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Toshiba Qosmio X775 - Display Issues

Tags:
  • Windows 8.1
  • No display
  • Blank screen
  • Qosmio
  • Toshiba
  • Laptops
  • Displays
  • Qosmio X775
Last response: in Laptop Tech Support
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May 7, 2014 6:47:36 AM

I purchased a Windows 7 laptop via B&H's online store on July 5th 2012 while I was in the US. A couple of months later I returned to India. Around April 2013 the laptop display suddenly failed - the HD seemed to work fine as well as the fan/BD drive, all noticed via indicator lights and sounds. I called into B&H and they suggested speaking to the manufacturer. Since I was in India, I contacted Toshiba India and gave it for servicing. A few days later, I got it back with incomplete answers for the issue, but I was just glad to get it back with the display issue resolved and to get going. I took up the Windows 8 Upgrade offer in the intervening period as well. The issue keeps coming back despite 3-4 visits to the authorized Toshiba service centers. Fixes explained include OCD cable compatibility issue, trackpad mouse issue(during one fix, the mouse was disabled and i bought a USB powered mouse - the 'fix' worked for approx 3 weeks),Keyboard cable etc and now an unknown mainboard problem requiring a mainboard replace(there is no mainboard problem since the display came back for one day, a week ago, while I was speaking to Toshiba US support - outlined a little further down in this post).

The issue: on powering up the laptop, there is nothing displayed on screen, including that of the BIOS flashing. A total blank screen - no blinking cursor, no logos etc. HD and fan/OCD drive work fine). The Keyboard works fine as well.

With this state, I actually also did use the laptop for a few days as a router(an impending out-of-town visit was coming up, and I wanted to service it after my return - couldn't be sure how long it would take) by opening up Windows Narrator(windows key+enter) to help dictate the screens as i attempted to enable WIFI(so that I could use my ph to connect to the WIFI to cut down high mobile data bills). Quite a feat, since you do need to remember what the next screen is likely to be.

I attempted the following fixes(after searching on the Internet for solutions):

- the power charge reset: the battery and the power cord is removed and the power button is pressed down for a minute to discharge rogue/residual electrical power build up
- detaching the memory modules and re-seating them
- detaching the HDs and re-seating them
- mainboard and fan dust cleanups
- increase the screen brightness through keyboard shortcuts(in case the screen was dimmed out somehow at zero)
- using Fn+f5 to trigger between displays, even though I had only one
- all variations of known keyboard shortcuts. F2, F8, F12 etc. Attempted all variations using the Windows and Fn key pressed down as well). All these were attempted with various time intervals as well. Immediately on power up, powering up with the key(s) pressed, waiting for a second or 2 etc.
- attempting powering up with the lid opened in various angles, the very narrow to the max
- allowing the battery to completely drain out - assumption being that a baked-in Windows resolution may kick in(for power management and residual charge problems), and attempt powering on with and without the battery plugged in.

None of this worked(re-seating the memory/HD worked once) after innumerable attempts.

Finally I called long distance to the US Toshiba support number. Very strangely, while on the call and asked to open up the laptop, the display came on fine. I was advised to shut down the pc fully whenever I wasn't using it(versus sleep/hibernate etc). I complied with that for the 3-4 instances that day. The final shut down the same night resulted in the issue re-surfacing.

Since the issue is intermittent and un-predictable, I'm not sure how to diagnose this.

Any clues here will be really helpful. The purchase was rather big-bill for me - a case of having all the eggs in one basket, so to speak(in hindsight I should have picked up a couple of machines for the price, but I always thought Toshiba was a sturdy brand and being a gaming laptop, it would be doubly so). I currently don't have an alternate machine, and the earliest I could look for one would be late July 2014. In the meanwhile, I lose out on maintaining/gaining technical edge - through practice/implementation/research etc, job searches, freelance opportunities, entertainment (currently it is my sole source) etc.

I think it cannot be a Windows 8/8.1 issue as the first instance happened when it had Windows 7

Nor sure if there is a hardware compatibility issue. I have searched a bit and from that I could infer that this is not in the "known Qosmio issues" bucket. Most people(from a wide variety of laptop vendors) seem to have solved the issue with the excess power-discharge method I mentioned earlier.

A heads-up thanks for any suggestions.

More about : toshiba qosmio x775 display issues

May 9, 2014 9:11:49 AM

have you tried to plug in and external monitor to see if that will have a display? If so, you may have a bad screen, or the cable connecting the screen to the board may be bad. If that doesn't work, you may have a bad graphics card.
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May 9, 2014 1:56:42 PM

Thanks for the suggestion, @rugman1969. I really haven't tried connecting it with an external display on my own. Simple reason being I currently don't have another and no immediate access to one. Will try it out.
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