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The laptop gets hot while on.

Dust is everywhere and this includes the high possibility of it building up in the inside of your computer such as the fan. When this happens, it can cause the laptop to overheat. A compressed air duster can be used to get rid of the dust. For this a step-by-step guide can be used.

You can hear the laptop power up but the screen is black.

Power off your laptop and remove the battery. Put the battery back then simultaneously press down shift, F8, and the power button. The first time doesn’t always work.

When pressing keys they do not show characters.

If the key(s) feels stiff then this may be due to some material being caught under the key. First, unplug and turn off the laptop. Then a can of compressed air can be used on the keyboard carefully to get the material out. For sticking, after a can of compressed air is used then a cotton swab with isopropyl alcohol can be used around the keys. If keys continue being stiff or are sticking then the key may have to be detached and reattached.

Replacement of keys can be done using this guide.

A hard reset can be done and in some cases making sure your computer is updated helps. Look at the section ‘Computer needs Reset’ for more information. Your keyboard can also be replaced using this guide.

The laptop shows battery is not charging.

Make sure that the cord is connected to the computer and the outlet. Carefully, make sure no wires are hanging out from the cord. If hanging icon changes as wire moves then the cord may have to be replaced. Cord can be replaced through Toshiba Corporation.

If the laptop only powers on with the charging cord attached then the battery is bad. The battery should be replaced. This replacement guide can be used.

Once the computer is on it turns off automatically without being prompted to.

Sometimes the laptop accumulates excess electrostatic power from the computer was needed. and a power drain needs to be done. Remove the battery from your computer and disconnect the power cord. After this has been done, press the power button on your laptop ten times and on the eleventh time hold the button down for thirty-five seconds. Without putting in the battery, connect the charging cord and turn on the laptop.

If the computer turns off while running on battery power, connect the computer to the charging cord and reboot. If the computer does not automatically turn off then a bad battery maybe the cause. To test battery remove battery and connect charging cord to computer and see if the problem still persists.

If the computer turns off automatically without being prompted to and is accompanied by fan noises, then overheating may be an issue. In this case check the section for laptop overheating.

A guide to replace your RAM can be found here.