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I really can’t say this enough, and I have absolutely no affiliation with them whatsoever, but 0patch is one of the best security products out there for anyone who runs a Windows system (regardless of what specific version of Windows OS).

It is certainly money well spent and 0patch’s view on security patching puts M$ to shame. Good on them for doing so!

3 users thanked author for this post.

Cybertooth, Microfix, Alex5723

OldGuyForum wrote:

Just attempting to get more information.

And more, hopefully positive, will be coming as soon as I am able fo get at my Toshiba.

WildBill wrote:

Have broke the AC adapter cord going to the 8.1 machine, but before that, coaxed it into charging. Need to buy new adapter if wish to continue using it.

Easy fix (and inexpensive too). Pick one up and you’ll have three more years of Win 8.1 updates to keep you going if you follow the excellent info provided here. Nice.

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Microfix

OldGuyForum wrote:

You might also try making a Linux Live USB on another system, and see if you can simply boot from that

Excellent suggestion and thank you for that!

Might you have a personal favorite or suggestion of a Linux Live USB to pass along?

OldGuyForum wrote:

BootAble simply uses BIOS rather than UEFI to create bootable media for a custom version of FreeDOS that SpinRite uses.

It confirms that you can boot into GRC’s FreeDOS before you purchase SpinRite…that’s it.

Thanks for the clarification, @OldNavyGuy.

As mentioned, I feared this was just grasping at straws.

Any thoughts on the trying boot the laptop while connected to AC suggestion?

BobT wrote:

“The last version of Windows!” Again… Meanwhile I’m still here on W7 lol. Fully ESU patched and running 0Patch.

Hear, hear @BobT!

It’s good to know I’m not the only one who’s following this path. I’ll happily take this way over Windows 10 (or 11 for that matter) any day.

This aside, I am glad to know M$ are offering a Windows 10 ESU option for those who may be interested in utilizing it though. Considering the number of users on Windows 10, did they really have a choice?

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Cybertooth

Thanks for checking in, @Sueska and apologies for not having reported back in sooner. I haven’t been able to get at my beloved Toshiba lately, so hence the delay in replying.

Before the return period expired, I ended up returning the two 8 GB sticks that caused me all the grief. I told the two techs at the computer store about my plight as well as all the things I have tried so far that have been suggested here. I also asked if they could possibly think of anything else that might help getting the laptop to boot and one of them mentioned to connect it to the AC power after putting the CMOS battery, laptop battery and original RAM sticks in so that the system would have constant voltage when attempting to get it to boot. I have no idea if this is something that might help but I thought I would bring it up here as it is not something I had previously tried.

Also, and this may very well be grasping at straws, I was wondering if running Steve Gibson’s BootAble utility would help in any way by trying to see if the BIOS was at least still accessible to me.

According to the GRC BootAble website:

“This BootAble utility allows anyone to easily create BIOS-bootable media in order to workout and confirm the details of getting a machine to boot FreeDOS through a BIOS.”

and…

“…we wanted to provide a free “bootability” testing tool to allow users to experiment with working out the details of booting BIOS and FreeDOS on whatever machines they might want to use with SpinRite.”

I fully realize that neither FreeDOS nor SpinRite have anything to do with the RAM issue, I’m just wondering if BootAble will allow me to, as mentioned above, determine if the BIOS was at least still accessible to me.

As always, any and all thoughts on the above would be most appreciated.

n0ads wrote:

@7ProSP1, not meant as a personal criticism toward you, but lets go back to the basics of ensuring you’re installing the RAM sticks correctly

Not taken that way whatsoever, @n0ads; in fact, this is most appreciated and helpful as I’m hoping whatever the issue is here can be resolved by going back to the most basic of troubleshooting.

Thank you so much for your detailed response!

TryLinux wrote:

Can you provide a more detailed model number for the Toshiba?

As appears on the underneath of the laptop:

Toshiba Satellite C850D

Model/Part # PSC9SC-01K00W

Also, in examining the original Samsung 4GB RAM stick it says PC3-10600S while the G.SKILL 4GB RAM stick says PC3-10666.  The PC-10700 reference is what is reported by both CPU-Z and Speccy.

OldGuyForum wrote:

Should boot with only one stick installed in the slot that “seats”. If not, something is likely fried. The chances that all 4 sticks are bad (2 old + 2 new) are pretty low.

That is exactly what I’m thinking.  But what could possibly have become fried from simply and carefully swapping RAM sticks?

 

While certainly appreciated, that seems like a way for me to completely destroy something if not done correctly. Leaving the CMOS battery out for a period of time will have the same intended effect though, right?

I really can’t see how to two carefully removed and previously functioning RAM sticks could both simultaneously become defective. Wouldn’t the odds of something like that occurring be astronomical? I don’t know what the warranty on the original Samsung stick is but the G.SKILL stick has a lifetime one.

If this helps in any way…

The original 4GB RAM stick that came with the laptop is Samsung-branded, while the second 4GB stick I added in 2020 is G.SKILL-branded. As mentioned, they have always played well together and have never given me a moment’s trouble prior to me removing both of them.

These are two things I have not done – bleeding the power and making sure the RAM sockets are free of dust.

As for removing and replacing the CMOS battery, I left the battery out for several days before replacing it with a fresh one earlier today.  I removed and left the laptop’s battery disconnected for several days as well. Bleeding the power never even entered my mind though.

I had actually considered blowing some compressed air into the RAM sockets to see if this would cause anything to allow it to resume normal operation but I wasn’t sure if this would be a good idea.  As long as it is safe to do so, I will certainly try this as well.

One other thing:

The original 4GB stick had never been removed from this system until I carefully took it out the other day. (As an aside, even though it was in the first slot, it always shows as being in the second slot when using either CPU-Z or Speccy.) I did notice that when putting either of the original 4 GB sticks back in this slot, there is no audible or tactile “click” when doing so; when putting either of the 4 GB sticks back in the second slot (which shows as being in the first slot when using either CPU-Z or Speccy), the audible and tactile click is definitely there. Could the lack of the click be signifying something and somehow be the culprit here?

Well, I have tried everything as suggested in the replies to this post and the result is still the same:

When I try to boot the laptop, it goes to a black screen with three long beeps followed immediately by two short beeps. It does this three times in succession and then goes silent, after which I have to hold the power button down to shut it down completely.

I even tried to boot the laptop with no RAM sticks installed and it the result is the same as above. (It should still be able to boot this way with the 64k of onboard RAM, correct?)

I simply cannot understand why this system will no longer boot when all I did was, with a more than belt and suspenders approach, try to “upgrade” the RAM from 8 GB to 16 GB. Again, the laptop was operating absolutely flawlessly prior to me doing this.

This may not be the exact same thing, but to me it’s like replacing or upgrading a part in car only to find it will not start any longer, even after reinstalling the original previously functioning part. This is absolutely ridiculous.

There must be something that can be done to resurrect this laptop. There is no way I could have damaged anything to the point that it’s no longer usable.

If there is any other info I can provide, by all means please let me know and I will be happy to oblige.

Am I either overthinking this or simply overlooking something blatantly obvious? Somebody here must have an idea of what to do to make it boot again.

Please help me Ask Woody-wan community. You’re my only hope.

I grounded myself prior to doing anything with the RAM and, FWIW, the desk the laptop is on is a wooden one, with a wooden chair on a hardwood floor.

As mentioned above, this system has never been in any other place or environment since 2012.

I am happily subscribed to 0patch with this system and can’t recommend them enough.

For the record, I have absolutely no affiliation with 0patch other than being a happy, satisfied customer.

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PL1