Solved! Toshiba Satellite interesting behaviors

Jul 3, 2019
3
0
10
So I inherited an old Toshiba Satellite laptop. I don't know which kind specifically or even what version of windows it is running. See, when I turn it on, it posts and then boots windows, with the circle made of circles that I think started in windows 8 or 10. This includes a message of "Preparing automatic repair." When it gets done, it shows a black screen and a usable cursor. Nothing else. I cannot use the usual troubleshooting methods like ctrl alt del. It's literally a lonely cursor in a rectangular void. I have a kali linux usb lying around so I try booting from that. Success... Kind of. It gets to the screen with boot options. Ive tried live boot and persistence. What happens is it gets halfway through before simply getting stuck at "input: lid switch as /devices..." I didn't stop there, though. I opened up the laptop and removed the drive and plugged it into my desktop motherboard. This part is the weirdest. When I try to boot my desktop from literally anything besides the laptop drive while the laptop drive is plugged into the sata my desktop will not finish booting. It just gets stuck in an infinite circle loading screen...take the drive off and it boots right up. I tried different sata ports. Honestly I'm dumbfounded. What is going on here and is there any way to get this thing working??
Booting from laptop hdd and Linux usb for reference:
View: https://imgur.com/a/cvd4bmv
 
Solution
A black screen and a cursor means you are likely actually in Windows.

Try these...


Option 1 ...

  1. First, while the computer is off, connect an external monitor.
  2. Next turn on the computer and allow it to fully load.
  3. Once loaded, press the "Windows Key" + "P" to open the "Easy Display Switcher".
  4. In here select "Computer only".
  5. Now shut down the computer and disconnect the external monitor.
  6. Disconnect the external monitor
  7. And finally restart the computer.


Option 2 ...

Make sure you wait until the computer would be fully loaded before trying this, and not try it right away like you would to say get into BIOS. This needs you to actually be where you would be when Windows Explorer loads.

1. Press "Shift"...
A black screen and a cursor means you are likely actually in Windows.

Try these...


Option 1 ...

  1. First, while the computer is off, connect an external monitor.
  2. Next turn on the computer and allow it to fully load.
  3. Once loaded, press the "Windows Key" + "P" to open the "Easy Display Switcher".
  4. In here select "Computer only".
  5. Now shut down the computer and disconnect the external monitor.
  6. Disconnect the external monitor
  7. And finally restart the computer.


Option 2 ...

Make sure you wait until the computer would be fully loaded before trying this, and not try it right away like you would to say get into BIOS. This needs you to actually be where you would be when Windows Explorer loads.

1. Press "Shift" repeatedly until the "sticky keys" window shows up.

2. Now click the the link there that will lead to the "Ease of Access Center".

3. Next click "Cancel" on the the bottom right corner of the "Set Up Sticky Keys" window.

4. From here you want to click "Control Panel" on the upper left corner (it should be right beside the "Make Your Computer Easier to Use" title.

5. Locate the "Computer Settings" menu and then choose the "Recovery" icon (make sure that your view of this is by either large or small icons for easier access).

6. Now click and open "System Restore".

7. Here you want to click next on the bottom right corner (a few times) until the button "Finish" shows up and then click it. (Just follow everything prompt that the window says which will lead you to recovering your previous system, in a certain time.

8. The computer will now do the work it needs to and then reboot.


If that doesn't work, you can try the following...

You can also try doing the Ctrl+Alt+Delete and see if you can get "Task Manager" to show.


If the "Task Manager" windows shows, then choose "New Task" and then type in EXPLORER. If the desktop shows up then you need to go into "Start", "Programs", then "Accessories" and finally "Command Prompt". (Or you can do a search for CMD.)

Make sure you load the "Command Prompt" with Administrator access. Then when it loads type in....

SFC /SCANNOW

It will do a file check.

To learn more about "SFC" visit this link at Microsoft... https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/929833
 
Solution
Jul 3, 2019
3
0
10
A black screen and a cursor means you are likely actually in Windows.

Try these...


Option 1 ...

  1. First, while the computer is off, connect an external monitor.
  2. Next turn on the computer and allow it to fully load.
  3. Once loaded, press the "Windows Key" + "P" to open the "Easy Display Switcher".
  4. In here select "Computer only".
  5. Now shut down the computer and disconnect the external monitor.
  6. Disconnect the external monitor
  7. And finally restart the computer.
Option 2 ...

Make sure you wait until the computer would be fully loaded before trying this, and not try it right away like you would to say get into BIOS. This needs you to actually be where you would be when Windows Explorer loads.

1. Press "Shift" repeatedly until the "sticky keys" window shows up.

2. Now click the the link there that will lead to the "Ease of Access Center".

3. Next click "Cancel" on the the bottom right corner of the "Set Up Sticky Keys" window.

4. From here you want to click "Control Panel" on the upper left corner (it should be right beside the "Make Your Computer Easier to Use" title.

5. Locate the "Computer Settings" menu and then choose the "Recovery" icon (make sure that your view of this is by either large or small icons for easier access).

6. Now click and open "System Restore".

7. Here you want to click next on the bottom right corner (a few times) until the button "Finish" shows up and then click it. (Just follow everything prompt that the window says which will lead you to recovering your previous system, in a certain time.

8. The computer will now do the work it needs to and then reboot.


If that doesn't work, you can try the following...

You can also try doing the Ctrl+Alt+Delete and see if you can get "Task Manager" to show.


If the "Task Manager" windows shows, then choose "New Task" and then type in EXPLORER. If the desktop shows up then you need to go into "Start", "Programs", then "Accessories" and finally "Command Prompt". (Or you can do a search for CMD.)

Make sure you load the "Command Prompt" with Administrator access. Then when it loads type in....

SFC /SCANNOW

It will do a file check.

To learn more about "SFC" visit this link at Microsoft... https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/929833

Thank you for the reply. I understand that I am actually "in" windows. Like I explained, it seems to make it "past" the loading screen with the windows logo after post. I have previously tried all of these. Like I said, the usual methods like ctrl alt del and others do not seem to be of use. Absolutely nothing happens. I considered that the keyboard might be broken, so I also tried everything with an external keyboard. Simply put, windows will not respond to any keyboard input. The BIOS will and the boot menu for my portable USB will. Whether this is a problem where windows itself has some sort of corrupted kernel files dealing with the keyboard or if so many files are so far gone that the ones dealing with sticky keys, ctrl alt del and others are broken somehow is a mystery to me.
I tried diagnosing it by putting the laptop's hdd on my desktop motherboard. When I try to hook up the hdd to my desktop there is a different problem. My desktop will be stuck in a neverending loading circle after posting. Again, not booting to the laptop hdd, but having the hdd hooked up to my desktop and it showing up in the bios and booting from my desktop hdd. Once I take the laptop hdd out, the desktop boots normally in seconds no problems.
Maybe there's something wrong with the laptop mobo? This truly perplexes me.