Laptop model Toshiba Equium A200-1V0 Official link & specs : http://uk.computers.toshiba-europe....edProductPage.do?service=UK&PRODUCT_ID=138201 Description of problem The laptop is generally working fine. However when switched on and in normal use if the charger is plugged in the entire machine cold-hard-freezes and has to be turned off by holding power button for 5 seconds. (Keyboard Caps-Lock toggle light is non-responsive too) To charge the laptop it must be turned off, and left to charge. It cannot be turned on whilst the laptop is plugged in either. It doesn't even show the bios screen. The power adapter and cable have been replaced The internal laptop battery has been replaced Neither fixed it... What causes this strange problem and how can it be fixed? Please help?
ive had this issue before at work although didn't find a cure as i wasn't dealing with the fault but sounds to me like a short possibly on the board i can imagine as it doesn't sound soft ware related although have you tried a fresh install ?
Hi Silver, I have done a fresh install of windows but no luck. I'm pretty sure its a hardware problem.
Sounds like a power surge is causing the lockup. Possibly due to insufficient voltage noise filtering. Have you tried flashing to latest bios?
Elton it locks up at any possible time the second you plug in the charger. During the BIOS, loading, or inside windows. The laptop doesn't even boot with it plugged in fullstop.
Hmm, does it boot without the charger? And have you tried plugging in the Laptop without a battery but with a charger? Somehow I have an inkling a wonky hard drive does this. But not always.
The HDD was newly replaced as well Elton. Will try plugging in the laptop without a battery but charger in and see if it boots later tonight... Although ive just found this. http://www.techsupportforum.com/for...ezing-when-charger-is-pluggded-in-540507.html The description is exactly the same and it mentions that a capacitor is at fault and changing the power mode of the laptop (balanced/performance/power saver) amongst other things will temporarily help but the fault is terminal eventually untill the part is replaced.
To see if it is the power adapter(charger) and its noise filtering etc, you can buy either a replacement or buy a multi adapter from somewhere like argos just to check it, if it works then its your charger. If it doesnt it sounds like its either the charger unit or the motherboard of the laptop. Had this issue with my dads old HP. New motherboard was required.
Shame laptops dunt have user changeable mobos. Wooden it be great if a laptop was like a PC with every part changeable? You'd have a range of mini GPU's from Nvidia and ATI, mini soundcards and choice of CPU. You could have a range of mini coolers for the cpu, mini liquid cooling system, some degree of overclocking.
Hi Silver Im now not sure what to think. The link I provided in #8 (http://www.techsupportforum.com/foru...in-540507.html) looks identical to what Ive been experiencing. Furthermore the laptop is 3/4 years old and thus likely to be suffering from this problem. It seems like a hardware problem rather than an software problem, or BIOS issue for that matter. Im just skeptical that if i put time into flashing the bios it still wont fix the issue.