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?
If you find this article useful, please consider making a donation to the author. Thank you!
June 21st, 2007 at 6:05 am
hi, well i have a laptop which is Panasonic CF-L2 so i lost my charger and the battery is gone. So i am looking for it badly, by the way i am in india, bangalore. So plz if anyone know how to get these 2 things let me know!!! I’ll be very very happy if somebody tells it. Thank u!
June 20th, 2007 at 6:09 pm
I have a Toshiba Satellite 2400. Display is fine with external monitor. LCD display flickers constantly. There are horizontal lines at start up. When running Windows it looks like the whole screen is vibrating vertically. It stops sometimes but quickly resumes.
I think the LCD is pooched but want to confirm diagnosis before ordering the part. HELP!
June 19th, 2007 at 2:25 pm
While trying to delete something else, I deleted SavageIX and Utilities which changed my XGA display settings to VGA mode. I’m wanting to download whatever will restore it back to the XGA setting. The laptop is a Thinkpad T23 & running Windows 2000 service pack 4. You can either Email or leave comment on: cooltruth.spaces.live.com if know where I can download a fix for this problem.
June 11th, 2007 at 5:47 pm
THANKS !!!
June 10th, 2007 at 11:08 am
Marcellus hill,
The laptop works find with an external monitor, so most likely there is nothing wrong with the motherboard/video card.
It could be:
1. Loose connection between the video cable and the LCD screen. It’s necessary to open up the display assembly and reseat the cable on the back of the LCD. It might help.
2. It’s possible that you have a faulty LCD screen.
3. There is a possibility of a bad video cable (doubt it).
Cannot help you with upgrading the processor. Toshiba doesn’t provide any information on upgrading processors.
June 9th, 2007 at 9:23 pm
Hi I have an prolblem with my toshiba Satellite M35 Series One night I was listing to music when i woke up the next moring There was no music and the lcd screen was white i closed the lid and open it up and it would not come on I had a nehibor of mine come and look at it he reset the ram had the notebook come and hooked it up to an exteranl montior and the computer was working Put the lcd screen was not working however when he switched sources you could see the back light come on but now image he says the screen is dead but i would like an secound opinon. any help would be aprieated.
also could some one tell me what is the fastes processor that i could use in this notebook ?? it is now at 1.40 ghz i am hoping for anything between 1.70-2.20 ghz
June 6th, 2007 at 8:41 am
Help me fix this mess Please!!!!!!
Dell inspiron 1200.
Monitor goes blank, over heats, can’t play Cd’s (audio) Says no
soundcard or it’s damaged.The say’s found new hardware,
thie is driving me Nuts.
help
sun
June 3rd, 2007 at 11:36 pm
Dan,
I would try reconnecting the video cable on both ends – the motherboard and the LCD screen. It’s possible that one or both contacts got loose.
If reseating connections will not help, most likely you have damaged the LCD screen and have to replace it.
June 1st, 2007 at 10:16 pm
i dropped my laptop and now it has inverted colors unless I bang on it a few times….but as soon as i move, it goes back to inverted. what do i do!?!
May 30th, 2007 at 10:05 pm
Yuhoo,
Probably the LCD screen is getting old, apparently the backlight lamp is not as bright as before. On your picture the IBM screen doesn’t look too bad.