It’s a sad day for free repair manuals.
Toshiba just took down one of the most popular sources of repair information for their laptops, Tim Hicks’ laptop repair manual repository at Future Proof. Tim’s site is one of the only places online to get ad- and malware-free, manufacturer-authorized manuals. Check out the full editorial I wrote on the situation for Wired.
We’re not surprised by Toshiba’s actions: we’ve known about manufacturers’ iron grip on repair documentation for a long time. We’ve known about the infuriating and elaborate ways manufacturers will keep users out of their own hardware. We’ve known about the unfortunate extension of copyright law to repair documentation—that’s a big part of why we got started, after all.
But we are upset. Taking repair information away from users means less repair: only the very brave, very experienced, or very stupid will try to service a laptop without a manual. And less repair means more disposable culture, more toxic mining and manufacturing, and fewer jobs in independent repair shops.
Manufacturers always say that providing repair documentation will lead users to hurt themselves, and that’s what Toshiba told Tim. But when people do attempt repair, they are far more likely to damage themselves or their equipment if they don’t have a good manual with appropriate safety warnings.
So, here’s what we’re going to do. We want to write a free and open repair manual to replace the manuals that Toshiba took away. We currently have manuals for just a few Toshiba laptops, but we need more hardware to take apart. You can help:
Comments
Hi. I just saw the Operation Fix TOSHIBA on youtube. I am a computer tech in Clearwater Fl. I am an authorized Toshiba Service tech for over 6 years. At the company where I work as an independent contractor (GeekMatics.com) I work on any type of computer related repairs but specialized in Toshiba, Sony, and Apple Warranty and non-warranty repairs (I held certifications from them). I agree with you, and I can’t stand how these companies doing their (repair) business. If you need a hand, I would be glad to help writing repair manuals.
hi, i have 3 toshiba laptops, C850D, A500 and a C650D, i shall do teardown guides on them and take quality pictures, in english and french
I have much experience with taking apart toshiba laptops without manuals, and they all pretty much follow the same procedure. I do have one suggestion tho, because of slight difference in model numbers and variations based on revisions, I would sugget you get at least a few of each “base model” with varying end numbers for model numbers, because they can vary and change quite a bit. that said, I am more than willing to take a few apart(and can make sure they work after, having chinese OEM parts makers is awesome), and make detailed service manuals with pictures. Hit me with an email if you would like me to do a few. I can even do it in the standard format for service manuals if you would like.
Maybe a stupid question:What would happen if he refused to remove the repair guides?
Don’t do this! It just makes their laptops more marketable.
If they aren’t going to provide this basic level of customer service, then let their PC’s be unserviceable! They should be left to “fix” themselves!
Not that I ever would buy a shitty Toshiba laptop, but their attitude towards the distribution of manuals pretty much guarantees it.
Toshiba, Sony, Fujitsu, Panasonic and NEC have great engineering teams. Unfortunately, these great Japanese companies are running by both lawyers and beancounters at all management levels. Most of their manuals and instructions are about protecting companies, not much of its functional and operational products and solutions. Need-to-know basis is their culture and not much in innovation. Toshiba Aquos HDTV team is the only exception.
Customers services are terrible and most of the front end like Tech Support know little about the products inside out.
Whatever works in the past never guarantee the success of future and hope these wonderful companies re-evaluate and adapt to the new highly competitive market before it is too late.
What happens if we send 2 of the laptops on the list …. do we get an upgrade ? ?
@Alex
If you want to ‘hurt’ (by lack of better term, I’m not native English) Toshiba, the best way to do so is to stop their sales. And what better way to do this than to help people make their current toshiba’s last as long as possible?
The beauty is this: I once bought a Lenovo that had a single-screw maintenance hatch the size of Disneyland. It was easy to clean and I could upgrade that baby with my eyes closed. Once it became so outdated it was cheaper to buy a new one, I dont think I even LOOKED at other brands.
However, if your Toshiba breaks down beyond repair, and all you can think off is their asshattery by forcing you to go to a third party for instructions… then you will know, thanks to said third party, that there are other brands out there that do support a better planet.
In short: if we don’t give these users an alernative, they might start to believe that all laptops are like this. But this way we can introduce them to a whole new world!
I’d like to contribute to this, but I’m not sure how to :D I do run into these things once in a while, in fact i do have one sitting somewhere…. Would it help to pull it to bits and write a teardown? Or something?
Toshiba threatened him with legal action. If they pursued the copyright claim, Tim would be looking at over $100,000 for each document.
Thanks!
Toshiba is awful to work with. I had a HDD that was showing a SMART failure and the system was still under warranty. I tried to get Toshiba to send me a replacement HDD so that I could clone my data over and then wipe my data from the old drive before sending it back. They wouldn’t do it as they don’t consider the HDD to be a consumer replaceable part. They wanted me to send the whole system to their depot for repair. I was so livid I vow to never buy a Toshiba product again. BTW, I am a PC technician at Saint Anselm College in NH. I perform laptop repairs on Dells and Lenovos all the time.
Screw Toshiba. Everyone should boycott them.
As a 13 year old business owner of technology repairs, this is heartbreaking. Legally Toshiba has no right to do this and why we are doing is theoretically LEGAL!!! We FIND ways to repair these devices our selves using OUR methods. Also if one who owns a particular device, THEY OWN IT!!! They can do what they want to do with it (similar to apple vs. Jailbreak). Yes, Toshiba can void your warranty but what we are doing is legal. This is like saying when you were a kid you ripped your teddy bear. Your mom would fix it for you by sewing it HER way. If anything the dude should SUE Toshiba because they forced him to remove work he did in a legal and open source fassion. I’m not a lawyer but this dude needs one.
Very interesting.
On german websites ifixit calls to boycott Japan-based Toshiba, I don’t see they are doing similar things with US-based Apple which is using copyright law in a more restrictive manner so that there aren’t even as many official repair manuals out there.
Not forgetting how Apple did force EPEAT to make their computers appear serviceable which they are obviously not.
So as we say here in the comments this turns out to be an Anti-Toshiba-Campaign and one may wonder why ifixit makes this move.
Of course Toshiba is as Samsung one of the counterparts in some important industries (Apple just tries to get their hand on display-technology and NAND-technology) and in manufacturing light computers where Toshiba is in front, using flexible alloys to make their computers light (in contrast to the sturdy tries of Apple)
u should you kickstarter to fund the purches of old laptops and writing manuals for them …
I’m an ACMT in Hilo, Hi and i would love you guys to send me a toshiba or 2 to write and document a manuel and repair for… thank you so much for this opportunity… I love youi guys for this … empower the users…
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