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I asked question in another forum but noticed that a question above my own had not received any response within last month, so I decided to start a new thread.

My Toshiba laptop yesterday shut down cold in middle of work. No lights. No sounds. No nothing. I several times unplugged it then plugged it back in but noticed that the power light would only occassionally flicker for split second; other than that ultimately nothing. I've not quite seen this question in my scan of the previous forum.

Additionally, I removed battery and tried plugging it in again. Same results. I always keep my laptop lifted with an extra base for fan circulation. Fan is dust-free as far as I can tell. It got hot by its nature, but I did my best to keep it cool through air circulation, sometimes a second fan directly on it. Not yesterday though, just lifted for general ciruclation and in A/C room. Had been on a lot, though.

If laptop is revivable, or if a way to replace power source supply within laptop, please provide suggestions. Thank you.

Edited by GeneralUSA because: added more info
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  • Latest Post Latest Post by rubberman

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Brief, practical diagnostics to try before paying for service (building on ’s report and ’s repair suggestion).

Try a safe power-reset and charger check first. With the battery removed and the adaptor unplugged, press and hold the power button for 30–60 seconds to discharge residual power. Plug the AC adaptor back in (leave the battery out) and try to power on. If nothing changes, inspect the adaptor and cable for frays, a loose tip, or a burned smell. If available, measure the adaptor’s DC output with a multimeter or try a known-good, compatible charger—intermittent or no output points to the adaptor, not the motherboard.

If the adaptor seems OK, look at the laptop’s DC jack and underside (only after removing power and battery). Wiggle the plug gently while the adaptor is connected: any flicker in the LED or change in behavior suggests a loose or damaged jack or daughterboard. Open the service access (use proper ESD precautions) and check for obvious burn marks, swollen capacitors, or a loose power cable connector. While inside, reseat the RAM modules and the drive connectors—poor contacts sometimes prevent startup. If the laptop won’t power but the drive is intact, remove the drive and connect it to another PC with a SATA-to-USB adapter to retrieve important data before further repair.

When to stop and pay a technician: if the adaptor and jack test good but the laptop still shows no power, the fault is likely on the motherboard power circuitry (VRMs/MOSFETs) and requires component-level repair or board replacement. Ask any shop for a written diagnosis, whether they will test with a known-good adaptor, and an itemized quote (DC jack/daughterboard vs full board). For older models, compare repair cost to replacement, and prioritize recovering the drive first if data matters.

Member Avatar for rubberman

Take it in for repair. Something is fried on the motherboard most likely, or the power supply is fubar.

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