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.
January 28th, 2007 at 6:02 pm
I dissambled by laptop (Toshiba A70) according to the guide, and soldered on a new dc jack. I secured the board to the case, attached the battery, and plugged it in. I should be able to test if the connection works at this stage, before re-assembling, right?
please see pic of my soldering job…
http://i1.tinypic.com/2vty5hv.jpg
if I can’t get power at this stage, what options do I have?
January 26th, 2007 at 3:57 pm
Hello cj2600,
I posted a question a few months ago about some components burned on my A75’s system board. Thing is it took me a loooong while to find those chips online, but I got them replaced and it starts up with no problems. Now I have that old problem with my battery. The computer works find without the battery, but if I just plug it in, the orange led will stay on for 2 secs and then off for another 3 secs and so on. I also noticed a fast flash on the orange led when it’s about to turn on.
I remember the last time I was using this laptop and I was doing exactly these battery tests when my chips cooked up so I’m afraid to insist plugging the battery. Since it’s not really easy for me to find another battery for testing, I’d like to have your suggestion to know what the problem is. Either the system board or the battery itself. Is there a way to clean the contacts on the battery/board or maybe test it for short circuits or anything? I’ve got a multimeter handy and some skils on testing these things, but I have to know what to expect from it.
Thank you very much.
January 25th, 2007 at 12:59 pm
I am having the exact same problem as colin green responce # 236. I took apart to clean (this is the second time) – but this time – my screen stays blank – I checked the connection – it is plugged in – it even briefly flashes blue as I hold the power button down to shut it down. Please help-
Email: snow_thirteen@yahoo.com
January 23rd, 2007 at 8:15 am
I have a Toshiba A75 that doesn’t have a hard drive. I took one out of my old IBM T30 but it doesn’t fit. The harddrive wouldn’t fit into the (i’m guessing ATA) slot. My question is ‘what type of harddrive do I have to get for my A75 to upgrade it?’ or ‘Does it need a special connector or “IDE cable-type” wire?’ I just want to make sure so that I don’t waste my time when sending it back when it doesn’t fit. If anybody knows the answer to this please let me know! Thanks!
January 22nd, 2007 at 5:56 pm
I followed the guide on the website to take apart my Toshiba Satellite A70 and clean the heat sync. After putting it back together, it won’t start properly. The blue power light goes on and the fans spin up like it’s going to start, but no power ever comes to the USB ports and the screen is blank.
I think I made the mistake of not wearing any type of static elimination wrist band (I worked at a table with carpet under it, bare socks, and I tap my feet). I’m unsure how to test my components to see what I have shorted/damaged.
January 21st, 2007 at 6:29 pm
I just wanted everyone to know what a great website this is. I used your disassembly instructions to remove and clean the heat sink and add 1Gb memory to my Toshiba Satelite A70 Notebook. I couldn’t be more pleased with the results. I not only saved about $150 to have this done, I became the “best dad”, and “awesome” in the eyes of my ten year old son. Thanks for making that sooooo easy!
January 21st, 2007 at 5:41 pm
My friends:
My problem continues…
With or without wireless card installed, the problems continue…
If I tie the notebook and soon to press , it enters in the bios, but it locks the keyboard.
What can wrong be?
Very thankful for the help.
January 19th, 2007 at 9:05 pm
Would buying one of those fan pads to set my laptop on help with the over heating or is it better to just clean the heatsink every once in a while? Those fan pads are around $50 at best buy.
January 18th, 2007 at 6:29 am
Thanks for the disassembly/assembly guide. My problem was a bad, very bad solder joint on the power connector. Not one of the three main joints, but the one that looks like it is just one of the mounting studs of the connector. Anyway, with the new solder job and cleaning of the heatsinks, it works like new.
January 18th, 2007 at 12:47 am
Jacques Douglas,
Try starting the laptop without wireless card installed. Make sure the wireless card is seated properly.
January 18th, 2007 at 12:44 am
a aden,
White cable goes to the main connector, and black one to auxiliary.
January 18th, 2007 at 12:42 am
Chase,
You cannot replace the motherboard with a different Toshiba model.
January 17th, 2007 at 7:51 am
Can anybody help myself?
Hello! After finding this site, I encouraged myself to repair for me same my Toshiba Satellite A75-231. EXCELLENT site, pictures very well detailed… very good work.
How can I donate through Paypal some money?
I disassembled the notebook using the excellent pictures, I cleaned the fans, I put new thermal paste in the processor, I changed the battery cmos and I welded the new power connector.
However, when tying the Notebook, he comes with an error message:
ERROR
Resource Conflict – PCI in slot 02
Bus:02, Device 00: Function:00
Press to summarizes, to Setup
But the keyboard restraint and it doesn’t work plus, after appearing the message.
If I tie the notebook and soon to press, he enters in the bios, but it locks the keyboard.
I beat several pictures, of the change of the battery, of the change of the connector, of the placement of the thermal paste and also of the error message, but I don’t know as sending the pictures.
Can anybody help myself?
The leds are ok, the hd works, the battery carries, but when I access Bios, pressing F2, my keyboard locks.
After appearing the error message, my keyboard also restraint. In other words, I don’t get anything, because my whole notebook freezes.
I used the multimeter to test the connector of force and it is Ok, the processor, is OK, the switch WiFi is also Ok, the battery is carrying.
What can wrong be?
I don’t have as sending my notebook the any technical support Toshiba here in Brazil, because the closest is to 890Km from where am and, in my city it has serious possessions of inundations, where a river overflowed and two bridges tumbled.
Very thankful for the help.
Jacques Douglas
January 14th, 2007 at 4:15 pm
Thank you for the postings on reparing my Toshiba A75 power connector problem. I can’t remember the wire colors on that wifi board. Which is main and aux?
Can you help
January 12th, 2007 at 8:53 pm
thank u very much i was out of warent for my toshipa satellite a75-s206 and wanted to fix the power socket was loose and i took appart have way cant find where the rest of the screws are hiding then i found your website and u walked me through it thank u again
a.aden
January 11th, 2007 at 10:17 am
Im kind of curious weather i could replace the motherboad with a diffrent Toshiba model like the A105 and i was also wondering if i could upgrade the processor in the A75 to something that produces less heat but is as good or better than the current one
January 8th, 2007 at 10:34 am
Hi,
I have a Toshiba A70 here and I have ! in the BIOS beside the CD-Rom, Removable Devices, and Netwok Boot in the boot menu. What does that mean. I can’t boot from CD however the CD-Rom works in Windows. I’m baffled.
Thanks
January 7th, 2007 at 11:25 pm
Just want to say a big thanks to the people who put this site together. I am in Pakistan for 2 years in a remote area, travel and dust are killers on laptops. I was asked to look at a Toshiba Satellite A70 with you site info had the fan out in no time. Cant donate at the mo but will link to your site.
Cheers Tom
January 7th, 2007 at 7:13 pm
Thanks for the info on the Toshiba A-75 . with your manual i was able to fix the ac power problem with the work around. I wish i had found this sooner. Thanks again
January 7th, 2007 at 2:47 am
I need to know how to remove and replace damaged Toshiba
A70 keyboard.Is it same as A55.Or different.
Can anyone help.
January 6th, 2007 at 1:24 am
Frozen Touch Pad?
this might be worth a try as it is what one person reports from Toshiba Tech Support:
1) Make sure the touch pad is enabled (still not working? Go to step 2)
Turn on the computer
2) Turn off the computer
3) Unplug the power cord from outlet or laptop
4) Remove the battery
5) Press and hold the power ON button for 30 seconds
6) Re-insert battery
7) Plug in power cord
Sounds stupid, but it actually worked. I asked the guy what the steps did to solve the touch pad problem. He said something about a static/electrical charge (that may have built up from removing/reinserting the power cord) was released or discharged.
January 3rd, 2007 at 4:18 pm
I have an A70 that is having video problem. It came to me with no video. I have tried hooking up an external screen, the svideo output and no video at all. The backlight doesn’t even light up on the screen. The HD lights look like it’s booting up fine. I tried the screen in my another A70, so I know its not the backlight or anything but something with the motherboard. The laptop came to me not working after a liquid spill. Does anyone have any idea where I should be looking for loose resistors or anything. I’m comfortable soldering SMD sized components, I’m just not sure where to start looking on the motherboard.
January 3rd, 2007 at 1:29 pm
Thanks for your reply, I have installed two new LCD inverter still have the same problem, and I tested with ext. Monitor is ok. I guess may be what you said is a bad backlight.
January 1st, 2007 at 10:58 am
Ivy,
Are you sure if the inverter board you installed is good?
A failed FL inverter is the most common problem when you have no backlight. You gave it a shot and unfortunately it didn’t work. There are more parts related to the screen backlight. You might have a problem with the CCFL tube (backlight bulb), video cable or even motherboard. It’s really hard to say what is wrong without installing test parts. Probably you have a bad backlight but it’s just a guess.
January 1st, 2007 at 10:50 am
Tonny,
Most likely the laptop is asking for the BIOS password. On older Toshiba laptops you can erase the password with a 25 pin parallel plug. This post would be helpful for you.
December 31st, 2006 at 10:19 am
Had shut down problem w/ CPU intensive (games) uses. Disassembly seemed to go fine. It was, indeed, clogged with dust. (Not surprising to me really. I’d bought it in Dec 04, took it with me to Iraq through all of ‘05). Problem started slowly, in Iraq, about six months after I bought it.
So, I disassembled, cleaned, reassembled. All seemed, initially, to be OK. But then, as I was logging on, SHUTDOWN. Total. Tried plugging it in. Same. Total shutdown, and not even always after completing Boot process. In short, WASSUP?
This doesn’t match battery problem (since I’m not on battery). The machine is clean. What is going on?
Thanks.
LTC Bob Bateman
UPDATE:
I guess this problem is very common. I published this question and a couple of suggestions here, so more people can see and benefit from it.
December 27th, 2006 at 3:17 pm
Hi, I have an A75 and the screen very dim. I have tried replaced the LCD inverter but still have the same problem. Do u have any other suggestion?
December 27th, 2006 at 6:25 am
Hey,
See i have a Toshiba laptop Statellite 2450-101 model.
I dont knwo wats up with it. When i switch it on it asks for a password, I dont remember putting a password. I have exhausted all that i know, how to fix it.
Thanks man for ya help. I guy told me of the 25 pin printer cable, how to connect i have no idea. any suggestions is appreciated.
December 22nd, 2006 at 6:21 am
This new hard drive from seagate works quirky with my s211. I tried to load the system disk, and about half way through the computer shut off. I finally got it to load. Had to prop the computer up to increase air flow through the bottom intakes. Touch pad works great now and I have no window errors.
Does anyone know if there is a motherboard out there that would allow for a core duo or two duo installation with this system? Does an adapter of sorts exist?
December 17th, 2006 at 2:30 pm
Hi! This site is a great resource! I haven’t had major problems with my Satellite A75-S213 yet, I have been keeping up with cleaning the fan ports and stuff since reading about the overheating problems on amazon.com.
Today, however it seems my touchpad has decided to stop working. I have toggled on/off using the F9 key, which will show the touchpad being on or off in the toolbar but it still won’t function either way. I went to “add or remove programs” utility and it shows the “TouchPad On/Off Utility” on the list there but I can only remove it, there are no options other than that.
I guess I’d like to see if anyone out there has had a similar problem and/or might have some suggestions as to what to do here.
Luckily I have a trackball from an older computer of mine so I am not stuck with a $1,400.00 paperweight but I would like to make this laptop portable again if possible.
Any help at all would be greatly appreciated.