My Toshiba Satellite M35X will not boot
I have a Toshiba Satellite M35X-S149 that will not boot up or post.The led around the power button stays on.The only way to turn it off is to unplug the power adapter and take the battery out.It will power on for about 5 seconds and the fan will go right back off but it looks like the power button stays on. All the LEDs in the front are on as far as battery and power.Have tried to boot up with out a hard drive and same thing. Have pulled the memory out and replaced it same thing. Bought a new power adapter that didn’t work either. It’s like it’s always on but won’t boot. By turning it on the fan and the led for the hard flashes but goes right off again. About ready to throw this thing out and buy a different laptop.
I think there is a problem with the motherboard and it has to be replaced. You can try to troubleshoot the laptop as it explained in this post, but I’m pretty sure you’ll get the same result.
Today I had to troubleshoot a Satellite M35X laptop with the same problem as yours. I also tried removing the hard drive, dvd drive, wireless card, replacing memory modules, but it didn’t help. In my case the laptop was booting with video on the screen while I was applying some pressure on the motherboard in the area of the video chip. As soon as I stopped applying pressure on the motherboard, the video disappeared. I assumed that there was some kind of connection problem somewhere on the motherboard and quoted to my customer a new motherboard.
September 16th, 2008 at 9:05 am
I too am having booting problems with my Toshiba Satellite M35x. I started having overheating issues with the laptop a couple months ago – it would just unexpectadly restart while using an application. I bought a fan pad and that seemed to solve the problem up until last night – when suddenly, while just using email and a browser, the screen went black and nothing – no more hard drive activity but the laptop still had power. I held down the power button to turn off the laptop. It turned off. Then when I turned it back on I only get a power light on indication on the power button – the front lights indicate power, battery is charging and power on. But no other activity. I went through the trouble shooting post – followed it and nothing – So I assume it’s a motherboard failure…. is there anything else to try?
September 18th, 2008 at 10:33 pm
Rick,
Remove all memory modules and turn on the laptop, make sure the volume is turned on. Does it give you a beep error message? Usually, a Satellite M35X beeps when you have no memory installed. I believe the beep error code is: three long – three long – one short, etc…
If the laptop will not beep with memory removed, there could be a problem with the motherboard.
If the laptop beeps, check the memory module. Could be bad memory module.
September 19th, 2008 at 9:58 am
Looks like a bad motherboard – all memory removed and no beeps – nothing – nada.
September 23rd, 2008 at 5:31 pm
My Toshiba M45-S169 laptop has a power on-off issue. First I have no problems with the functioning of this computer, but when I turn the power switch off,it shuts down correctly. Then when I want to turn it back on I will need to push on the power switch several times before it turns back on. Could there be an issue with the power switch as it seems like it needs to be push just right to make the connection to start up? Also will this computer operate without a battery as I could just unplug the power, but as is the battery will take over? Please reply by e-mail. Thanks, Carlos Freymiller
October 7th, 2008 at 8:12 pm
we too have had several issues with our Toshiba M-35 s149 laptop. it has been sent in for power port repair, hard drive replacement, motherboard replacement, ram replacement, and once again for power port repair, but our last call to Toshiba was turned away, as Toshiba has a class action lawsuit over the M35 Satelites, to which we werent informed. Now its doing the same as all of yours, boots up, flashes the screen then goes blank, and if u hold the power button down, it will shut down.
October 17th, 2008 at 9:39 am
Exact same problem for me for the past month… EXCEPT that it will randomly turn on and boot up no problem, and I can use the computer for about 20 minutes before it just shuts itself off. It usually always turns on first thing in the morning after “resting” all night, but then I have problems all day trying to get it to boot (blue light on power button comes on, fan runs about 5 sec. the stops, and led lights on the front are lit). The motherboard was replaced last year, no charge to me, when I had problems booting (the welcome to Windows screen would display and then freeze). I bought a new battery and that did not help. I’ve removed the memory and reseated without any luck.
Has anyone had luck replacing the power port? Also check out this posting regarding reseating the CPU. http://www.answerbag.com/q_view/414098 I think I will try it….
November 2nd, 2008 at 10:30 pm
Go to this website and read. This will fix the problem. it is a soldering issue with the motherboard….. I have sent my off 3 times while still under warranty…
http://imateski.blogspot.com/2008/08/toshiba-satellite-m35x-motherboard.html
November 17th, 2008 at 7:43 pm
I had this same issue and called toshiba who said they could replace the Mother Board for $425.00.. After reading shawn’s posting I followed his repair guide and sure enough the problem was poor soldering. I was able to just put soldering paste on the solder joints that connect the chip (the one from the above link) which was poorly soldered to the mother board and just heat the joints without having to actually re-solder the entire chip. Thanks again Shawn for the detailed repair guide!!!!!!
November 21st, 2008 at 12:09 am
Hello all. Gotta love this one right?? Shawn great post by the way with the walk through. I, however had no luck. I have a great 48 pin 10×10mm chip and the power connection is working right. I tested the conductivity with my meter even. I noticed though that my power supply connecter is slightly messed up. So applying pressure I am able to get the puter to boot up and all. But then it does the same old dance. FREEZE up on me. Fan kicks on medium speed screen is frozen with whatever is on it and no function from the unit at all. So I guess I’m stuck with a parts computer. If anyone has any ideas please let me know. I am now using an HP Entertainment machine love it but have spent to much time trying to figure this thang out. Good luck to all
Chris
January 7th, 2009 at 9:15 am
I have Toshiba M45 laptop strangly the screen went completely black. Even while booting it do not show anything. I tried external monitor but it do not show anything either. PLEASE HELP
January 7th, 2009 at 9:18 am
Anil,
The first thing to check will be RAM. Make sure RAM modules are seated correctly, reseat them just in case.
If you have two RAM modules installed, try removing them one by one. If one of the modules is bad, the laptop will start when the second one is installed.
January 7th, 2009 at 9:55 am
Update to my 10/17 post… I completely disassembled the computer down to the CPU and heat sink. Everything looked fine. I could not remove the CPU, it seemed to be stuck to the mother board… tried lightly prying it up with no luck. I put everything back together and still am having the same problem (I was happy it even turned on after having dismantled the thing). I think that the CPU is warping from heat and becoming dislodged from the mother board. This Toshiba is 5 years old now and so I think I will buy a new HP laptop…
January 7th, 2009 at 10:20 am
Bill,
The CPU is not stuck, it’s LOCKEd in the socket.
Don’t do that. You have to unlock whe socket in order to remove/reseat the CPU.
You can try to disassemble the laptop to the bare bone system and test it that way. It’s explained in this guide: How to troubleshoot the problem. It’s an example for a Satellite M35X laptop.
January 9th, 2009 at 1:21 am
Greetings everybody. I am the author of the link for the fix with re soldering the Maxim chip.
The fix works. It only depends on one’s ability to do good solders instead of cold solders. The issue with putting pressure in the graphics chip as a solution is a smokescreen. Notice that the i915 is only a few inches away, and any pressure at any location on the MoBo will twist the entire board, creating tension between all pin-joints. As I have written on my blog tutorial, it takes some skill to pull the Maxim resolder off. Im an electronician, with about 15 years of experience, so it was a piece of cake for me. But rest assured, the led-free solder alloys are guilty for this problem. Its not Toshiba. The same issue with poor solders cause the HP nx6110 to freeze up spontaneously due to poor contact in the FSB controller.
January 9th, 2009 at 8:43 am
Hi Igor, I am contemplating trying your fix. What would it cost to buy the soldering iron and other necessary supplies, and where can I find it? Is it something Radio Shak would have?
February 9th, 2009 at 11:14 am
My Toshiba MX35 S311 laptop monitor fails to turn on when powering up. I hooked up an external monitor and got it to come on and then it automatically switches back to laptop monitor and everything seemed to be working until I moved the laptop; then it went dead again. Now when I hook up the external monitor, I cannot get either monitor to work. Could there be a short in the wiring that connects to the monitor? I have also tried removing RAM and hard drive and reinstalling but I do not think that is the problem. Please help!
February 9th, 2009 at 11:22 am
Hi Konrad
The monitor plug is very close to the MAXIM power driver. When you plugged in the external monitor, that probably caused slight deformations on the motherboard, causing the laptop to boot. This sounds identical to the problems people report all over, of the M35x not booting. Try the troubleshooting tip and the fix guide I wrote:
http://imateski.blogspot.com/2008/08/toshiba-satellite-m35x-motherboard.html
February 28th, 2009 at 11:34 am
I have the same proble with my M35X fan runs for 5 sec then shuts down. Took it apart and found the power module was gooped on with epoxy. I tried to dig through it and resolder. It had obviously been repaired before you could tell from the solder on the back, and I bought this computer new 4 years ago. The fix didn’t work. I didn’t see any cracks near the PL1 but soldered anyway. Do you think it’s worth installing a new power supply or is it obviously something else. To me if it’s getting power, it’s something after the supply and I need a new board. Even with one on ebay for $80 I wouldn’t invest it. What do you think?
February 28th, 2009 at 8:06 pm
Dominic,
Apparently there is a problem with the motherboard. A new power supply will not fix it.
February 28th, 2009 at 11:12 pm
The problem is not in the power jack. It’s elsewhere. I’ve described the problem and writtten up a step by step tutorial on how to fix this issue. It’s worked for hundreds of laptops sofar.
Just follow the instructions on the site
http://imateski.blogspot.com/2008/08/toshiba-satellite-m35x-motherboard.html
March 7th, 2009 at 9:37 pm
My Toshiba L300 laptop would not boot, i was in the basement playing it, then i just closed the screen and brought it up stairs, i remember i didnt hit anything or drop it, i put it on the table and tried turning it on, I just heard the fan and the cd drive make sounds for about 6 secs, than the screen went black, i tried turning it on and off, left it on for half an hour than turned it on and off, and it just didnt work.
March 12th, 2009 at 6:15 pm
i turn on my laptop and it does a POST then i get window with safe mode options and start from last known spot. But this is not the F8 screen i can not get into safe mode or any other mode it just restarts and i am back to the same screen. i can not access the bios screen it just seems to lock up. any help is greatly appreciated thanks