Member Avatar for aoife2811

Hi, my Toshiba Satellite L300 won't boot up after I installed Skype. It runs on Windows Vista. The LED for the power and is on but the screen stays blank. Is there anything I can do? Thanks.

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Context: a Toshiba Satellite L300 running Windows Vista that stopped showing anything on-screen immediately after a Skype install. The power LED is lit but the display is blank. The suggestions from and are sensible; the checklist below adds additional, non‑overlapping diagnostics and safe fixes to narrow whether this is a software problem or a hardware/display fault.

Immediate non‑invasive checks

  • Perform a power drain: remove AC and battery, press and hold the power button ~30–60 seconds, reconnect AC (leave battery out) and power on.
  • Verify system activity independent of the LCD: observe keyboard lock LEDs (Caps/Num) or listen for fan/HDD; connect an external monitor to see whether the machine is actually booting. A very faint image when shining a bright light on the screen indicates backlight/inverter failure rather than a full boot fault.
  • Remove all USB/peripherals before testing.

If Windows will load a recovery/limited environment

  • Prefer System Restore to a point before Skype was installed. If a limited desktop is available, uninstall Skype and roll back the display driver in Device Manager; then run sfc /scannow and chkdsk /r C: from an elevated prompt to repair system files and disk errors.

Basic hardware checks (for someone comfortable opening the case)

  • With power removed and ESD precautions, reseat the RAM modules and the hard drive connector; inspect the LCD cable at its hinge. BIOS POST beeps or no fan/HDD activity point toward a hardware fault. If the internal display is dead but an external monitor works, the inverter/backlight or cable is the likely culprit.

Cautions and next steps

  • If under warranty, do not open the machine; contact Toshiba support. If diagnostics remain inconclusive, note exact symptoms (HDD light, fan, beeps, external display output, any BIOS messages, and whether System Restore points exist) before seeking professional repair.

Recommended Answers

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Member Avatar for mjdodd

will it boot in safe mode (press f8 repeatedly on start up?)
try right click on screen as well, as some progs take over the screen and blank it and rt click can get it back!
have u got a strat up disk ie windows boot or linux... try using that
Also try pressing F5 at boot up and it will run you through the boot sequence (press a key to advance and you may find the one that blocks?
Can u hear the hard drive running?
good luck
M

Member Avatar for cguan_77

try to do a repair installation if you have the disc...

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