Toshiba Satellite A70 and A75. Taking apart notebook.
I repair Toshiba Satellite A70 and A75 laptops almost every single day and I like to work with this model. I think that Toshiba Satellite A70/A75 is one of the easiest Toshiba laptops for disassembly. Unfortunately, this model has some issues. About 90% of all laptops we repair have one of the following problems:
- Not properly grounded top cover. The laptop will shut down or lock up when you touch it around the speaker or touchpad area. This problem could be fixed by replacing the top cover assembly.
- Overheating problem. The laptop will shut down by itself without any reason. To fix the overheating problem you have to take the laptop apart and clean up the heatsink.
- The power jack issue. The laptop will not charge the battery. The laptop LED flicker when you wiggle the power jack. To fix this problem you have to replace or resolder the DC jack on the system board.
December 11th, 2007 at 7:53 am
I have an A75 that the display is loose on and if it is not a 90 deg, it flips all the way open. Is there a way to tighten the hinge assembly on this thing?
December 10th, 2007 at 3:51 pm
I try to upgrade my A70 memory module .I followed instruction to push the latches inside out but nothing moving….
December 4th, 2007 at 12:55 pm
What was the problem diagnosed if it was not the motherboard?
December 3rd, 2007 at 11:37 pm
I have an A75 which I initially thought the MB was bad. Fortunately, after a bit of testing it was another problem.
When I believed I would have to replace the MB I found some on e-bay for aroung $150.00. They were used, but for that price, what the heck!
December 3rd, 2007 at 9:04 am
Thanks for the info…I had all those problems that you listed with my computer. Finally the motherboard gave up. I was told that it costs $600 for the motherboard so I didn’t bother getting it repaired. Do you think I can get a used motherboard from somewhere?
November 26th, 2007 at 12:03 pm
Hello,
Great site and info!!
Relating to an A75…the overheating problem seems to be an issue with everyone. Are there better/larger fans that may be installed? they seem undersized.
November 21st, 2007 at 9:25 am
I’m having the same problem that was brought up earlier where the computer will start, the power button will light up, the fans will turn for a couple seconds and then the whole machine will go quiet. I can feel the hdd spinning and warm air coming from the heat sink vent but it doesn’t seem to be booting and no video is coming out of the lcd or an external monitor. I have checked the processor (using your wonderful instructions, thanks) and everything necessary is plugged in tight
November 20th, 2007 at 11:42 am
Hi,
I have an a75-s206. Form some reason I do not have any back light. I have replaced the screen, th einvertor, and the video cable and the screen will not turn thr back light on on either screen. I was thinking this could be a video card problem is that possible. I can see the letter when i put direct light on the screen. I appreciate any help,
Garrett
November 20th, 2007 at 11:13 am
I have an A75-s206. For some reason the back light is not coming on. I have replaced it with another screen, replaced the invertor, and even replaced the video cable but still will not power the screen. I can see the text in the back ground but for some reason the backlight is not powering up, Any ideas it would be appreciated
Thank
October 24th, 2007 at 6:40 pm
John,
You cannot disable the onboard memory. But if you purchase this laptop in the U.S.A., you can get a free repair. Toshiba extended warranty for Satellite M30X, M35X, A70 and A75 laptops until November 7, 2007. Hurry up, you still have 2 weeks left. Call Toshiba and ask for more details. Get a free repair.
October 13th, 2007 at 1:54 pm
I have a Toshiba A70 and it will no longer boot. I can run Dr Caldera from the CD. When I run the diagnostic, the extended memory fails. Can I disable the onboard extended memory and run with only the expansion memory. Or is the mother board completely toast due to this? I know the CPU is ok because I used it in another computer with no problems.
October 3rd, 2007 at 1:11 pm
hi no matter what i do i cant get my a75 open to clean it, it feels like something is holding it back where the printer ports are… please send me an email or a msg on aol or aim djkrash65
thanks — i cannot find aNY SOLution anywhere@@
September 26th, 2007 at 12:34 pm
Hi:
I have a Toshiba a70-sp286 model. I had a problem with a CD RW/DVD drive, which I replaced. The new drive worked OK, but it stopped working a few days ago (no spinning, squeaky sound as if trying to access, and couldn’t access disks). The D: drive is recognized, but it can’t read. I replaced the drive, and I have the same problem with the new drive. Any ideas?
September 5th, 2007 at 2:58 pm
I have a A75-S206. The display is pink. There seems to be no blues (or blacks). Could this be an inverter problem or a problem with the display itself? When I connect an external monitor it works fine.
August 26th, 2007 at 9:04 pm
saf,
You should use PC2700 DDR333 laptop memory. You can install up to 1GB memory module into the memory expansion slot located on the bottom of your laptop. There is only one memory slot in this model. Open the door on the bottom right in the middle of the laptop and you’ll find it.
August 20th, 2007 at 9:35 am
Hey, I have Toshiba Satellite A70 .. I want to upgrade ram can u guide how to do so .. what kind of ram & where & which slot to put in
thx
August 15th, 2007 at 8:51 pm
Tina,
Check out comments 310-312, you might have a similar problem. If you have a memory stick installed into the expansion slot on the bottom, try reseating it. It’s possible the memory stick is not making a good connection with the motherboard.
August 15th, 2007 at 1:52 pm
Hi,
I used your instructions to dissasemble my toshiba laptop a-70 due to overheating issues. The heatsinks were a mess. I followed all instructions carefully and assembled the computer. Once I turn it back on, the fans run for like a couple of seconds and it sounds like its working but there is no screen, even trying to open the cd drive does not work. Please help. I even took it apart again to make sure everything was connected properly. THanks
August 15th, 2007 at 12:50 pm
thanks, that did the trick
August 13th, 2007 at 11:12 pm
Collin,
I usually do it just to make sure the CPU is properly seated inside the socket.
August 10th, 2007 at 12:27 pm
I took apart my A75, cleaned out the heat sink and put it all back together and the screen and wifi switch would not turn on and the computer would not boot. (very similar to other posts except mine did not magically fix itself) I took it back apart making sure to check all the connections). The only thing I am wondering about is this:
When I removed the heat sink, the CPU stayed firmly attached, so I did not take it off and reapply thermal grease. Do you have to take the CPU off so you can unlock it put it back in and relock it before you can reinstall the heatsink?
Thanks in advance for the help
August 9th, 2007 at 11:14 pm
First my A75-S125 went dead after overheat. Initially thought of DC power adapter problem but after I opened it and reassembled it back, I would see all the frontside LEDs glowing, even power button light were also glowing. Fan would run just a second only.Screen was total dead. There was no sound or no beeping. Wondering if it is a CPU problem or motherboard problem. Thanks
August 1st, 2007 at 5:59 pm
val,
First of all, try enabling the touchpad with Fn+F9 key combination. Hold down the Fn key and at the same time press on F9. This key combination enables/disables the touch pad.
If it doesn’t help, check the touch pad cable. It’s located under the keyboard – a white cable about 1/2 inches wide. Make sure it’s properly seated inside the connector.
July 31st, 2007 at 6:52 pm
i took apart my buddy’s a75 because he pushed the on/off button too hard and it went in. i glued it back on into place but now the touchpad doesn’t work. what do you think i missed or disconnected in error?
July 27th, 2007 at 9:49 pm
Marta,
After the motherboard replacement they didn’t write correct DMI string (information about your notebook). Without correct DMI you will not be able to start the recovery process. This utility is available only for certified Toshiba technicians.
You can take your laptop back to Best Buy or take it to a local authorized repair center. Toshiba extended warranty for Satellite A70 and A75 notebooks and programming your laptop with a new DMI string shouldn’t cost anything (under warranty). It takes only a couple of minutes.
July 27th, 2007 at 1:15 pm
Hi. I have the A75-S226 model. I have had many things repaired by Best Buy (or attempts at repairs) through their “service plan”-at least 4 times. This past time, they replaced the motherboard and the hard drive. I had to reorder the system recovery disk from Toshiba and I just got it the other day. I tried to do the system restore and all I get is this error message that says “WRONG MACHINE.”
What does this mean and is it my fault or did Best Buy do something wrong? It is definitely the right restore disk.
I was also wondering if they may have put the wrong parts in. I wonder this because on a previous repair, they did put the wrong motherboard in. How would I know?
July 23rd, 2007 at 7:11 pm
This is a great site! I use it whenever I clean the fans on my Satellite P30, I cleaned my brother in-laws A70 but when I try to power it up I get the normal fans kicking in but no bios, or anything past this point. On my P30 when I start up the Fans kick in and then stop and the computer boots. (Bios screen comes up and then the computer boots normally.) On the A70 the fan stops the power light stays on but no hard drive activity or anything other signs of life. I have checked the ram card and WIFI and all other connections. I have no idea what is up with it. Do any of you have any ideas? I am going to take it apart again tommorrow but it would be nice to know exactly what I am looking for.
Thanks in advance,
Dave
July 23rd, 2007 at 12:50 pm
Great guide for fixing the overheating problem. I got another one for you if you get the time. I have been having a lot of problems with the graphics card the ATI MOBILITY RADEON 9000 IGP. I cant find current drivers for the laptop and now some of my programs and lots of games wont work. Any ideas where to find the best driver? The model is A75 S213 toshiba satelite.
Thanks for your help
July 14th, 2007 at 8:38 pm
Hey mate I’ve been successful with reformatting my A70, but now am trying to join it to our wireless network and the laptop doesn’t seem to be detecting the wireless network adapter for some reason. The wireless was working fine before we reformatted it so not sure why it isn’t now. Hope you have some pointers as to what it could be.
July 3rd, 2007 at 8:19 pm
Hi mate, very helpful site thanx. I have an A70 and am just reformatting the drive but came up with an error on the recovery disc about 1/3 of the way through. Tried to copy the disc and use the copy but that didn’t work either. So I was planning on using a standard XP disc and just installing the drivers for the laptop. Do you know if this would work and if so where I would be able to find the required drivers? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.