Toshiba satellite a105 with no display

[niki1]

Ok, hope this is correct.

Hi, I was using the laptop Tuesday evening, and left it on and open. Wednesday showed only a black screen. I have tried power on and off, and get the first three led's lit, it sounds like it wants to boot, but then nothing on the screen. I have tried without the battery, without the ac cord, and also hooked it up to an external monitor and rebooted, but nothing. Toshiba said it is a hardware issue, not in warranty, and $175 minimum to look at it. Is there anything that I can check first?

Thanks,

niki1

[jetadm123]

Re: Toshiba satellite a105 with no display

Hello and welcome to the forums! With the laptop turned on in a dim room, try shining a flashlight against the dark screen. If you see a faint image, then it could be caused by a bad inverter assembly or bad backlights.

Also, other possibilities include:

bad or poorly seated video card, if video card is separate from motherboard
bad memory or cpu
bad motherboard
loose connection between LCD screen wiring harness and motherboard or video card

[niki1]

Re: Toshiba satellite a105 with no display

Thanks. Tried the flashlight, nothing. Stopped in to bestbuy where I bought it, and geek squad said probably the motherboard, and since computer is 4 years old, he said it was too expensive to fix. I would like opinions from here.

Thanks

[Wrog]

Re: Toshiba satellite a105 with no display

While I wouldn't personally trust anything Geek Squad tells you, this is likely the correct diagnosis from your description. If you're comfortable with replacing the motherboard yourself, you can get a "New" one from eBay for $45 shipped. Obviously, make sure you double check it's the right one because there seems to be a few different versions of the A105.

I think it's worth it to try and fix -- my personal criteria on laptops is if they have a widescreen LCD, then it will be in demand.

[jetadm123]

Re: Toshiba satellite a105 with no display

If you do go the motherboard route, you can try searching for one on ebay using the full model # A105-SXXX. However, since different motherboards may have been used, the ideal method is to take the laptop apart and look for the factory part number, V0000XXXXX. Some of the boards can get very pricey and it really only makes sense if you do the work yourself. And if you have never done this type of work before, it can be a bit overwhelming.

[niki1]

Re: Toshiba satellite a105 with no display

Thanks for the advice. I will do some research, and see what I find.

niki1

[niki1]

Re: Toshiba satellite a105 with no display

Just another thought. First off, I have been reading some faq's and posts, and while a lot of it is over my head, I really like and appreciate this site. Is there a way to know if my motherboard would benefit/repair itself with recapping, or am I still better off to look for a new motherboard?

[Wrog]

Re: Toshiba satellite a105 with no display

Laptop motherboards are almost an entirely different animal than desktop motherboards. There is a very low probability that your problem is due to bad caps, because laptop motherboards are almost entirely surface mount. Surface mount caps don't go bad as often as electrolytics do, and when they do go there is usually some visual evidence. It won't hurt to open the laptop up and check!

I would venture to guess in your case, you would need a replacement GPU (which requires special machinery if it is soldered directly to the motherboard). If you want to post pics of the motherboard, we can verify it. If you can post the entire model number (as jetadm123 says, A105-Sxxx), that would give us more clues too.

[niki1]

Re: Toshiba satellite a105 with no display

Thanks. I will do that. I just like the idea I get from this board, that not everything has to be thrown out , or large components replaced for a .30 item! Less expenditure, and less in the landfill. It will take me awhile to take it apart, but I will post pics. My model #is #PSAA8U-0FH02K and the ser# is y6242926q

[niki1]

Re: Toshiba satellite a105 with no display

Ok, started to open the laptop. Wow, the ribbon connectors are sure short. Is there any reasonably easy way to detach and reattach? It looks like reattaching will be the worst. I will take pictures and post when it is fully open.

[Wrog]

Re: Toshiba satellite a105 with no display

Most FFC (flat flex cable) connectors have a bit of plastic that swings up perpendicular to the PCB, and they are usually pretty fragile (and hard to replace!). Good idea on the pics beforehand!

[jetadm123]

Re: Toshiba satellite a105 with no display

Try this link, the photos are already taken for you:


http://www.irisvista.com/tech/laptop...herboard-1.htm

[stj]

Re: Toshiba satellite a105 with no display

lift the keyboard up and the dark brown bit on the connecter lifts a couple of mm to release the cable.
(i have an a100)

remove the harddrive & wifi card & see if it works before you strip it.
i'v seen faulty sata drives stop laptops dead in there tracks.