markham Ontario for full coverage on MB replacement, even though I was well out of warranty. He was very helpful. Last time the board was replaced he told me that four insulating pads were added between the GPU and motherboard to cut down on overheat. No problems with it so far.(about 2 months) He also mentioned that a bios for G30 had been written and that he thought it might also help. Toshiba seems to be recognizing that this problem is not isolated and something must be done. I think my machine has be instrumental in helping Toshiba recognize and fix the problem for all of us. I will keep you posted.
October 20th, 2008 at 9:03 am
And yet again, I paid for the shipping! Lets see, 4 times $32 twice! It’s past ridiculous.
October 20th, 2008 at 9:00 am
Well, here I thought that I found someone at Toshiba who would help me with my problem. An above post outlines it. I’ve been without it since the beginning of september, yet again. My guy in toronto calls me and tells me to send it to toronto, THEY will pay the shipping. We yeah! They are actually gonna pay for something? I go on a two week vacation to get a call from the original repair company that has repaired it twice already, saying it is ready. Yep, they replaced the motherboard again! No finding out what is causing these boards to crash, and my faithful guy in toronto is not returning my calls. I am fed up. Anyone have any ideas of what I can do? I will bring legal action if I have to, I am SO sick of this! All I want is a god dam computer that I don’t have to send out every few months and go without for another two while they are pissing around not fixing the real problem! Any help would be much appreciated.
October 8th, 2008 at 1:28 am
UK – Getting my G30 picked up today for fixing. One phone call to the Customer Service, explaining how much I paid and how disgusting it is to have to fix it after 18months they agreed to fix under warranty this time. Good luck to everyone.
October 7th, 2008 at 7:26 pm
Yes, that would be lovely to know, what about the G30? I have that feeling that they are going to attempt to fix that piece of crap and send it back to me, hoping I’ll shut up, a fix for that would solve all of our problems.
October 1st, 2008 at 9:51 am
Great news!! – for owners of G35’s, but what about us poor G30 owners??!! Toshiba’s website is very specific about which machines they are covering in this situation and the G30 doesn’t even seem to exist as far as their site is concerned (or at least, I couldn’t find it). Anyone heard anything about our G30 doorstops?
October 1st, 2008 at 6:52 am
I Also bought mine from Londond Drugs in Northern BC (Prince George) i had it repaired twice!. I had to go without a computer for nearly 4 months.
Its Good news that there is a Repair Program. My haunting spirit can rest asure now (though i bought the extended warantee for 500 bucks).
Its good that Toshiba finally realized that customer service should be number 1. They waited too late to resolve this. I bought mine in DEC 2006. Its OCT 2008 now. 2 years. It should of been addressed after 1.
I am still wary of buying any TOSHIBA products because of this incident. I am going to stick with SONY.
Eric.
September 30th, 2008 at 10:11 pm
Thanks Laptop Freak
THIS IS GOOD NEWS!!!!!!!
Cheers
Fred
September 30th, 2008 at 1:54 pm
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ALL OWNERS OF QOSMIO G35 READ THIS:
Toshiba Qosmio G35 BIOS Update and GPU Repair Program
Free GPU repair program from Toshiba
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September 30th, 2008 at 1:21 pm
I too have the Qosmio blues! I bought the G30 at London Drugs in late October of 2006. Beautiful machine, too heaving to use as a portable but whatever, I’m a Simmer and I love this machine. And I was told by the sales person that with those specs, I wouldn’t have a problem playing my game.
In March of 07 I get the green lines etc. Motherboard was gone. It was still on the regular Toshiba Warranty and I was advised to send it out to a dealer in Vancouver! Nice, I live in northern BC! I did as instructed, I paid the shipping. The machine was sent back, Purolator lost it! Took them two weeks to find it.
Again in Feb. 08, motherboard gone. Sent it to a different company in Richmond BC. Same thing, paid for the shipping to and from. Took about a month, got it back, April 08 gone again, same thing. I’m mad now, and do you think anyone at Toshiba will help me? Refer me to someone that will help me? Not a chance. Back to Richmond it goes. The repair shop could not believe it was gone again so fast.
I got it back in record time, two weeks! Still paying for shipping. So now at the beginning of september, gone again! I had a hell of a time getting someone at Toshiba to deal with me, finally after talking to different people there, I get a call from someone in Ontario. He is currently dealing with it. I had to send it back to Richmond, where the lady at the repair company told me that as far as she was concerned, it should be replaced with a new one. 4 times motherboard goes? There’s a problem.
Now the fella in Ontario is telling me that they want it shipped to Toronto, they THINK they know what the problem is? What the hell? If they are so smart, why wasn’t it fixed the first three times? I told the repair shop that there was something else causing this. They told me that they are only authorized to deal with the current problem? huh?
How many times do I have to pay to ship the thing? How long do I have to go without a computer after spending close to $4000 on this machine (I was smart enough to buy extended warranty) and why are they using MY Extented warranty when the problem started on a part that was under the Toshiba warranty to begin with!
If there is a TAKE DOWN TOSHIBA group, I would gladly join up! I am frustrated as hell and getting madder by the day! Glad to know I’m not the only one though.
September 29th, 2008 at 7:53 pm
Well I’m the latest idiot victim to this G30 stuff… My screen is of a lovely bright red colour all the sudden, music still plays though and I’m in normal mode. I’m in the UK, and if anyone had a success story and has any good contacts regarding getting free warranty or new MB, I would be grateful. As you gather, I’m out of warranty.
Anything to fix this hyperventilating piece of junk…
September 2nd, 2008 at 1:43 pm
Hey guy I had the same problem as all of you and I followed everything step by step to what Stan said above and the first part worked beautifully I can use my laptop in normal mode after deleting the driver. but when it came to getting rid of the line completely it did not work for me … but i am alot happier for now, i will work on it some more but at least my intenet is working and i can listen to music again.
August 28th, 2008 at 3:20 am
I have a Qosmio G15AV501 in REPLY to the above post!
August 28th, 2008 at 3:19 am
I HAVE ALL YOUR PROBLEMS ABOVE ! TONS OF BLACK DOTS EVEN ON BIOS – LINES ETC.
I FOUND A SOLUTION BY ACCIDENT. I STARTED THE LAPTOP UP WITH NO HARD DRIVE, I STILL SAW THE LINES
( BECAUSE I ALSO HAD A FAILED HDD )
I PLUGGED IN THE BACK-UP HDD AS MY PIMARY AND COMPLETELY REMOVED THE PRIMARY HDD!
( AS WINDOWS INSTALL CD WAS LOADING SETUP FILES)
THE PROBLEM WAS FIXED, I NOTICED THAT I INSTALLED THE HDD UPSIDE DOWN AND IT SOLVED THE PROBLEM, I WAS STUNNED AS THE HUNDRED OF LITTLE BLACK DOTS WHERE GONE. I FIGURE OUT THAT THE HARD DRIVE WAS INSTALLED UPSIDE DOWN WHEN WINDOWS SAID I HAD NO DRIVE, I CAN’T BELIEVE IT SOLVED THE PROBLEM. TRY IT NOW
THIS DISPLAY ERROR MUST BE A GLITCH!
MAKE SURE ALL THE PRONGS FIT!
August 19th, 2008 at 3:51 pm
Anyone in Canada should read my posts on this page for contact at Canadian Toshiba H.O.. Rob … there is no point to try to cool the new MB better. I bought $50 external laptop cooler when MB was replaced. It did not make diff.. I was having same problems shortly after MB replacement with new cooling unit. I bought the best cooler I could find.
August 16th, 2008 at 4:28 pm
Does anyone have a Canadian phone number for Toshiba’s main service centre?. Would you post it?.
I am running scared now that I have my new MB., When will it crap-out?.
Does anyone have any suggestions as to how we resolve the excess heat issue, other than a chillmat?.
I had my qosmio serviced by “Microage” in Peterborough. They told me I would have a 90 day Toshiba warranty but when I contacted Toshiba to verify same, I was told that they had no record of the repair. I faxed all the reciepts to Toshiba but I have not had any further contact.a month has passsed now.