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	<title>Screen &#8211; Laptop Repair 101</title>
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	<description>DIY laptop repair tips and tricks.</description>
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		<title>Screen shows strange colors</title>
		<link>https://www.laptoprepair101.com/laptop-screen-shows-strange-wrong-colors/</link>
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		<dc:creator><![CDATA[cj2600]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Fri, 07 Jan 2011 08:16:09 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Screen]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Troubleshooting]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.laptoprepair101.com/?p=373</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[The screen started showing strange or wrong colors. What could be wrong? I&#8217;ve been asked this question many times and today I&#8217;m addressing the issue. In this post I explain some basic troubleshooting techniques in case if your screen started &#8230; <a href="https://www.laptoprepair101.com/laptop-screen-shows-strange-wrong-colors/">Continued</a>]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><strong><em>The screen started showing strange or wrong colors. What could be wrong?</em></strong> I&#8217;ve been asked this question many times and today I&#8217;m addressing the issue.</p>
<p><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="alignnone" title="Laptop screen shows strange wrong colors" alt="" src="https://www.laptoprepair101.com/wp-images/laptop-screen-strange-colors/strange-colors-on-screen-01.jpg" width="480" height="360" /></p>
<p>In this post I explain some basic troubleshooting techniques in case if your screen started showing strange or incorrect colors.<br />
You have to know how to disassemble your computer in order to use following troubleshooting techniques.<br />
<span id="more-373"></span></p>
<blockquote><p><strong>TEST WITH EXTERNAL MONITOR</strong></p></blockquote>
<p>The main troubleshooting step is testing the video output on an external monitor (or TV).Â <span style="line-height: 1.5em;">You can connect your laptop to an external monitor using VGA cable, DVI cable, HDMI cable or S-Video cable, it depends on a type of connector you have.</span></p>
<p>Most models have a VGA connector, so it would be the most common way to connect.</p>
<p><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="alignnone" title="Connect laptop to external monitor" alt="" src="https://www.laptoprepair101.com/wp-images/laptop-screen-strange-colors/strange-colors-on-screen-02.jpg" width="480" height="360" /></p>
<p>Some laptops detect external monitor automatically and start showing image on both screens right from startup.<br />
Other models can detect the monitor but display image only on one screen (internal or external). In this case you&#8217;ll have to switch video between internal and external using the Fn key and one of the F* keys in the top row of the keyboard. This combination varies for different brands, for example it&#8217;s Fn+F5 for Toshiba, Fn+F4 for HP, Fn+F8 for Dell, Fn+F7 Lenovo etc&#8230;</p>
<blockquote><p><strong>WHAT VIDEO ON EXTERNAL MONITOR CAN TELL?</strong></p></blockquote>
<p>If both, the internal screen and external monitor (or TV) show strange or incorrect colors or any other image distortion, this is the graphics card failure.</p>
<p><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">If only the internal screen shows bad video but external image appears to be normal (as in my example), the problem is somewhere inside the laptop display. This could be bad connection, bad LCD cable or bad LCD screen.</span></p>
<p>Let&#8217;s narrow down the problem one by one.</p>
<blockquote><p><strong>TRY RESEATING LCD CABLE CONNECTOR ON MOTHERBOARD</strong></p></blockquote>
<p><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="alignnone" title="Reconnect LCD cable on motherboard" alt="" src="https://www.laptoprepair101.com/wp-images/laptop-screen-strange-colors/strange-colors-on-screen-03.jpg" width="480" height="360" /></p>
<p>The screen receives data signal from the motherboard via LCD cable. If the LCD cable not making good connection with the motherboard, it might cause image or color distortion on the screen. Try reseating the LCD cable connector and see if it fixes the problem. Make sure the LCD cable connector plugged correctly.</p>
<p>In most laptops the LCD cable connector located under the keyboard bezel (aka keyboard cover). If it&#8217;s not there, most likely you&#8217;ll find it somewhere under the keyboard.</p>
<blockquote><p><strong>WIGGLE THE LCD CABLE</strong></p></blockquote>
<p>The LCD cable runs inside the display panel, under the screen. For this test it&#8217;s necessary to disassemble the display, so you can access the cable.</p>
<p><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">A pinched or damaged wire inside the cable also can cause color distortion.</span></p>
<p><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="alignnone" title="Wiggle LCD cable" alt="" src="https://www.laptoprepair101.com/wp-images/laptop-screen-strange-colors/strange-colors-on-screen-04.jpg" width="480" height="360" /></p>
<p>Wiggle the cable while the laptop is running. If moving the cable affects image on the screen in any way (it starts shown different colors, lines, or image clears to normal, etc&#8230;) most likely the cable is defective and has to be replaced. <strong>Try replacing the cable.</strong></p>
<p><strong></strong><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">On the other hand, if moving the cable doesn&#8217;t affect image at all, most likely the cable is good and you have a failed screen. </span><strong style="line-height: 1.5em;">In this case you&#8217;ll have to it with a new one.</strong></p>
<blockquote><p><strong>APPLY SOME PRESSURE TO THE DISPLAY</strong></p></blockquote>
<p>Try applying some reasonable pressure to the top part of the display assembly. Squeeze it with your fingers.</p>
<p><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="alignnone" title="Apply pressure to display" alt="" src="https://www.laptoprepair101.com/wp-images/laptop-screen-strange-colors/strange-colors-on-screen-05.jpg" width="480" height="360" /></p>
<p>If the screen starts showing different colors, lines, or clears to normal when you squeeze the top part of the display panel, most likely this is screen failure. In this case you&#8217;ll have to replace the screen.</p>
<blockquote><p><strong>Also, you might be interested in the following posts:</strong></p></blockquote>
<p><a href="https://www.laptoprepair101.com/troubleshooting-laptop-with-backlight-failure/">Troubleshooting backlight failure</a>.<br />
<a href="https://www.laptoprepair101.com/how-test-lcd-screen-inverter-in-laptop/">How to test screen inverter</a>.<br />
<a href="https://www.laptoprepair101.com/bad-video-on-lcd-screen/">Bad video on the screen. What is wrong?</a><br />
<a href="https://www.laptoprepair101.com/troubleshoot-fix-laptop-video-problems/">Fix video problems</a>.</p>
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		<title>How to test screen inverter</title>
		<link>https://www.laptoprepair101.com/how-test-lcd-screen-inverter-in-laptop/</link>
					<comments>https://www.laptoprepair101.com/how-test-lcd-screen-inverter-in-laptop/#comments</comments>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[cj2600]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Tue, 05 May 2009 07:23:42 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Screen]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Troubleshooting]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.laptoprepair101.com/?p=74</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[In this post I explain how I test the inverter board in a laptop. The inverter failure is very similar to the backlight lamp failure. In both cases the screen gets very dark and the image becomes very faint, barely &#8230; <a href="https://www.laptoprepair101.com/how-test-lcd-screen-inverter-in-laptop/">Continued</a>]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>In this post I explain how I test the inverter board in a laptop.</p>
<p>The inverter failure is very similar to the backlight lamp failure. In both cases the screen gets very dark and the image becomes very faint, barely visible under a bright light.</p>
<p><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="alignnone" title="Test LCD screen inverter" alt="" src="https://www.laptoprepair101.com/wp-images/lcd-inverter/test-screen-inverter-01.jpg" width="450" height="338" /></p>
<p>There is only one reliable way to test the inverter &#8211; replacing it with another one and see if the screen lights up after that.</p>
<p>Alternatively, you can connect a new backlight lamp and see if your presumably bad inverter lights it up.</p>
<p><span id="more-74"></span></p>
<p>In most cases I go with the second method &#8211; using my test backlight lamp. Why? Because the same backlight lamp will work with many different inverters as long as they have matching connectors.</p>
<p>Usually the inverter is mounted inside the display panel below the screen. In most cases you can access it after you remove the display bezel. The inverter has connectors on both ends.Â The left side connects to the LCD cable. The right side connects to the backlight lamp which is mounted inside the screen. Check out this <a href="https://www.laptoprepair101.com/notebook-display-diagram/">display diagram</a>.</p>
<p>To make sure that inverter gets power from the motherboard (via the LCD cable), you can test it with a voltmeter. In my case I connected the &#8220;+&#8221; lead of the voltmeter to the pin 1 and the &#8220;-&#8221; lead to the ground trace around the screw hole. I got about 19.4V DC on that side of the board, so it&#8217;s getting power from the motherboard.</p>
<p><strong>WARNING!</strong> If you accidentally short something on the inverter while testing, you can damage it. Proceed on your own risk! Not sure? Don&#8217;t do that!</p>
<p><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="alignnone" title="Test inverter with multimeter" alt="" src="https://www.laptoprepair101.com/wp-images/lcd-inverter/test-screen-inverter-02.jpg" width="450" height="338" /></p>
<p>So far we know the inverter is getting power from the motherboard, but the screen still has no light. Apparently, it&#8217;s either bad inverter or failed backlight lamp.</p>
<p>Now let&#8217;s test it with a known good backlight lamp.</p>
<p>1. Unplug the screen backlight cable from the right side of the inverter.<br />
2. Connect a known good backlight lamp.</p>
<p><strong></strong>Turn on the laptop.<br />
1. If the test backlight turns on, the lamp inside the screen is bad. In this case you&#8217;ll have to replace the screen. Also, you canÂ <a href="https://www.laptoprepair101.com/replace-laptop-backlight-ccfl-lamp/">replace the backligth lamp</a>Â which is not easy and not recommended.<br />
2. If the test backlight doesn&#8217;t turn on, most likely we have inverter failure. Replace it and test the laptop again.</p>
<p><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="alignnone" title="Test backlight lamp" alt="" src="https://www.laptoprepair101.com/wp-images/lcd-inverter/test-screen-inverter-03.jpg" width="450" height="338" /></p>
<p>There are two different types of backlight connector, you can see them on the picture below. The top one (big) is not as common as the bottom one (small). I mostly use lamps with a small connector.</p>
<p><strong>IMPORTANT!</strong> When you buy a new lamp for test, make sure the connector fits your inverter.</p>
<p><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="alignnone" title="Backlight lamp wire connectors" alt="" src="https://www.laptoprepair101.com/wp-images/lcd-inverter/test-screen-inverter-04.jpg" width="450" height="338" /></p>
<p>On the following picture you see how I&#8217;m testing the laptop with a new lamp.</p>
<p><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="alignnone" title="Test with new backlight lamp" alt="" src="https://www.laptoprepair101.com/wp-images/lcd-inverter/test-screen-inverter-06.jpg" width="450" height="338" /></p>
<blockquote><p><strong>Related articles:</strong></p></blockquote>
<p><a href="https://www.laptoprepair101.com/troubleshooting-laptop-with-backlight-failure/">Troubleshooting backlight failure</a>.<br />
<a href="https://www.laptoprepair101.com/laptop-screen-shows-strange-wrong-colors/">Screen shows strange colors.</a><br />
<a href="https://www.laptoprepair101.com/troubleshoot-fix-laptop-video-problems/">Troubleshooting video problems</a>.</p>
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		<title>New screen installed but not working</title>
		<link>https://www.laptoprepair101.com/you-replaced-broken-lcd-screen-but-the-new-screen-is-not-working/</link>
					<comments>https://www.laptoprepair101.com/you-replaced-broken-lcd-screen-but-the-new-screen-is-not-working/#comments</comments>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[cj2600]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Fri, 19 Sep 2008 05:55:22 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Screen]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Troubleshooting]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.laptoprepair101.com/laptop/2008/09/18/you-replaced-broken-lcd-screen-but-the-new-screen-is-not-working/</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[If you installed a new screen into the laptop and for some reason it doesn&#8217;t work, there may be a few Â things you could have done wrong. Lets figure out step-by-step how to troubleshoot and Â and fix the problem. First &#8230; <a href="https://www.laptoprepair101.com/you-replaced-broken-lcd-screen-but-the-new-screen-is-not-working/">Continued</a>]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>If you installed a new screen into the laptop and for some reason it doesn&#8217;t work, there may be a few Â things you could have done wrong.</p>
<p>Lets figure out step-by-step how to troubleshoot and Â and fix the problem.</p>
<p>First of all, I assume that your new LCD is compatible with the original one. If the screen looks identical, it doesn&#8217;t exactly mean it&#8217;s compatible. Double check the compatibility between the original and new LCDs.</p>
<p><span id="more-65"></span></p>
<blockquote>
<h3>Troubleshooting LCDs with CCFL (backlight lamp)</h3>
</blockquote>
<p>The old style screens have a backlight lamp inside and require an inverter board which is usually mounted on the lower part of the display assembly, as you can see on the following picture.</p>
<p><img decoding="async" alt="New LCD screen not working" src="https://www.laptoprepair101.com/wp-images/replacement-lcd/screen-not-working-2.jpg" /></p>
<p>On the following picture you can see how the screen connected to the laptop. Also, check out this <a title="Laptop display diagram" href="https://www.laptoprepair101.com/notebook-display-diagram/" target="_blank">display diagram</a>.</p>
<p>The video cable routed from the motherboard to the display through one of the hinges. Somewhere close to the hinge, the cable splits. The wider end connects to the screen (supplies data signal) and another one to the inverter board (supplies power for inverter).</p>
<p><img decoding="async" alt="Check cable connections" src="https://www.laptoprepair101.com/wp-images/replacement-lcd/screen-not-working-3.jpg" /></p>
<p>If your new screen lights up but has no image make sure the video cable plugged correctly. It&#8217;s possible that during the reassembly process you accidentally pulled the cable from the connector.</p>
<p>Reconnect the cable, secure the connection with sticky tape and test the laptop. There is a chance that now the screen will work properly.</p>
<p><img decoding="async" alt="Improperly connected cable" src="https://www.laptoprepair101.com/wp-images/replacement-lcd/screen-not-working-4.jpg" /></p>
<p>The video cable has to be seated properly, all the way down into the connector.</p>
<p><img decoding="async" alt="Properly connected cable" src="https://www.laptoprepair101.com/wp-images/replacement-lcd/screen-not-working-5.jpg" /></p>
<p>Some older LCDs have very thin pins inside the video connector as it shown on the following picture.</p>
<p>Take a look inside, make sure there are no damaged (bent) pins. It&#8217;s possible that you accidentally bent them while trying to plug in the cable.<br />
You can straighten bent pins with a very small screwdriver. Be careful, they are very fragile.</p>
<p>Fortunately, most newer LCDs have a different type of connector, without any pins inside.</p>
<p><img decoding="async" alt="Pins inside connector on LCD screen" src="https://www.laptoprepair101.com/wp-images/replacement-lcd/screen-not-working-6.jpg" /></p>
<p>OK, you have reseated all cables but it still doesn&#8217;t work. What&#8217;s next?</p>
<p>If your original screen was cracked but undamaged areas still work and show some image, you can use it to test the laptop.</p>
<p>Disconnect the new LCD and install the old damaged one back in place. If the old screen still works but the new one doesn&#8217;t, your new screen is defective. Send it back to the seller for a replacement.</p>
<p>Here&#8217;s another scenario. The new screen kind of works. You can see a very faint image but there is no backlight.</p>
<p>Disconnect the new screen from the inverter board and plug in the old screen instead (I assume it has working CCFL), as it shown on the picture below. If the original screen lights up, apparently the new screen has <a title="Troubleshoot backlight" href="https://www.laptoprepair101.com/troubleshooting-laptop-with-backlight-failure/" target="_blank">defective backlight</a> lamp.</p>
<p><img decoding="async" alt="Old screen lights up" src="https://www.laptoprepair101.com/wp-images/replacement-lcd/screen-not-working-7.jpg" /></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<blockquote>
<h3>Troubleshooting LED-backlit LCDs</h3>
</blockquote>
<p>Newer LED-backlit LCDs have only one cable connected to it. This cable supplies data signal and power for LED backlight.</p>
<p><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="alignnone" alt="LED-backlit LCD" src="https://www.laptoprepair101.com/wp-images/replacement-lcd/LED-screen.jpg" width="450" height="338" /></p>
<p>If your new screen doesn&#8217;t work, check the connection first. Make sure the cable seated properly, all the way down into the connector.</p>
<p>You can test the computer with the old, partially working screen, as we did earlier. If the old one still works, but the new doesn&#8217;t, your new screen is defective or not compatible.</p>
<p>Also, you might be interested in how toÂ <a href="https://www.laptoprepair101.com/bad-video-on-lcd-screen/" target="_blank">troubleshoot bad video</a>.</p>
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		<title>LCD screen turned completely white</title>
		<link>https://www.laptoprepair101.com/laptop-lcd-screen-turned-white/</link>
					<comments>https://www.laptoprepair101.com/laptop-lcd-screen-turned-white/#comments</comments>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[cj2600]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Sun, 13 Apr 2008 20:23:38 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Screen]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.laptoprepair101.com/laptop/2008/04/13/laptop-lcd-screen-turned-white/</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[What can you do if the laptop LCD screen turned completely white? From my experience I can tell that this problem may be related to the following: 1. Loose connection between the video cable and the LCD screen. 2. Defective &#8230; <a href="https://www.laptoprepair101.com/laptop-lcd-screen-turned-white/">Continued</a>]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>What can you do if the laptop LCD screen turned completely white? From my experience I can tell that this problem may be related to the following:<br />
1. Loose connection between the video cable and the LCD screen.<br />
2. Defective LCD screen.<br />
3. Defective motherboard (I assume the graphics card is integrated into the motherboard).</p>
<p><img decoding="async" src="https://www.laptoprepair101.com/wp-images/white-screen/1-laptop-white-screen.jpg" alt="Laptop screen is white" /></p>
<p>Here&#8217;s an example of a laptop with white screen. When you turn on the laptop, it starts but the image on the screen is completely white right from the beginning. In my case it was a Toshiba Satellite M45 laptop but this problem may occur with any other brand.</p>
<p><span id="more-62"></span><br />
<img decoding="async" src="https://www.laptoprepair101.com/wp-images/white-screen/2-external-video-works.jpg" alt="Test laptop with external monitor" /></p>
<p>Most likely you still can use the laptop with an external monitor. Just connect the monitor to the VGA port on the back or side of your laptop and then switch the video output from internal to external mode.<br />
On Toshiba laptops you can toggle between internal and external screens using Fn+F5 keys. Hold down Fn and press on F5 until you get video on the external monitor.<br />
On IBM laptops use Fn+F7.<br />
On HP laptops use Fn+F4.<br />
It&#8217;s possible that you have to use a different key combination on your laptop but you get the idea.<br />
On some laptops, in order to be able to use the external monitor, you have to connect it to the laptop and then restart the laptop so the external monitor is detected by the laptop.</p>
<p><img decoding="async" src="https://www.laptoprepair101.com/wp-images/white-screen/3-video-cable.jpg" alt="Laptop video cable" /></p>
<p>I noticed that in some cases the laptop screen may turn white because of poor connection between the video cable and the LCD screen. If you want to check this connection, you&#8217;ll have to take apart the display panel because the connector is located on the back side of the LCD screen.<br />
These <a href="https://www.laptoprepair101.com/category/laptop-service-manual/">laptop service manuals and disassembly instructions</a> may be useful.</p>
<p><img decoding="async" src="https://www.laptoprepair101.com/wp-images/white-screen/4-reconnect-video-cable.jpg" alt="Reconnect video cable" /></p>
<p>I always check the video cable connection first. Reconnecting the video cable may fix your problem.<br />
If reconnecting the video cable doesn&#8217;t help, most likely you have a problem either with the LCD screen or with the motherboard.</p>
<p><img decoding="async" src="https://www.laptoprepair101.com/wp-images/white-screen/5-disconnect-LCD-screen.jpg" alt="Disconnect LCD screen" /></p>
<p>The best way to find out witch one is causing the problem is testing the laptop with another working LCD screen. Without this test you&#8217;ll have to guess because as I mentioned before this could either bad motherboard or bad LCD screen.<br />
You&#8217;ll have to disconnect the video cable from the LCD screen (connector 2) and the inverter board (connectors 3 and 1). After that you connect another working screen and test video.</p>
<p><img decoding="async" src="https://www.laptoprepair101.com/wp-images/white-screen/6-test-with-another-LCD-screen.jpg" alt="Test laptop with another LCD screen" /></p>
<p>For this purpose I&#8217;m using one of my test LCD screens. My test screen is cracked and because of that you see a wide white band in the center but it still works fine for this test.<br />
The original screen is white but my test screen works normal (except the crack of course) and I can see the image. After this test I can tell that the problem must be related to the screen.</p>
<p><img decoding="async" src="https://www.laptoprepair101.com/wp-images/white-screen/7-white-LCD.jpg" alt="White LCD screen" /></p>
<p>After I assembled everything back together and connected the original LCD, it&#8217;s still white.</p>
<p><strong>CONCLUSION.</strong> In my case this problem is related to the LCD screen and it has to be replaced.</p>
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		<title>How to replace backlight lamp (CCFL)</title>
		<link>https://www.laptoprepair101.com/replace-laptop-backlight-ccfl-lamp/</link>
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		<dc:creator><![CDATA[cj2600]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Sun, 09 Dec 2007 20:51:35 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Screen]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.laptoprepair101.com/laptop/2007/12/09/replace-laptop-backlight-ccfl-lamp/</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[In this guide I will disassemble a laptop LCD screen in order to remove and replace the backlight lamp (CCFL). Replacing the backlight lamp is not an easy task even for experienced technicians. If you do something wrong you will &#8230; <a href="https://www.laptoprepair101.com/replace-laptop-backlight-ccfl-lamp/">Continued</a>]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>In this guide I will disassemble a laptop LCD screen in order to remove and replace the backlight lamp (CCFL).<br />
<strong>Replacing the backlight lamp is not an easy task even for experienced technicians. If you do something wrong you will permanently damage the LCD screen and have to buy a new one. Proceed on your own risk and do not blame me.</strong> <img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/1f642.png" alt="🙂" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" /></p>
<p><strong>Some recommendations before you start:</strong><br />
1. Work in a clean room. You don&#8217;t want dust and lint inside your LCD screen.<br />
2. Make notes, so you know how to assemble your screen back.<br />
3. Take pictures.<br />
4. Before you remove something, take a closer look at the part and memorize how it is assembled.<br />
5. When you are assembling the screen, remove dust and lint with compressed air. Do not use cloth.</p>
<p>The backlight lamp (CCFL) is located inside the LCD screen, so we are going to take it apart. In this article I&#8217;m not going to explain how to remove LCD from a laptop, it&#8217;s been covered before.</p>
<p><img decoding="async" alt="LCD screen with bad backlight lamp" src="https://www.laptoprepair101.com/wp-images/ccfl/1-lcd-bad-backlight.jpg" /></p>
<p><span id="more-58"></span></p>
<p>Remove sticky tape and foil from the back of the screen and glue it somewhere so you can reuse it later, when you assemble the screen.</p>
<p><img decoding="async" alt="Remove tape" src="https://www.laptoprepair101.com/wp-images/ccfl/2-remove-tape.jpg" /></p>
<p>Removing tape from the backlight cables.</p>
<p><img decoding="async" alt="Release backlight lamp cables" src="https://www.laptoprepair101.com/wp-images/ccfl/3-release-cables.jpg" /></p>
<p>On my screen the green circuit board was glued to the plastic frame with a double sided tape. Carefully unglue the circuit board. Be very careful, do not flex or bend the circuit board.</p>
<p><img decoding="async" alt="LCD circuit board" src="https://www.laptoprepair101.com/wp-images/ccfl/4-lcd-circuit-board.jpg" /></p>
<p>The circuit board has been unglued.</p>
<p><img decoding="async" alt="Remove circuit board" src="https://www.laptoprepair101.com/wp-images/ccfl/5-remove-circuit-board.jpg" /></p>
<p>Place the LCD screen on the side and start removing the metal frame witch secures the LCD to the plastic frame. There will be many latches on all sides of the frame, you can unlock them with a small screwdriver.</p>
<p><img decoding="async" alt="Open latches" src="https://www.laptoprepair101.com/wp-images/ccfl/6-open-latches.jpg" /></p>
<p>Continue separating the metal frame from the plastic base.</p>
<p><img decoding="async" alt="Separate LCD frame" src="https://www.laptoprepair101.com/wp-images/ccfl/7-separate-lcd-frame.jpg" /></p>
<p>On the following picture you can see that frame, LCD with the circuit board and screen base have been separated. Be careful, do not touch internal components with your fingers. Handle all internal components by the sides.</p>
<p><img decoding="async" alt="Remove LCD" src="https://www.laptoprepair101.com/wp-images/ccfl/8-remove-lcd.jpg" /></p>
<p>Place the metal frame and LCD with the circuit board aside. You&#8217;ll need them only when you assemble everything back together.</p>
<p><img decoding="async" alt="LCD" src="https://www.laptoprepair101.com/wp-images/ccfl/9-lcd.jpg" /></p>
<p>There will be a few transparent layers inside. Carefully remove them from the screen base. Do not separate the layers, just put them aside together.</p>
<p><img decoding="async" alt="Transparent layers inside screen" src="https://www.laptoprepair101.com/wp-images/ccfl/10-layers.jpg" /></p>
<p>Keep everything organized, so you have no trouble assembling the screen.</p>
<p><img decoding="async" alt="Set aside" src="https://www.laptoprepair101.com/wp-images/ccfl/11-set-aside.jpg" /></p>
<p>Start removing the metal cover from the backlight lamp (CCFL).</p>
<p><img decoding="async" alt="Remove backlight cover" src="https://www.laptoprepair101.com/wp-images/ccfl/12-remove-backlight-cover.jpg" /></p>
<p>The backlight cover has been removed.</p>
<p><img decoding="async" alt="Backlight lamp cover" src="https://www.laptoprepair101.com/wp-images/ccfl/13-backlight-cover.jpg" /></p>
<p>The backlight lamp (CCFL) cables are routed through small plastic hooks.</p>
<p><img decoding="async" alt="Backlight lamp cables" src="https://www.laptoprepair101.com/wp-images/ccfl/14-backlight-cables.jpg" /></p>
<p>Unroute the backlight lamp cables.</p>
<p><img decoding="async" alt="Release backlight cables" src="https://www.laptoprepair101.com/wp-images/ccfl/15-unroute-cables.jpg" /></p>
<p>Now probably the hardest part in this disassembly process &#8211; removing the backlight lamp and reflector. The backlight lamp is secured inside the reflector so you have to remove both and then separate them.<br />
Before you remove the backlight lamp and reflector take a closer look how it&#8217;s assembled and mounted to the screen base. Fitting the backlight and reflector back in place could be a very challenging task.</p>
<p><img decoding="async" alt="Remove backlight lamp reflector" src="https://www.laptoprepair101.com/wp-images/ccfl/16-remove-reflector.jpg" /></p>
<p>The reflector is glued to the screen base with a double sided tape.</p>
<p><img decoding="async" alt="Backlight reflector" src="https://www.laptoprepair101.com/wp-images/ccfl/17-backlight-reflector.jpg" /></p>
<p>After the reflector has been unattached from the screen base, you can start removing the backlight lamp. As you see on the picture, I marked the left side of the reflector with a red dot so I know where the red cable goes when I assemble everything back together.</p>
<p><img decoding="async" alt="Remove backlight lamp" src="https://www.laptoprepair101.com/wp-images/ccfl/19-remove-backlight-lamp.jpg" /></p>
<p>The backlight lamp (CCFL) has been removed from the reflector.</p>
<p><img decoding="async" alt="Backlight CCFL lamp" src="https://www.laptoprepair101.com/wp-images/ccfl/20-backlight-lamp.jpg" /></p>
<p>In order to access the backlight lamp leads you&#8217;ll have to remove the rubber caps from both side of the lamp. I&#8217;m not sure if you can touch the backlight lamp with your fingers, so I would use rubber gloves.</p>
<p><img decoding="async" alt="Remove cover" src="https://www.laptoprepair101.com/wp-images/ccfl/21-remove-cover.jpg" /></p>
<p>Cabled on both sides of the backlight lamp are soldered to the backlight leads. In order to access the leads you&#8217;ll have to remove the black insulator on both side of the lamp.<br />
Unsolder both cables from the old backlight lamp and solder them to a new one.</p>
<p><img decoding="async" alt="Cable soldered to backlight lamp" src="https://www.laptoprepair101.com/wp-images/ccfl/22-cable-soldered-to-backlight.jpg" /></p>
<p>You can test the new backlight lamp (CCFL) before you install it back into the screen. Connect the backlight lamp into the inverter board and turn on the laptop. The backlight lamp should light up.<br />
From my experience, on some laptops the backlight lamp will not light up until the video cable is connected to the LCD screen. In this case you&#8217;ll have to assemble the LCD screen and then test it.</p>
<p><img decoding="async" alt="Test backlight lamp" src="https://www.laptoprepair101.com/wp-images/ccfl/23-test-backlight.jpg" /></p>
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		<title>Troubleshooting backlight failure</title>
		<link>https://www.laptoprepair101.com/troubleshooting-laptop-with-backlight-failure/</link>
					<comments>https://www.laptoprepair101.com/troubleshooting-laptop-with-backlight-failure/#comments</comments>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[cj2600]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Thu, 06 Sep 2007 03:56:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Screen]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Troubleshooting]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.laptoprepair101.com/laptop/2007/09/05/troubleshooting-laptop-with-backlight-failure/</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[This laptop came for repair because of the LCD screen backlight failure. My customer complained that the laptop LCD screen is black but the laptop works with an external monitor. Here are my steps for troubleshooting this laptop with the &#8230; <a href="https://www.laptoprepair101.com/troubleshooting-laptop-with-backlight-failure/">Continued</a>]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>This laptop came for repair because of the LCD screen backlight failure. My customer complained that the laptop LCD screen is black but the laptop works with an external monitor.<br />
<strong>Here are my steps for troubleshooting this laptop with the backlight failure.</strong></p>
<p>First of all, I tested this laptop with an external monitor connected to the VGA port and the external monitor worked absolutely fine. I was able to get crystal clear image on the external screen even though the internal screen didn&#8217;t light up. If the external screen works fine, then most likely there is nothing wrong with the video card.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.laptoprepair101.com/notebook-display-diagram/">Notebook display assembly diagram</a></p>
<p>After that I took a closer look at the laptop LCD and noticed that the screen is not completely black. The laptop screen still works but the image is very very dull, you barely can see it. It means that the screen still gets data signal from the video card, but for some reason the backlight lamp doesn&#8217;t work.<br />
From my experience I know that this problem can be related the lid close switch, faulty inverter board or bad backlight lamp. I checked them one by one.</p>
<p>If you have a similar problem, make sure the lid close witch moves freely. The lid switch is a small button located close to the LCD screen. This button triggers the hibernation or sleep mode when the screen is closed. If the lid close switch is dirty, it might get stuck inside the laptop case and cut off the power from the inverter board. The inverter board works as a power supply for the backlight lamp and if there is no power coming to the inverter board, the backlight lamp will not light up either.</p>
<p><img decoding="async" alt="Image with pinkish tone" src="https://www.laptoprepair101.com/wp-images/backlight-lamp-test/laptop-ccfl-1.jpg" /></p>
<p><span id="more-56"></span></p>
<p>In my case the lid button worked properly, it didn&#8217;t stuck inside the case. When I was pressing on the button very fast, I was able to light up the screen but only for a fraction of a second. The image wasn&#8217;t bright and it had a pinkish tone. A pinkish tone usually indicates a problem with the backlight lamp, not the inverter board.</p>
<p><img decoding="async" alt="Replaced inverter board" src="https://www.laptoprepair101.com/wp-images/backlight-lamp-test/laptop-ccfl-2.jpg" /></p>
<p>Even though I suspected the backlight failure, I decided to test this laptop with a new inverter board just in case. But it didn&#8217;t help. The screen didn&#8217;t light up even after I replace the inverter board. So, I was right, this problem is not related to the inverter board.</p>
<p><img decoding="async" alt="Connected known good backlight lamp" src="https://www.laptoprepair101.com/wp-images/backlight-lamp-test/laptop-ccfl-3.jpg" /></p>
<p>Finally, I disconnected the screen backlight lamp connector from the inverter board and connected my test backlight lamp (I removed it from another cracked screen). You can find a new backlight lamp on eBay.Â Try to find a backlight with the connector already attached to it, so you can plug it into the inverter board. Make sure the connector on the backlight lamp is similar to the connector on your LCD screen.</p>
<p><img decoding="async" alt="My backlight lamp works fine" src="https://www.laptoprepair101.com/wp-images/backlight-lamp-test/laptop-ccfl-4.jpg" /></p>
<p>As soon as I turned on the laptop, my backlight lamp lighted up. Yep, that&#8217;s the problem. The laptop screen has a faulty backlight lamp.</p>
<p><strong>Here&#8217;s another laptop with backlight failure</strong></p>
<p>This laptop video fails in a little bit different way. In this case the backlight lamp hasn&#8217;t failed completely.</p>
<p><img decoding="async" alt="Background has reddish tone" src="https://www.laptoprepair101.com/wp-images/backlight-lamp-test/laptop-screen-red.jpg" /></p>
<p>The laptop starts with video on the screen but the background has reddish tone, the screen flickers and it makes noticeable buzzing noise coming from the backlight and inverter area. After a few minutes the backlight turns off by itself and the buzzing noise stops. When the backlight is off, the image on the screen is still visible but it&#8217;s very dark.</p>
<p><img decoding="async" alt="Backlight lamp connected" src="https://www.laptoprepair101.com/wp-images/backlight-lamp-test/backlight-lamp-connected.jpg" /></p>
<p>I <a href="https://www.laptoprepair101.com/repair-notebook-lcd-screen/">removed the screen bezel</a> and connected my test backlight lamp.</p>
<p><img decoding="async" alt="Backlight works" src="https://www.laptoprepair101.com/wp-images/backlight-lamp-test/backlight-works.jpg" /></p>
<p>My test backlight works absolutely fine. The lamp doesn&#8217;t flicker and there is no buzzing noise. So, this laptop needs a <a href="https://www.laptoprepair101.com/replace-laptop-backlight-ccfl-lamp/">new backlight lamp</a>.</p>
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		<title>Repair LCD screen with water damage</title>
		<link>https://www.laptoprepair101.com/repair-notebook-lcd-screen/</link>
					<comments>https://www.laptoprepair101.com/repair-notebook-lcd-screen/#comments</comments>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[cj2600]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Sat, 03 Feb 2007 21:29:48 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Liquid spill]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Screen]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.laptoprepair101.com/laptop/2007/02/03/how-i-took-apart-and-repaired-my-notebook-lcd-screen-with-water-damage/</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[Yesterday took apart and repaired my notebook LCD screen with water damage. The screen itself was working just fine but it had two different problems. &#8211; previous owner spilled water on the laptop. Somehow the water got inside the LCD &#8230; <a href="https://www.laptoprepair101.com/repair-notebook-lcd-screen/">Continued</a>]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Yesterday took apart and repaired my notebook LCD screen with water damage. The screen itself was working just fine but it had two different problems.</p>
<blockquote><p>&#8211; previous owner spilled water on the laptop. Somehow the water got inside the LCD screen and left stains inside the screen. The water marks were very noticeable on a white background and it was very irritating.<br />
&#8211; the screen also had dust and lint inside also very noticeable on a white background. I have no idea how it got in there but I decided to clean it up too.</p></blockquote>
<p>To fix both problems I had to open up the LCD screen. This was my first experience on opening a notebook screen. I was pretty confident because I didnâ€<img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/2122.png" alt="™" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" />t really care if I break the screen, I just wanted to know if itâ€<img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/2122.png" alt="™" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" />s possible to fix it.</p>
<p><strong>Warning:</strong> the LCD screen can be easily damaged if you open it up. If you do something wrong the screen might become completely unusable and youâ€<img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/2122.png" alt="™" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" />ll have to buy a new screen. Itâ€<img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/2122.png" alt="™" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" />s very expensive. Think twice before you decide opening the screen. Continue at your own risk.</p>
<p>Hereâ€<img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/2122.png" alt="™" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" />s my Dell Latitude D610 notebook with water damaged screen Iâ€<img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/2122.png" alt="™" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" />m going to take apart.<br />
First of all remove the battery from the notebook.</p>
<p><img decoding="async" title="Laptop screen repair" alt="Laptop screen repair" src="https://www.laptoprepair101.com/wp-images/notebook-display/laptop-screen-01.jpg" /></p>
<p><span id="more-41"></span></p>
<p>Lift up rubber screw seals and remove all screws.</p>
<p><img decoding="async" title="Remove LCD bezel" alt="Remove LCD bezel" src="https://www.laptoprepair101.com/wp-images/notebook-display/laptop-screen-02.jpg" /></p>
<p>Carefully separate the screen bezel from the LCD cover and remove the bezel.<br />
<img decoding="async" title="Open notebook display" alt="Open notebook display" src="https://www.laptoprepair101.com/wp-images/notebook-display/laptop-screen-03.jpg" /></p>
<p>Remove two screws from the front and two screws from both sides.</p>
<p><img decoding="async" title="Remove LCD screen" alt="Remove LCD screen" src="https://www.laptoprepair101.com/wp-images/notebook-display/laptop-screen-04.jpg" /></p>
<p>Carefully remove the LCD screen from the cover and place it on the notebook base. Disconnect the video cable and the inverter board cable.</p>
<p><img decoding="async" title="Disconnect LCD cables" alt="Disconnect LCD cables" src="https://www.laptoprepair101.com/wp-images/notebook-display/laptop-screen-05.jpg" /></p>
<p>On this model the inverter board is attached to the screen with two screws. Remove both screws, disconnect the screen cable and remove the inverter board.</p>
<p><img decoding="async" title="Remove screen inverter" alt="Remove screen inverter" src="https://www.laptoprepair101.com/wp-images/notebook-display/laptop-screen-06.jpg" /></p>
<p>Carefully peel off sticky tape and foil and put it aside. You&#8217;ll have to put it back in place during the screen reassembly.<br />
<img decoding="async" title="Remove securing tape" alt="Remove securing tape" src="https://www.laptoprepair101.com/wp-images/notebook-display/laptop-screen-07.jpg" /></p>
<p>Remove two screws from both sides of the screen.</p>
<p><img decoding="async" title="Remove screws from both sides" alt="Remove screws from both sides" src="https://www.laptoprepair101.com/wp-images/notebook-display/laptop-screen-08.jpg" /></p>
<p>Carefully place the screen upside down on a flat surface. Carefully unglue the film that covers the circuit board and remove two screws from the board (top circles). I wasn&#8217;t really sure if I have to remove screws on the bottom, so I removed them just in case. Do not touch the circuit board with fingers.<br />
<img decoding="async" title="Open LCD screen" alt="Open LCD screen" src="https://www.laptoprepair101.com/wp-images/notebook-display/laptop-screen-09.jpg" /></p>
<p>After both screws are removed you should be able to lift up the circuit board. Be careful, it&#8217;s still attached to the LCD.</p>
<p><img decoding="async" title="Lift up circuit board" alt="Lift up circuit board" src="https://www.laptoprepair101.com/wp-images/notebook-display/laptop-screen-10.jpg" /></p>
<p>Start unsnapping the metal frame from the screen. There are a lot of latches on all sides of the screen. You can unlock them with nails or a small flat head screwdriver.</p>
<p><img decoding="async" title="Unsnap LCD screen frame" alt="Unsnap LCD screen frame" src="https://www.laptoprepair101.com/wp-images/notebook-display/laptop-screen-11.jpg" /></p>
<p>After all latches are opened you should be able to separate the screen into three pieces: metal frame, LCD and background (not sure about correct technical name).<br />
If you have lint or dust inside the screen, probably you&#8217;ll find it between the LCD and the background. Do not touch LCD or background with your fingers. I was able to remove dust and lint up with a very soft cloth, barely touching the LCD and background surfaces.<br />
After I split the screen I found that the background has a few some kind of optical layers (three transparent sheets) and in my case they were damaged by water. The water dried out and left stains between these optical layers.<br />
In my case removing dust and lint wasn&#8217;t enough and I had to go further.<br />
<img decoding="async" title="Split notebook screen" alt="Split notebook screen" src="https://www.laptoprepair101.com/wp-images/notebook-display/laptop-screen-12.jpg" /></p>
<p>Very carefully separate the LCD with attached circuit board from the background.<br />
<img decoding="async" title="Separate LCD" alt="Separate LCD" src="https://www.laptoprepair101.com/wp-images/notebook-display/laptop-screen-13.jpg" /></p>
<p>To remove damaged optical layers it&#8217;s necessary to remove metal locks on both sides of the screen. It&#8217;s like a small clip that keeps layers in place.<br />
<img decoding="async" title="Remove screen locks" alt="Remove screen locks" src="https://www.laptoprepair101.com/wp-images/notebook-display/laptop-screen-14.jpg" /></p>
<p>After I removed both clips, I was able to look between the layers. At first I tried to clean up the dried water marks with a soft cloth but it didn&#8217;t help. The stains were still visible and didn&#8217;t want to go away.<br />
Fortunately I had another similar screen laying around, it had a cracked LCD. I decided to borrow the optical layers from the cracked screen and transfer them to my screen. I wasn&#8217;t sure if it&#8217;s going to work, but as I mentioned before I didn&#8217;t really care if I break the screen. It was just an experiment.<br />
So I disassembled the cracked screen and carefully transferred the white background and all transparent layers to my screen.<br />
<img decoding="async" title="transfer damaged screen layers" alt="transfer damaged screen layers" src="https://www.laptoprepair101.com/wp-images/notebook-display/laptop-screen-15.jpg" /><br />
After that I assembled my screen back removing dust and lint with a very soft cloth. Breathlessly connected my new screen to the notebook. Turned it on and&#8230;<br />
That&#8217;s a miracle, it works!<br />
No dust, no lint, no water mars inside the screen! It&#8217;s clear and the background is absolutely clean!<br />
<img decoding="async" title="LCD screen works again" alt="LCD screen works again" src="https://www.laptoprepair101.com/wp-images/notebook-display/laptop-screen-16.jpg" /></p>
<p>My donor screen had a cracked LCD but it had a good working backlight tube. The backlght tube is very fragile and it&#8217;s located inside a metal casing. I didn&#8217;t remove the backlight tube, I just broke off the entire metal casing from the plastic frame. I&#8217;m going to use this backlight tube for testing purposes.<br />
<img decoding="async" title="Test backlight bulb" alt="Test backlight bulb" src="https://www.laptoprepair101.com/wp-images/notebook-display/laptop-screen-17.jpg" /></p>
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		<title>Fixing backlight problem by replacing inverter</title>
		<link>https://www.laptoprepair101.com/replace-screen-inverter-fix-backlight/</link>
					<comments>https://www.laptoprepair101.com/replace-screen-inverter-fix-backlight/#comments</comments>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[cj2600]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 31 Jan 2007 08:10:42 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Screen]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.laptoprepair101.com/laptop/2007/01/31/screen-inverter-replacement-fixing-laptop-backlight-problem/</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[Do you have a problem with the backlight on your laptop? If yes, you are not alone, thatâ€™s one of the most common laptop problems. In most cases the screen inverter is the culprit. Here are some LCD screen backlight &#8230; <a href="https://www.laptoprepair101.com/replace-screen-inverter-fix-backlight/">Continued</a>]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Do you have a problem with the backlight on your laptop? If yes, you are not alone, thatâ€<img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/2122.png" alt="™" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" />s one of the most common laptop problems. In most cases the screen inverter is the culprit. Here are some LCD screen backlight failure symptoms that could be related to a bad inverter board:</p>
<blockquote><p>&#8211; Laptop boots as usual but after some time the screen blacks out. You still can see an image on the screen but itâ€<img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/2122.png" alt="™" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" />s very dim. You might even use a flashlight to see it better. Sometimes the backlight comes back for a while but then goes off again. In some cases you can turn the backlight on if you tap rapidly on the lid close switch.<br />
&#8211; The screen always stay black and the backlight never comes on but you still can make out an image on the LCD. Itâ€<img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/2122.png" alt="™" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" />s dark, but the image is still there.<br />
-In some cases you might hear a buzzing noise coming from the area where the inverter board is located, itâ€<img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/2122.png" alt="™" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" />s on the bottom part of the display assembly.</p></blockquote>
<p><strong> NOTE: if you cannot see an image on the screen (not even very dim image), most likely you have a different problem and there is nothing wrong with the screen inverter.</strong></p>
<p><strong>Other related articles:</strong><br />
<a title="Bad video on laptop LCD screen" href="https://www.laptoprepair101.com/bad-video-on-lcd-screen/">Laptop has bad video on the LCD screen. What is wrong? </a><br />
<a title="Notebook display diagram" href="https://www.laptoprepair101.com/notebook-display-diagram/">Notebook display assembly diagram. How image appears on the screen.</a><br />
<a title="Fix laptop video problems" href="https://www.laptoprepair101.com/troubleshoot-fix-laptop-video-problems/">How to troubleshoot and fix laptop video problems </a><br />
<a href="https://www.laptoprepair101.com/replace-laptop-backlight-ccfl-lamp/">How to replace laptop backlight lamp (CCFL)</a></p>
<p>Hereâ€<img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/2122.png" alt="™" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" />s an example of replacing the FL inverter board on an IBM ThinkPad T41 notebook. This guide will work fine for any other IBM notebook. Replacing screen inverter on other notebooks like Dell, HP, Toshiba, etcâ€¦ will not be much different.</p>
<p><img decoding="async" title="Replacing inverter board on IBM ThinkPad T41" alt="Replacing inverter board on IBM ThinkPad T41" src="https://www.laptoprepair101.com/wp-images/lcd/replace-screen-inverter-1.jpg" /></p>
<p><span id="more-40"></span></p>
<p><strong>First of all, unplug the AC adapter and remove the battery.</strong><br />
In order to access the inverter board youâ€<img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/2122.png" alt="™" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" />ll have to remove the LCD screen bezel. On most laptops screws are hidden behind screw seals. In this case we have 5 screw seals on the front. Carefully remove the seals with a sharp object and glue them on the LCD bezel, in this case you will not lose them. Remove all screws and mark them somehow so you are not confused when you assemble the notebook back.</p>
<p><img decoding="async" title="Remove screw seals and screws" alt="Remove screw seals and screws" src="https://www.laptoprepair101.com/wp-images/lcd/replace-screen-inverter-2.jpg" /></p>
<p>Some laptops also have screws on the side of the display. This notebook has 3 screws on each side. Remove screws seals and then remove screws.</p>
<p><img decoding="async" title="Remove screw seals on both sides" alt="Remove screw seals on both sides" src="https://www.laptoprepair101.com/wp-images/lcd/replace-screen-inverter-3.jpg" /></p>
<p>Start removing the LCD bezel with all fingers. Carefully wiggle the bezel to release plastic latches. Never use any sharp object during disassemble because you can accidentally damage the screen.<!--more--></p>
<p><img decoding="async" title="Lift up LCD bezel" alt="Lift up LCD bezel" src="https://www.laptoprepair101.com/wp-images/lcd/replace-screen-inverter-4.jpg" /></p>
<p>If latches are very tight you can use a guitar pick to unlock them. Insert the guitar pick between the LCD bezel and cover and carefully move it alone the side.</p>
<p><img decoding="async" title="Removing LCD bezel" alt="Removing LCD bezel" src="https://www.laptoprepair101.com/wp-images/lcd/replace-screen-inverter-5.jpg" /></p>
<p>This notebook allows you to replace the inverter board without removing the LCD bezel completely. Lift up the bottom part of the bezel and remove one screw securing the inverter board to the LCD cover. This location is very common for the screen inverter. On most laptops youâ€<img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/2122.png" alt="™" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" />ll find it under the display bezel below the screen.</p>
<p><img decoding="async" title="Remove screw from the inverter" alt="Remove screw from the inverter" src="https://www.laptoprepair101.com/wp-images/lcd/replace-screen-inverter-6.jpg" /></p>
<p>Carefully lift up the FL inverter and rotate it a little bit. Unplug cables on both sides. The left side of the inverter board connects to the video cable, the right side to the backlight bulb (CCFL tube) inside the LCD screen. Remove the inverter and replace it with a new one.</p>
<p><img decoding="async" title="Disconnect inverter cables" alt="Disconnect inverter cables" src="https://www.laptoprepair101.com/wp-images/lcd/replace-screen-inverter-7.jpg" /></p>
<p>To find a new inverter board (and any other spare part too) for any IBM notebook you should use the FRU number from the part.</p>
<p><img decoding="async" title="Inverter FRU part number" alt="Inverter FRU part number" src="https://www.laptoprepair101.com/wp-images/lcd/replace-screen-inverter-8.jpg" /></p>
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		<title>Fixing bad video on LCD screen</title>
		<link>https://www.laptoprepair101.com/bad-video-on-lcd-screen/</link>
					<comments>https://www.laptoprepair101.com/bad-video-on-lcd-screen/#comments</comments>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[cj2600]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Fri, 18 Aug 2006 07:45:42 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Screen]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Troubleshooting]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.laptoprepair101.com/laptop/2006/08/17/laptop-has-bad-video-on-the-lcd-screen-what-is-wrong/</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[Here Iâ€™m going to post some laptop screen photos showing bad video output. Iâ€™ll explain what was wrong with the screen and how I fixed it. I plan to ad more examples as soon as I get new pictures. If &#8230; <a href="https://www.laptoprepair101.com/bad-video-on-lcd-screen/">Continued</a>]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Here Iâ€<img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/2122.png" alt="™" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" />m going to post some laptop screen photos showing bad video output. Iâ€<img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/2122.png" alt="™" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" />ll explain what was wrong with the screen and how I fixed it. I plan to ad more examples as soon as I get new pictures. If you have your own example (and know how to fix it) please let me know and Iâ€<img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/2122.png" alt="™" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" />ll post it too.</p>
<blockquote><p><strong>Example 1.</strong></p></blockquote>
<p>Hereâ€<img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/2122.png" alt="™" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" />s a picture of Satellite M55 LCD screen I made this morning. I got this video output as soon as I started the laptop. There were a lot of vertical lines, and they were changing color without any pattern. To me it looked like Northern Lights (never seen in real life) :). The external monitor worked fine.</p>
<p><img decoding="async" title="LCD screen no image" alt="LCD screen no image" src="https://www.laptoprepair101.com/wp-images/LCD-screen-no-image.jpg" /></p>
<p><span id="more-33"></span>As soon as I applied some tension to the screen it changed the pattern. Some horizontal lines appeared in the middle of the LCD.</p>
<p><img decoding="async" title="LCD screen horizontal lines" alt="LCD screen horizontal lines" src="https://www.laptoprepair101.com/wp-images/LCD-screen-no-image-2.jpg" /></p>
<p>Here&#8217;s the difference. When I torque the screen, the image appears but it&#8217;s distorted with some horizontal lines running across the screen.</p>
<p>Reseating the video cable didnâ€<img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/2122.png" alt="™" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" />t make any change and the problem was fixed after I replaced the LCD screen.</p>
<blockquote><p><strong>Example 2.</strong></p></blockquote>
<p><strong></strong>I took this picture from Toshiba Satellite M65. I think that this example is very typical. One day you wake up, turn on the laptop and see one or a few hair-like vertical lines in different colors.</p>
<p><img decoding="async" title="Laptop LCD vertical lines" alt="Laptop LCD vertical lines" src="https://www.laptoprepair101.com/wp-images/LCD-screen-vertical-lines.jpg" /></p>
<p>When you move the LCD screen some lines might disappear or more lines appear on the screen. A video output on an external screen would be perfect, without any lines. Unfortunately, these lines indicate a screen problem. Iâ€<img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/2122.png" alt="™" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" />ve never seen this kind of video output caused by a bad video cable or bad FL inverter board. My laptop was fixed after I replaced the LCD screen.</p>
<blockquote><p><strong>Example 3.</strong></p></blockquote>
<p>The photo below comes from Toshiba Satellite 5205. The laptop displays identical vertical lines all over the LCD screen as soon as I turn it on. Sometimes these lines are red, sometimes they are blue, sometimes they become wider and change color to white.</p>
<p><img decoding="async" title="Laptop screen vertical lines" alt="Laptop screen vertical lines" src="https://www.laptoprepair101.com/wp-images/laptop-screen-vertical-lines.jpg" /></p>
<p>The same pattern appears on the external monitor. It displays same vertical lines. When the same video defect appears on both monitors â€“ internal LCD screen and external screen, then most likely it happens because of a bad video card. On some laptops the video card is integrated into the system board, on other models itâ€<img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/2122.png" alt="™" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" />s a separate module.</p>
<p><img decoding="async" title="External screen vertical lines" alt="External screen vertical lines" src="https://www.laptoprepair101.com/wp-images/external-screen-vertical-lines.jpg" /></p>
<p>In this example, the vertical lines were caused by a failed video memory on the system board. Iâ€<img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/2122.png" alt="™" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" />ve tested the video memory with Microscope utility and it failed the test. In Toshiba Satellite 5205 the video memory is integrated into the system board. To fix the problem, Iâ€<img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/2122.png" alt="™" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" />ll have to replace the board. (We do not have equipment to replace the memory module itself).</p>
<blockquote><p><strong>Example 4.</strong></p></blockquote>
<p>Hereâ€<img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/2122.png" alt="™" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" />s another example of a <span style="text-decoration: line-through;">bad LCD screen</span>. My bad! It wasnâ€<img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/2122.png" alt="™" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" />t the LCD screen problem.<br />
<img decoding="async" title="Bad reddish laptop screen" alt="Bad reddish laptop screen" src="https://www.laptoprepair101.com/wp-images/reddish-screen.jpg" /></p>
<p>As soon as I turned on the laptop, I was getting these reddish marks on the LCD screen but not on the external monitor. Reseating and replacing the video cable didnâ€<img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/2122.png" alt="™" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" />t help. <span style="text-decoration: line-through;">The problem disappeared when I installed my test LCD screen.</span> Yes, for some reason I wasnâ€<img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/2122.png" alt="™" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" />t able to reproduce the problem on my test LCD screen. But the reddish video appeared again as soon as I replaced the screen. I guess it happened because the system board had some kind of intermittent problem with onboard video or video connector. Long story short, I had to replace the system board and it fixed the problem. Yep, I misdiagnosed this laptop.</p>
<blockquote><p><strong>Example 5.</strong></p></blockquote>
<p><strong></strong>Hereâ€<img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/2122.png" alt="™" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" />s one more example of a faulty LCD screen. The left half of the screen works just fine but the right side is completely white.</p>
<p><img decoding="async" title="Half LCD screen not working" alt="Half LCD screen not working" src="https://www.laptoprepair101.com/wp-images/half-screen-not-working.jpg" /></p>
<blockquote><p><strong>Example 6.</strong></p></blockquote>
<p>Here&#8217;s another laptop with a bad LCD screen. This time it&#8217;s a tablet PC.</p>
<p><img decoding="async" title="Vertical stripe on LCD" alt="Vertical stripe on LCD" src="https://www.laptoprepair101.com/wp-images/vertical-stripe.jpg" /></p>
<blockquote><p><strong>Example 7.</strong></p></blockquote>
<p>This screen looks like the screen on the example 1. I hooked up an external monitor and the external video works perfectly fine.</p>
<p><img decoding="async" title="vertical lines" alt="vertical lines" src="https://www.laptoprepair101.com/wp-images/bad-laptop-video/washed-lcd-image-1.jpg" /></p>
<p>Here&#8217;s the difference. When I torque the screen, the image appears but it&#8217;s distorted with some horizontal lines running across the screen.</p>
<p><img decoding="async" title="distorted image" alt="distorted image" src="https://www.laptoprepair101.com/wp-images/bad-laptop-video/washed-lcd-image-2.jpg" /></p>
<p>After a few seconds the image washes away.</p>
<p><img decoding="async" title="Image washes away" alt="Image washes away" src="https://www.laptoprepair101.com/wp-images/bad-laptop-video/washed-lcd-image-3.jpg" /></p>
<p>I had to replace the LCD screen.</p>
<blockquote><p><strong>Example 8.</strong></p></blockquote>
<p>This laptop displays inverted colors right from the startup. As you see, the Toshiba logo is light green instead of red. The background is light gray instead of black. The Intel logo should be blue on a white background but it is red on a black background.</p>
<p><img decoding="async" alt="Inverted colors" src="https://www.laptoprepair101.com/wp-images/bad-laptop-video/lcd-inverted-colors.jpg" /></p>
<p>When your laptop displays inverted colors as on the picture above, this is an indication of a bad screen. You&#8217;ll have to replace the screen.</p>
<blockquote><p><strong>Example 9.</strong></p></blockquote>
<p>Here are two more screens. In both cases this problem is related to the LCD screen, witch means the screen has to be replaced.</p>
<p>On the image below you see a white band running from the top of the screen to the bottom. This band appears right from the laptop startup and runs through the logo too.</p>
<p><img decoding="async" alt="White band running from top to bottom" src="https://www.laptoprepair101.com/wp-images/bad-laptop-video/wite-band.jpg" /></p>
<p>On the following image only the left side of the screen is working properly. This problem is caused by faulty LCD screen.</p>
<p><img decoding="async" alt="Only left side of the screen works" src="https://www.laptoprepair101.com/wp-images/bad-laptop-video/left-side-works.jpg" /></p>
<p><strong>Other post related to troubleshooting laptop video problems:</strong></p>
<p><a title="Fix laptop video problems" href="https://www.laptoprepair101.com/troubleshoot-fix-laptop-video-problems/">How to troubleshoot and fix laptop video problems</a><br />
<a title="Taking apart notebook LCD screen" href="https://www.laptoprepair101.com/repair-notebook-lcd-screen/">Taking apart notebook LCD screen</a><br />
<a title="Replacing LCD screen inverter" href="https://www.laptoprepair101.com/replace-screen-inverter-fix-backlight/">Replacing LCD screen inverter</a><br />
<a title="Permalink" href="https://www.laptoprepair101.com/you-replaced-broken-lcd-screen-but-the-new-screen-is-not-working/">The newly installed screen is not working</a></p>
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		<title>Display assembly diagram</title>
		<link>https://www.laptoprepair101.com/notebook-display-diagram/</link>
					<comments>https://www.laptoprepair101.com/notebook-display-diagram/#comments</comments>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[cj2600]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Sun, 09 Jul 2006 06:36:01 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Screen]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.laptoprepair101.com/laptop/2006/07/08/notebook-display-assembly-diagram-how-an-image-appears-on-the-screen/</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[Here is a simple diagram that will help you to understand how a notebook display assembly works and how an image appears on the screen. Iâ€™m not an artist and I tried my best drawing this diagram, so if you &#8230; <a href="https://www.laptoprepair101.com/notebook-display-diagram/">Continued</a>]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Here is a simple diagram that will help you to understand how a notebook display assembly works and how an image appears on the screen. Iâ€<img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/2122.png" alt="™" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" />m not an artist and I tried my best drawing this diagram, so if you cannot see a laptop in this picture, donâ€<img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/2122.png" alt="™" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" />t be mad. <img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/1f61b.png" alt="😛" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" /><br />
<img decoding="async" title="Notebook Display Assembly Diagram" alt="Notebook Display Assembly Diagram" src="https://www.laptoprepair101.com/wp-images/video.gif" /></p>
<p><span id="more-32"></span>A generic display assembly includes a very few parts and knowing them will help you to understand witch part can cause a problem if you laptop video not working properly.</p>
<p><strong>Video cable.</strong> A video signal from the motherboard goes to the LCD screen through the video cable. The video cable connects to the motherboard (or video card) through the connector 1. The video cable connects to the LCD screen through the connector 2. The video cable (in most cases) is also responsible for supplying a necessary voltage for the FL inverter board. The video cable connects to the FL inverter board at the point 3.</p>
<p><strong>FL inverter board.</strong> This board is responsible for converting low voltage DC power (point 3) to high voltage AC (point 4), necessary to light up the backlight bulb. If the FL inverter board is bad, the LCD screen (backlight bulb) will not light up when you turn on the laptop, but you still should be able to see a very dim image on the screen.</p>
<p><strong>CCFL (backlight bulb).</strong> When the backlight bulb lights up, you can see an images on the LCD screen. In most cases the backlight bulb is a part of the LCD screen and if itâ€<img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/2122.png" alt="™" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" />s bad, the entire screen has to be replaced. By the way, some specialized repair shops can replace the backlight bulb itself.</p>
<p><strong>Lid close switch.</strong> The lid close switch is a small button that locates close to the display hinges. On some newer models there is no button, because the switch is magnetic. You can set up your laptop to go to a hibernation mode or to a standby mode when the LCD is closed. Itâ€<img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/2122.png" alt="™" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" />s done through power management software. These modes are triggered when the display is closed and the lid close switch is pressed down. If the LCD screen on your laptop will not light up when you open the display assembly, check the lid close switch is stuck inside (it might happen because the switch is dirty).</p>
<p><strong>Related articles:</strong></p>
<p><a title="Fixing Notebook Video Problems" href="https://www.laptoprepair101.com/troubleshoot-fix-laptop-video-problems/">Fixing notebook video problems.</a></p>
<p><a title="Repair notebook LCD screen" href="https://www.laptoprepair101.com/repair-notebook-lcd-screen/">Disassemble LCD screen with water damage</a>.</p>
<p><a title="Screen inverter replacement" href="https://www.laptoprepair101.com/replace-screen-inverter-fix-backlight/">Screen inverter replacement.</a></p>
<p><a title="Bad video on laptop screen" href="https://www.laptoprepair101.com/bad-video-on-lcd-screen/">Laptop has bad video on the screen.</a></p>
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