Mobo issue? Laptop self typing and wont turn off

[Martell1977]

I started asking this in the Vista forum thinking that was the possible issue but I am starting to think its more hardware.

I'm working with a Toshiba Satellite L355D-S7901. Its just over a year old and the warranty is up (of course). Toshiba appears unwilling to even discuss the issue without a $35 fee.

Heres the issues, the laptop will not power off and the laptop keeps typing like someone is holding down the period key. I have run Ad-Aware and TrendMicro's scans and they came up clean, I even removed the keyboard completely and the typing continues. I tried connecting a keyboard via USB and there was no change.

If I do a shut down in Vista the laptop restarts instead and I get the beeping as tho a key is down. The only way to power off the laptop is to pull the battery out. As soon as the battery is replaced the laptop starts booting up again. I was thinking there is a short on the mobo and that would explain the booting up, but I can't think of how a short would cause the non-stop typing of a period. (Note: the BIOS is not set to restart the laptop after a power loss)

The owner of the laptop has only used it for business (quickbooks and such) and has been extremely careful not to allow any food or drinks near it. I checked anyways and the keyboard is clean and no sign of any fliud being in contact, inside or out.

So my questions is: Should I recommend that the owner replace the motherboard or just replace the laptop? The replacement mobo from Toshiba is about half the price that was paid for the laptop itself. ($276 from Toshiba)


Thanks,

Jeff

 

[Gekko Shadow]

I see the problem: AMD. :lol: No just kidding mate, i'm a jokester x)

My say: replace the whole laptop. I have always had bad issues with Toshetba. But a few people i know have luckily gotten toshiba's that last them a lifetime.

Have you tried using another OS?

 

[Martell1977]

No, haven't done anything to the OS yet. When the owner found the problems he did a system restore as Vista wouldn't restart properly and recommended he do it. Toshiba didn't give him a Windows disk so I've been reluctant to suggest buying any OS till I can figure out if it will solve the issue or not. As usual money is tight for him and so I'm trying to narrow the issue down as far as possible before he spends any money.

At first I thought it night be a Vista issue, but since its beeping during the post I figured it wasn't, as Vista hadn't started loading yet.

Side note: I didn't have any input on his buying this laptop, he just told me about it when it started having problems. It was purchased at Besy Buy

 

[Gekko Shadow]

So have you taken apart the whole laptop? cleaned the connection ends with Isopropyl alcohol?

What kind of beeping is it doing?? Have you used memtest to test memory?

 

[Martell1977]

Its the beeping you get if you were holding down a key during the boot. Its a fast steady beeping, then Vista starts to load and it goes away till its loaded. Once in Vista it immediately opens WMP and starts the typing error tone. If you open anything with a field for typing it immediately starts filling with periods.

I have not completely disassembled the computer. With the typing issue I mainly focused on the keyboard. The typing continues with no keyboard connected. Meaning I physically removed the keyboard and disconnected the external one I had connected.
I did open the laptop up and cleaned it out with some compressed air. Not much dust came out, it was rather clean overall.

With no keyboard yet still typing and the fact that the only way to power off the computer is to pull the battery (both issues starting at the same time) makes me think of a faulty mobo. I'm not trying to push that its a bad mobo, but I can't figure what else would be causing the issues. Even if they were unrelated, what would cause the typing and what would cause the laptop to turn on just by reconnecting the battery and make it impossible to shut it off?

 

[Gekko Shadow]

Try running Memtest86 linky hurr~

And also try booting up (just loading it to the BIOS) by taking out the hard drive.
You can also try taking out the memory and booting it up with one stick (if it has two) and cleaning it out if possible.

 

[Rogue77777]

If all you see is the "period", that key is stuck and there's no way to turn it off.
I would go back and ask your friend if they dropped something on the keys, causing damage to that key.

 

[Martell1977]

Try running Memtest86 linky hurr~

And also try booting up (just loading it to the BIOS) by taking out the hard drive.
You can also try taking out the memory and booting it up with one stick (if it has two) and cleaning it out if possible.

Disconnected the HD and nothing, just keeps reloading the ethernet driver and searching for the HD. Keyboard does not respond so the BIOS are unreachable. Tone starts right after the "F2 for Bios or F12 for Boot Menu" screen. however after the HD missing error the screen pauses and the tone stops.

Tried booting with no RAM, nothing, just a black screen. Tried with 1 stick and interchanged them and their sockets, tone starts at the same interval and stops just after the Vista loading bar appears. Connections appear clean and the chips don't have any signs of discoloration or damage.

The laptop immediately starts trying to boot upon connection of the battery and the power button will do nothing but reboot the laptop. I wasn't able to boot to memtest as the boot menu is not reachable with the keyboard not responding, its busy thinking something is inputing a period. The CD-Drive was the second boot option (so I'm told) but the computer doesn't even try. Just slowly loops over and over to the ethernet connection driver and missing HD error.

 

[Gekko Shadow]

^ rogue i believe he said that he has already taken off the keyboard and it still does that. So it's not the keyboard. Once the keyboard pins are disconnected (cable, etc.) how will a "." be inputted into the system??? :lol:

 

[Martell1977]

If all you see is the "period", that key is stuck and there's no way to turn it off.
I would go back and ask your friend if they dropped something on the keys, causing damage to that key.

It's an endless typing of periods. I pulled the key off and it was clean. I pulled the keyboard off and still typing periods. Tried connecting an external keyboard and nothing. I was thinking of using mapkeyboard, but I can't disbale the period key fast enough for it to work. With no keyboard connected in any way the laptop continues to input periods.

With the care the owner takes with this machine and with no signs of any kind of spill, it has to be hardware related other than the keyboard.

 

[Rogue77777]

He also said that if he removes the HD & Boots, he can not access the bios with the keyboard connected. As soon as he boots, he get a Tone that sounds like someone is holding down a key. If you damage the key's circuit, it can become locked, which normally takes a lot of force.
Like I said, go back to your friend and have them get their story straight - there's something they're not telling you. I'd ask them if they dropped something on the keyboard or hit it one night

 

[Martell1977]

He also said that if he removes the HD & Boots, he can not access the bios with the keyboard connected. As soon as he boots, he get a Tone that sounds like someone is holding down a key. If you damage the key's circuit, it can become locked, which normally takes a lot of force.
Like I said, go back to your friend and have them get their story straight - there's something they're not telling you. I'd ask them if they dropped something on the keyboard or hit it one night

So what you are saying is that the mobo connection is jacked in some way? I'm not being sarcastic, if removing the offending keyboard does not fix the issue and replacing it with a external keyboard does nothing to resolve it. You have to be implying that something happened to the keyboard that jacked the mobo circuits. Just trying to get on the same page.

 

[Rogue77777]

It's an endless typing of periods. I pulled the key off and it was clean. I pulled the keyboard off and still typing periods. Tried connecting an external keyboard and nothing. I was thinking of using mapkeyboard, but I can't disbale the period key fast enough for it to work. With no keyboard connected in any way the laptop continues to input periods.

With the care the owner takes with this machine and with no signs of any kind of spill, it has to be hardware related other than the keyboard.

A key can become damage even if nothing is ever spilled on the keyboard. Your friend or even someone else could have hit that key causing damage to the electical circuits on the keyboard. Cleaning the keys will not repair the circuits on the keyboard.

 

[Martell1977]

Thank you for all the input. I'm going to let the owner know the options and let them decide. I'm off to see if I can find a better price on the Mobo for him than the one I got from Toshiba directly.

Thanks!

 

[Rogue77777]

Martell1977:

I've never tried disconnecting the main keyboard and using an external one. Someone else may be able to answer that question.
What I am saying, it is possible to damage the circuits on a laptop keyboard. I would see if you can return the keyboard, if it doesn't fix your issue, before purchasing a new one.

 

[Gekko Shadow]

Martell1977:

I've never tried disconnecting the main keyboard and using an external one. Someone else may be able to answer that question.
What I am saying, it is possible to damage the circuits on a laptop keyboard. I would see if you can return the keyboard, if it doesn't fix your issue, before purchasing a new one.

I have and if the key stops after doing that - it's definitely the keyboard, but in this case it didn't so my theory was that the only way that key stroke could keep going is if the mobo was just fried with the input code, but he wants to test all his options so i figure he should test his ram as well. returning the keyboard won't help if the board's already "pffft" :lol: