Toshiba Satellite S50a Manual

							141If Something Goes Wrong
Wireless networking problems
❖Check the Windows® Control Panel's Device Manager to 
verify that the Wi-Fi® adapter is recognized by the 
Windows® operating system, and that the driver is 
loaded. To access the Device Manager, from the Start 
screen begin typing 
Control Panel and click or touch 
your selection. If you are in the Desktop screen, press 
the 
Windows® ( ) key to display the Start screen. Click 
or touch the 
Search ( ) icon at the upper-right corner 
of the screen and, in the Search field type 
Control 
Panel
. Click or touch Control Panel, and then select 
System and Security, and then System. Launch the 
Device Manager and carefully note any error messages 
- 
these will be very helpful if you should confer with a 
support technician at a later time.
To enable or disable wireless communication, use the 
F12 key. For more information see “TOSHIBA Function 
Keys” on page 152.
❖Use IPCONFIG to verify that the computer has a useful 
IP address 
- one other than the private address of 
169.254.xxx.xxx assigned by Windows®.
1From the Start screen, type 
Cmd.
2Click 
Command Prompt.
3Enter 
IPCONFIG/ALL, and then press ENTER.
The IP address for each active network adapter will be 
displayed.
❖Connect your computer directly to your router or 
broadband modem, by plugging a standard CAT5 
Ethernet patch cable (sold separately) into your 
computer's RJ45 Ethernet port. If your connection 
problem disappears, the problem lies in the Wi-Fi
® part 
of your network.
❖If you have enabled any security provisions (closed 
system, MAC address filtering, Wired Equivalent Privacy 
[WEP], etc.), check the access point vendor's Web site 
for recent firmware upgrades. Problems with WEP keys, 
in particular, are frequently addressed in new firmware 
releases.
NOTE 
						

							142If Something Goes Wrong
DVD Blu-ray Disc™ operating problems
DVD Blu-ray Disc™ operating problems
(Available on certain models.)
If you experience a problem playing DVDs or Blu-ray 
Discs
™, you may be able to fix the problem yourself. 
For general problems playing a DVD or Blu-ray Disc™ title, 
try the following steps:
1Verify that the disc is in a format that the drive supports.
2Ensure that the disc is properly inserted in the drive tray.
3Use the DVD or Blu-ray Disc™ player software that 
came with your computer to view DVD movies.
4Clean the disc and try again.
A dirty drive can also cause audio problems. If you have 
tried several discs and all fail, consider sending your 
drive to an authorized service provider to get it cleaned.
5From the Start screen, type 
Computer. Click or touch 
Computer from the list that appears. 
The optical disc drive should appear in the list.
6See “Checking device properties” on page 129 for 
instructions on using Device Manager to view the optical 
disc drive properties. 
7Check the Toshiba Web site for new information on 
optical disc drives and their operation.
A blank screen appears while watching a 
DVD-ROM or BD-ROM movie or title.
Change the setting for when to turn off the display using the 
following steps:
1From the Start screen begin typing 
Power and click or 
touch your selection. If you are in the Desktop screen, 
press the 
Windows® ( ) key to display the Start screen. 
Click or touch the 
Search ( ) icon at the upper-right 
corner of the screen and, in the Search field, type 
Power.
2From the search list, click or touch 
Choose when to 
turn off display
.
3To keep the display from turning off, click or touch 
Never in both drop down lists.
4Click or touch 
Save changes. 
						

							143If Something Goes Wrong
Develop good computing habits
The screen saver runs while you are watching a 
movie or title.
If the screen saver is enabled, it runs on top of any movie or 
title you are watching. To disable the screen saver:
1Right-click the desktop and click 
Personalize in the 
menu.
2Click or touch 
Screen Saver in the lower-right corner of 
the window.
3Select 
None from the Screen saver drop-down list.
4Click or touch 
OK.
Develop good computing habits
Save your work frequently.
You can never predict when your computer will lock, forcing 
you to close a program and lose unsaved changes. Many 
software programs build in an automatic backup, but you 
should not rely solely on this feature. Save your work! See 
“Computing tips” on page 66 for instructions.
On a regular basis, back up the information stored 
on your internal storage drive.
Use Windows
® to back up files, or the entire computer, to an 
optical disc, or external hard disk. Here are some ways you 
can do this:
❖Use the Windows
® operating system to back up files or 
your entire computer to an optical disc, or external hard 
disk.
❖Copy files to a rewritable external storage device.
❖Connect your computer to the office network and copy 
files to your network partition.
Some people use a combination of these methods, backing 
up all files weekly and copying critical files to external media 
on a daily basis.
If you have installed your own programs, you should back up 
these programs as well as your data files. If something goes 
wrong that requires you to reformat your internal storage 
drive and start again, reloading all your programs and data 
files from a backup source will save time. 
						

							144If Something Goes Wrong
Develop good computing habits
Read the documentation.
It is very difficult to provide a fail-safe set of steps you can 
follow every time you experience a problem with the 
computer. Your ability to solve problems will improve as you 
learn about how the computer and its software work 
together.
Get familiar with all of the documentation provided with your 
computer, as well as the information that may come with the 
programs and devices you purchase.
Your local computer store or book store sells a variety of 
self-help books you can use to supplement the information 
in the manuals.
Data and system configuration backup in the 
Windows® operating system
The Windows® operating system offers some easy-to-use 
features for backing up your Windows® settings and your 
data 
- documents and other important files. Take advantage 
of these features to protect yourself from much more difficult 
and time-consuming restoration procedures, and to 
safeguard your valuable data from loss.
Saving system configuration with restore 
points
The System Restore feature of the Windows® operating 
system quickly creates restore points 
- ‘snapshots’ of your 
Windows® operating system configuration - and saves them 
for later recall. If you experience problems after installing 
some new hardware or software, you can easily select a 
previously established Control Point to ‘turn back the clock,’ 
restoring the Windows
® operating system to the state it was 
in just prior to the installation. This is much easier and more 
effective than uninstalling the hardware or software, which 
often leaves behind unwanted files and settings. It is also 
easy to undo a restore point selection, if you change your 
mind.
Follow these steps to create a restore point using the 
System Restore utility:
1From the Start screen, type 
Control. Click or touch 
Control Panel from the list that appears.
2Click or touch 
System and Security, and then 
System. 
						

							145If Something Goes Wrong
Develop good computing habits
3In the left pane, click or touch System Protection.
The System Protection tab of the System Properties 
window appears.
4Click or touch 
Configure.
5Under 
Restore settings select Turn on System 
Protection
.
6Click or touch 
OK.
7Click or touch 
Create.
8In the input field, enter a name that is descriptive enough 
to be easily understood in the future, such as “Before 
installing Brand X Accounting app.” Then click or touch 
Create.
The Windows
® operating system creates the restore 
point, automatically stamps it with the current date and 
time, and displays a message that the restore point was 
successfully created. 
9Click or touch 
Close.
Then, at a later time, you can re-establish your Windows
® 
configuration using the saved restore point. To do this:
1From the Start screen, type 
Control. Click or touch 
Control Panel from the list that appears.
2Click or touch 
System and Security, and then 
System.
3In the left pane, click or touch 
System Protection.
The System Protection tab of the System Properties 
window appears.
4Click or touch 
System Restore...
5Click or touch Next.
6Click or touch the Restore point you want to use then 
click or touch 
Next.
The time stamp and description of each Restore point is 
displayed.
At this point you can click or touch “Scan for affected 
programs” to determine what the impact of using the 
chosen Restore Point will be.
NOTE 
						

							146If Something Goes Wrong
Develop good computing habits
7Verify that the Restore point you chose is the correct 
one. If it is not, click or touch 
Back to return to the 
previous step.
8Close all programs and save all open files.
9Click or touch 
Finish, and then Ye s to begin the system 
restore.
Yo u r  W i n d o w s
® operating system configuration will now 
be restored to the state it was in when the chosen 
restore point was created, and then the computer will be 
automatically restarted.
Backing up your data or your entire 
computer with the Windows® operating 
system
The most valuable component of your computer system is 
the data you create and store on its internal storage drive. 
Since problems with either hardware or software can make 
the data inaccessible or even destroy it, the next most 
valuable component of your computer system may be a 
recent backup of your data.
Fortunately, the Windows
® operating system offers a 
convenient way to back up your computer or just your 
important files to optical disc drives, or hard drives. An 
external hard drive is recommended in case the internal 
storage drive fails. No additional software is required. Most 
of the optical disc drives built into recent Toshiba portable 
computer models can write to (or ‘burn’) as well as read from 
optical discs. External optical disc writers are also widely 
available.
Follow these steps to back up your computer or files to 
optical discs, or a storage drive:
You cannot back up the computer while running on 
battery power. Connect the AC adaptor before 
continuing.
1From the Start screen, type 
Control. Click or touch 
Control Panel from the list that appears.
2Click or touch 
Save backup copies of your files with 
File History
 under the System and Security heading. 
Follow the on-screen instructions to back up your files.
NOTE 
						

							147If Something Goes Wrong
Develop good computing habits
For additional Help, while in the Windows® Desktop screen, 
press the 
F1 key to launch the Windows® Help and Support 
screen. Search for “back up files”.
General tips for installing hardware and 
software
Here are a few tips to help ensure safe and easy installation 
of new hardware (printers, pointing devices, external hard 
drives, optical disc drive writers, scanners, etc.) and software 
(applications like Microsoft
® Office and Adobe® Photoshop®, 
or utility software such as special toolbars for your web 
browser). 
❖Create a restore point (refer to “Saving system 
configuration with restore points” on page 144). Before 
installing anything, use the System Restore utility to set 
a restore point (see the section titled restore points). If 
anything goes wrong, you will then be able to easily 
restore the Windows
® operating system to the state it 
was in prior to the installation, undoing any changes that 
the installation process introduced.
❖Back up your critical data (see “Backing up your data or 
your entire computer with the Windows® operating 
system” on page 146).
❖Have your back up DVD(s) on hand in case you need any 
files from them. 
❖Do not guess 
- follow directions carefully! It is often 
necessary to run an installation utility first 
- before 
connecting a new hardware item to the computer. If the 
device is connected first, it may be very difficult to 
complete the installation successfully. Always carefully 
follow the installation instructions that accompany the 
hardware or software.
❖Restart the Windows
® operating system. Always restart 
the Windows® operating system after each installation, 
even if the installation utility does not prompt you to do 
so. This will ensure that the installation is completed, 
and will clean up anything that the installation utility left 
behind. 
						

							148If Something Goes Wrong
Develop good computing habits
❖Do one installation at a time. If you have several new 
items to add to your computer system, install just one at 
a time, creating restore points immediately before each 
successive installation. This will make it much easier to 
determine the origin of any new problems. For best 
results, follow this sequence:
1Back up critical data.
2Create a restore point.
3Install one item of hardware or software.
4Restart the Windows
® operating system.
5Use the new hardware or software for a while, noting 
any new problems. Make sure that your critical 
applications (email, business applications, etc.) are 
working correctly, and verify that important devices 
are still functioning.
6For each additional hardware or software item, 
repeat these steps, starting at step 1 if any of your 
critical data has changed, or starting at step 2 if no 
critical data has changed.
USB Sleep and Charge is not working.
USB Sleep and Charge may be disabled. Open the TOSHIBA 
Sleep and Charge utility to check if the feature is disabled 
and to enable it if necessary.
❖Make sure that the device you want to charge is 
connected to a port that supports the USB Sleep and 
Charge function. Ports that support this feature are 
identified with the ( ) icon.
❖USB Sleep and Charge may be disabled. Open the 
TOSHIBA Sleep and Charge utility to check if the feature 
is disabled and to enable it if necessary. For more 
information, see “Enabling/Disabling USB Sleep and 
Charge” on page 118.
❖Try selecting a different charging mode in the TOSHIBA 
Sleep and Charge utility, if your computer provides more 
than one charging mode. For more information, see 
“Power supply mode settings” on page 118. 
						

							149If Something Goes Wrong
If you need further assistance
❖If you are attempting to charge a device without an AC 
adaptor connected to the computer, the computer's 
battery power may be below the limit specified in the 
TOSHIBA Sleep utility or the battery may be depleted. 
Lower the limit in Sleep and Charge to enable charging 
at the current battery power level, or, if battery power is 
running low or is depleted, connect the AC adaptor to 
your computer.
❖The USB Sleep and Charge function may not work with 
certain external devices even if they are compliant with 
the USB specification. In those cases, power on the 
computer to charge the device or use a different 
charging device.
The “USB Wakeup function” does not work.
❖When the “USB Sleep and Charge function” is set to 
Enabled the “USB Wakeup function” does not work for 
ports that support the “USB Sleep and Charge function.” 
In that case, use a USB port that does not have the 
“USB Sleep and Charge function”-compatible icon ( ), 
if you have a non-Sleep and Charge USB port available 
or disable the “USB Sleep and Charge function.” For 
more information, see “Sleep Utilities” on page 116.
If you need further assistance
If you have followed the recommendations in this chapter 
and are still having problems, you may need additional 
technical assistance. 
Since some problems may be related to the operating 
system or the program you are using, it is important to 
investigate all sources.
❖Review the troubleshooting information in your operating 
system documentation.
❖If the problem occurs while you are running a program, 
consult the program’s documentation for 
troubleshooting suggestions. Contact the software 
company’s technical support group for their assistance.
❖Consult the dealer from whom you purchased your 
computer and/or program. Your dealer is your best 
source for current information.
For the detailed specifications for your computer, visit 
support.toshiba.com.  
						

							150If Something Goes Wrong
Other Toshiba Internet Web sites
Contacting Toshiba
Toshiba’s Technical Support Web site
For technical support, or to stay current on the most recent 
software and hardware options for your computer, and for 
other product information, be sure to regularly check the 
To s h i b a  W e b  s i t e  a t support.toshiba.com.
Other Toshiba Internet Web sites
Toshiba’s worldwide offices
toshiba.comWorldwide Toshiba corporate site
toshiba.com/usMarketing and product information in the 
USA
accessories.toshiba.comAccessories information in the USA
www.toshiba.caCanada
www.toshiba-Europe.comEurope
www.toshiba.co.jp/index.htmJapan
latin.toshiba.comMexico and all of Latin America
acclaim.toshiba.comToshiba USA Self-Service support web 
site
laptopforums.toshiba.comCommunity discussion forums for 
Toshiba laptop users
Australia
Toshiba (Australia) Pty. Limited
84-92 Talavera Road
North Ryde NSW 2113
Sydney
Australia
Canada
Toshiba Canada Ltd.
191 McNabb Street
Markham, Ontario
L3R - 8H2
Canada
France
Toshiba Systèmes (France) S.A.
7, Rue Ampère; B. P. 131
92800 Puteaux Cédex
France
Germany
Toshiba Europe GmbH
Leibnizstraße 2
D-93055 Regensburg
Germany
Italy
Centro Direzionale Colleoni
Palazzo Perseo
Via Paracelso 10
20041, Agrate Brianza
Milano, Italy
Japan
Toshiba Corporation, PCO-IO
1-1, Shibaura 1-Chome
Minato-Ku, Tokyo, 105-8001
Japan