Toshiba Laptop will only start in safe mode

a reply to: scubagravy

You're saying you replaced the internal keyboard (from the top without taking the case apart)?
Seriously having a hard time wrapping my mind around that.


Pull up some big PC forums, they all should have some 'bootup problems see here before asking questions' photo tutorial thing for everyone to be able to paste in and solve 82.49738% of the new user posts they get.

Go thru all that.

And consider you maybe jostled a connector inside the case if you went in it.

If that fails, and you're out of patience dicking with it while not being in a hurry, get a hard disk adapter and plug the HD into a desktop and yank out any files you 'need'. Re-insert and now re-install windows (assuming you have the facotry disk, or a Win disk that isnt a factory pack-in kind of disk [that can be installed on any computer you try to load it into]).

And try to reinstall Windows. It should almost immediately become apparent whethre or not it was a hardware or software issue in origin.

I forgot to mention one of the most important steps in tackling computational electronics gremlins: after a couple hours of stone walls, walk out of the room and go outside or something for a while.

a reply to: IgnoranceIsntBlisss

hot/cold variations are a core cause of "cold solder joints

I highly doubt that, otherwise the Climate Change extremists would of said something ....

a reply to: IgnoranceIsntBlisss

He is able to get things working before booting into normal windows, as he can access the startup settings to enter into safe mode.

This is the screen I'm referencing:



The option I mean, is Enable Low Resolution Video. To me that implies booting into normal mode but in low resolution, which is different to Safe Mode. If that does work, then it would rule out most other things, and tells me it's a driver issue.

And if it does imply that it is normal windows mode, then reinstalling the video drivers would carry across to the next boot.

I just get the impression that as safe mode, and all screens prior to entering into the normal mode windows 8.1 desktop are visible and accessible, the problem lays with the video resolution being too high for the default windows drivers to handle.

But without having hands on access, it's always difficult to troubleshoot things over forums, unless there are specific errors or information.. a friend of mine in the US has given up on her laptop saying it just wont boot up... I know if I had hands on access, I could fix it. I would go crazy till I did... but asking simple questions... some people like her just don't bother answering or give conflicting answers, and it's impossible to help..

which is frustrating..

originally posted by: AttitudeProblem
a reply to: IgnoranceIsntBlisss

hot/cold variations are a core cause of "cold solder joints

I highly doubt that, otherwise the Climate Change extremists would of said something ....

a reply to: IgnoranceIsntBlisss

ETA: I meant Startup Settings, as opposed to Boot Settings..

as in, changing drivers and so on. as you say, it's called Safe Mode, for that very reason.

a reply to: AttitudeProblem

Well if they declared that AGW would cause massive worldwide Cold Solder Joints to epic global destruction metrics, that would be fun.

Where they'd blame 'all "cold solder joints" on AGW, I'd have to correct them.

"Cold solder joints" is actually a loose term that describes several (if not all) possible solder joint failures.

Old timers like to insist how its a MFG term when the heat isn't proper at a specific joint on a PCB during manufacture (where the entire board / environment is all heated to a uniform temperature).

Now I wont say that isnt actually possible.

If it was a new product / component displaying Gremlins then I'd go with that. But when you work with high power (volts +/= amps) parts, that are aged, and you find 'them', then obviously it wasnt a MFG cockup; go to where the heat is first to likely find the problems. But dont forgot 'riff raff' on a stress worthy point is also a potential hot spot when a human gets involved with its existence post-mfg.

You shouldnt have brought this up. Now Al Gore will be going crazy proclaiming that ManBearPig is going to cause rampant cold solder joints in all global iPhones. When he does, sure it will happen dont you dare bet your life on it... yet when he surely declares this as an inevitability... at least in regards to iPhones, the solder joints are so tight while the phones rarely get HOT... all spawning from a circuitry MFG process that demands perfectly even heat, that cold solder joints in iPhones paranoia, even under AGW is over the top.


I feel ya, man. lol

you can almost certainly rule out hardware problems by creating a USB with a LIVE BOOT of Linux Mint or similar distro using Pendrivelinux as a bootloader.


It will not make any changes to your harddrive...in fact if you want to be sure you can just take your harddrive out and try it that way.

If you can run Linux Mint off a liveboot USB stick with full resolution, keyboard functions and everything else then it would seem to indicate an OS based problem, or maybe BIOS, but definitely not hardware or soldier problems as speculated.

a reply to: IgnoranceIsntBlisss

Toshiba Satellite S50-A unclips from top, undo two ribbons (gently) one ribbon for keys, the other i imagine is for the backlight of the keys.


Got it to the Toshiba screen again, this time it says Checking Disk for Errors....This might take over an hour, it says lol.

Been 10 mins so far.

originally posted by: LoneWrecche
a reply to: IgnoranceIsntBlisss

He is able to get things working before booting into normal windows, as he can access the startup settings to enter into safe mode.

This is the screen I'm referencing:

The option I mean, is Enable Low Resolution Video. To me that implies booting into normal mode but in low resolution, which is different to Safe Mode. If that does work, then it would rule out most other things, and tells me it's a driver issue.

And if it does imply that it is normal windows mode, then reinstalling the video drivers would carry across to the next boot.

I just get the impression that as safe mode, and all screens prior to entering into the normal mode windows 8.1 desktop are visible and accessible, the problem lays with the video resolution being too high for the default windows drivers to handle.

But without having hands on access, it's always difficult to troubleshoot things over forums, unless there are specific errors or information.. a friend of mine in the US has given up on her laptop saying it just wont boot up... I know if I had hands on access, I could fix it. I would go crazy till I did... but asking simple questions... some people like her just don't bother answering or give conflicting answers, and it's impossible to help..

which is frustrating..

Well done mate, thats the screen, i have selected 4 and/or 5 to get where i was this afternoon.

1hr 10 mins

Not feeling good about it.

a reply to: scubagravy
You're solution still leaves room for a failing hdd i.e hardware problem, just saying.

a reply to: GreenGunther

mate, i dont actually have a solution, i am a pc dummy...you need bricklaying, carpentry or need me to fix your veee hickle...i'm your man.

But please elaborate on your solution, cause right now, i need all the help i can get.

I had basically the same problem on a laptop and after talking to a tech, this is what got me going again. The guy said that [ somehow ] it was not using the correct drive? I was told to go in and change it from XYZ to ABC. That actually fixed the whole thing and as soon as I rebooted, everything ran fine.............................till my [ at that time ] 12 year old daughter dropped it out her bedroom window. Don't ask me why she had it out the window....Never really got to the bottom of that one.

originally posted by: DAVID64
I had basically the same problem on a laptop and after talking to a tech, this is what got me going again. The guy said that [ somehow ] it was not using the correct drive? I was told to go in and change it from XYZ to ABC. That actually fixed the whole thing and as soon as I rebooted, everything ran fine.............................till my [ at that time ] 12 year old daughter dropped it out her bedroom window. Don't ask me why she had it out the window....Never really got to the bottom of that one.

thanks Dave, kids do the darndest things lol

Do you happen to remember how you changed it from xyz to abc, thats the chapter im up to.

originally posted by: scubagravy

originally posted by: LoneWrecche
a reply to: IgnoranceIsntBlisss

He is able to get things working before booting into normal windows, as he can access the startup settings to enter into safe mode.

This is the screen I'm referencing:

The option I mean, is Enable Low Resolution Video. To me that implies booting into normal mode but in low resolution, which is different to Safe Mode. If that does work, then it would rule out most other things, and tells me it's a driver issue.

And if it does imply that it is normal windows mode, then reinstalling the video drivers would carry across to the next boot.

I just get the impression that as safe mode, and all screens prior to entering into the normal mode windows 8.1 desktop are visible and accessible, the problem lays with the video resolution being too high for the default windows drivers to handle.

But without having hands on access, it's always difficult to troubleshoot things over forums, unless there are specific errors or information.. a friend of mine in the US has given up on her laptop saying it just wont boot up... I know if I had hands on access, I could fix it. I would go crazy till I did... but asking simple questions... some people like her just don't bother answering or give conflicting answers, and it's impossible to help..

which is frustrating..

Well done mate, thats the screen, i have selected 4 and/or 5 to get where i was this afternoon.

Dude, I keep saying try 3.

Low resolution normal mode. If it boots and you can use it, you know it's not hardware, but a driver problem !!!

a reply to: scubagravy

I just have to smile.

I have no idea how saying try the boot into low resolution mode, in more than 3 posts, leaves a reply of you've tried other options but that.

I should get into local IT work again. I probably could become a millionaire in short notice.

"have you tried turning it off an on again?"
"It's still on, I've tried rebooting it."
"have you tried turning it off an on again?"
"It doesn't have anything in settings."
"Have you tried turning it off and on again?"
"I think I'll just buy a new one."
"Ok... thanks for calling"

No offence Scuba, but I am going more and more bald lol

a reply to: LoneWrecche

Mate im sorry , i did read it, alas my brain has fried. Perhaps i should have walked away for a while as IGS suggested.

Is it too late to try 3 my friend , i am not the best of replying under these conditions. ?

originally posted by: scubagravy
a reply to: LoneWrecche

Mate im sorry , i did read it, alas my brain has fried. Perhaps i should have walked away for a while as IGS suggested.

Is it too late to try 3 my friend , i am not the best of replying under these conditions. ?

Depends on what youve done thus far.

If you can still get to that screen, where you enter safe mode, and select 3, to just even check if it does boot into normal mode in a lower resolution, then no it's not.

If you can, from there, my first step would be to reinstall the video drivers. Then try a reboot. If what I do think is correct, that would get you back. No mad stress.

If it does not work, then.... ^ other ideas would need to be considered. First most, copying your needed data and stuff, before trying anything else.

But that you can boot into safe mode, and use the kb, touchpad, pc in an otherwise unhindered manner, rules out hardware problems in my opinion. A dud cold solder would negate you using it at all. I just think windows has chucked a wobbly, and it's not unknown to do that.

Hence I am suggesting the driver issue before you go crazy reinstalling your OS.

When I worked in IT, more than once I was told "Just call HP and get a replacement motherboard, stop messing...." but I'd work after hours, and more than once, and in one particular case, a dud MB was not a dud at all, the reason the CD burner would not work for this one client, was a driver she'd installed. Investigation saves time, because you learn from it. If we all stripped cars or bought new ones if the battery became dry, we'd be stuffed... but that one little but of knowledge, leaves us better capable, should it happen again !!

*ok a bit long winded and probably not totally applicable lol, but the point does stand!!*

I bet you that if it boots into normal mode with low res, and you reinstall the video drivers, you'll be back without losing your stuff, Scuba...

a reply to: LoneWrecche

Thanks, i managed to get that blue screen up again and selected 3. After 5 minutes it is still a black lit screen.

So it is safe to say that i can only get it restarted after pressing 4. Can i re install the video drivers then ? Do i right click and disable ? Then scan for hardware changes ?

I can also press 5 which i have just done. Currently sitting at Desktop in Windows 8.1