Solved! Toshiba Laptop - Screen will not start

[sbahal]

Have Toshiba Satellite L655.
The computer starts but the screen will not render - it is Not black screen but bluish lines - keeps flickering but does not complete.
This problem has been progressively becoming worse (over years)- earlier it would actually come up with delay of some seconds, then it became minutes, now it does not complete at all. No error - no message - just flicker. But when it finally used to come up - it would work perfectly great.
(I also recently upgraded to Win10 - but this issue should be unrelated - the issue predates this upgrade)

 

[webworkings]

Try this...

1. Turn the laptop off (not sleep or hibernate but off).
2. Connect an external monitor to the laptop.
3. Turn on the external monitor.
4. Turn on the laptop.

NOTE: You may have to press an "external monitor" button. Could be the f4 button or a button with two monitors on it, for the external monitor to work.

If you can see fine on the external monitor, then your attached display, or the ribbon cable that connects it, are your problem.

If you can't see on the external monitor at all, or the problem occurs on the external monitor as well, then it is probably the graphics card/GPU that is the problem, which may require the motherboard be replaced.

 

[sbahal]

Tried this - mixed (or ambiguous) results.
Connected to TV with HDMI, used the F5 button - the only option I have. This renders both on laptop and external monitor.
Rendered the same on both after some blue lines/delay- finally the Laptop came up.

Some random/long delay- this has been the behavior of the laptop for a long time - delays becoming progressively worse over time. The only consistent behavior is once the laptop starts everything works fine - including the monitor. But the random/long delays are sort of a show stopper- need a solution.

So what should I conclude do next?

 

[webworkings]

If the external display shows the same issue and the attached one, then I would start to wonder if the GPU is having issues. That along with your other problem may well mean a motherboard replacement is going to be needed.

 

[sbahal]

Thanks. How do we replace the Mother Board - is there a DIY for this

 

[webworkings]

These may help... https/www.google.com/search?q=Toshiba+Satellite+L655+motherboard+replacement&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8

 

[sbahal]

I am assuming this is not a DIY- will have to go to a repair shop.
Is it even worth replacing? The laptop is 7-8 yrs old -15”/i5/8GB/1TB/Win10 , had replaced the hard disk 3-4 yrs ago, and battery 3-4 months ago.
It works absolutely fine when it comes up (whenever it does).

 

[webworkings]

It is up to you. I can't tell you 'not' to do it, however you may wish to compare the abilities of that device to a newer one, and then look at the things you want to do with it. This should help you decide if repair or new is a better choice.