More computer questions...

[vipra]

I have some questions, any help will be greatly appreciated...

#1-- I use a 22" monitor with my laptop, and it's great because it's double the size of my 15" laptop screen. Until recently I could press the 'Fn' and 'F5' keys simultaneously, and this would bring up a small window with 5 sections which let me choose if I wanted to have the laptop screen working or the monitor. Starting a couple days ago, when I press Fn + F5, nothing happens- that small window doesn't appear, so I can't get my monitor to come on. Why doesn't Fn + F5 work?

#2-- When I click Start/Turn Off Computer/Hibernate, sometimes it goes into Hibernation and sometimes it doesn't. Same with Standby. Why does it work sometimes and not others?

I have a Toshiba with XP Service Pack 2.

 

[Turtle]

#1 - Do the other Fn keys work? Like, Fn + whatever brightens or dims the screen, or raises and lowers the audio volume? If not, the Fn functionality has likely been disabled. Have you recently upgraded any of the Toshiba utilities from the Toshiba Web site? Run msconfig.exe to make sure that the necessary Toshiba utilities are running at startup. I can't remember, but I think one is the e-key utility, the other is the Hotkey Utility. Check the Control Panel apps associated with the keyboard to make sure the Fn keys are enabled.

If all that fails, from the Add/Remove Programs Control Panel, uninstall the Hotkey Utility, then reinstall it from the DVD or from the Toshiba Support Web site.


#2 - Will it go into Hibernate or Standby when you use the Fn keys instead of the Start menu? That goes back to the problem above, as well. The #2 problem may be related to the above, or it may be related to a driver conflict of some software that you recently installed or upgraded, like a video or printer driver. If it works sometimes, but not others, there may be a program conflict that prevents it from shutting down, one that you don't run every time, but when you do you see the problem. Could be a virus that's causing it, but that would tend to cause it all the time, not just intermittently.

A reinstall of the Hotkey Utility may solve both problems. Take a look as to any new software you've installed, as well.

You may have to do some more in depth troubleshooting. Go here:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/266169

And scroll down to where it talks about booting on Safe Mode, saving drivers that are running, comparing lists of drivers running, creating different driver profiles, and about comparing Services running. It's time consuming, but educational, and if there is a driver conflict, you'll eventually track it down.

 

[FAMILYEXPDT]

This is a fairly common problem with the A10. You can go to toshiba's website or use your backup disks to downloadd and install the toshiba common modules and the toshiba utilities. This fixes the problem 99% of the time. If you are using a burning program like roxio, they have a componant called EMC 8 that disables fn key functionality. ALso is it possible you just disabled something at startup to make your laptop boot faster?


As to hibernation issues.....check your toshiba power saver settings in control panel AND your display settings (screensaver and monitor power) Usually one will be different from the other because people not accustomed to looking for the power saver utility.




-Charlotte