Sony Battery Pack Voluntary Replacement Program relating to certain Toshiba notebooks.

On September 28, 2006 Sony Corporation announced a global replacement program for certain battery packs that are used in notebook computers.

Sony has confirmed to Toshiba that the subject Sony batteries used in certain Toshiba notebook computers are not subject to the same problem that caused the recent recalls issued by Dell and Apple.

The Toshiba system design and the protection system in Toshiba notebook computers are different than those of Dell and Apple. We have also confirmed that the system design issue identified by Sony in the overheating incidents in Dell and Apple computers is not present in those Toshiba notebook computers. After the announcement by Sony Corporation, and in order to ensure customer peace of mind, Toshiba is participating in Sony’s global battery pack replacement program and is offering Toshiba customers free replacement of certain battery packs identified by Sony. This offer extends only to replacement of the subject Sony battery packs.

The subject battery packs identified by Sony were used in certain batches of the following Toshiba notebook computer models. Only some - not all - of the battery packs used in these models are subject to Sony’s global battery pack replacement program:

Toshiba models affected include:

• Satellite A50, R10
• Tecra A2, A3X, M3, M4, M5 and S3
• Portege M300, M400, M500
• Qosmio G30, F30

If your model is listed above please click on the below url for instructions on how to determine whether you have a battery pack which is eligible for free replacement.

http://www.isd.toshiba.com.au/battery/Batt_Affected.asp

Date Published - 12/10/2006

Questions and Answers about batteries for Toshiba notebook computers.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q? Why didn't my new notebook computer start up from the battery when I first took it out of the box?
This is a normal consequence of the battery being in need of a fresh charge. Generally, for best results, plug in the computer and allow it to charge the Main Battery for about 24 hours, but see your User's Guide for more specific information related to your model.
Note: New batteries may need to be charged and completely discharged two to four times in order for them to reach their full capacity.

Q? My Power Meter shows 100% and my battery light is green, indicating that my battery is fully charged, but it doesn't run for very long. Why?
This can occur if the Battery and the Power Meter utility get out of synchronization. The amber light may turn to green after only a few minutes, indicating that the Main Battery is fully charged, when it is really only partially charged. If this occurs do the following:

1. Charge Main Battery for 4 hours or until the battery light changes from amber to green. Note: If the computer's battery light doesn't come on within a few moments after being plugged in, check all of your power connections and make sure that the Main Battery is fully inserted into its slot.

2. Remove Main battery for 30-45 seconds and then put it back into the computer.

The battery should now resume normal charging, and when the battery LED turns green this time, the Main Battery and Power Meter should be in sync.
Note! The Satellite 1605, 1625, 1675, 1695 models require the unit to be turned off to charge the Main Battery.

Q? Is the battery charging at all times?
The Main battery will always charge more quickly when the computer is plugged in and turned off, though in most Toshiba models the battery will also be charged when the computer is plugged in and turned on.
Exceptions: The Satellite 1605, 1625, 1675, 1695 models only charge when the unit is powered off!

Q? Why does my battery gauge seem to drop several percentage points at a time?
Battery gauges for portable computers are not designed to be accurate enough to read a single percentage point at a time. Models using Lithium-Ion batteries are typically more accurate. Battery gauge adjustments vary from model to model and on models using Ni-MH (Nickle Metal Hydride) batteries you may see battery gauges that adjust up to 14% at one time.

Q? Why does the battery gauge on my notebook drop sometimes but seem to rise at others?
The computer's battery gauge can automatically adjust itself up and down depending on what it calculates to be the battery life at the time of a particular reading and adjustment. For example, you may be running on AC power with the battery gauge displaying 90%. Once the computer is unplugged, the battery life will be recalculated, causing the gauge to show a drop of as much as 70%, depending on the power settings. However, if you have left the computer on but unused for a while, the battery gauge may display 60%, but when the CPU and HDD enter battery save mode, the battery gauge may display a gain in battery life.

Q? Why does my battery life appear to be less that when it was new? / Why isn't my Main Battery providing as much power as it did in the past?
All batteries, of every type, are consumable products. They are able to store and deliver electrical power for some period of time, often a few years, before they need to be replaced. Additionally, Nickel Cadmium and Nickel Metal Hydride batteries are subject to a "memory effect" condition which causes them to accept only as much energy (charge) as has recently been withdrawn from them -- repeatedly partially discharging them will cause them to "forget" their complete capacity.

Q? How do you prevent the "memory effect" with Ni-Cad and Ni-MH batteries?
Toshiba recommends that you fully discharge, and then recharge, your battery on a regular basis. When the battery is fully charged, unplug the AC Adapter and run the computer until it shuts itself off.

Q? Can the "memory effect" be eliminated?
Yes, in most cases the memory effect can be reversed unless of course the battery is either damaged or is simply nearing the end of its life. The following indicates what can be done for each type of rechargeable battery.

Lithium Ion (Li-Ion)
Li-Ion batteries to not exhibit the memory effect. Replace the battery if it does not charge correctly. Li-Ion

Nickel Metal Hydride (Ni-MH) battery conditioning
The memory effect with Ni-MH batteries can sometimes be reversed a bit by a conditioning procedure, as follows:
Before you start: Turn off your battery saving features temporarily.
Repeat the following steps 2-3 times.

1. Unplug the AC adapter from the computer
2. Turn the computer on and let it run until it shuts itself off.
   Note: Playing an audio CD will quicken the discharge.
3. Charge the battery until the battery light changes from amber to green.
4. Remove the battery for 30 seconds and then re-insert it.
   Note: If the battery light isn't lit, wait a few moments, if it still does not light, check your power connections.
5. Continue charging the battery until the battery light turns green once again.
   If the Ni-MH battery will still accept only a partial charge, replace it.

Nickel Cadmium (Ni-Cd):
The memory effect with Ni-Cd batteries can sometimes be reversed by using a procedure called step charging. Step charging is very similar to the process used for Ni-MH batteries, however it involves several more full charges and full discharges. Each time a charging cycle is completed another fractional portion of the battery capacity is recovered. Repeat the following procedure until you no longer notice an increase in discharge times.
Before you start: Turn off your battery saving features temporarily.

1. Unplug the power cord from the computer
2. Turn the computer on and let it run until it shuts itself off. Time this if possible.
   Note: Playing an audio CD will quicken the discharge.
3. Charge the battery until the battery light changes from amber to green.
4. Remove the battery for 30 seconds and then re-insert it.
   Note: If the battery light isn't lit, wait a few moments, if it still does not light check your power connections.
5. Continue charging the battery until the battery light turns green once again.
   Note: This process may take several (5-8) cycles, however, if you have NOT noticed any increase in the battery discharging times after 2-3 cycles you should replace the battery.

Q? What is "stand loss"?
"Stand loss" is a term used to describe the "amount of charge" a fully charged battery will lose per day when the battery is left in an unplugged but powered off computer or when the battery is charged and then removed from the computer and allowed to discharge on it's own.
Note: The following table shows typical stand loss times.

Battery Type	in unplugged computer	out of computer
Lithium Ion	5%-10% loss per day	1-2% loss per day
Nickel Metal Hydride	20-25% loss per day	10-15% loss per day
Nickel Cadmium	20% loss per day	5% loss per day

Example: 20% per day means that the battery will be fully-discharged after about after 5 days.

Q? How long should my computer's batteries last? What is the life cycle of a battery?
Under normal conditions, the life of a rechargeable battery is designed to last 500 to 800 charging cycles

Q? What is the charging cycle for a battery?
Toshiba portable computers will sense when a battery charge is complete (full charged). When this occurs with Toshiba portables the charging circuit will turn off, the battery light will change to green and the computer's Power Meter will display 100% or Full. If the computer does not sense that the battery is fully charged (Power Meter less than 100%) then the computer will begin charging as soon as the computer is plugged in. With this in mind, the battery loses a full charging cycle each time charging begins, whether it is doing a full charge or just a partial charge.
Notes: A decrease in the battery's running time generally indicates that the battery is in need of replacement.

Q? What can be done to make my battery run and last longer?

FULLY DISCHARGE AND CHARGE YOUR BATTERY REGULARLY
When you use your batteries, you should cycle your battery from a fully charged to a fully discharged state as often as possible. With a fully charged battery, disconnect AC power and let the computer run until it turns itself off..

DO NOT OVERCHARGE THE BATTERY
Disconnecting and reconnecting your computer to AC power frequently, without significantly discharging the battery can cause overcharging.

DO NOT OVER-DISCHARGE THE BATTERY
Your computer consumes battery power even when it is turned off. If you do not use your computer for more than a week at a time, remove the battery from the unit.

USE THE CORRECT AC ADAPTER FOR YOUR COMPUTER
AC adapters are specific to each Toshiba portable. Always verify that you are using the correct AC adapter for your computer. The computer's input voltage MUST match the AC adapters output voltage.
Toshiba computers have a silver product label on the bottom that displays the exact voltage and amperage required for the computer (for example, "DC15V3.0A", which means 15 volts DC (direct current), at 3.0 amps.
Each Toshiba AC Adapter also displays it's output voltage and amperage capacity (for example, "DC15V3.0A").

IMPORTANT - VOLTAGE AND AMPERAGE MUST MATCH

If the AC adapter's voltage and/or amperage is too low
- The computer may not run properly
- The batteries may not be fully-charged, causing operating time to be dramatically reduced
- Battery charging time may be dramatically increased
- Battery charging may not occur at all

If the AC adapter's voltage and/or amperage is too high
- The computer may be damaged
- The batteries may be damaged

USE YOUR COMPUTER'S BATTERY SAVING FEATURES
Toshiba portables offer several ways to conserve battery life: Hibernate, Standby mode, Power Mode in the Control Panel, TSETUP, and on older models TAP or Maxtime. The amount of time a portable computer will run from its battery can be increased by simply decreasing the screen brightness or the speed in which the processor runs or for how long the hard drive runs when applications are not using them.

TURN OFF APPLICATIONS THAT WASTE BATTERY POWER
Auto Insert Notification is a Windows 95, 98 feature which forces the CD-ROM drive to turn on and off automatically every so often. Turning this feature off (Control Panel > System > Device Manager) will save some battery power.

Consider turning off (of reducing the frequency of) the Auto Save feature in applications like Microsoft Word. This feature automatically saves your open document at regular internals, at the cost of the energy it takes to wake up the CPU and spin up the hard disk drive.

Remove any PC Cards that are not in use.

DO NOT EXPOSE THE BATTERY TO EXCESSIVE HEAT
Permanent damage will result if the battery is exposed to temperatures above 110F or 43C. A battery left in a car in the hot summer sun can easily be damaged in this way.

Q? How do I dispose of old or bad batteries?
Rechargeable batteries can usually be recycled. To find out more about recycling or disposing of batteries check with your local Toshiba Reseller or Support Centre.


Details as an excerpt from Toshiba Document Number 98080633, released 28/05/2003 and last updated on 05/06/2004

Different types of batteries for Toshiba notebooks

The details below are applicable for the Toshiba notebook models, Portege, Satellite, Satellite Pro and Tecra.

Toshiba laptops typically use 3 separate types of batteries.

1) RTC (Real Time Clock) battery

This rechargeable battery's purpose is to maintain the time, date and CMOS Setup information for the computer. When it is fully-charged, this battery will maintain its information for approximately 1 month or more, after the computer is unplugged and both the Main and Backup batteries have been discharged completely. This RTC battery is charged through the Main battery and will last for several years.

2) Backup battery

This rechargeable battery keeps the computer's memory 'alive' during when the computer is in the Standby mode. When it is fully charged, the Backup battery can hold data for approximately 4-8 days after the Main battery has been fully discharged. This battery also receives its charge through the Main Battery and, like the RTC battery, should last for several years.

Note: In a few models the RTC and Backup were packaged together and called a sub-battery.

3) The MAIN battery.

The Main Battery provides the power to operate the computer and it also charges both the RTC Battery and the Backup Battery. The Main Battery can be easily removed for storage for swapping with another Main Battery. The charging times and "rundown" times for the Main Battery varies from model to model and these times are determined by power requirements of the computer and by the capacity and composition of the battery (Nickel Cadmium, Nickel Metal Hydride or Lithium Ion).

The Main battery will always charge more quickly when the computer is plugged in to a mains power supply but with the computer turned off, though in most Toshiba models the battery will also be charged when the computer is plugged in and turned on.

Exceptions: The Satellite 1605, 1625, 1675, 1695 models only charge when the unit is powered off.

The Main Battery, unlike the RTC and Backup Battery, has a more limited lifetime, which is dependant upon the pattern of the batteries usage, and its composition.

What kind of Main batteries are used in Toshiba portables?

Toshiba has used three different types (chemical compositions) of Main Batteries: Nickel Cadmium, Nickel Metal Hydride and Lithium Ion. Nickel Cadmium (Ni-Cd) batteries were used in many of the early Toshiba portables. In the past few years, however, more powerful and lighter weight Nickel Metal Hydride (Ni-MH) and Lithium Ion (Li-ion) batteries have been built into in Toshiba portables.


Nickel Cadmium (Ni-Cd):
No longer used in Toshiba portable Computers, although at one time the most popular type of rechargeable battery used in portable computers, Toshiba no longer offers models that use this technology. Nickel Cadmium batteries tended to suffer from what was called "memory effect", but Nickel Cadmium batteries offered high performance, and delivered usable power until the battery had been almost completely exhausted.


Nickel Metal Hydride (Ni-MH):
The Nickle Metal Hydride has been used in recent Toshiba portables as well as many past models. Nickel Metal Hydride batteries last 30% to 40% longer than Nickel Cadmium batteries, and exhibit much less of the "memory effect" seen in Ni-Cads. The Nickel Metal Hydride battery is generally considered more environmentally-friendly than Nickel Cadmium batteries, and they cost less to produce than the newer Lithium Ion batteries.


Lithium Ion (Li-ion):
Currently the most widely available rechargeable battery, Lithium Ion batteries exhibit no "memory effect" (see below). These batteries have twice the energy density of Nickel Metal Hydride, so they can weigh as much as 30% less. Although more expensive and more difficult to manufacture, Lithium Ion batteries' light weight and relatively long life make them an excellent choice for many types of portable electronic devices. Lithium Ion batteries are now used in most Toshiba portables.

Details as an excerpt from Toshiba Document Number 98080633, released 28/05/2003 and last updated on 05/06/2004

Toshiba InTouch

For Toshiba users in Australia and New Zealand as well as other territorys supported by Toshiba Information Systems Division Australia, you can subscribe to Toshiba InTouch to keep you up to date with the latest news and events.

http://www.isd.toshiba.com.au/intouch/index.html


By subscribing to Toshiba Events you'll get the latest information on upcoming events, early bird offers and invitations delivered directly to your inbox.

You'll also receive "Wireless News" which is designed to keep you up-to-date with the constantly ever-changing world of mobile computing. You'll find summaries and links to the latest range of Toshiba products, pricing updates, recent case studies as well as the latest promotions. You'll also find the General Manager's view on what's topical in the mobile computing world as well as quotes issued by leading research companies such as Gartner.

Toshiba keyboard information

Some fault finding tests for notebook keyboards.

Dependant on how you use your keyboard the fault could have occurred naturally.. things do just wear out, and sometimes out of the millions of keyboard made you can get some faulty units.. normally in the region of 0.01% though. Or the fault could be as a result of particular individual use, as some people are very delicate when it comes to typing, whereas others may not be so delicate. It could also be possible that a nice cold fizzy drink or that hot drink got spilt all over your keyboard and if this is the case, lets hope you're just looking at the cost of a new keyboard. Maybe you've changed Operating Systems, maybe you've changed countries and languages or maybe you're just unlucky.. hopefully some of these thoughts may help you..


First things first.. if you're notebook is under warranty, contact the supplier whom you bought the product from and let the "warranty" take care of this problem. If you're outside of a warranty period though see below ...


If you find that your notebook keyboard starts to either not respond or certain keys stop responding, here are a few tests that you can do to try and fathom out the fault..

1) Connect an external keyboard to either the PS2 or USB port of your notebook and test the external keyboard now, by testing the keys on the external unit which were faulty on your notebook keyboard.

If your external keyboard works fine, particularly the corresponding keys that didn't on your notebook keyboard, then at least you now know that it should hopefully just be a matter of replacing your notebook keyboard. If however your external keyboard has the same faulty keys as your notebook keyboard than the situation could be more serious than just a new notebook keyboard.


2) Examine your notebook keyboard for possible debris between and possibly underneath the keycaps. We're talking about crumbs and particles of food and in some extreme cases even human hair. If there does seem to be a bit of a build up you need to try give your keyboard a quick clean.


Start by TURNING OFF your notebook computer and disconnecting your AC Adaptor, then with something as useful as a "Q Tip" have a little clean around the sides and if possible between key caps which may not be functioning correctly.

You may also find that by turning the laptop upside down all manners of particles suddenly obey the law of gravity and just fall out from their previous resting place. Why not put a piece of clean white paper on the surface beforehand and then try and name all the items that will appear when you have turned your notebook upside down above it..


DO NOT use your Vacuum Hoover on full blast and try to suck everything out as you will possibly suck keycaps off your keyboard, which won't be a fun job to try and then remove from the vacuum cleaners rubbish bag. You'll then also have the really infuriating job in trying to get them back onto your notebook keyboard.

If after removing any "debris" re-attach your AC Adaptor, turn on your notebook and then retest your notebook keyboard and also retest with the external keyboard as per point 1 above.

3) Check within "Control panel" (if you're using a Microsoft Operating System) the setup of your keyboard, has anything changed from normal ? Or has the country you are in changed and now you're all of a sudden typing on a keyboard designed for someone with a preference for Arabic.

4) This one's rather extreme but known to have happened, make sure the keycaps are in the correct place. It's been known that some people think it extremely funny to change the occasional keycap on other peoples keyboards. If your error is that whenever you press the letter "Y" a T comes out and vice versa or when you press a "+" you instead create a "-" then it's possible that somebody is playing a prank on you.

5) If you're getting the letter "o" when pressing a 6 or similar, dependant on your Operating System, this could happen because some notebooks automatically have the NUMLOCK key set to on when a user trys to log on to a network. This can cause a user to type their password incorrectly, because users often don't check the keyboard indicators (CAPS LOCK or Num Lock) before typing their passwords. Contact your System Administrator to help with this, as the BIOS will need to edited to turn Num Lock to off.

If after doing some of these tests as above the notebook keyboard and the external keyboard still show the same fault then you need to get in touch with either a Toshiba Technical Support Line or a Toshiba Authorised Service Centre, who may be able to diagnose/confirm your fault. Dependant on where you are in the world, go to Google (of course) and search on the phrase "Toshiba Service Centres" this will potentially show the Service Centres in your area. Otherwise visit http://www.toshiba.com/tai-new/ and then choose from the Global Sites menu your choice of country and then follow your Toshiba regional sites web pages through until you get to the Support Page where you should be able to view or even download a list of Service centres in your region.

Dependant on where in the world you are based, the age of your notebook and the availability of a new keyboard for your Toshiba notebook, this should typically cost you anywhere from US$ 40-100 + freight costs. Prices will differ from supplier to supplier and availability should be easier if you are in a country that has Toshiba Service Centres and Parts Distributors.

Remember you get what you pay for.. so you should either purchase a new Toshiba keyboard from an Authorised Toshiba Spare Parts Distributor or Agent or contact a Service Centre who can also fit the keyboard for you if you prefer.

If you're stuck on finding someone who can help you, just put a post here and I'll see if I can help further.

Cheers