Member Avatar for David Williams

When I press the power on switch absolutely nothing happens. No power light comes on. The power output shows the correct 19.8 volt output so do you think this is simply a faulty on/off switch or something more drastic. Is it likely I can replace anything or, as I suspect, likely to be an expensive repair by Toshiba? Your comments will be gratefully read and appreciated. Thanks, David

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Given your symptoms, , and that ’s EC reset did not help, this is almost never the power button. On most Satellite models the DC-in LED will light as soon as stable adapter power reaches the board, even with the button board disconnected. No LEDs usually points to the DC-in path: adapter under load, the jack/cable, the input fuse, or the first protection MOSFETs.

Quick triage you can do safely:

  • Try a known-good 19V adapter with the same plug and polarity. A meter showing ~19V with no load does not prove the brick can supply current under load. If the brick’s own LED flickers or dims the moment you plug in, suspect a short on the laptop’s input stage.
  • Remove the battery and test again on AC only. Gently wiggle the barrel at the jack; any momentary LED activity or play suggests a cracked jack or DC-in daughterboard.
  • If you are comfortable opening the chassis (unplug first, battery out): check whether your model uses a small DC-in board with a cable. Reseat that cable. Near the jack on the mainboard look for tiny fuses marked F or PF; check continuity with a meter. An open fuse usually means the board saw a fault; replacing it without finding the cause will just blow it again.

Repair guidance: if the DC jack or a separate DC-in board is bad, replacement is straightforward and far cheaper than a motherboard swap, as noted. If the jack is soldered directly to the mainboard or the input MOSFETs are shorted, that is board-level work. If you mainly need your files, pull the 2.5 in drive and use a USB enclosure to recover data while you decide on repair. ’s known-good battery test is still useful, but with no DC-in LED, the power path is the prime suspect.

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Member Avatar for zeroth

I would first try with a battery that you know is good...

Member Avatar for comlor

When you plug in the ac adapter does the unit show that it is plugged in on the LED?

Was the unit turned on and running on battery when you last used it, IE: was the unit in hibernation mode?

You can try removing the battery and ac adapter and holding the power button down for about 20 seconds. Afterwards plug in AC adapter w/ no battery and turn on unit.

If this works then the battery died while the unit was in hibernation mode.

Shut down unit and reinsert battery. Power back on. If works ok just let the battery charge and you should be good

Member Avatar for David Williams

No the adapter isn't indicated by an LED. (No LEDs come on at all). You suggestion about removing the battery etc. didn't work either. I presume it's likely to be the power output on the motherboard. (?). Thanks, anyway.

Member Avatar for comlor

No the adapter isn't indicated by an LED. (No LEDs come on at all). You suggestion about removing the battery etc. didn't work either. I presume it's likely to be the power output on the motherboard. (?). Thanks, anyway.

You are more than likely correct there. Usually with your symptoms and the fix i suggested doesn't work the internal power supply on the notebook is bad.

The cost on this repair varies. If your power board is seperate from the motherboard then the cost is significantly lower. Different vendors build them different ways unfortunately.

If it is only the power board you can probably get it replaced for approx $150. If it is the whole motherboard it just depends on how much the board costs. If you are comfortable replacing these parts yourself the cost will be significantly cheaper.

Member Avatar for susane21

Comlor,

Thanks for your answer to David's Toshiba dead battery problem. It worked for me. Very good easy to follow directions too. I'm not a techie and I really appreciate the knowledge that you and others like you share to help us mere users.

Member Avatar for lynhopper

Yes! these instructions were a lifesaver for me, too--thanks so much!

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