Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with toshiba

WARNING!

youandiandaflame — Sat, 29 Dec 2012 16:43:55 -0800

Might the Toshiba HDD Recovery tool save my ailing hard drive and me a wad of cash at the computer repair store? I own a Toshiba Satellite laptop, couple years old. I put the old fellow through the ringer (it gets hours long daily use) and about 6 months after purchase the hard drive started to fail. I'm assuming that it's finally on it's way out now -- programs won't open, it's slow, attempting to backup the computer stalls, I've got I/O device errors out the yang, etc.

I've backed up everything I want to keep in the way of files -- I basically just copied all my photos and music and what-nots to an external hard drive -- and I plan on having it repaired next month.

I'm wondering though, Computer People, is it a good idea to attempt to repair it on my own if possible first? By that I mean is it a bad idea to attempt to run the HDD Recovery from the computer? When I get into it it warns me that when the recovery is executed, all data will be deleted and rewritten in big red letters and whoa, that's scary!

I'm fairly computer literate (meaning any issue I've ever had with my personal or work computer I've been able to fix with stealthy googling and hours of my time) but I'll be honest, I can't figure out if wiping the thing and running the repair might work in this instance, where I know the HDD is failing.

Is it worth a shot? If it's not, are there other remedies I should examine before shelling out a fat wad of cash to have this professionally fixed?

"esc" & f2 aren't doing it

ryanshepard — Mon, 03 Dec 2012 19:47:31 -0800

Booting from a disc on a Toshiba Portege R935 - how? Restarting with "esc" and "f2" held down allow me to access to BIOS / boot options, but the disc in the drive isn't showing as one of them. What am I missing?

Help with organizing my hot mess of an external hard drive!

PeppahCat — Wed, 19 Sep 2012 08:32:15 -0800

Good ways/ideas/tips for how to organize my external hard drive (because I put it off each time I added things to it...and now it's a hot mess). And ideas for keeping it organized when I add things in the future. I've got the following things on it:
music (single files and whole albums, by multiple artists), videos (both downloaded from sites like YouTube and personal ones), some e-books, quite a few Word documents, and roughly ten bazillion pictures.

The pictures are what presents the biggest problem, IMO. I've got all the pictures I've saved or downloaded (those miscellaneous pics you get from the internet, desktop wallpapers, etc.) and all of my photography pictures. The photography ones are somewhat organized (and by that I mean I've got them sorted to what date they were added on the hard drive) but everything else is royally messed up.

Are folders, subfolders, sub-subfolders, and more folders the way to go? Or is there something better that can be done? I'm not opposed to renaming files and sorting through them for hours to organize this beast.
I'm setting aside monies for a separate HD for the personal photography pics, but for the time being this is what I have...ideally would like to be able to do a few clicks and have the pre-organized personal stuff onto the new HD when I get it, instead of doing it all over again.

[If it matters to anyone, it's a lovely little black HD by Toshiba, 1 terabyte. I've probably got less than 10% filled on it. I'd have to plug it in to see for sure... =P]

Best options for retrieving old laptop data?

zaebiz — Tue, 18 Sep 2012 00:24:21 -0800

How do I retrieve data from very old (one is circa 1998) laptop drives? They contain a lot of interesting history from my time in Silicon Valley before the tech crash that I vowed I would one day retrieve. I have two of them and they are both Toshiba drives. One is a MK3205MAV (3.25Gb internal). I believe it was out of a Chembook? The other is a MK4026GAX (40Gb internal). Thanks.

A PC, a TV, a DVD ... and a CEO who needs to be heard

scruss — Tue, 15 May 2012 08:27:40 -0800

I have:

a PC (a HP Compaq 6200 Pro Small Form Factor PC with VGA and dual-mode DisplayPort outputs)
a TV (a Toshiba 55G310U - 55" class 1080p 120Hz LCD TV)
a DVD of a company presentation that we need to play on this PC
a room that seats 9
… and a CEO who is coming very soon who needs the audio from the presentation to be clearly audible.

What do I need? I basically have to get something today, at a downtown store in Toronto likely no more specialized than Best Buy, that will tie this all together. Someone mentioned soundbars like this LG 2.1 Channel Speaker Bar; it's likely loud enough. What would I need to hook it up? I'm not an audio guy. I just want something that works. Assume a $400 budget and no additional technical support available.

What should I try next?

Obscure Reference — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 17:49:10 -0800

Help me diagnose/repair my Toshiba Satellite A355D-S6889. When I try to boot, I get BOOTMGR MISSING. When I try to reinstall XP from a CD it seems to start out fine, copying drivers and such, until it gets to the message Starting Windows, at which point I get a blue screen o' death with the code 0x7B which google informs me is a hard disk error. Since the disk light flashes while copying files from the CD, I assume the disk had been working up until that moment, and that if the disk really was non-functional, it would never get to the BOOTMGR MISSING message. The only boot option beside HD and CD is LAN.
I even tried a knoppix live DVD (4.0) but got (after it scanned the hardware): 'Cannot find KNOPPIX filesystem, sorry. Dropping you to a (very limited) shell.'

Laptop whiteout

Samizdata — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 09:00:12 -0800

Laptop screen turns white every so often, more often than not. I have a Toshiba Satellite A205-S5841. What will happen is either on reboot or somewhat there after, the screen will slowly fill with white lines or it boot with the screen going white. This happens regardless of whether the screen is in text or graphics mode and happens in either Windows or Linux, so I doubt it is an issue with the onboard graphics.

Research tells it it might be a misseated cable, bit I have not opened it up at any point in the past, and I am trying to avoid cracking it open without a definite plan of action.

Any suggestions?

Restore netbook to factory settings

little_c — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 09:23:53 -0800

How to restore NB305 netbook to out-of-box state after installing Ubuntu, possibly on the recovery partition? I have a Toshiba NB305-N442bl netbook with dual boot Ubuntu and Windows 7 starter installed. When i try to do a system restore holding down "0" and powering on, the system hangs until i release the "0" and then boots normally.

When i am in Windows 7, i can view the HDDRECOVERY drive and all the files are there. However i can't create any recovery media using the Windows tool for doing so.

Seems like the recovery partition is fine, I just can't seem to run a system recovery through the normal channels (ie holding "0" at power on). Thoughts?

Wakeup, dammit!

Slap*Happy — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 20:41:47 -0800

Google has failed me. How do I stop my external Toshiba USB drive from going to sleep on its own when connected to my iMac file server? I have a Toshiba external USB drive, PN PH3100U-1EXB, which puts itself into sleep mode once every 10 minutes since I upgraded to 10.7 (Lion). Is there a Mac-native tool to remove the "backup CD" and sleep mode built into this thing? I've heard the Windows-only tool is ineffective. It =used= to work under the previous rev of MacOS...

Questions about Staples' 2 yr Protection Plan

blunt_eastwood — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 12:35:21 -0800

How difficult is it to get a replacement from Staples using their protection plan? There's nothing wrong with the item in question, but I'd like to sell it and if I can replace it for a new one I imagine I could get more for it. Also, is there any way to transfer the plan to a buyer since there's still over a year on it? I purchased a Toshiba Satellite L655-S5155 from Staples along with their 2 year protection plan this past March.

The associate told me that with the plan I could give the notebook back and get another one for the same or less price before the two years was over. Or if it was more I would just pay the difference. That sounded good to me so I got it.

Now, for unrelated reasons I would like to sell it. I have two questions about the plan and was hoping someone might have had some experience with it or advice on how to go about handling this.

First, I checked with the Staples website and online chat and they said I couldn't do exactly what I was told. The terms are that if there is a problem with the product I can get the same one as a replacement or get a credit of the same value. I assume the salesperson figured I could get the credit and use that towards the new laptop.

However it seems that mine has to be broken or I guess not in stock. Does anyone know how difficult it would be to get a replacement or cash credit? Do I really have to like damage it or can I just say it's not working?

If I get a credit I will just buy a new notebook and sell that new, or replace this one with a new one and then sell it.

My second question is, if I sell it, is there any way to transfer over the plan to the buyer since there's still more than a year left on it?

Here's the site with the terms and everything on it if it helps.

Troubleshooting Bluetooth

quiet coyote — Sun, 07 Aug 2011 10:58:45 -0800

I'm having trouble getting my Toshiba Satellite e105 (64 bit, running Windows 7) to connect to my Insignia NS-BT400 via Bluetooth. I've gotten it to connect a few times by (I think) deleting and readding the connection in Bluetooth Settings, then hitting the pairing button on the speakers. Honestly, it took so long and so much fussing around that I can't be sure what did it, and I haven't even bothered trying to pair them for months. Playing around now, I can't get it to connect, no matter what I try. When I hit connect in Bluetooth Settings, it says "connection failed." I just reinstalled the Bluetooth stack to no avail.

I have no problem connecting to the speakers via my iPhone (i.e., I know they work), but I would like to be able to play all of my music on my speakers, not just the selection I keep on my iPhone.

Corrupted BIOS Toshiba L305D

NotSoSiniSter — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 17:03:39 -0800

Fuck! I corrupted the BIOS on a Toshiba L305D trying to update it in windows 7 (which i later realized was an incredibly stupid idea). It was a laptop we fixed and we were getting ready to sell it on our floor. Boss wants me to come in Monday with a fix. There seems to be a way to fix it using crisis BIOS recovery. But I need a BIOS.rom file. HELP!!! So the more complete story is, my boss wanted me to update the BIOS because the computer would freeze when we pressed F2 trying to access the BIOS. He thought flashing the BIOS would fix it and told me to do it. So I went to Toshiba, and found the newest BIOS utility. It had an option to do it in windows, I went through windows to flash a BIOS on a dell laptop a few months back and it was fine. So I thought it would be fine. Shit freezes halfway though and he walks over, and the think is dead froze, mouse and everything, then the screen just goes black but the things still running. He forces it to turn off and the thing just boots to a black screen. Nothing. At first he was pretty ticked about me not using a CD to do it through DOS, later, he calmed down and took it with a "well, shit happens" kind of attitude. But I spent the next hour trying to fix it. I told him there was a way to do it I just need to find the right file. I told him I'll look all weekend for it. :/

I stumbled on this forum thread:

Now read it all the way through because the steps are critical.
I got a Toshiba Satellite A215 PSAFGU (S6814) And after shutting down from overheating during a flash from windows it didn't boot. Black screen and nothing more. Meanning my bios was corrupt
So after lots of trial and error, using an external usb floppy drive I managed to save my laptop.
Maybe people here describe how to do it, but they tell you to download the wrong crisis recovery files and once you try to use your ROM instead of the one on the disk, or try to replace phlash16.exe it just fails. Tried injecting but that didn't work.
Finally I found a good Phoenix crisis copy at : http://mods.myftp.org/Tools/CrisDisk_and_Pen_Drive_Recovery.rar
unrar and go to the directory, then unrar (you'll see it) CRISDISK.rar .
This copy of crisis with phflash16.exe (in the extracted directory) is a good version that can handle the newest versions of bios ROM.
Now copy your ROM file to the crisisdisk directory renaming the file to bios.wph and thus replacing the existing one.(i used the new 2.0 version ROM from the Toshiba site - in this case its called m10a200.rom)
To prevent 'dos path' errors when building the disk, copy the entire directory to a simple one like c:\cirsis
Build your disk now by running CRISDISK.BAT - the process includes quick formatting, copying the three files, and lastly making it bootable, make sure you go through all the steps. ( at first, i messed the last part by not having it bootable and it failed ofcourse)
once it says it created the disk successfully, put it in your external usb drive (or use the disk you created to make a bootable flash drive by using hp drivekey boot utility available here: http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/SoftwareDescription.jsp?swItem=MTX-UNITY-I23839 I didn't have a chance to test it with usb flash drives, but it should work.)
Now once you connected your media to the usb port on your laptop:
make sure the battery is out, power cord out, hold fn+f, while doing that, plug the cord and then push the power button, release the fn+f key once you see the light on your usb drive/usb floppy is starting to blink. it should pause for a few seconds, and then start reading the disk for a while (not just 3 seconds). Process should not take more then 10 minutes so waiting more then that is a waste(trust me). The computer should reboot byitself if everything is fine. Mine took about 5 minutes but give it 10 just to make sure.
After hours of finding, replacing, injecting, only this worked.
This works for sure, if you follow these instructions with your Toshiba Satellite A215. Don't loose hope - you will recover it.
A good sign is when using the fn+f method and it flashed the usb drive/floppy. It means its 99% recoverable.

So, to a techy, its strait forward enough. He said that if the USB starts flashing when you turn the computer on, chances are the computer its "99% recoverable" So thats what I'm clinging to right now. What I'm having a difficulty doing is locating a .rom BIOS that I can use. The exact model number of the laptop is L305D-S5934. I've looked everywhere for a .rom of the bios. I can't find it. I'm going to be looking like all night, but if i can't find it, this is where i need someones helping hand.

This Utility will backup a BIOS in the .rom flavor. If someone out there has a Toshiba L305D, If you could run this and give me a backup of your rom, It would mean the world to me. :D

According to the forum post above, injecting a BIOS simply doesn't work with Toshiba. The Crisis thing seems to work, but if you have another method you want to share with me, that would be great.

Metafilter, help me! :D

'Authorized' repair guy borked my laptop

Heretical — Sun, 03 Jul 2011 16:26:44 -0800

Previous laptop issue fixed (by a certified tech!) resulted in NEW laptop issue. What now?! I had a rattling laptop fan that finally gave out causing my laptop to overheat when doing something as simple as a flash game, let alone the zillion REAL games I play. I contacted the manufacturer about warranty repair and ended up bringing it to a local authorized repair center.

He had it for ten days instead of the quoted three-to-five. When I got it back, the panels were put in wrong (I was able to fix this myself) but I also had an internet connectivity issue. Before I turned my laptop over to let's call him CGoB, it worked fine. Now I'm dropping connection randomly, and sometimes the laptop can't even recognize there's an internet connection AT ALL! This happens outside the home, with various public and private networks, at random, without any sort of predictability. I went so far as to completely reinstall my OS, and nothing.

I will be sending the laptop back to Toshiba, as I'm reasonably certain CGoB is responsible for screwing something up bad. I've tried contacting him again to see if he'd fix it with priority (as in 1-2 days max) but he's not even returning my calls now!

The question: Bearing all this in mind, is there anything I can do to see that this moron is made aware of his screwup, and is there anything I can do to ensure there are some repercussions for my time that's been wasted because of HIS screwup?

(Will check responses in ~6 hrs; going to work.)

No Composite Video or S-Video output

lucia_engel — Sat, 28 May 2011 11:39:16 -0800

DVD player can only output to HDMI or Component but not Composite or S-Video. Can I fix this? A friend gave me her Toshiba DR-6 (DVD Player/Recorder), without any video cables or remote control, for free as she complained she only got sound from the device. She has never had it fully working before.

The device has 4 video output method (Composite, S-Video, Component, HDMI). I tested all four methods with existing working cables and only two, Component and HDMI, worked.

The TV that I want to hook this up to has no HDMI input, and getting new Component cables seems like it would cost more than to purchase a new player in the first place.

Are there any other reasons why this would happen barring faulty outputs? Is there a secret button sequence to press to reset the device without using a remote control?

Help me chose?

Neiltupper — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 16:08:38 -0800

Toshiba L650 vs C650. Replacing a secondary notebook. The former has a core i5-480M processor and the latter a pentium P6200 .All other specs are essentially the same. The laptop will be used primarily for word processing, internet and data storage. Is the more powerful processor worth me spending $100 more given the applications it will run?

Ubuntu on netbooks

oracle bone — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 06:49:06 -0800

Asking for a friend: "Netbook-ubuntu-linux-dual boot-newbie question: recently purchased a Toshiba NB310 netbook. Please recommend me a version of ubuntu to install." "I recently purchased a Toshiba NB310 10.1" netbook, with the 2GB memory upgrade. I want to try out an ubuntu OS on it. This will be my first exposure to ubuntu/linux systems, and I'm for the most part a computer newbie. I have some questions:

- Is the only advantage to dual boot that I have two OSes that I can work with? If I went with dual boot (Windows/Ubuntu), would that make the netbook run slower?
- Which version of ubuntu should I install? I'm unfamiliar with all the versions/differences between the versions. Should I just look for the most recent stable version? Should I install the netbook version, or just the regular version? (I'm assuming netbook version is more lightweight?)
- Would another linux system work better for the netbook? I have heard of Mint, but I don't know anything about it...
- Any tips/cautions for an ubuntu newbie? After/If I manage to get ubuntu working, what other software would you recommend?

Thanks!"

Rattly laptop fan noise question

Heretical — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 14:22:47 -0800

LaptopFilter: Toshiba x505 fan noise issue - why's it being loud and what to do about it? Shortly after I got my nice new Toshiba x505 laptop, one of the fans started rattling when it kicks in. It's brand new, so I don't know why it would be doing this.

It is under warranty, but I'm uncertain about sending it in. For one, I've got a lot of music on my hard drive. It's non-DRM'd stuff I burned from my own CDs, and I'm paranoid about someone going OMG HERETICAL MUST BE FILESHARING and getting my ass in a sling. I've also added mods to the case in the form of a custom decal sticker. If I hand it over, even if I back up all the info on the drives, what guarantee do I have that I'll have the SAME COMPUTER returned to me?

Also it's my only computer, and going without for who knows how long might send me into withdrawals. (It's my primary - and sometimes only - form of communication with very widespread friends.)

I can narrow down which fan is malfunctioning. Is it possible, feasible, advisable, or reasonable to just order and replace it myself instead of sending it back under warranty?

I'm also very mistrustful of small-time repair shops, even 'authorized' ones, because of some bullshit in the past with a desktop that they full-on replaced without my consent (losing all the information on my hard drive in the process!) when all I needed was a warranty replacement of a freaking power supply and expressly told them NOT to replace anything else without my consent.

In short, what could I or should I do about this? My pretty x505 was whisper-quiet at first, and now it's highly annoying.

Computer repair shop in Adelaide?

with the singing green stars as our guide — Fri, 14 Jan 2011 16:05:54 -0800

What is a good computer repair shop in Adelaide? My Toshiba laptop abruptly stopped working last night. It seems to be a hardware, rather than a software, problem, but I am not really sure.

It's no longer under warranty. I can't afford a new laptop at this point, so I really need to repair it... what repair shop should I take it to?

Be it resolved that Dell is still awful?

sarahkeebs — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 16:49:10 -0800

It's time for a new laptop. I have always had, and loved, Toshibas, and have put them out to pasture due to general age and crotchety behaviour rather than total meltdown. I was all ready to buy my new one (this guy) when I noticed this Dell with broadly similar specs, same price and a better processor. The main difference is Intel Core i3 versus i5. However, everyone I know with a Dell has had hideous experiences with them, and I know from trying to fix my parents' various Dells that they like to make it impossible for you to self-help. With Toshiba's I've always received the actual disks for the OS, etc, so if I needed to reformat or change something I could. I've never experienced Toshiba's customer service because I've never had to, but my experiences with Dell were awful (although dated). Is my poor opinion of Dell outdated, or should I stick with the brand that has always done right by me in the past. (specific comments about why either model is a very good/poor idea are also welcome)

Help my girlfriend and I be closer...with tech support!

mreleganza — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 18:59:40 -0800

Please to be helping my girlfriend's wonky computer? My girlfriend has a Toshiba Satellite L505D-S5965 laptop with Vista installed. On several video sites (including Youtube, but not ALL video sites), the video will play for perhaps a couple seconds and then freeze. I've tried having her download various Flash patches, uninstall and reinstill flash entirely, download different versions for different browsers...nothing helps.

Now the problem seems to be getting more expansive. This gametracker app won't load for her beyond 7%. Seems like half the things I try to pass along to her (it's a long-distance relationship) won't work or won't load.

She has a reasonably reliable internet connection, so I don't think it's that. It's like she's missing some....I don't know, important codec or something. I'm not the world's greatest techie myself.

Anyone have any ideas?

Recording from hard drive of Toshiba RD X-35 to another Toshiba recorder onto disc?

ragtimepiano — Sun, 22 Aug 2010 18:27:37 -0800

How to record from Toshiba dvd player/recorder hard drive to another Toshiba dvd recorder? AMC channel is now blocked from recording onto disc on my Toshiba RD-X35 dvd player/recorder.http://www.tacp.toshiba.com/dvd/product.asp?model=rd-xs35 I recorded the first episode of "Mad Men" season four, onto the hard drive where it is available to view, but I want to put it on disc. I have a much simpler Toshiba recorder without a hard drive and with many fewer functions, hooked up to the kitchen tv, which records directly onto disc. AMC channel for some reason is not blocked for this process, so I recorded subsequent episodes onto discs using the simpler recorder.
My question is: How do I record from the hard drive of the first Toshiba onto the simpler Toshiba, directly onto discs? I haven't found a hookup that works. I connected the three-headed cords (white, yellow, red) from the output of the first to the input of the simpler recorder, and made sure both recorders were on "Line 1", but when I played the hard drive, the simpler recorder recorded only blank.

There is no "AV" setting for either recorder. There are four lines on the first---Lines 1, 2, 3, and U---as well as "channel 2" setting, but only three on the second recorder---Lines 1,2,3. No matter how I matched up the lines, the second recorder did not pick up the hard drive recording. (Since the remotes for both have many shared functions, I face the recorders in different directions so that the remotes do not overlap in their controls.)

It seems to me that this should work, but I am stumped. I've used the RD x-35 for years---it has acquired "cult" status among techies due to its many editing and recording functions.

Does anyone have any suggestions? Many thanks!

Anybody know how to access the service menu on a Toshiba 32C100U LCD TV?

yeoz — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 10:14:08 -0800

Anybody know how to access the factory menu or service menu on a Toshiba 32C100U LCD TV?

Eh eh eh eh eh eh eh eh eh...stop telephonin' me

xiaolongbao — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 07:20:12 -0800

Toshiba Digital Business Telephone driving me nuts. Can you help me take control of this thing? Might be a bit of a longshot...but, I've got this phone. It's a Toshiba DKT3010-SD (Strata CTX). I've read the manual and still can't figure it out.

Essentially, the issue is that it's connected to all the phone lines in the office, or at least the ones in my immediate area, who happen to be salespeople - that is, they are on the phone often. It's got little flashing lights (orbits?) which flash when a particular line is in use. I can see every person's calls coming in/going out, and the light next to their line flashes when they're making or receiving a call. The number they're dialing or that's calling displays on the LCD screen. The phone rings incessantly. It's driving me nuts. I end up missing calls for me because I just tune it all out.

I only want to see/hear my calls. Is this possible? Must I just duct-tape over these other lights? Can I change my line's ringtone? Anything?

I will be so grateful for any help.

Need a new laptop; too many choices!

DingoMutt — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 11:26:19 -0800

Hoping to get some input on a new laptop decision – are the ones I’m honing in on good options? What might differentiate them? My Dell Inspiron just crapped out on me for the last time, so I’ve been exploring my options for a new notebook. After my experiences with the Dell (two keyboard replacements, one fan replacement, one a/c jack replacement, loose/wobbly screen, ridiculous noise levels, etc etc etc) I’m eager to be sure my next machine is at least somewhat durable as well as reliable. Beyond this, as a more-or-less "basic" user (MS Office products, web surfing, video watching – often simultaneously) and occasional gamer (nothing cutting edge – I was playing the original Fallout when my laptop died), I’m interested in getting something reasonably peppy that can handle multi-tasking well and has at least decent graphics and viewing angles ... ideally for less than $900.

Thanks to PC Magazine’s Service & Reliability Survey, and Square Trade’s reliability study, I’m zeroing in on an Asus right now. Looking at Newegg, I’ve found a few that I think look promising (A, B) along with a Toshiba (C)– but I was hoping to get a sanity check from someone more in the know than me. Do the specs on these machines look good for the prices? Is there a better place than Newegg to get a good deal on them? I think I want something with a Core i5 processor in the hopes of keeping it peppy for a long time to come; is the difference between an i3 and i5 enough to really matter? If you, the in-the-know laptop buyer, were to pick between these machines, which one would (or wouldn't) you get?

Finally, are there other brands I really should consider? I realize that Lenovo ThinkPads are often recommended for durability (and having had a ThinkPad before I wouldn’t disagree!) but it looks like Asus is more budget-friendly; I’ve also been considering the Toshiba Portege R705 (this thing is ridiculously light!) but Asus’ 2-year limited warranty and 1-year accidental damage warranty is making it difficult to pass up.

Thanks in advance for any help you can provide in getting me past this "overwhelmed by options" stage of laptop buying!

How do I set my Toshiba RD-XS235 manually to record?

ragtimepiano — Thu, 13 May 2010 14:36:34 -0800

We have a satellite provider rather than cable tv. I recently bought from e-bay a Toshiba RD-XS235 which comes with a "TV Guide" feature built in, unlike my previous Toshiba recorder, an RD-XS32SU (the drive of which is giving out after extensive use). The reviews say that there is a "manual recording" feature, and I looked up the owners' manual online and found the relevant page, but the directions do not seem to work. Is that because I need to allow a few hours for the TV Guide feature to attempt to "kick in"? The manual says to "turn it off overnight for the TV Guide programming to take effect." It WON'T take effect because we no longer use a cable provider. I prefer the manual programming anyhow. Does anyone in the hive mind know how to manually program the RD-XS235? My frustration is running high right now! Any and all advice is welcome! Thanks, techies.