Toshiba A660 - no boot

[tw2005]

One for the Laptop Gods, I'm out of ideas.

Toshiba A660 - no boot.

LA-6062P Mobo.

So this is the score.

1. Purchased broken, cracked screen , no other description, bare unit, no ram, hdd batt, etc.
2. have, suitable batt and PSU, 4GB RAM module
3. apply power, power button lights, fan runs, no panel ilumination, sits there for about a minute, then fan speed suddenly increases, shutdown
4. disassemble, desolder CMOS batt, then resolder, power on and now screen illuminates and get see jumbled messages due to no HDD or ODD installed. Looks good at this point.
5. reassemble, install HDD from another old laptop, ODD, power on. Screen illuminates, blinking cursor, no boot, no message
6. Toshiba bios splash screen shows briefly, then back to blinking cursor, ODD spooled up, W7 disc present, cursor gives double quick blink as if it atemmpted to boot, nothing more, ODD starts slowing down.
7. going into bios and setting boot priority makes no difference, so making DVD 1 gives same result.
8. create USB boot disk with W7, change priority to USB and same result.
9. remove HDD and remove ODD, USB now only device. Laptop now boots from USB drive to installation setup, HDD and ODD installed hotas it's booting
10. installation sees both, windows unable to install, has message to the effect that the device is not seen as a bootable device. I will get some photos to be clear.

Feel pretty safe it's a MOBO issue but no luck finding anything similar except on laptops that had Secure boot. changing Boot from UEFI to CSm .

this does not have that in bios.

Never struck this before.

i also managed to get hold of a USB flashable Bios update in hope maybe there was something gone in that and successful flash, but yielded no change..

Tried swapping RAm position etc nad even managed to replicate the original condition of no display and shut down needing the CMOS batt removed again.

Somewhat frustrating to get this far and dead end.

[tw2005]

Re: Toshiba A660 - no boot

Hoping the link works.

https://goo.gl/photos/1vp3Z9Bc4YLdt5Mr9

[piernov]

Re: Toshiba A660 - no boot

That's not a UEFI laptop so you won't find CSM or Secure Boot. It is too old.
I don't think it's a motherboard issue here, rather Windows is acting up. Not really surprising, try creating a new MBR partition table on the hard drive. Your hard drive could be dead too.
Also if you boot on a Linux live USB/installation, everything should work fine.
You might still have a BIOS corruption issue but chances are low.

[tw2005]

Re: Toshiba A660 - no boot

That's not a UEFI laptop so you won't find CSM or Secure Boot. It is too old.
I don't think it's a motherboard issue here, rather Windows is acting up. Not really surprising, try creating a new MBR partition table on the hard drive. Your hard drive could be dead too.
Also if you boot on a Linux live USB/installation, everything should work fine.
You might still have a BIOS corruption issue but chances are low.

Thanks for the ideas. Unfortunately, I've already tried several HDD and the one I used I then tried in another machine and completed an installation.

Something is not right with the boot process on the machine.Will not even boot from a working drive from anther machine,

Don't know enough to figure it out. I have quite a few Toshibas, even A500 and something else which may be not related but on all those the splash screen comes up first , then the blinking cursor, then it boots.

This seems to have the cursor, appears to attempt a boot, then it's as if it resets,throws the splash screen up to change to another boot option and then another quick double blink of the cursor as if it attempted a boot then hangs.

Remove both SATA devices out , then it will see USB boot but otherwise wil not.

EVen tried swapping ODD just in case that was causing it to hang but same.

[piernov]

Re: Toshiba A660 - no boot

Ok sorry, now after looking at the video it looks pretty clear that it is not a normal behaviour…
I don't know what is happening there. Are you sure the RAM sticks are ok? Maybe you could try to flash the BIOS even if I doubt it will solve your issue.
Those kind of issues are maybe related to the PCH, it can be half dead…

[tw2005]

Re: Toshiba A660 - no boot

Ok sorry, now after looking at the video it looks pretty clear that it is not a normal behaviour…
I don't know what is happening there. Are you sure the RAM sticks are ok? Maybe you could try to flash the BIOS even if I doubt it will solve your issue.
Those kind of issues are maybe related to the PCH, it can be half dead…

Sorry, meant to add that detail, yes found a USB bootable Bios Update which went like clockwork. Update from 1.2 to 2.3, in hope it was a bios glitch but, no change.

I did do a bit of research and was heading in the direction of the PCH which is part of a BGA chip, Intel I think.


Yes thinking it's potentially in there but way outside my knowledge. Clearly if it's that it needs a board.

As for the RAM. I only have 1 4GB stick of type suitable, all my others use PC2 6400.

I do have a couple of 2GB sticks coming to swap but Bios sees the RAM.
actually, I could USB boot Hirens and try a memtest I guess

[tw2005]

Re: Toshiba A660 - no boot

SO the memory showed no errors. And I was wondering if having a 4Gb stick would be an issue, but seriously thought highly unlikely.

My 2 x 2Gb sticks arrived, wholly S#*T Batman. It just booted from any device.

PC10600 1333Mhz vs PC8500 1033Mhz

Whoops. That's what happens when you just grab the only DDR3 you have laying around.

[vinceroger69]

Re: Toshiba A660 - no boot

I think we all at one time or another have made this mistake it was a odd fault though but hey you sorted it out that all what matters