Toshiba Satellite P30 and P35 laptops. Removing and cleaning heatsink to fix laptop overheat problem.
Overheating is a very common issue with Toshiba Satellite P30 and P35 laptops. If your laptop suddenly shuts down by itself and the bottom of the laptop base is very hot then most likely the laptop overheats. It happens because the heatsink gets completely clogged with lint and dust and doesn’t disperse the heat properly. Unfortunately, this model doesn’t have a hatch for an easy heatsink access. To remove and clean the heatsink the laptop has to be taken apart completely. Disassembly process is very similar to Toshiba Satellite A70 and A75 model. After you remove and clean the heatsink you should apply new thermal grease on the CPU, do not use old grease. You can buy thermal grease in any local computer shop or online. Artic Silver is a good brand.
If you are not sure that you can take apart the laptop, do not open the case. Try to clean the heatsink and cooling fans with compressed air first. Buy a can of compressed air and blow inside the openings on the bottom of the laptop. If the heatsink is not clogged completely, this measure might be enough to fix the laptop overheating problem.
August 13th, 2006 at 10:54 pm
After disassembling Toshiba Satellite P35 laptop and putting it back together, the computer won’t start up. The power led lights (3 green lights on front of computer work). When I press power button, it turns blue, the 3 green lights turn on, the fans start, but the LCD won’t turn on, after about 10 seconds it either stays that way or shuts down. Also the green light showing hard drive operationg won’t work. Tried to boot without battery, with battery only, no memory card, no hard drive, no wifi.. and exactly the same. The computer just won’t START UP anymore. I was thinking maybe i connected the LCD incorrectly, or I damaged the Motherboard while taking it out? or disconnected something? I did the same with another P35 I have, and i damaged it in exactly the same way. So now I have 2 P35 that won’t start up/turn on/boot up.
ANY IDEAS? Please reply to garyintokyo@hotmail.com with help.
August 13th, 2006 at 11:54 pm
Hey Gary,
Did you remove the CPU from the socket during disassembly?
August 13th, 2006 at 11:55 pm
nope i didnt.. I just removed the MOTHERBOARD… cleaned up the dust around
the fans… i didnt touch or move the cpu, i didnt remove the fans… or
removed the hit sink neither….
how could i have damaged 2 P35!!!!??
i also switched motherboards between cases.. still didnt work.. same problem
on both units.
August 13th, 2006 at 11:56 pm
Don’t worry; most likely there is a loose connection somewhere. Did you try to reseat the memory module?
That’s very strange that both laptops have the same problem after disassembly. I’ve never seen that ESD can cause such a problem.
You can try to minimize the system. Connect the system board, CPU (with cooling module) and memory. Nothing else, not even the LCD screen. Connect an external monitor and try to turn on. You should get a video output on the external monitor.
Again, check the memory module.
August 13th, 2006 at 11:57 pm
WOW CJ!!!! i didnt know what you meant by reseating the memory modules….
but i took out the memory and placed in on the lower socket instead of the
upper one (where it was originally placed i think)… and BOTH LAPTOPS
BOOTED and seem to work fine!!!!!!!!!!!!
can you tell me what happened?
THANK YOU!!!!
August 13th, 2006 at 11:58 pm
The laptop should start with memory module in either socket. You just didn’t seat it properly.
August 25th, 2006 at 7:37 pm
I have a p35-s629 (not 6292). The backlight has gone out as I can see a dim image with light shown from a narrow angle. PC works fine otherwise.
I replaced the inverter board…and…still doesnt work. So…could be two bad inverter boards. Can you tell me what the voltage should measure across the output side of the inverter?
If no voltage across output of either inverter, then they might be bad or the input to the inverter could be bad…which seems to point to either a broken connection (but remember screen shows image) or maybe a bad motherboard?
This model has two backlights I think, so the odds of them both going bad seems remote. But in case they have, can the CCFLs be replaced, or better to get a whole new LCD screen?
Looking for suggestions or the thing I havent thought of yet.
Jeff
August 26th, 2006 at 9:26 pm
Jeff,
Satellite P35 has only one backlight bulb, on the bottom of the screen. Here’s a generic notebook display assembly diagram.
You did everything right. I would also try replacing the FL inverter first. Unfortunately, it didn’t help you. Is it a bad inverter again? Possible, but not very likely. It’s very hard to troubleshoot the backlight problem without any test equipment. It could be a bad backlight bulb, bad video cable or bad motherboard. A test backlight bulb would help you greatly. I’ve tried to figure out how to test the FL inverter board with a multimeter, but it wasn’t successful. I don’t really know how to do it. Usually I just install my test parts.
I would also check the lid close switch located under the keyboard strip. To remove the keyboard strip, follow steps 5-6 here. Do not forget to unplug the power and remove the battery first. After you remove the strip, check the lid close switch on the motherboard; make sure that it moves freely. Sometimes, the switch can stuck inside and the backlight will not turn on (a very dim image still would be on the screen).
September 9th, 2006 at 10:39 am
I have a Toshiba Satellite P35 notebook. Recently one vertical line appeared about 2″ from the left of the lcd. after a week one more appeared about 5″ from the right. Now there are in all 5 thin vertical lines permanently present and refuse to go away. The notebook is working fine though.
Can you help me remove these lines? Please advise what I should do
September 9th, 2006 at 10:51 am
Sudhir Multani,
Take a look at the third picture in this post. Is it similar to your screen? If yes, then most likely the screen is bad and if you want to get rid of these lines, you’ll have to replace the screen.
September 9th, 2006 at 11:10 am
Yes I saw the third picture you said and it’s exactly the same problem I’m having. guess I may have to change the lcd screen after all. f….g costly affair.
will probably use it till it gets worse and then opt for the change. any suggestions where I could buy a used lcd screen?
thanks for your help
September 9th, 2006 at 11:40 am
Satellite P30 screen is very expensive. I would probably wait until it appears on eBay for a reasonable price, because online stores ask tons of money for it.
September 21st, 2006 at 7:55 am
Hey guys, one of my friends has a P30, and had the same exact issues as you described: overheating (80 Celcius and more!), and frequent shutdowns when cpu hits the ceiling.
Now, I managed to clean the CPU, removed the old thermal grease, applied new (just the correct ammount), cleaned the dust in the heatsink (couldnt even see thru it), but now it just seems to top at 75C, and even tho it wont reboot, I fear his CPU was damaged by overheating.
Now, since I don’t think I can manage to find another 3.06 P4
, does any socket 478 CPU (with a 533 FSB of course) fits in there?
October 23rd, 2006 at 3:36 am
I fixed this problem some months ago.
Now i have a new problem.
How I can fixed the vertical white strip on my laptop Toshiba satellite P30?
A friend suggested me by replacing the inverter.
After replacement, No change.
Is the problem coming from the graphic board (behind the lcd screen) or the lcd screen itself?
Waiting an answer…
Thanks.
October 23rd, 2006 at 10:19 pm
Coutaud Jean-Marie,
Take a look at the example 2 on this post. Do you have a similar line on your laptop? If yes, then most likely it’s the LCD failure.
You can connect an external monitor for test. If that’s the video card failure, both screens, the internal LCD and the external monitor should display the same defect (a vertical line in your case).
October 29th, 2006 at 3:12 pm
I was wondering if the following is the right thermal grease and would i need to also buy this?
And where can i check what temperature my computer is at?
Lastly, i was wondering if there are better fans that work on the p30′s that are good and quite, honestly, my p30 is really loud compared to other laptops.
Thanks guys.
October 29th, 2006 at 5:29 pm
I have a Toshiba P35 laptop that I got for Christmas 2005 that is really great. The wifi range is incredible, better than I have every seen with any type of wifi adapter.
This laptop runs hotter than any laptop I have ever encountered. I got a large plastic laptop pad from Wal-Mart and did not have any more problems until this week. I have had the intermitent spontaneous shutdown problem several times in the last 3 days. There is NO dust visible in what I can see of the heat sinks. This is under warranty so, I am going to let the service center fix it, but, does this sound like the typical overheat problem with this unit? I’m a Dell technician, so I know my way around disassembly of laptops and am not afraid of doing this, but, while it’s under warranty, I am not going to chance voiding my warranty and being told that I did something to it by a service center! As of right now, the computer will not even completely boot to windows before it does it’s shutdown symptom. I think after reading what I have been so far, it would be very wise to purchase an extended warranty for this unit.
Thanks for any ideas.
November 1st, 2006 at 11:26 pm
Josab,
I wouldn’t buy Thermal Material Remover for sure. You can use regular 99% isopropyl alcohol to clean up the CPU and the heatsink. Now about the thermal grease. I know that Arctic silver supposed to be a good stuff, but I never used it myself. For Toshiba Satellite P35 Toshiba lists a silicone grease with the following part number: X-23-7762-01. I guess that you can use any other grease you can find in a local computer store.
For the temperature control you can use this notebook hardware control and monitoring software. As you can see on the screenshot, you can control the CPU and HDD temperature, it also have many other options.
I don’t think that you can find better fans for your laptop. Satellite P30 is not the quietest notebook. I believe that if you access Toshiba power management utility in the control panel, you can switch the notebook performance from the best performance mode to the silent mode; it should keep fans more quiet. Yes, this model is louder then any other model, except Satellite A70/A75.
November 1st, 2006 at 11:35 pm
Glen4cindy,
Overheating is a common issue with this model. Even though you cannot see any dust on the heatsink, it still might have some dust inside and it could be enough for the laptop to overheat.
The laptop also might overheat if thermal grease dried out. In this case it would be necessary to replace the grease.
One more thing. Make sure that both fans spin on startup (you can see fans through the opening on the bottom of the laptop). If one of them fails, the laptop will overheat as well.
November 2nd, 2006 at 12:39 pm
Thanks a lot for the info cj2600,
I guess i have no choice but to live with the noise lol, since when i switch the mode to silent, it overheats even faster and shuts down quite frequently.
November 8th, 2006 at 3:23 am
I’ve got two of the above problems, lines on the screen and overheating.
I’ve taken my laptop to service centre for cleaning once, but that was a bit expensive. I’ve cleaned it twice afterwards, and replaced the grills at the bottom with some foam filter.
Its really quite a pain.. looks like even with the foam filters, I’ll need to clean it again.
Also not happy with the lack of hardware monitors that support the laptop properly. Don’t know how to control the fan in linux either.
November 14th, 2006 at 7:55 pm
Hi
Mark, I have the same problem on my p30 laptop, and i am totally disappointed with toshiba.
lines everywhere, disappears,come back,, large white blocks all around my screen 
December 12th, 2006 at 6:39 pm
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
This grealy helped me take apart my brothers P30 and clean out the gunk that had built up inside.
December 20th, 2006 at 4:37 am
i have a p30 toshiba and it started dropping back to windows now 3 mounths later it is diying completly could this over heating be the problem it has been into toshiba in Auckland. Come back saying nothing wrong
Still dyeing after 15 minuites and some tmes longer
December 29th, 2006 at 8:56 am
After removing an amazing amout of dust and lint from the heatsinks the CPU is now running between 60-65C (average 61C) through the most intensive CPU processes whereas before it was topping out at 78-79C. That’s a 32F difference!
Thanks for the detailed step-by-step instructions. It solved my mysterious shutdown issue.
January 2nd, 2007 at 7:44 pm
Just wanted to say thanks for the great website. Keep up the good work. The Satellite P35-S609 that I own has been a gem until recently. It started to randomly shutoff and when a restart was tried it would shutoff immediatly. I was within one paycheck of buying a new battary when I decided to go ahead an take the laptop apart and clean the CPU heatsink (for $#!^$ and giggles.) for all those out there that are not sure this will work for you…please give it a try or take it to a reputable PC repair station. I had originally dismissed the overheating as there was no visible dust or debris on the fan or heatsink fins. When I took the laptop apart the amount of dust between the fins and the fan was incredible.
Again Kudos and Thanks for the Tip
January 7th, 2007 at 2:09 pm
Hey there great site and great instructions. I have a P35-6292 that had some serious dust so I took it apart. I got everything togther and now my laptop will not boot up. I went through all the comments here and tried to reseat the mememory. Still nothing.
Anyone mail me if they have any ideas.
botunda – at- gmail.com
January 7th, 2007 at 2:16 pm
Oh and also. When I had it apart and unscrewed the heatsink the CPU came off with it. It seemed like it was really attached so I didn’t want to remove it. So I just cleaned everything up and then reseated the cpu and heatsink.
January 7th, 2007 at 4:11 pm
I got it working! I didn’t realize that the you could remove the CPU. Once i had that off and secured it properly it worked!. Once again thanks for a great service you are providing.
Now it’s just weird to have my fan go ff because thy aren’t needed!
January 12th, 2007 at 7:42 am
Hi Gary, my name is Chris and I have the same problem computer as you, the great p-35! This computer would be great if it worked…but, it does not most of the time….Hey, my lcd is shot, and I emailed you to ask if you would sell one of your lcd’s as mine is shot…if anyone has a lcd for my p35, please feel free to drop me a line at sungraphicsataoldotcom.
January 23rd, 2007 at 10:14 am
I have some dirty pictures to add to anyone’s collection….The grills were really gummed up, after two years in a smoking, dusty location…..the maid quit.
So now, multitasking is quiet, and thermal shutdowns are somewhere in the far future, unless I set it on the bed, without thinking about the air flow. I have a TV dinner-tray that fits the footprint of the P35. So in bed, I set it in the tray, to allow for air flow…
Thanks for your excellent instructions, and pictures!
February 7th, 2007 at 5:15 pm
Hi, i just put my laptop together and now it keeps restarting. Any idea why?
February 27th, 2007 at 9:06 pm
I have a Toshiba satelite A85 that turns itself off after 10 minutes use. The fan makes a noise most of the time. it has been sent back under warranty and had a new fan put in. One month later the same problem. i see that there is a thread going regarding other models. Is anyone else having a problem with this model?
March 6th, 2007 at 4:13 am
Hi,
Thanks for the advise. After months of persistent involuntary shutdowns in the middle of poker hands
, I took my P30 down to my local Golf Club where they have a high power compressed air shoe cleaner. Blowing into the fan vents dislodged an unbelievable amount of dust and the laptop is now operating as new! A great solution and much cheaper than PC World!
March 17th, 2007 at 2:48 pm
Great Site!I took apart and cleaned my p35 and my problem is I dont know where the wires to the wi fi card
(black and white)one side says man.and the other says auto!How do they go?? Thanks Gwen
March 17th, 2007 at 8:03 pm
Gwen,
White – main and black – auxiliary.
March 22nd, 2007 at 10:56 pm
Hi,
I have come troubles with my Tecra 9100.
The fan makes noise and hot.
I have opened and checkes the fan.But there is nothing to notice.
How can I fix the problem?
thanx
April 11th, 2007 at 10:30 am
Hi there
I got a problem with audio wheel I got it out of his place during a dissasembly. And now I don’t know how to put it back in place. Does someone of you got some expirience with this stuff? It looks like there is no place to put it and fix it in a proper place but it continue to unplug and I can not manage to make it work. Please help with some ideas…
Thanks
May 7th, 2007 at 8:54 pm
Hello,
I dissembled my toshiba satellite p30 laptop in order to clean out my fans and heatsink. However, when I boot it back up again, I get the following error message over and over:
For Realtek RTL8139(x)/8130/810x PCI Fast Ethernet Controller v2.13 (020326)
PXE-E61: Media test failure, check cable
PXE-M0F: Exiting PXE ROM.
Any ideas on what could potentially be wrong?
May 7th, 2007 at 10:44 pm
Kenshi,
The laptop “cannot see” the hard drive and trying boot from the network. Make sure the hard drive is properly connected to the motherboard. Reconnect the hard drive.
May 9th, 2007 at 12:48 pm
Having the same overheating/shutdown problem. Unit worked great for over a year. Taking it to a repair shop as I don’t wish to disassemble and have any leftover pieces
May 16th, 2007 at 9:55 am
Guys, my P35 is overheating. Fans aren’t dispensing the heat properly I suppose…I do’nt want to try taking it apart myself, as it seems pretty complicated, and I wouldn’t want to risk damaging anything or not assembling it properly again. How much do you suppose a shop would charge to take it apart and dust it out and clean off the fans? Is this the only source of overheating do you reckon? Dirty or clogged fans?
May 18th, 2007 at 12:03 pm
hi everybody, this laptop is on it’s way to my house and i wanted to know how often should i use the compressed air to clean it. once a week?, once a month? thanks
May 20th, 2007 at 12:46 pm
Hi, I am from Italy!
The guide on Irisvista.com it’s fantastic! Now my laptop doesn’t get hot anymore!
Thank you all guys!
June 8th, 2007 at 7:57 pm
Hi, I was reading comments on toshiba p30 and I share most problems with everyone. My LCD has different color vertical lines all along and they keep appearing, so I supose I should change the screen but I wanted to know how long would a new one last if this only lasted a year?
June 14th, 2007 at 6:14 pm
Hi, I have a toshiba satellite p35 overheating and turning off by itself more frequently every time. I’ve read all your advices about cleaning the loptop and want to know how to take it apart, I’ve tried taken all the screws on the back off but, still is not opening. Could you guide me in how to open this toshiba?
June 29th, 2007 at 11:41 am
hello! great set of photo! it helped a lot. Thanks and keep sharing!
July 3rd, 2007 at 8:07 am
do anyone know where to find the clip to hold the flat lcd ribbon cable in place? i broke the 2 prongs on clip
July 13th, 2007 at 1:32 pm
I am a tecnition, my custmer have a laptop toshiba modle no is A-30, there is supply fault in the motherboard. CPU is not take a loaqd. I tested the DC socket is ok also voltage is right,fuse is alright. Pleased tell me about that how can i tested properly tips voltage checking in the motherboard, also I wanted this modle diagram.
Thanks
Waseem
July 15th, 2007 at 10:09 am
I have an easier solution then taking the whole computer apart. I just powered off my P30, and sucked all the dust out backwards through the fan using a wide shop-vac hose. Then I used the output to blow air through the back of the unit using a smaller hose. Cycling between sucking and blowing eleminated my overheating problems without having to take the laptop apart. I’m going on about a year after cleaning it out using this method.
July 16th, 2007 at 1:16 pm
Dear Jeremy
Thanks for your email. My laptop had not overheating problum. motherboared has incorect voltage, so I need to checking to the motherboard power supply. Have somebody give me advise tips, also circuit diagram of power supply A 30 Toshiba laptop.
Thanks
Waseem
July 20th, 2007 at 11:10 am
Hi, thanks for great advice on the overheating issue. My P30 wouldn’t last 10 minutes before turing off, all cleaned and works fine…. but, seems like I’ve also got a screen fault.. got a 3 inch thin red line at the top of the lcd…. oops
July 25th, 2007 at 6:10 am
Hi,
My P35 has a display problem, but I don’t think the LCD is faulty. Sometimes the colors get blury or change hue. If I put a notepad under one of the front rubber feet the display will clear up. I’m thinking I might have a cold solder joint and twisting the base slightly will make it contact again. I was wondering if this was a common problem and where to look on the motherboard for the bad connection. My laptop was purchased in 06/05.
Thanks
Jon
October 2nd, 2007 at 1:40 pm
I think the vacuum idea is a neater way to solve the overheating problem, because opening the laptop again and again is cumbersome and increasing the chances of problems.
As far as LCD problems, please see if its something wrong with the cable, my lcd would get greenish every now and then so I tried putting a little pressure on the lcd cable socket (using folded paper) near the keyboard and it fixed the problem. You might however want to get your cable replaced. For DIY instructions for messing with the lcd/cable etc.. for the P30/P35 look here : http://www.irisvista.com/tech/laptops/ToshibaM35X/Satellite-M35X-display-1.htm
January 17th, 2008 at 1:16 pm
I knew my P35 was overheating and the compressed air trick didn’t work. I wasn’t going to risk taking apart my laptop without some guide. Thanks alot for the instructions. It saved me a trip to the service center.
March 13th, 2008 at 7:01 pm
hi there i have i toshiba p35 s6112 recently blue vetical line started to appear on the screen but now it appeasr permanently on the screen but only on half the screen not sure what has happened anyone has any ideas please let me know thanks . Andrew
March 25th, 2008 at 12:04 pm
Andrew… Soon you will get 2 black & white thick lines in the monitor so your 17 inch monitor will become 12″
March 30th, 2008 at 6:03 pm
Hi there!
Greetings from South Carolina.
I have a Toshiba L25 Laptop. I cut it off one night before bed, then awoke to it not working. I tried everything I could think of. I took it to Geek Squad in Best Buy, they told me it could MAYBE be the mother board, but they’re unsure.. How reliable they are, huh? Well, I took it to another computer shop, they told me they’re not sure what it could be.. They’re just as reliable.. ANYHOW. My laptop will cut on, will go to the start up where the black screen comes up and says “Toshiba” it’ll act like it’s going to boot up, and then.. IT FREEZES.. It won’t let me do anything. I can cut it on and keep on hitting either F2 or F12 to bring up a boot menu option, but then it freezes after about 5 seconds.
Any advice?
April 2nd, 2008 at 11:04 pm
Ashley, it could really be a lot of things but since most errors are software (and hence easily repairable), I’d say the first thing you should do is try booting from a Bootable CDROM to see if it works. If it does, then there is a high probability that your problem is an OS booting error and you can fix that easily using the recovery disk provided or reinstalling your OS.
August 9th, 2008 at 9:52 pm
hi frnds….i have been to all the steps of disassembly…
after doing all i checked , it it worked or not…it worked 2 times during disassembly…but after fixing everythin it didnt worked…
when i switch on the laptop just the green light in front and blue light of power is switched on…and the fans turn on for 10 seconds n then stops…
nothing happens after that….
pls help me regarding this….it is dead now….wat shud i do?????????????
August 25th, 2008 at 8:20 pm
hi when I turn on the computer…the screen is black…please help! vic “(
August 26th, 2008 at 9:11 am
Hi Victor. A bit more info is needed. Does it start otherwise? The normal noises, etc? and just the screen is black?
August 26th, 2008 at 12:17 pm
Get in a flourescent light area, (This works best), and see if can see the ‘image’ on the screen. You might tr looking at different angles to the screen.
If can make out the usual screen, less light… back-lighting, to be precise…, then the inverter power supply for the back-light is probably dead.
August 26th, 2008 at 12:27 pm
Oops.. sent that a little early…
Anyway, The inverter is usually behind the screen bezel. You can get one on eBay.
You did not mention the model number. But, the routine is nearly the same, in most cases. Here is a link to a disassembly of a Toshiba…. Step 7 shows the inverter.
http://www.irisvista.com/tech/laptops/Toshiba1415/sat1415_LCD.htm
They are simple to replace. Take your time, or you may break plastic parts. They WILL come apart…. use a credit card to ‘pop’ the bezel off, sliding between frame and bezel.
August 26th, 2008 at 9:01 pm
HI
YES everything is normal except the screen is black
V “(
September 4th, 2008 at 7:31 am
I’ve had the same problem in the past, Heres an easy solution.
Get the hose of your vacuum cleaner an place it at the bottom of your computer where your fans are at. Turn on vacuum and suck out the dust at the same time use your mouth to blow hard through the exit vent on the back of your computer and you will see most of your dust collected on the heat vent removed.
Overheating problems solved.
Joe
September 4th, 2008 at 12:58 pm
I suggest :
1) clean the vents
2) reinstal Windows XP (with linux I do not have the problem)
3) only install the needed drivers
September 18th, 2008 at 6:21 am
hi everyone,
been having heating problems with my P35 latley. Might just buy a can of compressed air and blow it into the intakes and into the grill and see what happens; as shown on this link; http://www.insidemylaptop.com/satellite-a75-notebook-started-overheating/
Anyone exactly tried this and to what affect?
thanks in advance!
September 19th, 2008 at 4:08 am
>Might just buy a can of compressed air and blow it into the intakes………
Actually, this is BAD idea…. If you desire to blow air into the computer, also have a way to get the ‘bunnies’ out of the ventilation channel. If you use Joseph Vu’s vacuum hose on the bottom, intake vents trick, and your desire to blast the cooling fins, (from the rear of the computer..NOT the bottom!!!), you may get relief.
The whole cooling system is a disgrace in design!!!!!!!! But, using the above method will buy you time, before the inevitable “taking it apart” syndrome.
Generally, blasting air INTO ANY computer…. is a really bad idea! At least pull out the crap, (and moisture from some ways of blowing air….), with a vacuum cleaner at the same time.
But, running this design in a dusty environment…. will eventually mean a thorough cleaning of the radiator fins, as well as the fan’s fins….. And, that means total dissasembly of the computer. And.., don’t forget to apply new thermal paste!!! It has become a yearly REQUIREMENT for my P35….
Happy ‘putering
September 19th, 2008 at 5:14 am
hi tom, thanks for your reply.
so i have a couple options it seems.. (apart from dissembling the laptop)
Whilst using a can of compressed air I will have the vacuum cleaner near-by to collect the dust. I don’t want to go all out just with the vacuum as it is very powerful and am worried it will blow off something within the computer.
What are your thoughts of using the compressed air at the back of the computer whilst having a vacuum turned on where the vent fans are? (mind you I think i should have a crack at the vent fans with the compressed air)…
I have had this computer for 2.5 years so if I can get another 8-12 months out of it I will be pretty pleased, anything after that is a bonus. I just want to prevent any damage to the laptop without dissembling it.
Thanks guys
September 23rd, 2008 at 1:04 am
hey all once again,
I have heard that i can cause static problems with using the vacuum.
How do I overcome this?
thanks
September 23rd, 2008 at 4:03 am
hi frnds….
I cleaned my p35 by disassembling it..
But after cleaning n re-assembling it is nt working…
Just power led n fan works for 10 secs after that everything stops..
No hdd led n sound …
Pls tell me wat shud I do now???
Is the prob wid ram or smthing else???
Pls help… Thanks
September 23rd, 2008 at 4:03 am
hi frnds….
I cleaned my p35 by disassembling it..
But after cleaning n re-assembling it is nt working…
Just power led n fan works for 10 secs after that everything stops..
No hdd led n sound …
Pls tell me wat shud I do now???
Is the prob wid ram or smthing else???
Pls help… Thanks
September 23rd, 2008 at 6:55 am
Same thing happened to me the first time. You need to take it apart again, carefully, and make sure everything is on correctly. My problem was that the heatsink was not on all the way.
September 24th, 2008 at 3:28 am
Good question Rob!
In this case, static probably is not to fear, since the laptop & associated grounding circuits are doing their job against such a problem. But, if you were to disassemble & blow…. different possible outcome.
BTW: Using a ‘grounding strap’ is always a good idea……, particularly when taking apart ‘static sensitive’ devices.
============
Reply for Hans’ problem…
Mendizabal has an excellent answer. I too!, have screwed up on the CPU/heatsink seating. Be
absolutely certain!!!! to get it right… including the replacement of the heatsink compound!!! Your 10 sec shutdown says that you have failed, in this regard.
So, ‘do it again’, and do it right…. I do not expect that you have permanently damaged anything…. (fingers crossed…).
Good luck!
September 24th, 2008 at 3:45 am
tom.. thanks for the reply.
so using compressed air into the back of the heatsink and a vacuum to grab some of the dust where the fins are (from outside of the computer) will be ok?
is there anything else I can do to make the probability of disaster even less?
thanks in advance..
rob
September 24th, 2008 at 6:53 am
Well Rob,
Don’t figure on ‘blasting’ 150psi air into the fins…. They will bend quite easily!!!!!
(In fact, if you get overly aggressive in reassembly…. you can VERY easily bend the fins!!!!…..FYI, for those that venture into the disassembly arena…..).
If you have a long-haired paint brush…., you ‘could’ brush through the fins, possibly loosening some of the dust-bunny poop that forms on the fins….
If you keep these units long enough… or, simply use them so much….. you really WILL have to finally disassemble them, and clean them thoroughly, including disassembly of each fan….. cleaning them with Q-Tips & alcohol….
I have some excellent photos of my nasty computer, prior to a thorough cleaning…..
BTW: If you do a total disassembly, I suggest that you use a 12 holed, cupcake pan, to save the various screws, in the oredr that they go back together… It makes it a lot easier to put together.
Onward……….
September 24th, 2008 at 4:21 pm
tom.. thanks
but im my previous post I was talking about not disassembling the laptop.
using the vacuum from outside of the case, capturing some of the dust where the fins are. Will this static cause harm?
thanks
rob
September 25th, 2008 at 4:17 am
Rob said:
>using the vacuum from outside of the case, capturing >some of the dust where the fins are. Will this static >cause harm?
Reread post #75…..
Note: I assume by ‘fins’…. you are referring to having the vacuum hose on the bottom, at the fan intakes… and NOT trying to ‘pull’ the dust through the backside fins….(That won’t work….).
The dust forms quite a ‘wall’ on the inside of the computer’s fins…. almost a sort of ‘spackle’…. That’s why I suggested a long-haired brush, gently trying to get some of the caked dust loose…, and, sucking it out the bottom. It’ll show up as flecks of dirt/dust on the fan’s screens. Rubbing your finger across the screens, while also using the vacuum…. will make them ‘break up’, and slide through the screen holes….
Happy dust sucking….
January 1st, 2009 at 9:25 am
Hi, Im trying to fix a Toshiba Satellite P30 for a friend. The laptop turns off around 5-10 seconds after being turned on. Most of the time it just gets past the post. I have taken the machine apart and cleaned + applied new thermal paste to the CPU the reassembled. But the same fault occurs. The laptop has’nt got a battery. Seems like a over heating issue of the CPU has already been fried. Tried moving the RAM into other socket etc. Also the Bios has been locked with a password so I can’t even check the settings in there is there any way to unlock this?
thanks,
Matt
February 19th, 2009 at 1:19 pm
I need some help.
I have had the same problem with overheating of my Satellite P30 and have had it cleaned before. NOW, I am having a different problem.
My computer will start up normally, so it seems, and the blue light on the power buttom will light up, however the LCD screen will not display. It remains black, and the computer “doesn’t sound right.” Maybe a fan isn’t running, but something isn’t right. Any suggestions or ideas for help?
So to recap: Powers up and has a blue light, but no display.
Thanks,
Peter
April 15th, 2009 at 11:02 am
Peter,
Sounds like a memory related problem. You have two memory modules installed into your laptop, right. Try removing them one by one. Will it work with each module installed separately?
April 15th, 2009 at 11:04 am
Matt Carey,
Can you hear the cooling fan spinning? It should start as soon as you turn on the laptop. Maybe the fan is defective and the laptop shuts down because of that? Just a guess.
April 15th, 2009 at 11:07 am
hans,
You’ll have to check the connections.
1. Make sure the memory is seated correctly.
2. Make sure the processor is seated correctly and is LOCKED inside the socket.
May 13th, 2009 at 3:46 am
In order to reset your Bios firsty “Dont short the two contacts out!” this will cause damage to the motherboard nor will it wipe the BIOS settings! secondly beg borrow or steal a soldering iron and a tiny screwdiver and heat up both the BIOS battery terminals and flick the battery off with a screwdriver for at least 10secs then once cooled replace the battery back on to the terminals and apply heat and fresh solder! put everthing back together and Hey preso F2 later it works!! hope that helps
July 22nd, 2009 at 1:38 pm
I cleaned my P35 because used to overheat and shut down but now I have another problem everytime i turn on my lab its show ntldr is missing or corrupt
any sugestion how I can install Windows again? is anyway to install windown from a USB port??? I need help!
Plus my CD ROM is not working since I guess I broke the controller from the MB
September 30th, 2009 at 4:14 am
I find washing with water or metho after compleat disasambly works every time, just make sure the componets are compleaty dry before applying electricty, including the bios battery. ps I even wash the cpu if it has gotten dirty, no probs
September 30th, 2009 at 10:08 pm
You have to be really careful with water inside laptop. I use compressed air, never use water.
October 1st, 2009 at 12:23 am
“You have to be really careful with water inside laptop. I use compressed air, never use water.”
I have succussfully washed many mobo’s with water, gets rid of any dust shorts. how ever with my P30 I used metho cause it has a bios battery solded to the mobo, yesterday I reassambled and tested to find the graphics was very poor, worry that the gpu was stuffed I tested with external monitor, worked well. after inspection found the conection on the mobo had dry joint, resolded all the pins. now my P30 is perfect
October 31st, 2009 at 9:42 pm
ken yes teres a way to install windows by usb
i do ot all the time
its a portable cd rom
tiger direct sells for 20 dallors
December 1st, 2009 at 4:53 am
Man I love this site.
I have a small question though. Is there a chart or guide for laptop screws. Is there a place where I can purchase additional screws.
I have taken a part a number of laptops and even though I try to keep all the screws separated by size, it always seems as if I have extra screws left over or screws that don’t seem to fit…
Will Banks
December 24th, 2009 at 11:57 am
My p30 is getting pretty old..Overheats a lot. I took it in for repairs when i had it under warranty ( years ago ) and of course they are stupid and said it was the HD. Then i come back they said it wasn’t the HD and ran tests and it didnt shut down on them. Purchased a $300 warranty for NOTHING. I should have known better anyways. In fact, i think im the stupid one for not going on a forum such as this ( considering ive been out of touch with computers for a while ) and seeing if it happens to others. I’m going to take the pc apart later and get new thermal grease and do everything thats suggested and see what happens. Thanks everyone for their input.
January 9th, 2010 at 12:52 am
I have a Toshiba Satellite P35 S609. Believe it or not, I had been running this computer with the original 512 MB of RAM. I recently ordered two 1 GB PC 2700 DDR modules and installed them myself. The computer only recognizes the bottom 1 GB of memory. Thinking one was bad I switched them around and still had the same problem confirming the both memory strips were in working order and the top slot was not working. Is there a software download or dip switches that need to be changed to allow the laptop to recognize the second GB of memory on top?? For what I use this computer for I would like to keep it but, would like the full 2 GB of RAM to be functional. Any help would be appreciated. Toshiba Tech Support said there could be dip switches that need to be changed but I would have to have a service center run a diagnostics before they could help>
September 15th, 2010 at 7:49 am
So What do you do if your laptop does not shut down when it overheats, but catches your house on fire instead and you lose everything?
January 2nd, 2011 at 5:54 pm
When clicking on a website link, all of a sudden my P35 S6112 completely shut off abruptly like there was no power source. So, I pressed the power on button and could hear the fans spin and then shut off shortly after and the power on button continued to light up but the computer won’t boot up like no power to the rest of the motherboard.
I possibly thought it was a memory problem. So, after carefully removing the two 1 Gigabyte memory modules,I installed the original 512 Megabyte module but the same result, pressing the power on button, power on button lights up, fans spin for about 10 sec and then no power to rest of computer. The power on button continues to stay lit up. I have to unplug the power cord and take the battery out temporarily for the power on button to shut off.
Note: I did have an overheating issue with the laptop about a year ago but solved that with disassembling it to clean out the dust and ever since then, I’ve blown out the the vents regularly once or twice weekly.
Any thoughts what could be wrong?
April 24th, 2011 at 2:39 am
Just leave the battery off of the laptop. It fixed 2 different problems on 2 different brands for me.