Here is one for you laptop gods.... I have an Evo laptop which my in-laws used for a while. It used to run XP untill one fine day the display stopped working. The strange thing is that it shows the Compaq splash but then goes black.... nothing else. The laptop continues to work but you obviously cannot see thing.... :x: If you connect an external display, you can see everything.... I tried the old 'Fn'+'F4' and the screen blinks but nothing shows..... So I stuck a Live Sidux CD in and started the laptop. Nothing happened for a long while as the laptop was loading the CD. Then all of a sudden, the display came to life! I can use the laptop but only when I log in to the windows manager (Xfce). It is as if the laptop does'nt load some default driver to show the boot process but as soon as X starts, everything is back to normal..... Any ideas?
this could be a few things, but are you sure the screen is completely blank? Or can you see a faint dull picture? also does the screen switch off at random times or just at the times you have already said?
Cheers for replying. Nah, the screen is blank and no writing is visible, faint or not. I even shown a bright light on the screen as was advised in a site somewhere but nada. I can actually play with the brightness of the screen by using 'Fn'+'some-key-i-cannot-recall-now'. So you can see the screen becomes brighter. I think it is soooo strange. I tried to look at the BIOS (by hooking the laptop to a screen...) for something but BIOS is very limited and there is no mentioning of any graphics settings...
aww i see! the brightness changes so the screen bulbs work but the screen displays nothing! i cant explane why the screen comes goes off and on for sure but some times its because the screen changes temperature and the screen controller board loses connections cause of bad solder. Because you have mentioned an external screen works, im fairly sure we can rule out graphics card/motherboard issues. but if there are problems with the external screen that would be bad. next, how handy are you with a screwdriver? and do you have another laptop that's out of warranty and has a screen roughly the same, cause that would be better. if you have built your own computer you should be fine taking apart the screen section (says the man who does it as his job lol) 2 things 1st! 1. they are really fragile when they are out the plastics be careful with the screen! 2. dont touch the circuit board on the screen if you can help it!!! check the cables on the screen (also if you feel you can check the other end thats in base of the laptop. normally under or around the hinges). WARNING the small board under the screen is the inverter normally connected to the screen with a pink and white cable, do NOT touch when on it changes something like 18 volts to 800 volts to light the bulbs in the screen. if the cables seem fine then try transplanting the screen from a laptop you know that works, now normally most screens are the same so the connectors are the same, if it works fine you know you need a new screen! but whats better is all you need is the replacement screen off e bay cause you already know how to change a screen!!! yay! if you need more help just ask!
Hey thanks!! I just realized that I have a PII Evo stashed somewhere so I think I may be able to simply swap screens right? Is it roughly "plug and play" once I have disassembled the screens? There is no un-soldering and then re-soldering is there? I cannot believe I forgot about my "hidden" treasure.... The good thing is that there is nothing to loose as one screen seems dead and the other laptop is way too old to do anything for me.... cannibalizing.... don't you love it? Will post progress.... cheers mate!
nope no soldering! normally the screen uses two cables, and 9 times out of 10 they use the same connector. so plug and play i hope Hope you get it working
Update: The laptop I had stashed away is an armada M700.... Will the screen fit? Are they the same behind the plastic? ooooh I hope so!
That is indeed a top tip. However, the evo's screen is more or less edge to edge where the armada screen's edges look as if they are hidden behind a bezel... Oh, well, time and a screwdriver will tell.....
