Here are some tips and tricks for troubleshooting and fixing laptop video problems. Video issues are very common within portable computers and with the following tips you should be able to detect and eliminate basic laptop video problems.
Laptop LCD screen has a faint image.
Look at the LCD screen very closely and check if you can see a faint image on the screen. It’s possible that the LCD lid close switch stuck in the “closed” position and the backlight stays off even when you open the LCD screen or turn on the laptop. The switch turns off the backlight when you close the LCD display to save the laptop battery power. Check the LCD lid close switch. Usually it is a small plastic pin located close to the LCD hinges. Try to tap on the switch a few times to turn on the backlight. If after tapping on the LCD lid close switch the backlight stays on, you fixed the problem.
It is also possible that after tapping on the LCD lid close switch the backlight works fine, you see a normal video on the screen for some time and then the backlight turns itself off again. In this case I would blame the FL inverter board. Try to reseat cables on both end of the FL inverter to make a better contact between the cables and the FL inverter board. If it doesn’t help I would try to replace the FL inverter board.
Laptop LCD screen is solid white color.
Most likely it is just a bad connection between the LCD display and the system board. I would try reseating the video cable connector on the back of the LCD screen first and check if it fixes the problem. After that I would try reseating the video cable connector on the system board. I would also try reseating cables if there is no video on the LCD screen at all.
The video on the LCD screen is garbled.
Try to connect the LCD screen to an external monitor. If the external video is fine, you have a problem with the LCD screen or the LCD video cable. You can try to fix the problem by reseating the video cable on the back of the LCD and on the system board.
If you see the same garbled video output on the external monitor most likely it is not the LCD screen problem. In this case the system board (with onboard video) is bad or the video card is bad.
I understand that these tips will not cover all video problems with portable computers. If you have a different problem, you are welcome to leave a comment and I will try to help you if I can. 
Are you looking for a new LCD screen for you laptop? Try searching here.
Here’s a notebook display assembly diagram and tips for finding spare notebook parts.
Related articles:
Fixing notebook LCD screen with water damage.
Screen inverter replacement. Fixing laptop backlight problem
Laptop has bad video on the LCD screen. What is wrong?
Laptop screen shows strange colors. What could be wrong?
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August 15th, 2010 at 9:26 am
Siddhartha Chatterjee,
It’s possible that connection between the video cable and motherboard is bad. Try reconnecting video cable connection on the motherboard. This connector located under the keyboard cover, close to the left hinge.
http://www.insidemylaptop.com/.....top-11.jpg
The connector located under the white sticker on the left side from the copper heatsink.
Also, it’s possible the video cable itself it bad. This would explain why your laptop works with external monitor when cable unplugged from the screen.
1. Try reconnecting the cable.
2. Try replacing the cable.
August 14th, 2010 at 5:08 am
No Display on laptop screen but screen some glowing. When I attached a monitor no display shone , but when I open LCD connector of laptop display shown on other monitor. Laptop Model is HP DV6500. Please solve my problem.
August 3rd, 2010 at 2:56 am
Hi,
I’ve bought a semi used Compaq v6000 after an one month, Im having problem with the screen. Using it for how many hours then it suddenly just stops and just hangs up… then I’ve tried rebooting it ang the buttons for the power and AC sockets lights up but theres no video thats pops out.. could you help me through this to I have to reformat it right away? what should I do?
This would be a great help if you teach me.
Thanks in advance!
July 15th, 2010 at 9:28 pm
alex,
Go to the Toshiba website and search for the BIOS updated. It’s possible this problem was fixed with the BIOS update. Just a guess.
July 15th, 2010 at 9:25 pm
i bought a toshiba satellite L200 sytem unit or something. everytime i turn on the computer after hours of not using it, my video display will suddenly become garbled, so i have to pull it out from ac, or take out the batteries. after i restarted it again, it’ll go back to normal. I thought by reformatting my laptop, and reinstalling my OS would fix the problem but it didn’t. and my friend told me if the video card was the problem, then my video display should be garbled all throughout. help? why does it always happen every time I turn on the computer?
June 30th, 2010 at 2:16 pm
Hi,
I have acer aspire 5920g, I face a trouble for 6months now, the screen start to garble on start up then turns black, after days it just start black light( back light on but no image)
when pluged to an external monitor it’s happen nothing ( monitor turn off [black] )
I hit F+f6 the laptop screen turns off ( back light off ) when hit it again the back light turns on but no image(blank)
laptop run normally,sound,led,DVD also.
Pleassssssee help, is the graphic card dead or the inverter or the LCD(wich I don’t think so)
sorry for the English
June 14th, 2010 at 7:11 am
I have a thinkpad z60m with just the lower third of the dislay garbled as shown in your image.
for some time, twisting the lcd a little bit around the middle made this go away.
I took the display apart, replaced ribbon cable and tightened back up. Worked a treat for about two weeks, now the problem is back, and doing the “twist” does not bring it back.
works fine to external display
Any ideas?
thanks in advance !
June 7th, 2010 at 8:06 pm
I bought a used Dell Inspiron 1505E notebook. After I recieved it I noticed the colors on the screen were washed out. The text during boot up was very fuzzy and ghostly. Do you know what may be causing this issue? I can adjust the brightness and contrast some with the video drivers but this doesn’t really correct the issue.
June 1st, 2010 at 2:12 pm
Hi all, I have in hands a Toshiba Satellite P35 motherboard dead. I want ti use its (PHILIPS LP171W02) 17″ LCD in a Sony VAIO with (PHILIPS LP171WP7) 17″ damaged LCD. But this Sony lcd its a 2 CCFL Screen; i can see two wires and dont know what is that. My thoshiba 17″ LCD has only one. It there any way i can replace Sony LCD with this ?. When a install this 1 onle wire LCD into Sony VAIO lamp goes on but there is no VGA Signal. With external monitor is ok but no LCD. Regards.
May 21st, 2010 at 1:31 am
Hi,
My Acer TravelMate 2300 LCD display having 3 vertical lines, what need to be checked, please reply.