Toshiba Satellite 1410 1415 Manual

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Chapter 8
If Something Goes 
Wrong
Some problems you may encounter when using your 
notebook computer are relatively easy to identify and solve. 
Others may require help from your dealer, your network 
administrator or the manufacturer of a software program. 
This chapter aims to help you solve many problems by 
yourself. It covers the problems you are most likely to 
encounter. If all else fails, contact Toshiba. You will find 
information on Toshiba’s support services at the end of this 
chapter.
Problems that are easy to fix
Your program stops responding. 
If you are working with a program that suddenly freezes all 
operations, chances are the program has stopped responding. 
You can exit the failed program without shutting down the 
operating system or closing other programs. 
						

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Problems that are easy to fix
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To close a program that has stopped responding:
1Press 
Ctrl, Alt, and Del simultaneously (once).
2Click the Applications tab.
If a program has stopped responding, the words “not 
responding” appear beside its name in the list.
3Select the program you want to close, then click End 
Ta s k.
Closing the failed program should allow you to continue 
working. If it does not, continue with step 4.
4Close the remaining programs one by one by selecting 
the program name, then End Task.
5Turn off your computer according to the instructions in 
“Turn Off or Shut down command” on page 99.
Your program performs an illegal operation. 
If you receive the message, “Your program has performed an illegal 
operation
,” you should record the details of the message and 
consult the software manufacturer. 
To record the details:
1Click the Details button and select the text the operating 
system displays.
The Details button displays information that the software 
manufacturer needs to help you solve your problem.
2Press 
Ctrl and c simultaneously to copy the text to the 
clipboard.
3Open Notepad (click Start, point to All Programs, then 
point to Accessories and click Notepad).
4Press 
Ctrl and v simultaneously to paste the details into 
Notepad.
5Add a paragraph break and type some notes describing 
what you were doing when you received the message. 
						

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6Save the file and refer to it when you contact the software 
manufacturer.
Problems when you turn on the computer 
These problems may occur when you turn on the power.
The computer will not start.
Make sure you attached the AC adapter and power cable 
properly or installed a charged battery.
Press and hold down the power button until the on/off light 
changes to green.
If you are using the AC adapter, check that the wall outlet is 
working by plugging in another device, such as a lamp.
The computer starts but, when you press a key, nothing 
happens. 
You are probably in Standby mode and have a software or 
resource conflict. When this happens, turning the power on 
returns you to the problem instead of restarting the system. 
To clear the condition, press 
Ctrl, Alt, and Del simultaneously.
Clearing the condition may get the computer running, but it 
won’t solve a resource conflict. Read the documentation that 
came with the conflicting device and “Resolving a hardware 
conflict” on page 207.
The computer is not accessing the hard disk or the 
diskette drive. 
Your computer normally loads the operating system from the 
hard disk. If you have a hard disk problem, you will not be 
able to start the computer. Insert a system diskette into the  
						

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diskette drive, press the left or right arrow key and choose 
your boot-up device.
HINT: Press F12 as you power on the computer to access the
menu.
The computer displays the WARNING RESUME FAILURE 
message.
The computer was placed in Standby mode and the battery 
has discharged. Data stored in the computer’s memory has 
been lost. 
To charge the RTC battery, leave the computer plugged into a 
live wall outlet and turned on for several hours. For more 
information, see “Power and the batteries” on page 212. 
The computer displays the Non-System disk or disk error 
message. 
Make sure there is no diskette in the diskette drive. If there is 
one, remove it and press any key to continue. If pressing any 
key does not work, press 
Ctrl, Alt, and Del to restart the 
computer. 
The Windows® operating system is not 
working
Once you are familiar with the desktop and used to the way 
the operating system responds to your work routine, you can 
easily detect if the operating system is not working correctly. 
For example:
❖The operating system fails to start after the Starting 
Windows XP
 message appears.
❖The operating system takes a long time to start.
❖The operating system responds differently from the 
normal routine. 
						

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❖The screen does not look right.
Unless a hardware device has failed, problems usually occur 
when you change the system in some way such as installing a 
new program or adding a device.
If you experience any of these problems, use the options in 
the Startup menu to fix the problem.
Using Startup options to fix problems
If the operating system fails to start properly, you may have to 
change your system’s configuration or verify the startup 
procedure to fix the problem. To do this, use the options in 
the Startup menu. This section describes each option and 
when to use the procedure.
To open the Startup menu:
1Restart your computer.
2Press 
F8 when your computer starts.
The Windows
® Advanced Options menu displays these 
options:
❖Safe Mode
❖Safe Mode (with Networking)
❖Safe Mode (with Command Prompt)
❖Enable Boot Logging
❖Enable VGA Mode
❖Last known good configuration (your most recent 
settings that worked)
❖Directory Services Restore Mode (Windows® 
domain controllers only)
❖Debugging Mode
❖Start Windows® normally
❖Reboot 
						

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❖Return to OS Choices (menu)
See your Windows
® documentation for further explanation.
TECHNICAL NOTE: If your computer is connected to a network, 
the Startup menu may display different versions of Safe mode.
Internet problems
My Internet connection is very slow.
Many factors contribute to the speed with which you can surf 
the Internet. They include: modem speed, time of day (when 
everyone else is surfing, your access can be slow) and 
popularity of the site. If accessing a particular site is very 
slow, try later.
My browser can’t find the URL address I typed in.
Make sure you separated the domain names of the address 
with the forward slash (/). Check the spelling of each name 
and the syntax of the address carefully. A single incorrect 
letter or missed character, comma instead of period (“dot”) or 
other mistake makes it impossible for your browser to locate 
the site.
My browser can’t find a site I bookmarked.
The World Wide Web is constantly changing. A site you 
bookmarked yesterday may not be available today or its 
server may be down for temporary repair. Try again later.
The Windows® XP operating system can help you
If the operating system has started properly, but you still have 
a problem using your computer, the online Help can assist 
you in troubleshooting the problem.
To access Windows
® XP Help and Support:
1Click Start, then click Help and Support. 
						

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The Help and Support Center window appears.
2Then do one or both of the following:
❖In the search field, type in the topic of the problem with 
which you need help and follow the on-screen 
instructions.
❖Click a problem you would like help with from the 
listings and follow the on-screen instructions.
You can connect to Support Online by clicking Support from 
the menu.
 
Resolving a hardware conflict
If you receive an error message telling you there is a device 
driver conflict or a general hardware problem, try using 
Windows
® Help and Support to troubleshoot the problem 
first.
For help on hardware conflicts:
1Click Start, then click Help and Support.
2Click the Hardware link in the window’s left pane.
A list of category links appear.
3Click the Fixing a hardware problem.
4Choose from specific topics and follow the steps.
If there is still a problem, the operating system should display 
a message that explains what the conflict is.
A plan of action
The smooth operation of the system depends on the 
successful interaction of all devices, programs, and features. 
If the system or one of its attached devices isn’t working, 
resolving the problem can be time-consuming and frustrating.
The recommended procedure for getting multiple devices to 
work together is to add and set up one device at a time. After  
						

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you add each device, test it to make sure it and all previously 
connected devices work.
The device most recently connected to the system is the one 
most likely to be causing a hardware conflict.
Resolving hardware conflicts on your own 
Computer components need resources to accomplish a task. 
A device, such as a disk drive or a modem, needs a channel to 
the computer’s Central Processing Unit (CPU). It also needs a 
direct channel to the computer’s memory to store information 
as it works. These channels of communication are commonly 
referred to as system resources.
Interrupt Request Channel 
The channel to the CPU is called an Interrupt Request (IRQ) 
because it interrupts what the processor is doing and requests 
some of the processor’s time. If two or more devices use the 
same IRQ, the processor does not know which device is 
asking for attention. This may cause a hardware conflict.
NOTE: Some of the IRQs may be shared by multiple devices. This 
is called IRQ sharing and is normal.
Direct Memory Access 
Similarly, the data required by the device is stored in a 
specific place or address in memory called the Direct 
Memory Access (DMA). The DMA provides a dedicated 
channel for adapter cards to bypass the microprocessor and 
access memory directly. If two or more devices use the same 
DMA, the data required by one device overwrites the data 
required by the other, causing a hardware conflict. 
						

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Resolving conflicts
There are three things you can do to resolve hardware 
conflicts:
❖Disable the device.
For an older device, remove it from the computer.
❖Disable another system component and use its resources 
for the new device, see “Fixing a problem with Device 
Manager” on page 209.
❖Reconfigure the device so that its requirements do not 
conflict. Refer to the device’s documentation for 
instructions about changing settings on the device.
Fixing a problem with Device Manager 
Device Manager provides a way to check and change the 
configuration of a device.
CAUTION: Changing the default settings using Device Manager 
can cause other conflicts that make one or more devices unusable. 
Device Manager is a configuration tool for advanced users who 
understand configuration parameters and the ramifications of 
changing them.
Disabling a device 
1Click Start, Control Panel, Performance and 
Maintenance, Administrative Tools.
2Double-click the Computer Management icon.
3In the left pane, click Device Manager.
4Select the specific device from the device category.
5In the toolbar, look to the far right for an icon of a 
monitor with a strike mark through a circle on the front. 
This is the disable feature. 
						

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6Click the icon.
You are given the option of disabling the device. 
7Click yes or no, whichever is appropriate.
Checking device properties
Device Manager provides a way to view the properties of a 
device. Properties include the name of the manufacturer, the 
type of device, the drivers installed, and the system resources 
assigned to the device. 
To check a device’s properties:
1Click Start, Control Panel, Performance and 
Maintenance, Administrative Tools.
2Double-click the Computer Management icon.
3In the left pane, click Device Manager.
4To view the device(s) installed, double-click the device 
type.
5To view the properties, double-click the device.
The operating system displays the Device Properties 
window, which provides an array of tabs. They include:
❖The General tab, which provides basic information 
about the device.
❖The Resource tab, which lists resources assigned to 
the monitor, DVD-ROM, DVD-ROM/CD-RW, 
diskette drive, and other power-using functions.
❖The Drivers tab, which displays the drivers being 
used by the device.
A Troubleshooting button is also present.
Click troubleshooting.
A Help and Support window for that device appears.
For more information about Device Manager, refer to 
Windows
® XP online help.