HELP! Laptop screen keeps turning black but not off!

[tha503girl]

Ok so I have a Toshiba A105 s4284 that I just bought from a friend that bought it in january and it was working fine until just recently, all of a sudden the screen just goes completly black when I'm in the middle of something, I mean the computer doesn't shut off at all its just the screen. I've looked around on all the other forums trying to see if anyone else was having the same problem i was and I couldn't find anything. It doesn't just fade, it goes completly black, I've tried the fn + F5 key and that didnt work, I've jiggled the hinges to see if that was the problem and still nothing. When I shut the laptop it doesn't even go into stand by mode like it should its like the laptop froze. I've tried to run a virus scan on it and it gets to a certain number then the computer restarts or it goes black again. I'm good with computers but not that good so I have no idea as what to do, any help would be so much appreciated. Thanks in advance :)

[caperjack]

Ok so I have a Toshiba A105 s4284 that I just bought from a friend that bought it in january and it was working fine until just recently, all of a sudden the screen just goes completly black when I'm in the middle of something, I mean the computer doesn't shut off at all its just the screen. I've looked around on all the other forums trying to see if anyone else was having the same problem i was and I couldn't find anything. It doesn't just fade, it goes completly black, I've tried the fn + F5 key and that didnt work, I've jiggled the hinges to see if that was the problem and still nothing. When I shut the laptop it doesn't even go into stand by mode like it should its like the laptop froze. I've tried to run a virus scan on it and it gets to a certain number then the computer restarts or it goes black again. I'm good with computers but not that good so I have no idea as what to do, any help would be so much appreciated. Thanks in advance :)

have you tried hooking it to a external computer monitor and see if it goes black to .could be a bad .lcd

[LeeNicholson]

Hallelujah!! Finally I have found someone else who is having exactly the same problem as I am having. I have been searching forum after forum looking for help regarding my black screen problem. It just suddenly goes black whilst I am in the middle of something, but not off, it's like the computer has completely frozen. I then have to hold downt he on/off button for about 30secs-1min for it to switch off, but sometimes that doesn't work, so then I have take out the battery and put it back in!! What a load of shit this Toshiba is. no way will I be buying Toshiba again.

Did you ever find out what the cause was and how to fix it. Any help would be REALLY appreciated.

Thanks
Lee

[Suspishio]

Hallelujah!! Finally I have found someone else who is having exactly the same problem as I am having. I have been searching forum after forum looking for help regarding my black screen problem. It just suddenly goes black whilst I am in the middle of something, but not off, it's like the computer has completely frozen. I then have to hold downt he on/off button for about 30secs-1min for it to switch off, but sometimes that doesn't work, so then I have take out the battery and put it back in!! What a load of shit this Toshiba is. no way will I be buying Toshiba again.

Did you ever find out what the cause was and how to fix it. Any help would be REALLY appreciated.

Thanks Lee

... and did YOU connect to an external monitor to see what happens as caperjack suggested?

[caperjack]

... and did YOU connect to an external monitor to see what happens as caperjack suggested?

you took the words right out of my mouth.lol

[GlennChords]

I have this same exact issue...usually happens when I am playing a game or have been watching videos on You Tube for a while. The entire screen blacks but it stays on. You have to then hold down the power key until it turns off. Then, you have to hold it down to restart the laptop. When you restart asks if you want to restart windows normally or some other mode. Mine is a Toshiba A215-S4817.

Anyone figure this out? The laptop runs Vista.
Glenn

[caperjack]

I have this same exact issue...usually happens when I am playing a game or have been watching videos on You Tube for a while. The entire screen blacks but it stays on. You have to then hold down the power key until it turns off. Then, you have to hold it down to restart the laptop. When you restart asks if you want to restart windows normally or some other mode. Mine is a Toshiba A215-S4817.

Anyone figure this out? The laptop runs Vista. Glenn

No,we didn't figure it out yet,need more info,will ask you same question we asked previous poster ,did you hook it to a normal computer monitor and see if it does the same thing to that monitor!!????.

[GlennChords]

Hello,

No I have not hooked up a monitor to test that out. However, based on the way it freezes it would seem to not be just a monitor issue.

I have checked around other threads and most seem to think this is a problem of overheating. There was one Toshiba model that was actually recalled because of this. The system does run hot after prolonged use.

One of the quick fixes they suggest is to prop up the back of the laptop allowing flow of air underneath and around laptop during use. I have tried this since last night and have not had the problem...

Glenn

[Suspishio]

...

One of the quick fixes they suggest is to prop up the back of the laptop allowing flow of air underneath and around laptop during use. I have tried this since last night and have not had the problem...

Glenn

The simpler ones often come to us last!

Yes, this is a great problem avoider and well recommended.

[caperjack]

a 8 dollar can of compressed air ,to blow out the heat sinc and fan through the side is recommended to.

[tobas2]

Ok so I have a Toshiba A105 s4284 that I just bought from a friend that bought it in january and it was working fine until just recently, all of a sudden the screen just goes completly black when I'm in the middle of something, I mean the computer doesn't shut off at all its just the screen. I've looked around on all the other forums trying to see if anyone else was having the same problem i was and I couldn't find anything. It doesn't just fade, it goes completly black, I've tried the fn + F5 key and that didnt work, I've jiggled the hinges to see if that was the problem and still nothing. When I shut the laptop it doesn't even go into stand by mode like it should its like the laptop froze. I've tried to run a virus scan on it and it gets to a certain number then the computer restarts or it goes black again. I'm good with computers but not that good so I have no idea as what to do, any help would be so much appreciated. Thanks in advance :)

Ey I think that I have the soulution :) and sorry for my bad english but I'm mexican :P.
I had the same problem with the same notebook.
You need to do this.

Control Panel -> Hardware and Sound -> Power Options.
from there it doesn't matter which plan you pick (Balanced, Power Saver, High Performance). choose one and click Change Plan Settings, then Change Advanced Power Settings.
Under Procecessor Power Management, make sure the Minimum and Maximum settings are at 100%.

After this, your notebook are going to run like a dream :D.

I wish this help you :).

Please tell me if help you =). Good look.

[adb1xx]

Thank you, for the information. I called Toshiba customer support and this apparently is a known issue. There workaround was the same as yours. I hope it works.

Ey I think that I have the soulution :) and sorry for my bad english but I'm mexican :P. I had the same problem with the same notebook. You need to do this.

Control Panel -> Hardware and Sound -> Power Options. from there it doesn't matter which plan you pick (Balanced, Power Saver, High Performance). choose one and click Change Plan Settings, then Change Advanced Power Settings. Under Procecessor Power Management, make sure the Minimum and Maximum settings are at 100%.

After this, your notebook are going to run like a dream :D.

I wish this help you :).

Please tell me if help you =). Good look.

[adb1xx]

Sorry. I meant "Their" not "there".

[pdiaco]

I'm a member of the black screen club too :-). Mine is a HP.

Now that someone has suggested it might be due to overheating, I note that I have had had random black screen problems only since I installed an extra 1 GB of RAM into the underside of the the HP. I expected a lot of heat to be generated but was not sure what the side-effect would be. I wonder if things get too hot the notebook shuts the screen backlighting down in order avoid 'meltdown'.

I'll try providing better ventilation by improving the air circulation as suggested above. That might work. The HPs are not too brilliant on ventilation - some of the major air grilles are at the underside of the computer where they can be completely cut off if the notebook is sitting on a soft or uneven surface. I'll have to improvise something to elevate the notebook above the surface to allow free circulation underneath.

Philip

[Suspishio]

What a shambles HP laptops that overheat turn out to be. It makes mockery out of HP's former good name.

[sjones1055]

having the same problem started doing it every so often but now it does it everytime i turn it on

[cailleac]

Well I have a Dell Inspiron 1720. The warrenty expires today so Dell will not help me with issue unless I for over another 170ish bucks.... I tried installing updated NVdvia 8699m driver which supposedly causes this, but to no avail. I also tried hooking up a different moniter, nada. It is ironic it started doing this same day my warrenty expired ( even though it is not suppose to expire until 1159 tonight...) I ever did a complete restore, and nada, it still does it, intermittent and no warning nor visible error code. sometimes it comes back, sometimes it does not (and it is not going to sleep or hibernate, etc.)

[ilovemylappy]

i also have the same problem but i have a Hp laptop that runs vista
it happens when im playing a game i think it has something to do with overheating
when it goes black i hold the power key till it turns off then i hold my laptop in front of a fan for a few minutes and it starts right up does anyone know what i should do to prevent this problem?
should i send it back?
or buy a fan for it?
any comments will help thanks

[caperjack]

buy a good cooling fan .
http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/category/category_slc.asp?CatId=3486

[Jupiter 2]

The same problem occurs on all computers when a user is gaming for more than 3 hours. The virtual memory is eaten up and the video memory gets eaten up.

Save often. shutdown every two hours for a 15 minute coffee break.
Videos and games are memory hogs. Its worse for laptop computers because they were not really designed for continuous Gaming or watching multiple videos.

Always maintain 20% free space on the HDD.