|
Posted by Quaoar on February 18, 2008, 8:32 pm
Please log in for more thread options
Glew wrote:
> I have a new Toshiba Portege M400 TabletPC.
>
> "New" means I ordered it for Christmas, it arrived before Christmas, I
> did not try to start using it until January, and the machine has
> barely been used for the reason soon to be explained.
>
> ---+ PROBLEM: stuck 5 key
>
> PROBLEM: it seems that the overall problem is that the "5" key is
> stuck. This is occasionally evident when I go to type something in,
> e.g. at a text box, and I see a string of 55555s printing.
>
> It is actually quite amazing how much you can do on a TabletPC without
> using the keyboard. E.g. logging in with a fingerprint makes it
> unnecessary to type a password. But occasionally you have to use the
> keyboard.
>
> ---+ POSSIBLY RELATED PROBLEM: Beeping at Boot
>
> POSSIBLY RELATED PROBLEM: nearly every time I boot - e.g. I shut down
> the PC, and then power back on, or when I restart the PC because some
> piece of software requires the reboot - I get a loud beeping. I
> conjecture that this is the result of the 5 key being stuck, since (a)
> I can get a similar sound on other PCs if I press a key while booting,
> and (b) occasionally the beeping persists right up to the "Login and
> Enter Password" dialog box. If Entering a password, I get the strings
> of dots, but can't see what letter is being produced; but once in a
> while I get to the point where what is being typed is not hidden, in
> which case I can see the 55555s
>
> ---+ Intermittent
>
> The problem does not occur all the time. E.g. I am usually able,
> eventually, to log in and, e.g. to type gmail.
>
> However, even when I get to the point of typing at gmail, from time to
> time the 5 key gets stuck.
>
> I can fairly reliably reproduce the problem by shutting down and
> powering up again.
>
> I have Toshiba Warranty; indeed, I have on-site service, although that
> turns out to be not-applicable. I first reported the problem to
> Toshiba in January. After thrashing around as to whether on-site
> service could actually come on-site, I eventually drove across town to
> the Toshiba designated technician. Northwest Computer Support. They
> told me that the replaced the keyboard. I retrieved the TabletPC from
> the repair shop on Wednesday Feb 13. On that day the problem did not
> manifest itself to cursory testing. However, today (Feb 18), is the
> first day that I have had time to extensively use the TabletPC, i.e.
> the first time that I have had to install software, and, during said
> software installations, the problem has manifest itself again,
> repeatedly.
>
> Toshiba says that I should drop the tablet off at the repair shop
> again. No complaints there, apart from wishing this was fixed.
>
> However, this gets tiresome. I have had this TabletPC for almost 2
> months now, and have not been able to use it for any extended period
> of time. Therefore I ask members of this forum and/or newsgroup is
> similar "stuck key" problems have been seen.
>
> ---+ MORE INFORMATION:
>
> This problem manifest itself as soon as I started using the computer.
> I.e. it was not dropped, had not had food or drink spilled on it.
>
> ---++ Possibly Heat Related?
>
> I am not 100% certain, but I suspect that the problem may be related
> to overheating and/or ACPI power management:
>
> a) this TabletPC seems to always have its fan running - it is the
> loudest laptop I have every had. I reported this as a second problem
> to Toshiba, and the technicians replaced the fan and regreased (I
> think they mean "reapplied thermally conductive grease") the PC.
> However, the fan remains loud.
>
> b) I have several times found the laptop to have experienced emergency
> shutdown (hibernated) after getting to extremely low battery levels.
> I am certain that the laptop was not left running in a bag: the laptop
> was sitting on top of a desk, either in or next to, its docking
> station. The episodes of sticky keys always occurred after such
> emergency shutdowns, but persist. Or, rather, the only time in which
> the key was not stuck was at the repair shop.
>
> ---++ How can I have Ever Used this TabletPC?
>
> Although the TabletPC starts beeping almost incessantly during boot,
> usually it does, in fact, cease.
>
> I have, experimentally, left it untouched, and it keeps beeping for at
> least 15 minutes.
>
> Sometimes I try to type almost randomly at the keyboard, and
> eventually it stops beeping and resumes normal boot. E.g. most
> recently, it seemed to stop beeping after I typed either the Home or
> End key... but there seems to be no pattern that I have yet observed.
>
> I have tried booting into safe mode.
>
> ---+ Conclusion: HELP!!!
First, if you have any return rights left from the vendor, take it back
and start over again with a similar Toshiba, if you like it.
Second, about the keyboard: get a can of dust cleaner or electronics
cleaner from a computer store and clean out the keyboard, paying
particular attention to the spaces between the keys.
The beeping during boot is a very serious issue if it is not related to
the stuck 5 key. You need to contact Toshiba support about this.
Alternatively, once booted into vista, go to device manager and see if
any devices have yellow or red 'bangs' against them.
Q
| 
XML Sitemap