Toshiba Bios Update
Harriet Wehrenberg
I have found a solution for my Toshiba C55-C-1KZ, Just go to bios disable the security then go to change SC BOOT NOT UEFI. Trying windows 7 doesnt see the hdd but windows 8.1 is ok and easy, have a nice day.
Disconnect everything. Flip the laptop over and remove the hard drive panel and find the RTC battery (what we used to call the CMOS battery) and gently lift it with a small screwdriver to break the circuit, so to speak. After "breaking the circuit," reseat the battery and then power up. You will get a basic screen saying that the "RTC Battery is low, hit F2 to set time/date". This will get you into BIOS setup mode where you can change anything you wish.
Basically title says it all. I'm running windows 10 on an old Toshiba Satellite A665 from 2010, and noticed the battery quit charging and seems to be stuck in the "4 minutes until fully charged" basically battery stopped charging, and through my research its apparently a bios issue. So I'm trying to install updated BIOS from Toshiba's utility and it wont download from windows, so I went the "create CD rom option" so every time I try and burn the Disk file image over to an empty CD-R, I keep getting invalid DISK. So help me out here. What am I doing wrong? Long story short I'm trying to create a boot disc to update my laptops BIOS.
If the ODD does not work then you will not be able to follow Toshiba's update instructions. You could then try handing the ISO to rufus and seeing if rufus can make sense of it enough to put the contents onto a flash drive. And then maybe see if your laptop can boot flash drives.
Okay so I do a system reboot, with DISC drive as boot priority and the disc runs and does its thing however I get a message saying "The battery not exists or lower than 20 percent". then press any key to shutdown the system. Is my battery basically toast? It is a laptop from 2010.
Most BIOS update software is picky. So just make sure to plug in the battery and also the laptop to the wall try it again. If you do not have a battery then it will likely not be possible to update the BIOS. Check e-bay for a replacement battery if needed.
The bios Chips usually have a sticker on them in the Toshiba Laptops. But alot of the time they need to be de-soldered and a new one re-soldered into the Motherboard. Alternatively you may be able to do a jump and reset the bios completely.
Sometimes the motherboard needs to be completely removed to access the battery and or terminals. Some laptops and Towers have terminals to let you short them out and reset CMOS, this is in the general area of the CMOS battery that is onboard and I refer to Above.
I have a toshiba c655d-s5518, on that computer there is a jumper labeled xxx just above the DDR3 memory modules (towards battery), if you short the jumper while powering on it clears the BIOS password. on Some other C655D the jumper is labeled B500.
there are 2 pins next to either the ram or the cmos battery. mine was next to the ram. youll see them next to the ram all alone. turn the computer off. take a flathead scredriver and touch the two pins. hold it there while you power on the computer. the computer should turn on and then shut down. now power it on normally and the password should be gone. ive done this in a dozen c655 and c855s
pull out the bios ic name with winbond with 8 pins put it in the programmer download the bios file from toshiba webste extract the file there will be file with extension rom or bin try to make me picture i will guide you then programme the ic it will be claire i am very familiar with this
1. Starting with the computer fully off, turn it on by pressing and releasing the power button. Immediately and repeatedly tap the Esc key, until the message "Check system. Then press (F1) key" appears on the screen.
For some reasons it could happen that no PC Serial No. and Challenge Code will displayed instead of "Not Certified" appears. In this case remove the AC-adapter and the battery for a short time and try it again.
This bulletin documents the several different methods for gaining access to the BIOS Setup feature of most models of Toshiba computers. These setting are stored in non-volatile CMOS memory, hence the alternative term "CMOS Setup". The settings are managed by a utility program built into the computer's BIOS (Basic Input/Output System).
Run the Toshiba Hardware utility from the Toshiba Console. It may also accessible (as 'HWSetup') from the Windows Control Panel. Changes to some of the settings will require re-starting the computer. This method is the only way to access the BIOS settings on some notebook PCs (Satellite 5000 series, for example). (For these machines, pressing and holding the F12 key immediately after powering-on the notebook will allow you to alter the notebook's boot priority.)
If the Toshiba Hardware utility is not present, try the F2 key method and the Esc key method (see below). The Toshiba Hardware utility may be downloaded from the Toshiba support website at //support.toshiba.com
If the computer is fully off, and/or to avoid having to re-start it (and Windows), use one or the other of the following two methods. The PC will have to be truly off (not suspended, or in standby mode, or in hibernation mode). If an external keyboard is attached to the notebook (either directly or via a docking station or a port-replicator), disconnect it until you have completed this procedure.
Turn the computer on. If you do not see a prompt to press the F2 key, then immediately press and hold the Esc key for three seconds, and then release it. When prompted to, press the F1 key. The Setup screen will appear.
Run the HWSetup utility from the Windows Control Panel. This utility provides a relatively user-friendly way to change the BIOS settings. Changes to some of the settings will require re-starting the PC (and Windows). HWSetup was pre-installed on all but early Toshiba notebook models. If it doesn't appear as a Control Panel applet on your computer, you may be able to download it from the Toshiba Support website as part of the Toshiba Utilities package for your model.
If an external keyboard is attached to the notebook, either directly or via a docking station or a port-replicator, disconnect it. Turn the computer on. Immediately press and hold the Esc key for three seconds, and then release it. When prompted to, press the F1 key. The Setup screen will appear. The PC will have to be truly off (not suspended, or in standby mode, or in hibernation mode) for this method to work.
Run the TSETUP utility, under MS-DOS. TSETUP runs correctly only when executed from a 'native' MS-DOS prompt, and with the processor running in real mode -- so not from a Windows 'DOS box', and without any memory manager software running (EMM386.EXE, HIMEM.SYS, or QEMM386.EXE, for example). TSetup was pre-installed on most early Toshiba notebook models (except for the very earliest models). It is available from the Toshiba Support website.
Hi All
I was given a Toshiba 1800 laptop Model No. PS181A-009S9 Serial No. 71013280J dating from around 2002 but in excellent condition.
I think this would be a good candidate for an upgrade to Puppy, however there is a problem.
The computer is protected by a bios password.
On power up, there is a brief TOSHIBA splash screen then a request for a password.
The password has space for up to 10 characters.
Pressing F2 while powering up has no effect, does not get into bios, just the password screen.
I did find that pressing F12 while powering up brings up a screen saying:
"Ready for bios update. Place bios update disk in the drive and press any key when ready to proceed'.
I thought this may be an entry into the computer by re-flashing or updating the bios, but I can not find any bios updates on line for the Toshiba 1800 series and am not sure even the brand of bios used.
The other thought was to disconnect the bios battery for a while and maybe the bios would reset to the factory settings. I did this but to no avail. The bios battery was dead anyway.
I also searched for a bios reset jumper or for bios reset pads that can be bridged on the mother board to reset the bios, but found nothing.
If resetting the CMOS doesn't work, then your next bet is to try using a backdoor password. A backdoor password is basically a password that manufacturers include with the BIOS so that technicians can access the computers that people send in for repair. An example of a Toshiba backdoor password is, unsurprisingly, "Toshiba." When the BIOS prompts you to enter a password, entering "Toshiba" may allow you to access your PC and clear the old BIOS password. Another option is to hold the left "Shift" key down while booting.
Thanks for the suggestions.
The idea of a backdoor password was one I had heard of, but have been unable to find one that works.
"Toshiba" does not work either in upper or lower case or with a capital T.
Nor does holding down either the right or left shift key while powering up.
The user manual suggests taking the laptop back to a Toshiba Service Centre if the password is forgotten, so the idea of a technician's backdoor password sounds correct.
Must be some smart people out there who know how to get around this problem.
John
Yes, removing CMOS battery is generally not going to remove BIOS password since these are normally stored in a non-volatile (no battery required) flash RAM chip of some sort. They can often be re-programmed if you have special software and some old laptops were resettable in that way via some hacked software solution some geniouses provided - but never easy. That DB25 may well be a solution by the looks of it. Reminds me of my own removal of an Android tablet pin on a machine I bought that no battery removal or reset button helped with: viewtopic.php?p=17814#p17814
But, no, don't take a knife to any chip inside your laptop - that Android was a special case and I researched exactly what pins might work (and just lucky really that it did).