Hi all

Am new to this so bear with me....
Returned my laptop to Toshiba just before Xmas as I kept getting the message "no bootable device" ( it was still under warranty thankfully )
Lost everything but came back in good working order. Now warranty has expired and I have exactly the same message coming up again. The only key I can press which does anything is the off button !!! Tried going into boot menu but the "hard drive" section is not highlighted so am unable to do anything there
Would the "Ultimate Boot Cd" be of any use to me in fixing this problem or am I going to need yet another new hard drive ????
Hope someone can help.....please

Would you mind giving the exact model please? How old is the laptop? Have you tried to see if it will boot from the optical drive (cd/dvd)? Not sure if you have another 2.5''HDD, but if you could borrow a friends that supports the same serial connections, you can test if its the hard drive or the BIOS.

You may also try taking out the battery, and holding the power button for 20-30 seconds; this drains the capacitors and clears the BIOS settings completely, sometimes fixing problems.

You may also want to try removing the battery and try running off of AC power only and see if that fixes the error. If it does, could mean the battery is bad and the HDD is not getting enough power to work properly.

Hi, thanks for your response.
Exact model is
Toshiba Satellite L300-1BV
Celeron T1600
1024 mb RAM
160 gb HDD
Bought from new Dec 2008

Have tried removing the battery and holding power button - nothing
Tried running off ac adapter only - nothing
Also tried holding the f8 button to access repair options - nothing

I don't have a similar hard drive which I could test in this machine, and the other p.c is an e-machines tower so hd won't fit ( i don't think )
Son has coursework saved on this laptop too so if I need another new drive, he will be a little more than upset lol

You can try UBCD and boot Parted Magic and try mounting the drive and see if it can read it. Wouldnt hurt to try. But, I will warn you, if the HD is bad, you may only be able to get a few things off of it before its completely dead.

Then you may also try putting the HDD in 2 ziplock bags and placing it in the freezer and leave it in there overnight, and then try using it in the morning with Parted Magic to remove the documents you need, if it works...you basically have it working until it warms up and locks up. So choose your files wisely. Normally only works for drives that click and are heard to read.

It really sounds like the drive you have is dead. I'm guessing its a Toshiba/Seagate (if Im right let me know) as they are widely know for failing prematurely. Most HDD's last for atleast 3 years and if this Laptop is only from 2008 and the drive has already been replaced....then you do the math.

I would Suggest a Western Digital (WD) drive if you have to or decide to replace it. I have been using them for years and they typically last for 5years under normal user conditions. I also suggest buying a USB Flash Drive, for your son, as they are cheap and always a good idea to back up important documents onto.


On a side note: from what I have read, toshiba anything including computers, hdd's, dvd readers, etc, dont have a long life expectancy. They used to have great products and would last just as long as any other brand until recently. So would recommend to steer clear of toshiba at all costs.

Thanks for your help. Sounds like a lot of hard work for something that may not work ( we tried the freezer thing with the last one on the home p.c and it didn't work )

May just give in and buy a new one

Thank anyways tho

Happily running Ubuntu 9.10,I downloaded Ubuntu 10,LTS, was instructed to erase a batch of files, and the whole thing went Pete Tong.
Scrabbled about with various suggested cures, downloaded UBCD50, burnt it to CD,booted it up, followed idiot-proofed suggestions,then booted up Ubuntu 9.10 disc; lovely, it all ran,
Update Manager pop-up appeared, suggesting a !0 upgrade, no bleedin way mate.
I am now trying to find the appropriate place to make my modest donation.
Thanks a lot fellers,

You are welcome. Its probably best to make a new topic and post your success instead of posting it in another topic that is unrelated.