Windows 10 Toshiba Satellite: ethernet-lan connectivity disappearance

[StephDragon]

Hi guys,

Some of you may have seen my other posts before. Indeed it's another issue to add to the long series of problems I've got with my Toshiba Satellite P50-C. It was my first expensive laptop, the fastest I ever got (16go ram) but it's now not really usable. So in short, it was bought around 2.5 / 3 years ago; after 5 months first issues with the wifi adapters, had to buy an external dongle one; a month ago webcam became unresponsive and yesterday the ethernet-lan connection stopped working. No way to get ethernet-internet, even when changing cables, plugging to a different router's port... The ethernet sign had also disappeared from the windows taskbar. Shame, because it's the only way I can get fast internet and I use the laptop for work.

So trying to solve the webcam and ethernet issues in one go, I did a factory reset and a fresh Windows install for the first time since I bought that machine. All I can say is that it yielded no results whatsoever. I tried support on the Toshiba website and they suggested going into device manager, uninstalling the lan card, which I did, and restarting. Now that lan card has even disappeared from the device manager's list. I did a network adapters reset but to no avail as well.

The laptop is still a fast machine but with no internet I am thinking about buying a cheap cr*p laptop since it seems price doesn't mean quality haha. Please share your thoughts and ideas... Could the laptop still be repaired?

 

[kemical]

Now that lan card has even disappeared from the device manager's list. I did a network adapters reset but to no avail as well.

Hi Steph,
did you try reinstalling the network driver obtained from the toshiba support page?

Network card might not be seen until this is done.

 

[StephDragon]

Hi Kemical,

Seems like something obvious, but I didn't. I'll do that and keep you updated!

 

[StephDragon]

Kemical, I did install the driver and it's working! Thanks a lot . Now back to trying to get the webcam working again. But there are no drivers for that on the Toshiba website so same solution won't apply.

Just out of curiosity, would you know why I have got 60gb out of 225gb already in use while I just reinstalled windows and reset to factory settings? I see that there is a Windows.old folder that's 20gb. Do you think I could get rid of it? And there is the Windows folder that weights 36gb. Any chance to shed some gbs here?

 

[Neemobeer]

Can you supply the full model. There should be another number after the -C

 

[StephDragon]

Sure. P50-C 18L.

 

[MikeHawthorne]

Once you are sure that everything is working you can remove the Windows.old folder.
Windows may resist but CCleaner will do it, and eventually Windows will remove it, itself.

For the webcam go to Device Manager, find Imaging Devices and see if it shows the camera there. If so right click on the camera and select Properties...

Go to the Drivers tab and select update drivers and see it that helps.
If all else fails, you can try telling it to remove the camera and reboot, it should detect the camera and set it up automatically.
I usually use this step if I can't find anything else, for almost any Widows component, Sound, internet device and it almost always works.

I don't remember doing it for my camera though and I'm not using a laptop.

As for the space used, look at you Users Folder and see how big that is, my windows installation including the Users Folder is about 25 Gigabytes, add the 20 for the .old file and you already have 45, and you probably have another 15 in odds and ends software.

I don't put any of my software in my C:\ drive and it's still 141 Gigabytes. At one time on a fresh install it was over 60 just because of the size of the Driver Store folder.

 

[StephDragon]

Hi Mike,

Thank you for your reply. I was away for the last 10 days so I didn't have time to implement the above. But now I've managed ultimately to free space on the hd. The webcam issue remains, unfortunately. The webcam is located under "cameras" and "disable device" or "uninstall device" didn't solve the problem. I used to get an error message when trying to use the webcam (see screenshot) but now it's even worse, just a black screen. If you have any other suggestion? Seems like an hardware issue at that point, no?

 

[MikeHawthorne]

Hi

I can't think of any other options, the remove and restart thing almost always works.
It should at least see that the camera is there.

If you have access to a USB plugin camera it might be interesting to see it that works.

If it does you could get one of those clip on cameras otherwise I don't know what you could do short of taking it to a technician some place who can get into the hardware.

https://www.amazon.com/PAPALOOK-PA1...9457&sr=8-15&keywords=usb+camera+for+computer

 

[StephDragon]

Hi Mike,

Usb plugin camera works. I think I'll resort to that now. It's cumbersome and not really convenient for carrying the laptop but it's better than spending a lot on repairs.

Thanks again for your help.



Stephen

 

[kemical]

why I have got 60gb out of 225gb already in use while I just reinstalled windows and reset to factory settings? I see that there is a Windows.old folder that's 20gb. Do you think I could get rid of it? And there is the Windows folder that weights 36gb. Any chance to shed some gbs here?

Hi Steph,
apologies as I missed this part of your post.

Windows can create up to 4 separate partitions which are used for stuff like system restores and hidden system files.

You certainly can remove Windows.old if you wish. As long as your finished with it and old system files.