Help me interpret an LED diagnostic sequence

July 8, 2009 4:53 AM

Can anyone interpret this LED diagnostic sequence?

My wife's Toshiba Satellite Pro M10 (the one featured previously) was finally dropped on the floor, and now it refuses to power up. I tried it without the battery - still nothing, so I stripped it right down, reseated everything, and put it back together. Still nothing. The left-most LED (the "plug") is now blinking in a diagnostic sequence, but I am at a loss to interpret it. It was giving exactly the same sequence before I took the machine apart ;)

I suspect the motherboards's been damaged, and if that's the case then it's not worth replacing, but I'd like to know why it's complaining in case it's something relatively easy to fix.

I recorded a movie of the LED sequence; apologies for the low quality.

posted by gene_machine to computers & internet (8 comments total)

Gene, from what I found via some searching, the sequence is a hexadecimal code indicating the error condition. Comments from around state the each machine has a specific hex code "library" for error conditions. The only known resource I could find that may have shed any additional light was a Toshiba users run on a Compuserve forum... the same Compuserve that AOL shuttered just days ago.

Dead Link

Typical.
posted by PROD_TPSL at 6:58 AM on July 8

Thanks, PROD. I did some extra searching based on what you've said, and I think the error code is hex 72. However, I still don't know what this means, as I don't have access to a service manual.
posted by gene_machine at 7:30 AM on July 8

I think I found it; a little more digging unearthed

http://www.hardwareanalysis.com/content/topic/51345/

which suggests that the problem is "PPV voltage is not more than 0.68V when the computer is booting up".

Whatever that means!
posted by gene_machine at 7:49 AM on July 8

Here's another discussion that mentions the same error.

If you don't see the actual solutions listed there by following the direct link then search google for ppv voltage and click the first result. Experts Exchange notices whether you're visiting from Google and shows you the actual answers if you are.
posted by odinsdream at 8:08 AM on July 8

Gene, here is an abandoned Expert Exchange link that covers the error code that you are receiving.

It is possible that a capacitor may be damaged. That usually spells certain doom for a motherboard. Unless you have a wave soldering machine.
posted by PROD_TPSL at 8:15 AM on July 8

... AAAaaaand "Preview" is your friend.

:facepalm:
posted by PROD_TPSL at 8:16 AM on July 8

We used to have an enterprise-scale metric assload of earlier Satellites (6100's, but I think they were only a year older than this model). A blinking amber light always meant a bad motherboard.
posted by Mr. Anthropomorphism at 12:09 PM on July 8

More info on bad capacitors.
posted by flabdablet at 7:09 AM on July 9