Do you have a problem with the backlight on your laptop? If yes, you are not alone, that’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:
- Laptop boots as usual but after some time the screen blacks out. You still can see an image on the screen but it’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.
- The screen always stay black and the backlight never comes on but you still can make out an image on the LCD. It’s dark, but the image is still there.
-In some cases you might hear a buzzing noise coming from the area where the inverter board is located, it’s on the bottom part of the display assembly.
NOTE: if you cannot see an image on the screen, most likely you have a different problem and there is nothing wrong with the screen inverter.
Other related articles:
Laptop has bad video on the LCD screen. What is wrong?
Notebook display assembly diagram. How image appears on the screen.
How to troubleshoot and fix laptop video problems
How to replace laptop backlight lamp (CCFL)
Here’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, etc… will not be much different.
First of all, unplug the AC adapter and remove the battery.
In order to access the inverter board you’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.
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.
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.
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.
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 you’ll find it under the display bezel below the screen.
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.
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.
January 31st, 2007 at 2:16 am
Hey its great to see a new post here. I subscribed to the feeds months ago and I totally forgot about the site until I read this post. Nice write up! I have always enjoyed reading this site. I guess posts come when repair jobs come… huh?
Well, I guess everyone should pool together and break their laptops and mail em’ in… I am looking forward to reading more articles written by you in the future.
Best Regards,
Garry Conn
February 3rd, 2007 at 9:56 pm
How about if I tell I can’t find the Fl Inverter in my Dell latitude Cpx when I open it? Could you tell me where it should be at them? It’s not where it say here on this page. Thank you.
February 5th, 2007 at 9:59 pm
[...] Replacing LCD screen inverter [...]
February 6th, 2007 at 9:42 am
Carmen,
Maybe the inverter board is located on the side from the LCD screen? I just opened up a Dell Latitude CSx display to check the inverter board location and found it on the right side from the screen.
February 6th, 2007 at 10:46 pm
Very timely - the inverter in my T22 died yesterday. I had trouble getting details on the inverter at the IBM/Lenovo site - the FRU number of 10L1402 didn’t seem to exist. On the phone to them today, they told me that the part has been replaced with a new FRU of 91P7739, which explains why I couldn’t find it.
Thanks for the very useful article. I hope to have mine fixed in just a couple of days once the new inverter arrives.
February 7th, 2007 at 12:08 pm
Is there a way to test the inverter board to determine it’s actually the inverter board and not the bulbs?
February 7th, 2007 at 11:25 pm
my ibm laptop power s working but screen not working i don’t know what happend
February 9th, 2007 at 1:49 pm
I have an IBM T40 and it boots up fine and will work for ten minutes or so… then the screen will freeze/flicker or turn black, especially if I try to move it. It wont work again right away but if I leave it for a few hours I get another 20 minutes of work done on it.. I did all the virus scans etc… but now im a bit lost. Any ideas?
sincerely,
poor college student trying to save a 5 years old laptop
February 10th, 2007 at 6:26 am
I have a problem with my thinkpad r32 everytime i boot it it says
ERROR
Resource conflict - Allocation error static node # 02
ERROR
Resource conflict - Allocation error static node # 07
PLZ HELP
February 11th, 2007 at 9:15 am
Jason Denniston,
The best way to test the inverter board would be replacing it with a known good one.
I usually hook up a test backlight bulb first (I remove them from cracked screens) and if it will not light up I install my test inverter and test it again.
I’ve been searching for the instructions on how to test the screen inverter with a voltmeter, but haven’t found it yet.
February 11th, 2007 at 11:47 am
yosof yaghi,
Download the hardware maintenance manual for IBM ThinkPad R32. On the page 50 you’ll find some tips on resolving this problem.
February 11th, 2007 at 11:54 am
Rebecca,
You said the screen will freeze, what do you mean by that? You cannot use the mouse and access any programs or what? It’s possible the video cable connector on the back of the screen is loose. Try reseating the video cable.
If the screen flicker and turns black intermittently, it’s possible that you have a loose connection on the inverter board. Try reconnecting cables on the screen inverter, shown on the photo 7.
February 12th, 2007 at 10:05 pm
I have a T41 (XGA screen) with an weird issue: when starting Windows GUI or getting back from sleep/suspend, a LCD light is coming from center of screen and it is slowly extending to margins, then image is displayed. The same on turn off, the LCD looks like starting to slowly turn off pixels from margins to center.
Otherwise it is working fine, but I’m worried about this issue. Is this an inverter issue ? Or is this a sign that LCD will be dead soon? Thank you!
February 13th, 2007 at 3:37 am
This is my problem:
- The screen always stay black and the backlight never comes on but you still can make out an image on the LCD. It’s dark, but the image is still there and sound works perfectly.
Will the above photo instructions also apply to the R31 ThinkPad?
Thank you.
February 17th, 2007 at 12:20 pm
Laptop Repair Guy,
My Toshiba M45 laptop had the “blacking out” LCD problem. I thought I would be in for a huge $$$ bill since my 1 year warranty just expired, but after checking out your website I removed the inverter, cleaned the flex cable conductors, put it back together and it has worked for about 7 months straight.
On behalf of everyone that visits your website and repairs problems caused by design or human error, thank you for creating this fantastic website. Your photos and instructions for repairing a lot of laptop problems are clear and helpful. Unlike a lot of technicians, you know what you’re doing and you present it in an honest, easy-to-follow way.
Now, if IBM, Toshiba, Dell and Acer would just read your website from time to time…
Keith
Raleigh, NC
February 19th, 2007 at 7:30 pm
gnu,
I don’t know for sure what is causing problem, never seen it before. I don’t think it’s an inverter issue, feel free to correct me if I’m wrong. I think the problem might be related to the LCD itself.
Use the screen until it works, there is nothing you can do.
February 19th, 2007 at 7:41 pm
Shirley Pollak,
I think the above photo instructions will apply to most IBM ThinkPad notebooks. Screws location might be different but general disassembly steps will be the same.
You can download a hardware maintenance manual for IBM ThinkPad R31 and find instructions for replacing the inverter board on the page 136 (page 130 in HMM).
February 20th, 2007 at 6:08 am
this sounds exactly like the problems I was having… it worked for me
go to the link for Laptop has bad LCD display or copy and paste this one (same link)
http://www.laptoprepair101.com.....cd-screen/
and somewhere around post 140 is what I said, and then 145 I think was my reply after an attempted fix. I have an HP zv6010us model laptop.
February 21st, 2007 at 1:31 pm
I have DELL INSPIRON 6000 and The screen always stay black and the backlight sometimes comes on when you plug it with the a/c adapter but came off after 10 seconds and the right part is darker than the left one you still can make out an image on the LCD. It’s dark, but the image is still there and sound works perfectly. i need an advise what cause that, thanks
February 22nd, 2007 at 4:13 am
Hey - I had the same problem with the inverter - my laptop screen is now black but I can still see some images. Instead of repairing I got an alternativ monitor-but after a month the new monitor goes black after 20 min or so whenever I use it. Then if I let it stay for a while it works again for 20 min. Can it be the laptop that caused the monitor to have this problem, or the LCD is gone independent from that?
Thanks.
February 25th, 2007 at 1:15 am
Jorge Trevino,
It sounds like a bad inverter but I’m not sure 100%. I don’t like this part
I would try replacing the inverter board first, it shouldn’t be very expensive. If it will not help, probably there is something wrong with the backlight lamp located inside the screen.
February 26th, 2007 at 3:01 pm
All symptoms point to my inverter being bad. I called Dell and all they will sell me is the whole screen with the board. Is there anywere else I can go to find this part?
Thanks, Dave
February 27th, 2007 at 7:54 am
Hi Everyone,
I have a question. If you have a 17″ LCD on your laptop, can you replace it with another 17″ screen as long as the replacement screen comes with the inverter and cable made for it?
Thanks.
February 27th, 2007 at 10:15 am
Ok I forgot tell u something else the lcd comes on a regular light as soon and I connect the ac adpater 10 seconds later start to comes off again I can see the screen but is to faded, I read a lot of different situation and the lcd inverter regulate the power to the lcd? I already try to clean the end but still doing the same and the inverter heat at least 90 degrees way to hot do u think is the inverter?, thank for this site let me learn more about different situations, thank u again
February 28th, 2007 at 11:24 pm
Hi,
I’d first off like to say many thanks to this laptoprepairguy as my NX5000 inverter died previously, and the instructions on this site helped me change it with complete success.
I have had the second inverter for a period of about 6 months, the same problem has occurred. I reboot and it’s still black, but when I turn it off, take out the battery, press the power button, put the battery back in and boot up, it’s fine until the screen goes black again. Any suggestions? Is this still an inverter problem?
(by black i mean the inverter light turns off)
Regards:
Eric
March 1st, 2007 at 7:38 am
I had a problem with the backlight on my Toshiba M45-S331. I bought a new FL inverter board and installed it a month ago. Everything worked fine. Yesterday it quit again. It comes on for a short period of time and then goes out. I can see a dim image when that happens so I know it is the same problem. Is it possible to replace the backlight, or do I need to replace the whole screen?
You have a very good website. Thanks!
March 3rd, 2007 at 8:32 am
[...] Screen inverter replacement. Fixing laptop backlight problem. - replacing inverter board in an IBM ThinkPad laptop [...]
March 3rd, 2007 at 10:04 am
Dave,
Try on eBay. Here’s a guide for taking apart a Dell laptop LCD assembly, might be helpful.
March 3rd, 2007 at 11:18 am
Eric,
Maybe it’s bad again?
March 3rd, 2007 at 11:26 am
Mike Fager,
Maybe it’s an inverter problem again? I would try replacing the inverter board one more time, it’s much cheaper then replacing the screen.
March 3rd, 2007 at 12:01 pm
I don’t find the inverter on my screen. I have a Dell Latitude Cpx. Can anyone please tell where it at? Thank you.
March 3rd, 2007 at 9:02 pm
Carmen L,
Here’s a picture of the inverter board for a Dell Latitude Cpx notebook.
http://www.asklaptopfreak.com/.....verter.jpg
Isn’t it located somewhere inside the LCD panel? By the way, you can find a new inverter for about $6 on eBay.
March 4th, 2007 at 9:01 pm
I have a Dell Latitude C610 display screen on my C640. Its been working fine until the inverter went bad. I want to replace it and have already taken it apart, but I dont know what to use to find the replacement part because it doesnt have a tag on it like the one in your guide. Do you know where I could find the part number for it or do you happen to know? Thanks.
March 4th, 2007 at 10:51 pm
Thanks! for this very helpful information, you are a money saver thanks.
March 6th, 2007 at 7:42 am
I have a TP X31. Yesterday the PC died as though something overheated. It came back after 20 minutes or so. When it restarted the display is dim, not black just about 1/3 as bright as before. It is now working with a dim display but is usable. Would the inverter be the suspect component?
March 6th, 2007 at 3:17 pm
I have a Toshiba satellite 1135. It usually sits on the counter running through it’s photo screen saver. One minute it was on like normal the next minute “black”. I flipped the cover switch and it momentarly goes on for a second, but it was in a “red” cast - no other color and then black out again. I plugged my regular screen into the laptop’s jack and the stand alone monitor worked fine. The laptop is 5 years old. Should I replace the back light as well? or is the inverter the cause? Thanks for any help you can give me.
March 6th, 2007 at 9:41 pm
My laptop screen will go very dim, then cutting the monitor off or forcing it to go into standby mode will make it come back on for 15 or 20 seconds then it goes back out again.
However if the power cord is not connected to the computer, it works fine. Is this still the inverter or is it something else?
March 7th, 2007 at 2:29 am
HI THERE
I HAVE A LAPTOP OF SONY..THE PROBLEM I AM HAVING IS WHEN I SWITCH ON THE SCREEN IS TURNING TO WHITE COLOR .PLS TELL ME WHAT IS THE WRONG WITH MY LP
March 10th, 2007 at 9:07 am
Kenny,
Search for “Dell C610 inverter” or “Dell C640 inverter” here and find one you need.
March 10th, 2007 at 9:28 am
Reger Wells,
I’m not sure if this is an inverter problem. When inverter goes bad you loose ALL backlight, not just 2/3 of it.
March 12th, 2007 at 12:58 pm
Hi;
Your information of Screen inventer was a money savings for me. I fixed my dell inspiron 6000 screen with $40 instaed of
$500+ the Dell technicains were asking for.
Thank you very much;
March 12th, 2007 at 8:10 pm
Hi,
I was able to take apart my Inspiron 8500 laptop screen because of your website…Thanks. My problem it seems is not fixed…Magnets where placed on top of my screen and since then the screen is black. I have about 1/16 inch of windows at the bottom of the screen but nothing else…I bought a used lcd and inverter hoping that this would solve the problem but it did not….I am now thinking it might be the back light…what do you think….??? when I hook my laptop into a regular monitor, I can see my desktop so I know that my hard drive has not been effected….Please advise if you can…thanks for such a wonderful website!!!!
Jan
March 13th, 2007 at 5:02 pm
[...] I think you have a failed screen inverter. The screen inverter works as a power supply for the LCD backlight lamp, it converts low voltage DC power into high voltage AC. When inverter goes bad, it starts acting up exactly as you described. [...]
March 15th, 2007 at 4:14 am
regarding #40. You were right. The inverter did not fix it. Do you think that the ccfl is just dim? Or the entire lcd panel? I hooked up an external monitor and that seemed to work as expected.
March 15th, 2007 at 6:12 pm
Where do you buy an inverter? I have an HP L2005CU with a failing inverter. I’m very sure it’s the inverter because it works perfectly with an external monitor and the inverter area of the screen buzzes just before the backlight shuts off. I’ve opened it up and found the part number, but HP doesn’t sell it in their parts store. Other than some long-since-passed eBay auctions, I can’t find it for sale anyplace.
March 16th, 2007 at 6:34 am
For Jeff;
I found the inverter for Dell 600 from ebay and it worked fine. I got a new screen inverter and not a used one.
Hope this helps.
Deepika
March 16th, 2007 at 7:29 am
I have a HP Pavilion ZT3120EA and it recently took a fall… The screen is dim and when i tap the button to turn the light off, it makes a buzz sound, but i don’t think that it comes from the inverter, and the light from the mouse pad goes off to…
Everithing else is fine and was fine before the fall…
Do you think it’s the inverter?
Thanks in advance!
March 19th, 2007 at 12:09 am
Thank you in advance for all the time and effort you have put into this website.
My problems sound very similar to posts 8 and 43. But before I go and buy an inverter, I was hoping you could give me some specific insight.
The LCD monitor went out as I was in the middle of typing an email. After this happened, I could not see the screen (not even a faint image), however the computer was still running (as the audio still worked). I adjusted the angle of the screen-open to close-and noticed some flickering, but the screen did not come back, nor was I able to see a faint image of the desktop. I manually shut down the computer and restarted it after 5 minutes. The laptop started up normally. After about 20 minutes the sceen went out again. I repeated this process and the time to blackout was even shorter now.
The power cord connection (in the laptop) has recently become sensitive (and loose). This would cause the connection to break frequently and the laptop to switch to battery power. In the process, the screen would flicker as the transfer of power was made. Sometimes, this would happen multiple times consecutively, and consequently, the screen would flicker multiple times.
I don’t know if this has “abused” the inverter and it gave out or not even related, but it is the only problem I have had with the laptop till now.
After I found these postings, I took off the screen faceplate, unplugged the right side of the converter (the left side was tight and I didn’t feel like breaking it just yet), cleaned the area, tried to adjust/settle the video cable and inverter better. Unfortunately, that didn’t fix the problem.
The main reason I am posting is this: I plugged the laptop into an external monitor and booted it up. I wasn’t able to switch the video to the external monitor until the second start-up (in which case, the external monitor was the screen the laptop started running on). The moment I touched the keyboard on the laptop, the external monitor went black (as if I had disconnected it), although the laptop was still powered up. This also seemed to be the case when using the laptop’s lcd monitor (it would go black as I touched the keyboard).
I will defer to you, but would the external monitor “go black” if it was an inverter problem. That is, is the inverted localized only to the laptop and would it affect an external video feed?
I know this is a rather long post, but I wanted to be detailed. Thank you again for your response.
March 19th, 2007 at 12:50 pm
I have a Compaq Presario 2100. The screen dims if I pull the screen toward me more than about 45 degrees. Almost as if it hits a switch or bad connection that occurs as the angle decreases. As long as I leave it at a wide angle, the screen seems to be ok. I can live with this but am concerned that something is about to really go wrong. Suggestions?
March 19th, 2007 at 9:41 pm
Ryan L.,
A failed inverter shouldn’t affect the external video output at all. I think you have a different problem.
The external / internal video goes black when you touch the keyboard so it’s possible that you have something loose (maybe video cable or video card) under the keyboard. Maybe some kind of gounding issue. It’s hard to guess until all connections are checked and reseated.
March 19th, 2007 at 9:42 pm
Jim,
maybe the video cable is loose and has to be reseated?
March 20th, 2007 at 5:06 pm
cj2600,
Thanks for the help. First time openning up a laptop–lot different from a desktop.
Anyway, for those who have a similar problem (now or in the future) it appears that the video cable from the screen managed to get loose from the motherboard.
Thanks again.
March 21st, 2007 at 6:22 am
Ok I remove the inverter from the laptop, now where I get the replacement is quanta display is a 15.4 wxga I call dell they dont sell the part separate, what I can do? anybody have any advice where I can get it
March 21st, 2007 at 1:52 pm
Hi:
My NEC Rugged PC (FC-11) screen goes White when it is fully opened (over 45 degrees). However, when I close it to less then 45 degrees, the screen comes back up. How can I fix this?
March 22nd, 2007 at 3:39 pm
I have a monitor problem with a Compaq Presario R-4000 with a 15.4 screen I need to diagnose. Any help will be appreciated. My screen is black - cannot see any picture, but works perfectly with external monitor. I tried a new inverter, but it did nothing. Anyone have suggestions - PLEASE !
Thanks,
Howard Lewis
March 22nd, 2007 at 5:23 pm
Jorge Trevino,
Try here. Enter “Laptop model inverter” and see what search brings to you.
March 22nd, 2007 at 6:21 pm
Ram Mohan,
the laptop screen might turn completely white (on some models) if you unplug the video cable from the LCD. It is possible that in your case the video cable is loose and needs to be reseated. Unfortunately it’s necessary to open up the display assembly, get under the screen and reseat the video cable.
March 23rd, 2007 at 7:50 am
I have installed a NEW inverter - which did not help. I’m beginning to think it may be the back light. I can’t see any picture at all except on an external monitor. Any one agree OR disagree ???
I could use some help diagnosing this.
Thanks
March 23rd, 2007 at 8:36 am
i have the solution to all the person who cannot find the inverter for the quanta display lk01 of 15.4 wxga 1V11145/T,
http://www.impactcomputers.com/iv11145-t-.html I HOPE THIS WORKS FOR YOU
March 26th, 2007 at 1:15 am
My laptop is not showing anything on the LCD, its black but it can turn on when i switch it on. Pls help me
March 26th, 2007 at 5:39 am
58Howard Lewis Says:
March 23rd, 2007 at 7:50 am
I have installed a NEW inverter - which did not help. I’m beginning to think it may be the back light. I can’t see any picture at all except on an external monitor. Any one agree OR disagree ???
I could use some help diagnosing this.
Thanks
Hi, I tried two used inverters in my IBM T21 , I see the screen very very vague so I also think it is the backlight itself, does anyone have a solution?
TX, Joe
March 29th, 2007 at 7:00 pm
My problem is a little different from all of these, as my screen does not go out completely, but I still have problems with it. The color on my screen is not as bright as it once was, and fluctuates between being brighter and dimmer. I can deal with that, as it stil works, but not the colors on my screen are all inverteted! As in, black is white, orange is blue… it’s driving me crazy! Any suggestions about where to look to fix it, or just what on earth is wrong with it?
Thanks!
March 29th, 2007 at 8:32 pm
Howard Lewis,
When you have a bad backlight lamp, you still should see a very faint image on the laptop screen. You mentioned that there is no picture at all, so I don’t think this is a bad backlight lamp.
You might have:
1. Bad video cable (likely)
2. Bad LCD screen (likely)
3. Bad graphics card (not likely because the external video works).
March 29th, 2007 at 8:41 pm
Marianne,
colors on the scree are all inverted? I’ve seen this problem a few times before, most likely it’s a bad screen.
March 30th, 2007 at 4:02 pm
There is another possibility if you can see the screen very dimly but no backlight. On my t20 I discovered it wasn’t the light nor was it the screen. It was the little button the screen pushes down when it is closed. (It’s up on the right hand side just below the battery light.) This turns off the backlight. You might try using a needle nose tweezer to lift that button. If that turns the light on you’ve found your problem. If you take off the keyboard bezel you’ll find that the spring that is supposed to lift the button is bent too far down to do its job. You need to either replace the bezel with one that has a tight spring, or do a little constructive bending to get the spring to push the button up enough to break the contact so the light will come on. I discovered this after replacing two inverters and a screen. It turns out they’re all good.
March 31st, 2007 at 11:41 am
I have a gateway m250 and the backlight has been going off and on for sometime now and now it never comes on. i can faintly see the picture on the screen…i was wondering if this could be the inverter? Also I was wondering if u have any how to on where the inverter is in the gateway m250?
Thanks
Erin
April 1st, 2007 at 12:16 am
Hi,
I have a ROCK laptop- Quadra XS. I removed the inverter as per your suggession. I could not find any code at the back. There are no numbers over there. Ain’t these inverters universal? Where do I get the inverter for this uncommon laptop?
Please offer help if you know any websites, where I could get it.
Thanks
Bye.
Abhijit
April 2nd, 2007 at 1:23 pm
My C640 battery is not charging my AC cable is working what can I do to tell if I need a new battery
April 2nd, 2007 at 8:01 pm
calvin mcbell,
You are absolutely right. Before replacing the inverter board, I would check this little button (lid close switch) and make sure it’s not stuck inside. When the lid close switch gets stuck inside (maybe because it’s dirty), it cuts off power from the inverter board and it looks like you have a faulty screen inverter. The image is still on the screen, but it’s very very dim. Try tapping on the switch, make sure it moves freely. It might help fixing the backlight problem without replacing the inverter board.
April 2nd, 2007 at 8:26 pm
Erin,
yep, it could be just a bad inverter board. I don’t have any instructions for Gateway laptops, but most likely the inverter board is located under the LCD mask as shown in the article.
April 5th, 2007 at 1:21 pm
I have a Gateway 400VTX. I am following the instructions above to try to replace my inverter. I got the screen off and found (I believe) the inverter with number RT2X313. However, this number does not exist anywhere on google. Is there a way to find out if there are compatible inverters? And any idea where to get them?
Thanks.
April 5th, 2007 at 6:26 pm
I have a wierd problem where the screen looks extremely light and mouse movements look like that they have a ghosting trail. The backlight is definitely working, but..?
April 5th, 2007 at 11:26 pm
Thanks for your website, it might have saved me the money for buying a new laptop.
Just to share the experience, mine is a Compaq HP NX5000. In less than a year after I bought it, the backlight was out, HP replaced it with a new display under warranty. Now 9 months later the backlight flickers or goes out altogether (if the screen is wide opened, the flicker will stop and the screen stays on). I followed your instructions and opened the display, just pressed hard on the connectors on both ends of the inverter, turned the laptop back on, it has now been working for a couple of hours since then (the trick seems to have worked, as the flicker usually came soon after the laptop is turned on). Now if the problem recur I will try cleaning or reseating the connectors first, before replacing the inverter.
Just some observations to share, if one can see faint content in the dimmed screen, most likely it is the inverter. If this situation is added with flickers which may come and go with the screen opened to an angle, it may be loose a connector at the inverter, most likely the one from the video card (opening and shutting the screen could have loosen it). If the screen stays half dim or with red colour, it may be the backlight problem (due for replacement). If there is not even faint content in the dimmed screen (screen totally black), but you can see the picture with an external monitor, then the cable from the video card may have become loose. If you cannot see anything on the external monitor, then the video card probably has a problem.
Thanks again for your website, at least now I know where the problem is and I most likely could fix it myself if it recurs.
Rgds Herman
April 6th, 2007 at 6:57 am
by own experience friend 71 the best what you can do to get the right part is dissambly the lcd and copy al the number in the lcd becareful dont touch the cooper color in the back of the lcd, and copy all the numbers you found in the back that sound more for me like video card try hook another monitor an see if make the same if is not access http://www.impactcomputers.com get the number and speak with the rep at the ext 4 is very good and he can give some good advices.
April 6th, 2007 at 2:27 pm
I have an HP dv1000. inverter board was bad but when I replaced it, it only worked with the battery, not when plugged in. got 2nd inverter board and replaced it today. it works with both battery or power cord BUT if laptop is powered up with the battery installed, the screen goes dim. Powered up with just the power cord, everything works fine, can run on AC or DC power. Just can’t have the battery installed when booting up. Is this an inverter problem, wiring problem, battery problem? How does one inverter board work with just a battery and the next one can’t have the battery installed? Weird. Any ideas are appreciated.
April 6th, 2007 at 8:18 pm
I had an issue that seemed like a classic inverter problem. The screen was still visible, just without a backlight, it worked with an external monitor, and when I pressed the screen closed button, it would flicker on for sometimes 5 seconds and sometimes an hour. Also, the top of the laptop is cracked (not the screen, but the plastic casing) just from general use.
I found a new inverter on ebay and put it in and had no change. Then, a day later, the screen lit up brightly with an audible “pop” and went dark (no backlight but still a dim LCD image) and hasn’t come on since. My best guess is that there was a short somewhere in the backlight circuit that blew this inverter and might have blown the bulb too.
So, my questions to the group are: 1) Does my diagnosis seem correct? 2) How difficult would this be to track down and fix myself without breaking something else (like the LCD)? and 3) Would I be better off just ponying up the $400 for a new display, which I’m sure I could install myself, since the current casing is cracked and the repair might be that much anyway?
April 8th, 2007 at 9:51 pm
Rachel,
Search for “Gateway 400VTX inverter” here and you should be able to find it. I would recommend contacting the seller and ask him about any compatibility issues, just to make sure you are buying a correct one.
April 8th, 2007 at 11:07 pm
Jeff,
Yep, looks like a classic inverter problem. I think your diagnosis is (was) correct and I would replace the inverter board in this case too.
I’m not sure why the screen went dark. Did you use a correct inverter board?
You’ll have to find another inverter board or find a test backlight lamp.
April 9th, 2007 at 6:22 am
It would appear that my inverter went out last night but, now that I’ve already gone ahead and purchased a new one and disassembled my laptop, I wanted to post here and ask for a ’second opinion’.
Here’s the situation: I’ve got an HP Pavilion ze5300 series laptop. Last night, I was working on it doing some graphics work and the screen went dark. I could still see some of what was there, but it was extraordinarily dim (though, this morning, nothing is visible at all).
So, after some quick research via Google, I went on eBay and found what I thought I needed (a new inverter) and it should be shipping out tomorrow.
Am I correct in thinking that is that the correct repair … ? If it’s not, is the cold-cathode flourescent bulb something I can fix on my own, or would it be better just to order a new screen and lid for ~$200.00 … ?
Thanks for the assistance!
April 9th, 2007 at 6:30 pm
Jacin,
Most likely it’s just a bad inverter board and your diagnosis is correct.
If you can find a new screen and lid just for $200, I would go with that. Replacing the backlight lamp is not an easy repair.
April 13th, 2007 at 3:44 pm
I have a Dell Inspiron 8500 that I dropped
The upper half of the screen is fine! the lower half is lit, but is actually displaying the last line of the top half of the screen all the way to the bottom.
At first, I hooked up an external monitor and it was working full screen there, but eventually it turned blue, then green now won’t work at all.
Suggestions? Think it is the video card which i understand is part of the mother board, or think it is the screen and the video card?
I’ve been laid off work and need to find a solution fast and inexpensively of course!
thanks for any help you can be.
cjloveslife1960@yahoo.com
April 14th, 2007 at 7:36 am
Hey there. Thanks for enlightening us technically challenged folk.
I tried changing my inverter and it worked fine for 3 hours or so, then it just wnet black again. I can get it to work again briefly by pressing the screen cable down next to where the inverter is and opening and closing the screen. There’s a knack to it. But even that’s stopped working. What is wrong with the thing? I only need it to last me a few more months.
Is it the screen cable? Do I go find out how to change that now?
Thanks, Chaz.
April 16th, 2007 at 11:24 pm
CJ,
Look what I found for you. Here’s a guide for upgrading the video card on an Dell Inspiron 8500/8600 laptops. Looks like the video card is a discrete module in this laptop. You can follow the guide and try reseating the video card. It’s possible the video card was dislocated when you dropped the laptop and doesn’t make a good connection with the motherboard. Try reseating it and see if it helps.
April 17th, 2007 at 6:28 am
First of all, thanks for the previous help.
I got the inverter that I’d ordered, but despite assurances from the seller that it works on all HP and Compaq laptops with a 15 inch screen, it didn’t do anything to solve my problem. It also wasn’t the same model / part that I’d taken out, so I’m hoping THAT is what the issue was and ordered one that I’m absolutely certain is the same part number and everything.
I’ve powered up the screen with the old inverter, with the different inverter that was the wrong part number, and without any inverter at all and it’s all the same level of ‘dim’ … so, in that regard, I’m still hoping that’s the issue.
My question now is, if I get that new, correct inverter in there and that doesn’t solve the issue, what’s my next course of action … ?
April 19th, 2007 at 8:11 pm
Hi I have a T20 with no video at all..what can I do ..pls help me?
April 20th, 2007 at 8:31 am
Hi,
I replaced the inverter, but it didn’t resolve. Any other ideas?
Thanks,
Mitch
April 21st, 2007 at 6:49 am
Answer to 86 are u sure is the right inverter? try to gt the phone number from impact computers and select the option 2 the guy in that extension is excelent and he is going to tell you if u have the right inverter, make sure you have the lcd part # more if your laptop is dell is http://www.impactcomputers.com the price is alittle high but you receive the corect part if u can have the lcd disambly better.
April 21st, 2007 at 6:52 am
85 sell you laptop for parts replae the video card is a major fix becasue u must disamblie the lcd and the laptop too everything is the left top corner conect a couple wires to the but u need dissambly the lcd god luck if u want sell it mail me castgeor@msn.com
April 21st, 2007 at 6:58 am
84 those guys who sell at eb…y they dont care if you fix your laptop or not, if you want have good service go http://www.impactcomputers.com they are going o tell u the inverter you need and they can help u with the problem too, becareful the cheap no all the time is better, I can fix your laptop if u are close to kansas city MO my email is castgeor@msn.com
April 22nd, 2007 at 2:15 pm
Chaz,
Your laptop worked fine for 3 hours, right? I don’t think it would work for 3 hours with a bad cable. Maybe you got a bad inverter? Did you buy a used inverter? Can you ask the seller for a replacement and try it again?
April 22nd, 2007 at 9:49 pm
Jacin,
Even though the screen is dim, I assume you still can make out an image on it, correct?
1. Try reseating the video cable connector on the motherboard
2. Make sure the lid close switch isn’t stuck inside and moves freely. Try tapping on the lid close switch and see if the backlight flashes when you do that.
You can do 1 and 2 before you buy a new inverter.
If installing a correct inverter doesn’t solve the issue either, then one of the following parts is bad:
- backlight lamp inside the screen (more likely)
- video harness (not very common but possible)
- motherboard (less likely)
April 23rd, 2007 at 5:27 am
I have an M45 Toshiba. Is the wireless antenna just a pair of wires or is there something else at the end of the wires. I don’t want to take the unit apart to find out and I want to hook into the wireless pcb so I can use some sort of external antenna (parabolic).
Any suggestions are welcome.
April 23rd, 2007 at 11:31 am
Hi there, I got a laptop that works fine using the external VGA D-SUB, but when trying to use the laptop without the display is just black - nothing but blackness.
The strange thing is, I can actually change the brightness of the black…
Any ideas? Is this the inverter or you reckon it could be the LCD itself?
Appreciate any help guys!
Thanks
April 24th, 2007 at 6:25 pm
elkyn,
That’s a good question and I wish I know the answer.
When you start the laptop, do you see any activity at all or it’s completely dead? Check the memory module, try moving it from one slot to another. Test the laptop with an external monitor and see if you can get any external video. If the laptop works with an external monitor but you have NO video on the LCD (not even a faint image), try replacing the video cable. The video cable is not expensive but might fix your problem. You can find it for $15-20 on eBay, make sure you are buying a correct one. Check the FRU part number on your cable and buy the same.
April 24th, 2007 at 10:02 pm
Allan Johnston,
The wireless antenna is not just a pair of wires. There are square plates attached at the end (I believe it’s for better signal reception). Take a look at the step 8 of this Satellite M45 teardown guide. Do you see two yellow squares on the top of the cover? That’s what I’m talking about.
I’m not sure how you can connect an external antenna to the internal wires. Please let me know if you find the solution.
April 24th, 2007 at 10:23 pm
Chris,
If you can change the brightness of the black then I assume it’s not an inverter problem.
If I understand right, you have the following symptoms.
1. The screen is blank but it’s not completely dark, you still can adjust the brightness of the backlight (inverter and backlight lamp are OK).
2. There is NO video on the laptop LCD, not even a faint image.
3. The laptop still works with an external monitor (probably the motherboard is OK).
Is it close enough? If yes, then the LCD doesn’t get data from the video card.
First, I would try reseating the video cable on both ends - on the motherboard and on the LCD screen too. It might be just a lose connection. If it doesn’t help, I would probably replace the video cable, it’s the less expensive part. If replacing the video cable doesn’t help either, you have either a bad LCD or a faulty video card (probably integrated into the system board). In this case you’ll have to guess witch one is bad.
Ideally, you just connect a test LCD and this test helps a lot. Unfortunately not everybody has a spare LCD at home.
May 4th, 2007 at 11:20 pm
@cj2600
Hi thanks for the reply; I was getting itchy feet and decided to go the whole distance with the “Blackness” on LCD issue…
I re-sat all connectors to the LCD and Mobo, still nothing; the cable was fine so I forked out £87 for a new compatible LCD - 5 mins of fiddling later we had lift off.
First time I’ve come across this particular issue, the fact all the backlights were in full swing swayed me to the LCD.
Can’t complain - got a new laptop for £87!
May 7th, 2007 at 7:00 pm
another dark screen question….
I have a 3 yr old Toshiba Satellite Model A20-S207.
It’s been a great laptop until last week then the screen started flickering and finally went really dark and dim. With some research on the web, I thought it was the FL inverter. I found a new inverter, replaced it & the screen is still dark.
Could it be the bulb? If so, how & where do I find the bad bulb? Is it a replaceable item?
Thanks!
May 7th, 2007 at 10:12 pm
Rory,
Yes, it could the the bulb. Unfortunately there is no simple answer because you might have a bad bulb, defective video cable or faulty motherboard. The only way to find out is installing a test screen or connecting a known good backlight bulb. For cases like this I always keep 2-3 different backlight bulbs I removed from broken screens, it makes my troubleshooting process much easier.
Is it possible to replace the backlight bulb? Yes it is but I never done it myself. The backlight bulb is buried deep inside the screen and replacing it is not an easy job. Here’s an example of replacing the backlight bulb on an IBM laptop.
BTW, check the lid close switch - small button located close to the hinge. Make sure the switch is not stuck inside. If the switch gets stuck inside the case, it cuts off power going to the backlight bulb and it stops working.
May 8th, 2007 at 3:20 am
CJ,
Thanks for the info. Looks like a job for a professional. Unfortunately, I don’t have any test parts. I am thinking the best, easiest & most practical fix for me is a brand new LCD screen. I’ll keep the new inverter since the old inverter is 3 yrs old & used approx 4 hrs a day average.
How easy is it to replace the keyboard? The most used letters have worn - no big deal but if I am going to replace the LCD I might as well replace the keyboard also. But, I don’t want to open a pandoras box and because of my inability, cause other problems. What’s your opinion?
Thanks again for your speedy reply!
May 8th, 2007 at 8:13 pm
Rory,
You don’t have to open Pandora’s box, here are instructions. Take a look at this Satellite A20 disassembly guide. Steps 7-11 here show how to remove the keyboard and steps 20-25 show how to remove the LCD screen.
If you feel uncomfortable opening up the laptop, do not do that. Take it to a repair shop instead.
May 9th, 2007 at 6:30 am
hi, i have a T41 EXACTLY the same as your website, but the thing is i’m not too sure is it my screen inverter that is spoiled or what. Cause when ever i plug in my battery, my backlight just goes off, but rather i’m in AC MODE. So i’m not too sure is it my screen inverter spoiled or? pls address my problem thanks!
May 17th, 2007 at 5:34 am
My laptop screen flicks when I pull the lit towards me… It only happens in some angles… It also happens when I turn it on after moving it around. Do you think it may be a lossen cable or something more complex? Is it is a lossen cable, wich cable is more likely to be?
Thanks in advance.
May 18th, 2007 at 5:09 am
Hi,
My presario 900 laptop screen goes dim after a few minutes once it boots up. When it happens desktop can still be faintly seen thru the dark screen. On occssion the screen has gone dim after a couple of hours, happens with the slightest movement to adjust the screen up or down. Initial repairer queries have said I needed new backlight &/or inverter. & quoted $200+ to repair. It works well with an external monitor. Any ideas/advice on a possible fix?
Many thanks!
Ilus
May 20th, 2007 at 2:22 am
llus,
You mentioned that the screen goes dim with the slightest movement. I think it might indicate some kind of connection issue, maybe the inverter cable is not making a good connection with the inverter board. In this case reseating the cable on the inverter board might fix the issue. If reconnecting the cable doesn’t help, I would try replacing the inverter board. You can find a new LCD inverter board on eBay for $30-40.
May 21st, 2007 at 1:35 pm
I have a HP ze5300 with this problem I am attempting to fix. The hardest part so far is removing the screws.
(This is the most common stumbling block in most other types of repairs I’ve encountered.)
I have three of the six out so far. The other three (along the top) I can’t get a grip on with my phllips. I have the screen on the table (keyboard up) as it is easier to remove screws with the screwdriver in the vertical position for better control. I have my notebook on a flat, stable surface and with ample lighting for the dark-color laptop.
I want to avoid stripping out the screws or getting metal bits on my screen. It’s possible they have been affected the most by weather (haat and cold) and so need something to help them out.
Any suggestions? Is there a lubricant that can be safely applied to a notebook screw?
May 25th, 2007 at 7:08 am
I’ve got a problem with a IBM A30p.
Symptoms are as described:
When booting, the IBM-Splash appears (but quite dim), after that everything is dark. Under some light-conditions ic can see the win2k bootsplash and so on.
VGA-Connector is ok.
Replacing the inverter results the same.
Any hints for fixing it???
Thomas Gregor
May 25th, 2007 at 9:35 am
Turn off power mgt in bios, or make sure screen brightness on max in battery mode.
May 28th, 2007 at 10:29 pm
Thomas Gregor,
As Mike suggested check the BIOS power settings.
Check the lid close switch button. This button cuts off power from the inverter board (and backlight lamp) when the display is closed. Make sure the lid close button is not stuck inside the laptop case. Sometimes the lid close button might get stuck inside the case and the inverter board will not get any power, as a result the LCD screen has no backlight.
If a known good inverter board doesn’t help and there is nothing wrong with the lid close switch, you might have a problem with the backlight lamp, motherboard or video cable. It’s hard to say which part is failing, probably you have a bad backlight lamp but this is only a guess.
June 5th, 2007 at 12:29 pm
hi…i have a lcd dell monitor screen not laptop…ok i turn it on..then it lights normally for a few seconds…then goes dim….i can see stuff working in the background..but its so dim…if u can help..plz email me at aly@amdarwish.com and thank u for ure time…by the way i triend connecting it to different computers…but still got the same symptom……ALI
June 9th, 2007 at 8:13 am
my dell laptop lcd is black so send me pannel digram
THIS ALL WORDS IN THE PANNEL
T51.008.c.00
007054-35
AMBIT REV:3
CK99
9952
June 11th, 2007 at 10:34 am
have a compaq v2000 with a screen which does not light up nor does it show any dim images on it at any point whatsoever. it remains completely and totally black throughout the entire bootup process up to and following, windows xp desktop.
connecting to an external monitor shows the laptop is working.
i have ensured that the video cable into the motherboard is plugged in securely, and that the connectors in and out of the inverter are snug.
inverter or backlight or …?
any ideas is greatly appreciated. thx,
June 12th, 2007 at 12:40 pm
actually, i think it might be the motherboard itself. i googled and someone had some (what) success with setting the video driver to “single monitor.”
i fiddled with numerous combinations with the video driver and all of a sudden, a vibrant image came back on the screen!
upon turning off the laptop and coming back to it, the screen was blank and black again. i reloaded the driver but only had an image on the screen one more time.
so, perhaps a faulty video circuit on the presario v2000 motherboard. i googled v2000 and other folks weren’t having a happy experience with this motherboard either.
June 15th, 2007 at 10:19 pm
Harreson,
This is not a problem with the inverter board or the backlight lamp because when either of these parts fails you still should be able to make out a very faint image on the scree.
Not sure about that. In the comment 112 you mentioned that the laptop works fine with the external monitor and it means that most likely the motherboard/video card operates properly. Yes, it’s possible that you have a faulty motherboard, but it also could be a faulty video cable or even bad LCD screen. It’s hart to tell that is wrong until you test the laptop with a another LCD screen.
June 17th, 2007 at 1:57 pm
Couple of weeks ago I posted “My laptop screen flicks when I pull the lit towards me… It only happens in some angles… It also happens when I turn it on after moving it around.”
Finaly I had the time to open the screen and reaset the cables. Everything is working fine so far, problem solved. Thanks…
June 19th, 2007 at 2:20 pm
how do you know if the problem is with the inverter or with the actual light? Is there some way to tell the difference?
June 19th, 2007 at 7:55 pm
i really appreciated the forum!
i myself refer it sometimes to customers that call me from somewhere out of San Diego area.
should anyone here need computer repair or laptop repair in San Diego, or even from somewhere else i’ll be glad to help.
i charge $79 labor fee to change dc jacks and you guys can find me at http://www.geekavailable.com or even 619-794.4774
have a great day!
regards
rod
http://www.geekavailable.com
rod@geekavailable.com
619-794.4774
June 22nd, 2007 at 10:08 am
Great information on your site. I have one question, I took my Dell C610 14.1″ display apart to remove and replace the inverter. I took the old inverter out and I cannot find a part number or anything. How do I find the part number so that I can replace the inverter with a compatible one? I bought an inverter off of eBay and it says it’s for a Dell C610 and it has a part number that starts with LXN. It does not fit the little metal strip that my old one was screwed into. The “groove” on the metal strip does not fit with the “notch” on the inverter.
June 22nd, 2007 at 12:22 pm
I also have T41 display problem. the laptop boots up and function ok. It’s just when I move the laptop, or any type of vibration of the unit. The screen will lock up. I can’t move the mouse or anything like that. I can still hear the harddrive and LEDs still respond. So could this be a inverter problem or something else? Any comments appreciated, I am indeed to fix my laptop, finals are near.
thanks
June 25th, 2007 at 6:25 am
Hi,
after I accidentally dropped my T41 on the right-back corner (the casing is slightly cracked around the external monitor outlet), I now have this dim screen as described above. Before I try the above suggested fix, could it perhaps also be that the backlight bulb (CCFL tube) itself is broken? What if?
Thanks,
Maarten
June 28th, 2007 at 5:00 pm
Hi I have a IBM T40 with a problem which I am not sure what to think about or how to go about isolating. But the thing is the computer will boot fine, no dim sscreen or anything but after a few minutes it freezes, that is to say the mouse button will NOT move and no keyboard commands do anything either. Image on screen is fine but will flicker if I turn the laptop or move it or it goes totally black and if I move it again it may show an image again but everything frozen, this also may happen if I move the screen as if to close it. Sometimes I get a hardcrash and a blue screen of death and it says the problem was caused by Ati2Dvag. If I leave the computer and turn it on later it will again boot until the same dance begins. Any ideas ?
June 29th, 2007 at 1:14 pm
Have a panasonic toughbook cf-73 can barely see the bios, how to change invertor or backlight or is there a stuck switch…
July 2nd, 2007 at 10:31 am
It sounds like you have a drive conflict. You should remove the current video driver and reinstall the most recent driver from IBM. You should also adjust your refresh rates to what works. Default is usually 60hz. I would also verify the problem by using F8 and go to VGA mode and see how the PC acts. If it is stable, Update driver. BSOD?? You have a hardware driver issue and need to see what you added that may cause this??
July 3rd, 2007 at 5:44 pm
My back light does not stay on, but it appears for a second after pushing the button that turns the light off/on. The button is not stuck. I just push and release, and the light is on for a second. I can do that repeatedly. Does this mean there’s a connection problem or I need a new FL inverter? I have a Compaq Presario v2000, 2 years old. Any advice would be great! Thanks.
July 3rd, 2007 at 11:38 pm
Michelle,
I think you should try replacing the inverter board.
July 6th, 2007 at 6:49 pm
Great site!
A few weeks ago some beer was spilled into my Gateway MP8708. I’ve since replaced the motherboard with great results except for the display being dim - an image is visible, but only with a flashlight. I went on to replace the inverter #AS023217020 with no improvement. Rather than fuss with soldering new backlights, I swapped out the 17″ LCD display (Samsung #LTN170×2-L02) for a new one - result was same dim LCD image.
Should I be double- and triple-checking the wire connections for a proper seat, or am I missing something more fundamental? Perhaps the switch that turns off the backlight when the lid is closed? The image is there, just can’t get it to light up… Please help!!
Many Thanks!
July 8th, 2007 at 7:22 pm
Ostap,
You’ve replaced almost everything connected to the backlight, except the video cable. At this point you can only guess what is wrong.
Did you spill beer on the screen or it didn’t touch the screen at all? Did you purchase the motherboard from a reliable source?
July 9th, 2007 at 5:09 am
The beer was spilled only over the keyboard - missing the screen. I bought the motherboard on eBay - it appeared to have been pulled from another machine.
Your hunch is that the video cable is the last link that may be faulty?
Many Thanks!
July 10th, 2007 at 12:48 am
I have a hp omnibook XT 6200 my laptop last night ( black screen) but Display see windows logo and etc. My problem is inverter or Backlignt tube? A lıttle know english Excuss me.. Thanks….
July 10th, 2007 at 9:00 am
Ok. I found the matching inverter for my laptop LCD. I replaced the inverter and I get the same results. If I stare hard enough, I can see the images on the screen so it sounds like the symptoms mentioned on this site for a bad inverter. Might it be a backlight problem? Any suggestions?
By the way, regardless of the results, your site was very helpful in replacing the inverter. Thanks!
July 11th, 2007 at 7:37 pm
Ostap,
If the beer was spilled only over the keyboard and it didn’t go inside the LCD screen, then most likely the old inverter/backlight lamp/LCD screen weren’t damaged and they are good. I don’t think that internal display parts can by damaged because of the beer spill on the keyboard. Doubt it.
You said that after the motherboard replacement the image on the screen is visible. Do yo get the same result (visible image without backlight) with both old and new LCD/inverter board? Did you try different combinations as old inverter/new screen, new inverter/old screen, new inverter/new screen, etc…? If you tried it but still cannot light up the screen, then most likely the motherboard is not functioning properly or the video cable has been damaged and has to be replaced. Sorry, I cannot narrow down the problem. In this case you’ll have to guess.
July 11th, 2007 at 8:41 pm
telsiz09,
Make sure the lid close switch (if you have any) is clean and is not stuck inside the laptop case. Clean it up and make sure it moves freely.
If you still can see a faint image on the screen and cleaning the lid close switch doesn’t help, then next step would be replacing the inverter board. I cannot tell you if this is the backlight tube or the inverter board problem, you’ll have to guess. I would go with the inverter board first.
July 11th, 2007 at 8:55 pm
Khahn,
In most cases, when a laptop screen looses backlight but you still can make out a dim image on the screen, your problem is a faulty inverter board. From my experience, this is correct for most cases but not all of them.
If you have replaced the inverter board but still experience the same issue, there could be many different reasons.
It can be related to the lid close switch, defective video cable, bad motherboard, faulty backlight lamp or not properly working inverter board.
Unfortunately, there is no way to find out what is wrong until you test the laptop with a known good backlight lamp and inverter board. No one can tell.
You’ll have to test the laptop with good parts.
July 13th, 2007 at 8:48 am
Hello,
I orginally posted this under a different article and thought this one to be more appropriate for my problem.
One of my users has an Inspiron 6000 that is used mainly with an external monitor. Recently she came to me because the screen on the laptop had this pink hue to it, but the display on the external monitor was fine.
I started to research this and found that bad CCFL’s will cause this. However, later the same day it seems the CCFL went out all together because the screen on the laptop is very dim but you can still make out icons and wallpaper. However the external monitor display is still fine. There is no lid switch that I can see so I’m assuming it’s internal and moving the LCD display and closing/reopening does not change anything.
After reading through all the posts here I guess my question is, even though it had the pink hue which points to a CCFL issue, since it now is very dim do you think it is a CCFL issue or an inverter issue?
July 13th, 2007 at 9:09 am
Joaquin,
It is hard to guess without testing the laptop with a known good backlight lamp but I would assume that this is a backlight related problem. Is it possible that both CCFL and inverter are failed at the same time? Yes it’s possible but unlikely. You see, the laptop already had bad backlight lamp and it’s possible that the lamp just died on you. Just explain it to your customer and I think she will understand.
Anyways, Inspiron 6000 inverters are not expensive and you can find a new one for about $25-30 here.
July 13th, 2007 at 9:37 am
Hi again,
So you’re thinking because it was pink before it went dim that it’s a CCFL issue instead of an inverter? Basically the bulb went pink before it failed completely?
July 13th, 2007 at 1:17 pm
Joaquin,
That’s what I think but I can be wrong. It’s impossible to troubleshoot a laptop over the internet and all I can give to you is only my guess.
From my experience, a pink hue indicates a problem with the backlight lamp, it’s failing. Here’s an example of a failing backlight lamp.
Did you try to disassemble the laptop before the backlight went off? Did you try reseating cables inside the display assembly? If yes, then it is possible that you forgot to connect one of the cables.
July 16th, 2007 at 6:37 am
Hi CJ2600,
No I have not been inside the machine yet. The user came to me with the pink screen and I started researching and then an hour later they came back to my office saying the screen was black which we later determined was actually just really dim.
My boss had me research what it would take to repair it which is what led me to your site. To tell you the truth I was hoping it was an inverter because it seems those are easier to replace unlike a CCFL. I researched replacing CCFL’s and it requires going deep into the screen assembly and desoldering and resoldering the CCFL.
I found this demonstration of replacing the CCFL on a Inspiron 8000 (mine is a 6000):
http://www.lcdpart.com/images/TX41D56VC1CAA.pdf
Do you think this procedure is doable or am I just intimidated because it requires soldering? Or is it more headache than it’s worth and should I just try to find a replacement screen? Is replacing the whole screen going to fix my problem and is it easier than changing out the CCFL?
July 19th, 2007 at 7:44 pm
I really appreciate the info on your site!! I just replaced the Inverter in a Dell. With both the old and the new inverter the video is fine for awhile, then screen goes dim. External monitor video is fine. Even if I bought a defective inverter I don’t think the problem would be identical. The Dell was dropped off a bed before this problem started. Could it be the backlight itself?
Thanks
Lee Johnson
July 20th, 2007 at 7:07 pm
Joaquin,
Replacing the backlight lamp is not an easy task, I have never tried it myself. I would probably try it on my own laptop but if you are doing it for your customer it’s a different story. What if you damage the screen? What if you break the CCFL tube? Do you know what is going to happen? Yep, they will blame you. And this job will turn into a nightmare. If you can get out by replacing the screen, just replace the screen. If you search here for “Inspiron 6000 screen”. You can find many offers, you can buy this screen for about $200. It is MUCH easier to replace the whole screen then changing the CCFL lamp.
Thanks for the link by the way.
July 21st, 2007 at 2:12 pm
Lee Johnson,
If a known good inverter doesn’t fix the problem then probably you have a faulty backlight lamp. Unfortunately the only way to find out is testing the laptop with a good backlight lamp.
Make sure the video cable is seated properly on both ends and makes a good contact with the motherboard/video card and the LCD screen. If this model has a discrete video card, make sure the video card itself is making a good contact with the motherboard.
July 22nd, 2007 at 1:33 am
I made a walkthru on replacing inverter on a Dell Inspiron 8600 while i was doing it. hope it helps people.
:kk
July 22nd, 2007 at 1:33 am
oops, forgot the link…
http://www.hk3d.com/temp/InverterReplacement.pdf
July 22nd, 2007 at 1:39 am
My notebook screen flashes when I first turn it on, but then goes black. I do see that there are images on the screen, and have deduced to either the lamp or the inverter needs replacing. Also when turning off, it flashes again, but only for a second. How would you be able to tell if its the INVERTER, or the CCFL?
Poor college student so as much research is being taken, haha! Either try a $8 CCFL, or go for the $60 inverter! I’m sure you understand! Advice would be very well appreciated!
July 25th, 2007 at 9:17 am
I need screen inverter for my laptop part # is P/N:412802800001
Please help me
July 25th, 2007 at 9:53 am
re: compaq v2000 no image whatsoever - comments 112/113
your suggestions in comment 114 have proven to be right on. i was lucky to get my hands on a hp dv1000 screen. i put the dv1000 screen in the compaq v2000 and a nice clear image came up!
i took both screens apart and swapped the video cable (even though they don’t quite the same and the cable routing is not the same) and the dv1000 cable worked with the v2000 screen and v2000 inverter. the dv1000 screen stopped working with the v2000 cable. –> need new working v2000 lcd cable.
thx for your suggestions! they/you were very helpful! keep up the great work!
July 26th, 2007 at 5:38 am
I have a gently used older laptop (Compaq Presario 1277) which had been working fine and the screen went suddenly black. If I hook the computer to an external monitor, it works fine. Is it worth
repairing since the computer is >7 years old and not nearly as powerful as a newer one? If it’s just the inverter, can I replace it myself?
August 6th, 2007 at 3:30 pm
My IBM T42 (14.1″) has following display problem: when starting Windows or getting back from sleep/suspend (turn the LCD on), the color in the both sides of the LCD are pink/hue tone while the color in the center of the LCD is normal. Then it brighter to normal after a few seconds (say 30 sec). The same thing happen when I lower the LCD brightness (lower than 4/8). It is working fine with external LCD monitor. Is this an inverter issue? Or the back-light problem?
Thank you,
Ken
August 12th, 2007 at 12:03 am
I have a Fujitsu Siemens AMILO pro v2030 laptop ,Now recently one day screen became very very dim (not visible in darkness).Please suggest problem may be with backlight/inverter?And how to open screen.We have no technical person in nearby region who can handle this problem.
August 13th, 2007 at 10:14 pm
R.KUMAR,
My first guess would be the inverter board. Inverters fail more often than backlight lamps.
Unfortunately, I cannot guide you through the disassembly process because I’ve never worked with Fujutsu laptops.
Take a look at disassembly guides for Toshiba laptops, they could be similar.
August 16th, 2007 at 11:55 pm
I have hp dv1000 laptop. It has dim image which i can see in reflection of light and window i can see as well. when i check the invertor, small bulb on ivertor turns on with blue light.
Can any one suggest me that either this is problem of ccfl tube or invertor or mother board or any other fault.
second, which type or size of ccfl is required for this laptop i.e hp dv1000.
August 18th, 2007 at 6:56 am
Oy, my girlfriend had this “dim immage” problem with her Dell Inspiron 8600. The repair looked simple, so I ordered the part. Simply replacing the LCD inverter didn’t work though, so what else could be wrong with it? Should I remove the screen completely and look at the bulb itself? Should I be checking connections or something? Please help… thanks…
-Caleb
August 18th, 2007 at 9:36 am
Hey again, sorry about the double post, just read through all of the previous comments. I re-checked all of the connections and the lid-button-thingy and it’s all fine. The screen flickers red at the very start and then goes dim, and since I replaced the inverter (twice!) I guess that means the problem is in the light itself, but you guys don’t seem to reccomend trying to replace it. Still, what if the Dell guys just want to replace the whole screen? If they’re going to replace it anyway then who cares if I might damage it attempting to replace the backlight lamp? Or is there some other expensive thing that I’d need to watch out for? -Not intimidated by soldering.
Thanks for all the help this site has given, it is very much appreciated!
August 18th, 2007 at 10:13 pm
BHAGWAN DAS,
1. bad connection between the cable and the inverter board. Try reconnecting the cable
2. bad inverter
3. dead backlight lamp (CCFL tube)
August 18th, 2007 at 10:26 pm
caleb durward,
The screen has a reddish hue on start up or it’s solid red color? When the screen has a reddish hue, it might indicate a problem with the backlight lamp. Here’s a example of replacing the backlight lamp on an IBM laptop. It’s possible but not easy.
I think replacing the laptop screen through Dell might cost you a fortune. You can find a used screen here for $100.
August 20th, 2007 at 12:21 pm
THanks…I had a ze4900 which had a lcd flicker problem…..just disassembling and reseating fixed the issue.
The detailed instructions and photos here were a great help in giving me an idea of how to do this.
Thanks a lot!
August 25th, 2007 at 5:43 am
Thank you for your site. I have found here much useful information.
Good site !
August 26th, 2007 at 4:14 am
I have a compaq armada e500 with a defective inverter, 15,1″ I also have al working compaq armada m700 14,1″ screen witch is compatible they tell me
Can I use that inverter for the defective screen ?
2de question I have removed al the screws of the 15,1 screen (4 screws) 2 at the lock 2 at the bottom corners but I can’t remove the front.
What I’m I doing wrong ?
August 29th, 2007 at 1:46 am
August 29th, 2007 at 7:02 pm
I have a 4150 Dell Inspiron with a bad inverter, part # IV11153T/ I2. I purchased an inverter with a completely different part number that an ebay seller listed as compatible with the Dell Inspiron 4150, #J07i037.05, and it appears to be working perfectly except that it has a few extra holes for screws. Should I be concerned about using a different inverter than the exact same as the old one????
September 1st, 2007 at 9:17 am
I have an HP Pavilion dv1000. I have a backlight problem like no other. I replaced the inverter… no dice, I replaced the entire screen/lamp…. nuthin. I even replaced the mother board. Still… all that happens is that when I power on the light comes on for a sec then goes black. It does the same when I switch to the external monitor (which I am using right now). I am now at a loss. Help me Obi Wan.
September 2nd, 2007 at 1:06 pm
It sounds like I have a similar issue to Bobby. I have an hp dv1207. My screen went dim about a week ago. I read up online and all symptoms pointed to an inverter problem - so I replaced the inverter.
Now, strangely, my screen comes up bright when my computer is first booted (this didn’t happen before). After about 5 seconds, the screen goes dim again. When I switch to an external monitor, my screen will flash up for a few seconds, then dim. The external monitor displays without a problem, so I know the computer is working.
Could my new inverter possibly be defective??? It obviously did something to help (I’m assuming since the screen will light up now, even if only for a second) but doesn’t seem to have fixed the entire issue.
Any advice you can offer is GREATLY appreciated.
Bobby - if you find anything out about your issue, do you mind e-mailing me at joshheidler@hotmail.com?
Thanks!
September 5th, 2007 at 12:50 pm
impact computer was ABSOLUTELY ZERO help at all. my ze5300 screen is dim and all he could tell me (Because after about 20 minutes of waiting over and over again in the chat window with just about no responses) was they didnt have the part in stock and he didnt know anything about them but i was welcome to send my laptop in for diagnostics at a substantial cost. Great sales technique… Dont waste your time with impact.
September 6th, 2007 at 1:04 pm
Thanks a lot!!!
This site is great!
I had an IBM T23 Thinkpad with a very dim LCD screen, as described here. I read this post. Found the correct inverter on Ebay and bought it. I’ve just installed it and my problem is SOLVED.
Again. Thanks a lot.
September 6th, 2007 at 3:15 pm
I had a hp pavilion laptop which has a very dim LCD screen. I can barely see the picture. I can hear sounds. When i connect with different monitor, it works perfect. So, I don’t know what i need to replace in. LCD inverter or backlight inverter. Give me some advice.
Thanks !
September 6th, 2007 at 7:20 pm
Visva,
This is the same part. First, I would try replacing the inverter.
September 7th, 2007 at 4:54 am
Laptop Repair Guy,
Thanks, first of all for the excellent site and detailed instructions. I wanted to share with all my experiences with several IBM Thinkpad laptops we use in a “harsh environment” in which the dimly lit screen was visible in the background, but replacement of the inverter board did not fix the problem.
The symptoms were very much like the bad inverter problems faced by many here, but the actual problem was that the microswitch which gets depressed when the laptop is closed (located in your second picture on the lower left of the laptop) gets stuck down. Using a very small screwdriver, I was able to pry up the microswitch and - Voila! - four working Thinkpads! Had I tried this before disassembling the laptops and ordering parts through eBay, I would have saved a lot of time and money.
Thanks again for a great site.
Roy
September 9th, 2007 at 6:30 am
I have a similar problem as Bobby (msg 161) - a HP dv1000, screen went dim, replaced the inverter - worked for 2 days, then same problem - replaced the entire screen/lamp - worked for 3 days, then same problem. Lid switch is not stuck. Computer works fine with external monitor.
What is the problem? Did I get a bad “new” inverter? Could it be a power issue to the screen (since it works fine with ext monitor)?
HELP!!!!
September 9th, 2007 at 5:28 pm
Jeff,
Did you but a used inverter board? I would try replacing it again. The “new” inverter can be bad.
September 15th, 2007 at 12:29 pm
I read the comment posted by Roy about “prying” up the microswitch and then having the screen work. I just replaced the inverter and it did not fix the problem. I was hoping that Roy’s solution may work for my thinkpad as well. Can you tell me where the microswitch is located and the best way to “pry” it up without breaking it?
Thanks for all your help, this site is amazing…
Regards,
Jessica
September 15th, 2007 at 1:30 pm
Jessica,
Some laptops have a magnetic microswitch located inside the laptop case. In this case you cannot press on it.
Usually the microswitch is located close to the laptop hinges. Right now I’m typing on a ThinkPad T42 and on my laptop this switch is located on the right side from the left hinge. It’s a small button.
September 16th, 2007 at 9:32 pm
I have a acer aspire 3618 ,and need some help trying to figure out if I am getting any voltage to the inverter,the LCd has the faint images and when connected to an external ,everything works. I attached the LCD to another laptop inverter and ribbon ,the LCD checked out fine.I have purchased three new inverters and all do the same thing,nothing ,the backlight remains off. so with a radio shack voltage meter how do I test it to make sure that I am getting voltage to the inverter ,so I can rule out the motherboard and or the inverter cable???Thanks James T
September 17th, 2007 at 10:38 am
Sir,
This website is really helpfull. I but I can still figure out my problem. I drop some water over my laptop keyboard, it was working fine but after 5 minutes the buttom part of the screen started to flicker, then it show a faded image, it came back and work fine. the it did it again exept this time is a white line about 1 inch and a 1/2 thick. It covers the WinXP start icon and when I drag the mouse thru the wihe line the Coursors diisapear. Yesterday the line was gray and this morning it was working fine. When this happens the rest of the screen looks fine except the 1 1/4 inch line that covers the windows bar. I also hook my laptop to an external monitor and the image was good so i know is not the Video Card. Could it be the mother board or the screen inverter?
Than you Sir
September 18th, 2007 at 9:24 pm
James Trainer,
Not sure if I can help you here. I do not test inverters with voltmeter, I just use a known good inverter.
Here’s my guess. Set voltmeter to test DC. Put the ground probe of the voltmeter on the laptop chassis and with “+” probe test each wire inside the harness coming to the inverter board. If there is voltage, probably nothing is wrong with the motherboard. If not, try replacing the harness. This is just a guess.
September 18th, 2007 at 9:33 pm
Javier,
I’m sure 100% the problem is not related to the inverter board.
Did you check out the motherboard for any visible liquid spill damage? Check out the video cable, maybe water somehow got inside the video cable or the video cable connector on the motherboard and it’s causing the problem.
Stop using the laptop as soon as possible. Open it up and let to dry out. I hope it’s not too late.
September 22nd, 2007 at 4:24 pm
I have an HP dv1000 with the exact same problem. What are you doing about it? Where did you get the part?
September 26th, 2007 at 11:21 am
I have a hp pavilion dv1000. Originally the screen was dim and could see screen with a flashlight so i thought it was the inverter bought a new one off ebay replaced it. turned it on it worked fine for 10 mins all fine but once i closed the laptop and openeed it again same problem occurred the screen would go on for a second and go dim again. i waited 30 min for it to cool down i turned it on it works fine now again untill it gets hot like lets say 20 mins of using it and once u close or press the lid botton the scren stays dimmed untill you totally turn off the notbook leave it for it to cooldown.i dont know if it could be the inverter again or the LID botton that could be stuck and doesnt let a full power connection to be made.
September 27th, 2007 at 12:46 pm
Teo,
Sounds like you might have gotten a bad inverter board. The original inverter didn’t work at all and this one works for some time, right? Could be bad inverter.
September 27th, 2007 at 5:32 pm
Hi, I just replaced my inverter and still have the same dim screen. Only viewable with a flashlight. It happened suddenly though. No flickering. I can use an external monitor so it isn’t the video controller. So it must be the lamp, right? (Unless I got another bad inverter). Your thoughts are appreciated. Thank You.
September 27th, 2007 at 5:44 pm
Cheryl,
It’s hard to tell what is wrong until you test the laptop with a known good backlight lamp. Sorry, I know that most likely you don’t have it so you’ll have to guess.
If you replaced the inverter board two times already but still experiencing the same issue, most likely it’s not the inverter problem. Could it be a faulty backlight? Yes, absolutely, but it also could be a faulty video cable or even motherboard. If I would have to guess, I would go with the backlight lamp.
It’s hard to troubleshoot these kind of failure without proper equipment.
September 28th, 2007 at 7:59 am
I am going to replace the inverter for a second time, i will repost and let you guys know how it goes.
September 29th, 2007 at 2:00 pm
I am going to replace the backlight. It is in the mail. for $14 we thought we would give it a try. Hubby has more faith in me than I do. I wonder though. You mentioned the motherboard. May I ask a further question on that topic? I am using an external monitor from my desktop right now and I see the picture great. Would I be able to use this monitor if the problem was the motherboard? or are they 2 separate things. am having trouble with my battery and wondering if it is the motherboard. … Hence my question. THank you again.
Cheryl
September 30th, 2007 at 8:37 pm
Cheryl,
In most cases, if you can get video on the external monitor, there is nothing wrong with the motherboard or video card.
There is no simple answer to this question. What kind of problem you are experiencing with the battery? Usually, to find out witch one is causing the problem the battery or the motherboard you’ll have to test the laptop with another good working battery.
October 1st, 2007 at 10:51 am
My screen stays black on the IBM x31 screen. I checked the lamps (working fine) and put a new inverter but I still can;t see anything on the screen (but shadows).
With an external monitorl everything works fine.
October 4th, 2007 at 3:27 am
Hi, Thank you for your help. I did go ahead and replace the backlight. I was very careful and guess what… It didn’t work. SO just to quickly review, I replaced the backlight, and the inverter, I am at a loss. Still get an image on the screen but very, very dim. I am viewing the screen on an external monitor. The company selling the inverter is sure it was a working one. (But found out it was harvested). But I think I will go ahead and resolder the light just to make sure. I don’t know, I am grasping at straws. On the battery, I haven’t found the pattern in the problem, but here is the background. The battery life was gettig quite short, but the laptop was purchased in 2003. SO just thought it was the battery life. We started having powerjack problems and the battery would only work for minutes at a time. I chalked it up to being an old battery. I went the route of having it refilled. Now the Battery LED light may come on for a sec. but goes out immediately. The computer will not run on the battery at all. Originally the power meter in windows had 0% charged and showed the batteries ID information, also it said it was online and charging. BUT when looking at the power meter without the battery installed. IT gives basic information of a Bat1 Battery and says it is online and charging. I tried refreshing it by going into safe mode and unplugging the Adapter. THe computer shuts right off. It doesn’t seem to recognize the battery is there to draw from. Anyway. After doing that the first time, I left the Laptop plugged in, No charging light, and the next day we were at 47% according to windows power meter. Since then it is down to 46% and holding, the Laptop still will not run on the battery and I can’t seem to get it to charge anymore even by going in to the safemode. ALSO, the show power meter on taskbar check box was checked, but it was not showing. Simply unchecked, clicked apply and rechecked and applied and it did appear. But still can not use the battery. Lastly, I get a very short flash of lights when trying to start the laptop on the battery. Almost unnoticable. If you have any ideas, I would greatly appreciate it. Sorry for my long winded explanation. Thanks again. CHeryl
October 4th, 2007 at 3:30 am
PS… we did replace the powerjack. (that was while the battery was away being refilled and before I did anywork on the lcd problem, as I thought It may solve all the problems). Thank you.
October 5th, 2007 at 9:27 am
Hey-
WOW! Your disassembly instructions are GREAT. I came across your website after searching for a resolution for my wife’s R50. Similar problem to what alot of others have; no backlight. The image is there on the LCD, but it’s dark (that would be the definition of no backlight!) External monitor works fine. So I bought a new inverter card and replaced it. It was a drop ship from IBM, so I’m fairly sure it’s good. And the LCD still has no backlight. ARGH. I have not had a chance to check the output voltage, but I’m going to /assume/ it’s OK. One thing to note, when I turned on the computer after replacing the inverter, I heard a hissing from the bottom left of the screen. It sounded like a gas charging (or discharging). Any thoughts? What would the next step be? Do I replace the backlight? Any recommendations on where to get that?
Thanks!
PS: The same computer has similar battery problem as Cheryl; I’ve written it off to the short discharge cycle my wife was doing. She would only use it on battery for 30 to 60 minutes at a time.
October 5th, 2007 at 11:42 am
Cheryl,
Make sure the LCD lid close switch is not stuck inside the case, it should move freely. If parts you installed into the laptop were good, then the next logical step would be replacing the video cable and finally the motherboard (or video card if it’s a separate module). I don’t know what else to blame.
Not sure if refilling the battery is a good way to go, never done it before myself. Unfortunately you cannot tell if refilling the battery worked well, at least I don’t know a good way of testing the battery beside charging it in another working laptop. You’ll have to test your laptop with another KNOWN GOOD working battery. If it fails too, you have a problem with the motherboard.
October 11th, 2007 at 9:17 pm
Hello: I’ve been tinkering with laptops for only a short time now so my cousin gave me a dead one (HP ze5375) which no one would fix even with an expensive extended warranty. It turned out to be the notorious power connector problem. I bought another motherboard on eBay and I am in the process of putting it back together slowly but my main concern is the note in the service manual that after replacing the motherboard I must reprogram the EEPROM on the motherboard for the new display. Is this going to be a problem? I can”t find any info on the HP website that the manual refers to as the Partnership Web site. Thank you
October 13th, 2007 at 7:38 pm
Richard Lewandowski,
What do you mean they cannot fix it even with extended warranty. If the laptop is still covered by the warranty, they should fix it. If they cannot fix, they should replace the laptop. This is the main purpose of the warranty.
Most likely you cannot find this utility on the HP website because it’s available only for authorized repair centers. You purchased another motherboard from eBay and probably this is a used motherboard. There is a good chance that you don’t have to reprogram the motherboard because it had been programmed already and it will work as is.
October 16th, 2007 at 9:00 am
hello i have a problem with my backlight,sometimes it works fine and then it becomes like flashing,the light increases and decreases in a hesitated manner like an old tv can u help me if it is from the lcd it self or the inverter???
October 16th, 2007 at 8:39 pm
hany,
I think I know what you are talking about because I have the same problem with one of my laptops, it’s a Toshiba Satellite 3005. Unfortunately I didn’t have time to find out what is causing the problem but I think it’s related to the backlight lamp.
From my experience, when you have a faulty inverter board the backlight either work or not. But in my case the backlight works all the time but the screen kinda flickers, changing the brightness and I think it happens because the backlight lamp is failing (it’s located inside the LCD screen).
October 18th, 2007 at 7:35 pm
hi i have ave a hp pavilionzx5000.
i try to open a prt of it ,but when i put it back together . nothing on the screen is like no power on it .please any body can tell what can i do .or how to fix it. .
October 18th, 2007 at 9:30 pm
Pedro,
Did you remove the CPU during the disassembly process? If you did, make sure the CPU is properly seated inside the socket and the socket is locked.
Check the memory, it may not making a good contact with the memory slot. Reconnect the memory module.
To start any laptop with video you need only three main parts: motherboard (I assume the video card is integrated into the motherboard), processor and memory. If these parts are not defective, you should be able to get video.
If there is no video, either you have bad parts or there is some kind of connection issue between these parts.
October 24th, 2007 at 4:42 pm
Hi there, it is me, Cheryl. … seeming to have a never ending story with the lcd problems…. After replacing the video cable and checking out the lid close switch… which could actually be the problem… I did some research and found out that for the HP series zd7000 there is what HP calls a Global alert or ADT. It concerns video problems… (I think it is due to the GPU or something on the motherboards that has consistently gone bad on the zd7000.) They are replacing them… the motherboard… free of charge… My laptop is out of warranty, but they are still replacing it free of charge. I am hoping that this will fix the problem… If anyone has questions… Chat with them (HP) and mention the ADT ID # 1760…. Some web forums mention a global alert from april of 2006 around the 20th. Not sure if you need all that informaiton …. The tech today found it with the ADT#… for a better description of this you may check out the forum at: http://www.r3000forums.com/vie.....amp;t=6518
I hope this helps someone… not sure if it applies to other z series notebooks… Thank you cj2600 for your help in diagnosing my problem.
November 17th, 2007 at 11:41 am
I own A T-21 Thinkpad with a backlight/inverter/lid switch
issue
Iam trying to find out which
when the laptop is running on ext, moniter its ok
when the lcd screen is working I can adjust the level of
brightness
does that mean the inverter is ok
when the lcd is blank I can see the screen with the help
of a flashlight
also when the screen is dark ,the only way I have been able to
get it back is by actually turning laptop upside down and partially closing and fully opening lid whil pressing on parts of laptop
which makes me think the problem is either lid switch or loose connection somewhere ., my laptop is missing one screw from the bottom and the front right section of keyboard where the arrows are below the right shift key lifts up and is not attached our t40 is not like this the t21 can swap cd to floppie I do not remember if it was always like this
can any other T-21 owners let me know
this is a helpful website I could not find right part # for inverter from Ibm (10L1402) thats what they list ,but when you try to buy it they dont acceot that as part #
I dont want to replace it and find it is ok
December 3rd, 2007 at 4:29 am
Can I connect Any Backlight to Any Inverter “just for testing”?
I have a good backlight but the connectors wont fit into the “possibly” faulty inverter that I have.
If I cut the cables and make them fit, would this be safe?
cheers
December 3rd, 2007 at 11:55 pm
Lee,
That’s what I do. I have two test backlight lamps I removed from old cracked LCD screens. These lamps have two different connectors and I use these lamps with all laptops where I have to troubleshoot the backlight problem. Never had a single problem.
December 7th, 2007 at 6:39 am
Hi,
A couple weeks ago, the screen of my Dell Inspiron E1505 started appearing pinkish and flickered. After a day or two, the screen went to black and I could barely see the image. I use the laptop with external monitors so I knew the system was working fine otherwise. Based on the symptoms, I deduced that it was the backlight.
From what I’ve read, it’s really difficult to replace just the backlight (at least on Dells). I couldn’t afford to be without the laptop for even a day so I bit the bullet and bought a new screen (w inverter attached) online.
I followed Dell’s instructions to replace the screen, which meant literally taking half the laptop apart (is that necessary?)
Anyway, it worked fine for about a month and then the screen went black, just like before but without the pink stage.
I called the company that sold me the screen and they suspected it might be the inverter and sent me a new one.
They suggested I first put it on my old screen and to try reinstalling that. I did and it started up fine but within minutes the screen was pinkish and then went to black. This seems to confirm that the first screen indeed had a backlight problem.
I took the laptop apart again and reinstalled the newer screen with the new inverter. That worked, which seems to indicate that the second screen’s inverter was the culprit.
My only issue now is that the screen seems dim. I use the brightness control but that doesn’t really make any difference. When I try, the screen flickers for a second like it’s adjusting but the brightness maybe varies 5% from the top to the bottom setting.
Any ideas? Though I’m happy to have the screen working again, I’m considering trying to install the original inverter (I had to get a little rough to get it off the original screen) or trying another one. Could the inverter be causing the brightness problem?
The tiny pink wire that connects the inverter to the screen has a tiny wear mark on it so I can see a little bit of darkness of the wire inside. The wire’s not exposed but perhaps it was pinched before. Possibly the culprit?
Also, in your experience, can I use method on this page or is there something particular about the Dells where you have to take them all apart? Doesn’t seem like it in retrospect but, my first time in, I didn’t want to take any chances.
Any perspective on the whole experience would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
December 11th, 2007 at 2:21 pm
I have a T41 with the same problem described and was wondering if I can just remove the inverter/LCD screen (unplug it) and use the machine as a “desktop”
December 12th, 2007 at 9:26 am
I have HP omnibook xt6200 laptop, yday suddenly my screen gone,so I restarted manually. It started all in normal but screen is very dim i can barely see Images,logging process and everything. according to above posts I think its may screen inverter broken?
can anybody suggest how can I find the compatible Inverter for my laptop model.
Thanks in advance..really very useful forum and website.
December 13th, 2007 at 2:07 pm
I have Dell 8600 laptop. All of a suuden my screen gone very dim.its working with the external monitor though. based on the comments of the people on this blog i replaced the inverter but the problem is still the same. I am not sure what to do next..please advise.
December 15th, 2007 at 10:26 am
Hi,
Last week, my Dell 6000’s screen went dim all of a sudden. After some Google research, I found this website and decided that the problem was the LCD Inverter. The screen was very dim, though I could still make out some images and an external monitor worked perfectly.
I found one on eBay and ordered it. Once it arrived, I installed it which took about 15 minutes. I turned the computer on and everything worked fine again. So, I put the computer back together and turned it on. The screen was dim again. I turned it off and turned it back on.
The laptop then worked perfectly again, with a bright screen. But, I heard a high pitched squeal coming from the bottom of the monitor. I determined, through more Google research, that it was the inverter again.
I’m not sure if I simply installed it incorrectly, which seems unlikely since it does work, or if there is something wrong with the power source. The battery on this laptop is quite old and does not hold a charge for longer than an hour anymore. There are constantly orange blinking lights, which signifies this, according to more Google research.
Is there any way to subdue the squealing noise without buying another new inverter, or is the problem a bulb?
I have been running my laptop on the dimmest setting, since the highest setting makes the squealing noise. Actually, I just raised the setting, and the screen is now dim again.
I saved this post to a text document (barely seeing what I was doing) and restarted the computer. Now, it’s working again on the dimmest setting.
Please help.
Regards,
~Scott
Internapse.com
December 15th, 2007 at 10:29 am
201 (Tatsat)
eBay is where I bought my inverter from.
Serarch for “HP Omibook Inverters”.
You may want to check the exact number on your inverter, as it states in the last picture of this article, to make sure you buy the correct one.
December 18th, 2007 at 6:29 pm
I have a HP Pavilion ze5300 with a power jack that has come loose. I’ve been able to use the laptop by toggling the cable a little whenever I get a power message, but it is getting worse. Is this something that I can repair myself?
I have been quoted about $200 for labor and parts, but online I see that this part is just under $4.00.
My biggest concern is opening up the laptop without breaking anything. Is there a resource where I can get instructions on taking apart my specific laptop? Thanks!
December 23rd, 2007 at 4:04 pm
Dave,
If the power jack has come loose you’ll have to resolder it. Here are instructions for replacing or resoldering the laptop DC-IN power jack. Check out HP service manual for your laptop, usually HP includes disassembly instructions in the manual. It might help removing the motherboard.
December 24th, 2007 at 9:44 am
Laptop Repair,
I have some of the same symptoms as people mention on here and still haven’t been able to pinpoint my problem. Any help would be appreciated. Here are the symptoms and what I’ve done so far.
My LCD on my IBM went black one day while it was booting. The color was always great until the last day so there were no symptoms of a fading bulb. It happened all of the sudden. I can still see everything on the screen with a flashlight but it’s not bright. I can hook it up to an external monitor use the computer fine that way so I think the graphics card is ok.
I then bought a new inverter card from IBM thinking it would be a quick and easy fix that were the problem. I swapped them out, made sure the connections were good, and still the same problem. I can see everything, but it’s not bright.
Then I ordered a new bulb and attempted to replace my bulb on my own. I soldered the new bulb to the leads and tested it with the new inverter. It never lit up. So I thought I damaged the bulb when I tried to repair it.
Then I thought it could be a setting in windows. So I went into the display properties and noticed that my LCD monitor was shut off. I turned it on, applied settings, hit ok and then switched to the LCD output and still had the same result. It had picture but just very dull. Adjusting the brightness didn’t do anything either.
I then bought a used replacement LCD on Ebay and hooked it up with the new and old inverter card, new one first, then had the same problem even with that monitor. Picture but not bright!
I think the inverter card should be ok because it’s new, the LEDs light up, and all the connections are good. I think it’s unlikely that my old LCD, new bulb and used LCD are all bad. One of those bulbs should have lit up with the new inverter card.
Could it be something with the graphics card? BIOS? Display Driver? I did a fresh install of the recovery CDs containing windows 2000 pro. It restores the system to the factory settings. I still get the same output. What is going on here?
Thank you,
Kyle
December 26th, 2007 at 3:46 am
I have an IBM T41 which now starts to show symptoms of complete screen blanking. No shadowing or faint items can be seen on the screen, the screen just goes off. After the notebook is switched off after a while, it powers up fine but then reverts back to the display going completely blank. I have turned off ALL the screensavers, power save options etc etc but to no avail!
December 27th, 2007 at 12:18 am
Kyle,
Looks like you’ve replaced everything that could be related to this problem.
Here’s one more thing you can try. Did you check the lid close switch? It’s a small button located close to the left hinge. This button turns off the backlight when the display is closed. It’s possible that the lid close switch got stuck inside the case and because of that the power never gets to the backlight lamp. Make sure the lid close switch moves freely, without any problem. Try tapping on the lid close switch when the laptop is running and see if it makes any difference.
December 27th, 2007 at 12:21 am
James,
Did you test the laptop with an external screen? The external video goes off too or it works fine even though the laptop LCD went blank?
December 28th, 2007 at 8:00 am
My Laptop is a gateway and it does not have screws like the one that your example has shown above and also wher can i find one of thos blue things?
Thank You,
Shakeira A Very Smart 10 Year Old Computer Geek
December 29th, 2007 at 8:02 am
Very informative. This info was RIGHT ON and helped me greatly. Thanks a LOT.
January 3rd, 2008 at 9:40 pm
THis information was very helpful in figuring out what was a wrong with my laptop. Thank you for this site it has been a great help.
January 13th, 2008 at 8:58 pm
I have replaced the FL inverter board…3rd time now…1st time worked for 4 months…second…lasted 1 day, I thought I had an out of box failure, but still the same symptoms. Here’s what happens: Toshiba M45…on boot up, you can see the Toshiba logo…after 30 seconds or more, the screen goes “blank” but you can see a very faint image.. I tap the cover switch, or hit FN-F5 a few times, the screen comes on, then goes blank again. Ocaisionally, it will stay on for a few hours. I was going to reload the machime for Sh!t’s and giggles, but when I boot from the XP cd rom, it does the same things…so the problem is not related to the OS. I’m guessing it’s either the screen, system board, or the cables…oh, and by the way, I can hook up an external monitor, and it works fine. Thanks
January 16th, 2008 at 1:20 pm
I took a hard fall and though my IBM T40 was well protected in a backpack, the screen display indicates something happened to the inverter. I thought perhaps the inverter was loose, but after following your wonderful directions, it seems to be well-anchored Before I buy a new inverter, is it possible that there is another problem? The hard drive is fine.
Thank you.
January 19th, 2008 at 12:46 pm
mike,
Probably you have a problem with the backlight lamp (CCFL). This lamp is located inside the LCD screen. The backlight lamp itself is not expensive but it’s hard to replace the lamp because you’ll have to open up the LCD screen.
Unfortunately, the only way to test the laptop is connecting another working backlight lamp and see if it works fine.
If the test lamp works fine, the backlight lamp inside your screen is bad and has to be replaced.
If the test lamp fails the same way as the original one, there could be a problem with the motherboard or the video cable. But I don’t think this problem is related to the video cable.
January 19th, 2008 at 12:51 pm
Susan,
You have to check not the inverter board (it’s screwed to the case) but both cable that connect to the inverter. Make sure cables on both ends of the inverter board are seated properly.
January 29th, 2008 at 11:08 am
My IBM T42 screen is no longer bright, i thought it was the inverter, so i bought one off ebay, it didn’t work, the seller sent me another one, and this time i ordered a CCFL backlight too, i finished soldering it with the old connectors, and tested it, it still did not work, so two backlights(mine + brand new), 3 inverters(mine + 2 used/they said it was working), and still no success, im suspecting the inverter again, and planning to buy it from a different seller. I connected the Laptop to my PC monitor using the VGA cables, and it works pefectly. Could ANY body help me out b4 i lose my patients and throw the laptop away, it’s taken 1 month just for parts to arrive! finally, could someone suggest a diagnostics, could it be the mobo, video, video cable, or another inverter? Thanks, will be refreshing this page steadily! thanks.
January 31st, 2008 at 8:08 pm
Joe,
Check the lid close switch - a small button located close to the left hinge. Make sure it’s not stuck inside the case.
When the button gets stuck inside, the laptop “thinks” the display is still closed even when it’s open and cuts off power from the inverter board. Make sure the close switch is clean and moves freely.
February 6th, 2008 at 7:33 pm
cj2600, the button is fully functional, the screen turns on but very dim. This is the 4th inverter i own, and still no luck, and now i have 2 backlights as well. Could it be the LCD cable? or the MotherBoard? thanks for your reply
February 6th, 2008 at 10:32 pm
Joe,
Yes, it could be bad cable or faulty motherboard but I cannot tell you witch one, you’ll have to guess.
February 7th, 2008 at 12:04 am
I did some research, looks like a burned out, fast blow fuse, maybe 7amps, my mobo looks exactly like this, http://img148.imageshack.us/im.....184lc8.jpg where the fuse is on the left of the battery :S btw this fuse is about 1/4 a canadian dime, which i don’t think i can solder :S now im looking at electronic componets store to see if they have it and will keep this forum posted, thanks
February 8th, 2008 at 4:05 am
Hp Cpmpaq1500 laptop
On display on lcd but on external monitor
display is perfect pls help what could be problem
February 8th, 2008 at 8:01 pm
Okay, my husband has now purchased and replaced two backlight inverters for our HP Pavillion dv1000. He was able to install them thanks to your excellent photos and instructions. The first one lasted exactly 3 weeks and then went out. The guy we got it from (ebay) made good and sent us another one. Husband installed that one and everything worked fine. Just went out yesterday….exactly 3 weeks again! What the????? Any ideas what might cause this? Since they both worked for exactly 3 weeks I can’t believe it is the inverter. What do you think???
February 9th, 2008 at 8:32 pm
If the inverter keeps blowing, could be older bulbs drawing too much of a load.
February 10th, 2008 at 1:21 pm
Thanks for the tip, Jeff. Maybe we’ll try replacing the bulb(s)?? Is there one or more?
February 11th, 2008 at 11:19 pm
Hi,
thanks for your informative repair pages.
Before I replace the backlight unit resp. the inverter I want to find out, if the inverter fails or if the fault lies _before_ the inverter.
I poured by accident a glass of wine into my Thinkpad R40 and it went off. Afdter cleaning and drying overnight it started up the next morning but the backlight stayed off. I dont assume that the wine got into the inverter, it just soaked the keyboard. So I think there may be some instance which commands the inverter to power up. Can I measure anywhere on the mainboard if the inverter gets this signal?
Thank you, Richard
February 11th, 2008 at 11:44 pm
On the R32 what is the size of the blub I need to repalce the bulb and not sure the size. I do not want to mess with it anymore then I have to, the things in their are fragile.
February 13th, 2008 at 5:05 am
Hunter,
Most laptop LCD screens have only one bulb but it’s very difficult to replace it. The backlight bulb is located inside the LCD screen. Here’s an example.
February 13th, 2008 at 5:10 am
Richard Muller,
Apparently the motherboard has been damaged. You’ll have to remove the keyboard as it shown in ThinkPad HMM and take a closer look on the motherboard. If you see any corrosion, you’ll have to replace the motherboard.
February 29th, 2008 at 1:50 am
my computer is flacking when light goes.
March 10th, 2008 at 5:20 am
My Ibm Thinkpad t41 never usually gives any problems
i guess its because i dont use it much
the display is somewhat fudged when i put it on charging , but it becomes alright when it runs on batteries
its just that it runs for like 20 min max on batteries
please help me out ..and by saying it becomes fudged u mean the fact that … the black areas on the lcd in the gg page for exams shows variants of red / blue etc…
ok here are the specs:
256mb ram
40 gb disk space
wi-fi
lan
and 2 touchpads !!! (one orange circle)
PLEASE HELP ME OUT!!!
March 12th, 2008 at 10:34 pm
Help,
Try reducing the screen brightness when the AC adapter is plugged. Will it become somewhat normal? On my ThinkPad T42 I use Fn+Home to increase the brightness and Fn+End to decrease it. On your ThinkPad it’s probably the same. I’m thinking maybe the backlight is going bad and reducing the brightness will prolong the screen life.
Do you know if the same video defect appears on the external screen? Did you test your laptop with an external monitor?
March 14th, 2008 at 6:56 am
I have a thinkpad a22m I replaced the lcd last year with a new screen. My daughter tells me that the screen was tinting red for a week or so and now goes black. At start up I see the IBM logo then black, then the cursor , then login, then desktop all these last for 3-4 seconds. I replaced the inverter and it still has these short bursts of display with a red tinge to them. Any Ideas? Possibly a back light problem. I did however hook up externally and it all worked fine.
March 15th, 2008 at 1:29 pm
Jeffrey Rai,
This sounds like a problem with the backlight lamp (CCFL). This lamp is located inside the LCD screen and is not easy to replace. Here’s an example of replacing the backlight lamp.
March 15th, 2008 at 11:00 pm
my laptop fell of a table and the bottom 1/3 of the screen does not show an image what can i do to fix it? Should i take it apart and connect wires?
March 21st, 2008 at 2:20 pm
OK FYI !
I took the laptop apart and put in a new inverter put it all back together only to still have the same problem. after an exhausted search on line I boiled it down to the CC-FL bulb. I started looking into bulb providers and on one site it gave the exact description of my problem.
I also found directions to remove and replace the bulb which by the way is extremely fragile due it it’s dimensions.
Here is the link.
Now I did this removal process but was not so fortunate in taking the minute screws out that hold the frame work of the LCD screen. The screw stripped and I had to take my dremmel tool to it to grind down the head of the screw. It is now secured by packing tape. I also broke the bulb in it place as I tried to remove it because the frame work was not completely removed (my mistake) I ordered 2 bulbs at $9.95 apiece and I was on to a tantalizing repair mode.
I had to put on a new set of leads that had to be soldered and capped to protect the ends. That was not to bad . Then onto replacing it in the reflective sleeve. Did that, onto putting it all back together. Turn it on and nothing not light no screen!!
Took it apart again removed the bulb and turned it on and the bulb lit up. Turned it off removed all power supply Put the bulb back in turned it on and It lit up but no windows or startup screen just back-lit glass screen wit a slightly blue screen. Shut off, removed power, turned the screen over to find one of the LCD connections on the supply video ribbon was not securely in place there by completing the circuit. Snapped it in turned it on and OH BOY we got video.
To those of you who are willing to by a whole new screen for $150.00-$350.00 or more you can save your self some dough and do it yourself with a little patience and determination.
I hope this helps someone.
March 26th, 2008 at 6:52 am
I have a Toshiba Satellite P35 which is well out of warranty. Over a year ago, it began developing 1-px-wide vertical lines of solid colors (screen failure). Over this period of time, a second problem began to arise, so sometimes, when I adjusted the screen angle or opened it initially, the screen would flicker a few times to black, and then come back on. The problem intensified over time and ultimately, about 2 months ago, the screen went out and stayed completely black.
Following the advice here and on other websites, I ordered a replacement screen first. It installed fine, but unfortunately it was still completely dark. Under inspection with a flashlight, however I saw that all the colorful lines at least were gone. Then I ordered a replacement inverter and installed that and like magic, I have a brand new, beautiful working screen.
I have cause for concern though, because the screen has begun once again to show a flickering anomaly when changing the angle of the screen. I would rather not have to replace the inverter again but it seems that either I have bad luck with inverters or there is something which is causing them to burn out.
I wouldn’t think it’s anything to do with the screen housing itself. I could only guess that there might be some problem with the power cable or that maybe the power supply is not sending the right output to the inverter.
Any suggestions?
TIA, Roy
March 26th, 2008 at 9:14 pm
Roy Gott,
It’s possible that there is connection issue between the video cable and the motherboard, check the connection. When you move the display, you somehow stress the video cable/connector causing the problem. Make sure the video cable is seated correctly, all the way down into the connector on the motherboard. This is just a guess.
March 27th, 2008 at 7:16 pm
Thanks so much for the pictures showing how to remove a Thinkpad LCD bezel!
March 28th, 2008 at 12:22 am
Thanks so much for your website! Using the information I found here and on one other site that you posted a link to, I took apart my laptop to see what kind of inverter I needed (backlight wasn’t working). Turns out, the inverter was fine, the only problem was that the connection between the inverter and the backlight lamp was loose! I plugged it back in and haven’t had a problem since!
March 30th, 2008 at 12:50 am
I have a problem with the LCD of my dell D 600.
its blank on when turned on.
what do you advise i do?
thank you.
April 3rd, 2008 at 11:30 am
I replaced the inverter in my Dell Inspiron 4150. Now the screen lights up for 1 second then go dark and stays dark until I power cycle the machine. External displays work fine. I can see the faint unlit display so the panel appears OK. Any ideas?
April 6th, 2008 at 7:04 am
Hi …thanks for your advices. My laptop is a HP Pavillion ze5375us. I had the same problem, screen was black. I already replaced the inverter, but now my screen is white ( all you can see is like a bright light, but any image).
Now what else can be the broblem…what can I do???
April 9th, 2008 at 5:31 pm
Never mind (re #243). One of the wires on the CCFL had broken off, occasionally making contact. Must have been a bad soldering job to begin with. I swapped in a new bulb even though the old bulb and inverter were probably fine. Now everything works.
April 9th, 2008 at 9:12 pm
Mariel de Jesus,
Check the video cable, make sure it’s properly connected to the back of the LCD screen. Try reconnecting the cable, it may help.
April 11th, 2008 at 1:02 am
After reading through this I was sure I had an inverter problem. The screen would work for a few seconds or minutes, then go dim. So I replaced the inverter with a “new” one I bought on eBay. The new inverter worked for several hours and I was sure it was fixed but sure enough the problem came back. I bought a new flex cable and replaced that but no luck.
Could it be the backlight? If i reseat the video cable it will light back up for a minute or so then dim again.
PLEASE HELP!!!!!
April 11th, 2008 at 1:05 am
Oh yeah, I’m tying to fix a Dell Inspiron 8600
Thanks for your help!
April 11th, 2008 at 9:45 am
Zack,
If the new inverter would work the same way as the old one, I would suspect the backlight lamp. But you said the new inverter worked for several hours. Could be bad inverter again. I would try replacing it again (easy fix) before replacing the backlight lamp (not easy fix). Can you ask the seller to replace the inverter board and try it?
April 11th, 2008 at 10:08 am
cj2600,
Thanks for the fast response. I have contacted the seller and they are going to replace it so I will try another inverter. Sometimes I can get the screen to work for hours then it goes dim. If i undo everything and turn the laptop off for a little while it will work for a while before going dim again. Hopefully the new inverter will fix it. Thanks again
April 15th, 2008 at 6:10 pm
I am still awaiting the replacement inverter but i have found something interesting. If I reseat the video cable and dont touch the laptop, the screen will stay on for a very long time, days even. If I move the screen it will sometimes go dim again. Sometimes I can move it all over the place and it will work but sometimes it will go off. If I dont touch it then it will work.
I hope I explained that well but its really weird. What could it be? I have replaced the video cable already cause thats what I would think that would be. Maybe the new inverter will work but I thought I would ask about this first. Thanks again.
April 17th, 2008 at 9:55 am
This is the best site for addressing this problem. My Thinkpad T42 started giving a red hue on the LCD when first turned on. After a few days it went black, coming on for a few minutes and then back to DIM. As with others, the desktop is barely visible.
I got an inverter on eBay for $10. When I put it in the LCD acted perfect for about 15 hours. Next reboot it went red/pink and then off again. Back to square one. External monitor use is fine. Pushing the lid switch and releasing results in good backlighting for a fraction of a second and then black again.
Next step is to replace backlight but used (tested) replacement LCDs on ebay are $100 and the only backlights I can find are ~$100. So, will replace whole display.
April 27th, 2008 at 1:13 am
I am also having problem with laptopscreen. It was showiing coloured vertical lines for last 3 months. External monitor work perfectly ok. The colour etc. of this vertical lines corresponds to what is seen in the monitor. Suddenly yesterday the screen started working after a system restart and it worked fine until i switched of the computer after 3 hours. During this 3 hours I changed the position of the Laptop as well as Screen .But it worked OK without any problem. But again today the screen is not working. Any Idea what is the problem
April 27th, 2008 at 9:56 am
ajomattackal,
Are your lines similar to lines on the example 2 in this post? If yes, you have a problem with the LCD screen.
April 27th, 2008 at 6:08 pm
Dear Cj2600
“Are your lines similar to lines on the example 2 in this post? If yes, you have a problem with the LCD screen”
No It is something like example 7. But how it become OK for one session ?
thanks for the reply
April 28th, 2008 at 3:29 pm
ajomattackal,
I’ve seen it happening before. Apparently there is a faulty element on the LCD controller board and sometimes this element works fine.
May 8th, 2008 at 12:58 pm
OK…..so, what if you CAN’T see a very dim image onscreen? What is the “other” problem besides the inverter? My screen just goes blank after awhile, but the display lights are still on. Only option is a hard power-down.
May 9th, 2008 at 6:02 am
I was just about to order a replacement laptop, when I thought I’d have a go at seeking out assistance on t’internet. I am extremely pleased to say I found this web-site and follwed the advice & saved my laptop.
Grining ear 2 ear - thanks guys.
May 13th, 2008 at 5:09 pm
i am getting a picture but i can hardy see it do you no what it might be i heard that is the inverter and if how much and were do i get it i live in windsor ont canada
May 15th, 2008 at 12:27 pm
Toshiba P30, 2005. Just started showing display problem.
Display has pale blue washout hue and you can see vertical pattern all the way across but you can still see everything without distorsion except colors a bit smudged and slightly shifted.
When I push top of screen at its max open position, it temporarily goes away. Makes me think something is loose, like video card pin losing contact. Brighness is not really affected although screen is appears little dimmer when the blue veil is there.
External monitor works fine.
Anybody know what to do? Should I take apart and reseat video cable to motherboard and to panel?
Thanks
May 18th, 2008 at 10:14 pm
JT,
Did you test your laptop with an external monitor? The external video goes blank too?
Did you try upgrading the BIOS to the latest version? For example, Toshiba Satellite A215 has a similar issue when LCD screen goes blank intermittently. Toshiba supposedly fixed this issue in the latest BIOS release.
May 18th, 2008 at 10:19 pm
Casey,
You are right, most likely this is related to the inverter board. How much for a new inverter? It depends on witch laptop model you have.
Take a look at the inverter board. Find the part number and google it.
May 18th, 2008 at 10:31 pm
marc robert,
Yes, this could be connection related issue. Try to reseat the video cable connector on the motherboard first. You can easily access this connector if you remove the keyboard bezel. I posted Satellite P30/P35 disassembly instructions at http://www.irisvista.com/tech/
After that you can try reseating connection on the back of the LCD screen. You can use instructions for a Satellite P25 display disassembly.
Proceed on your own risk and do it only if you feel comfortable taking apart your laptop.
May 20th, 2008 at 4:40 pm
I had an older T42p with out a burned out motherboard. Pulled the inverter and popped it into my newer T42p with non-working backlight, and now it’s working again. Excellent! Only took about thirty minutes to make the swap (due to your instructions).
May 22nd, 2008 at 11:37 am
I HAVE THE ISSUE, JUST GOT NEW SCREEN, BLUE HUE, VERT LINES STILL. FOUND THE ISSUE WITH CABLE. WIRE BROKE INSIDE, MAKING CONNECTION IF MOVED BUT AT FREE STATE I HAVE THE ISSUE. ELECTRONICS TEACHER PULLED THIS MOVE ON ME IN CLASS. PULLED WIRE OUT OF COVERING. CUT INTO PUT BOTH PIECES BACK IN, WOULD WORK TELL YOU MOVED WIRE, THEN NOTHING. HOPE THIS HELPS
May 26th, 2008 at 12:02 am
Hi, I am trying to diagnose an inverter problem on a 15.4″ Dell Inspiron 6000 Laptop. The screen switches off at full brightness but works fine on anything below full. So when using the laptop with the charger in i get a black screen without just a slighty dimmer one.
Cheers
Jim Clarke
May 29th, 2008 at 3:43 am
I have an HP Pavillion xz295. The computer boots up and i can see a faint image it is so dim it looks as if it is black. Is this still a problem with the inverter? If so, could I use a inverter from another laptop? Or does it have to be from the some make and model. If I need to purchase a new one, can I purchase one in a store near me or does it have to be online?
May 29th, 2008 at 8:32 am
i got an ibm thinkpad laptop and recently dropped it and luckily only cracked the casing does anybody know where i can a spare casing for it as its affected the screen clips
May 31st, 2008 at 7:41 pm
James Clarke,
I think on some Dell laptops you can adjust the screen brightness for both battery and AC modes in the BIOS. Enter the BIOS setup menu and lower the LCD screen brightness for the AC mode, so it’s the same as for the battery mode. Hopefully it will fix your problem for a while.
May 31st, 2008 at 7:48 pm
Martha,
This problem is related either to the inverter board (most likely) or you have bad backlight lamp inside the screen (less likely). I would try replacing the inverter board first. You’ll have to use inverter designed for your laptop.
Yes, you can if this is the same or similar model.
You can find the HP part number on the inverter board. Find the part number and then google it.
May 31st, 2008 at 7:52 pm
Lee,
Take a look inside the casing and find the FRU part number. After that search on the Internet for that FRU number.
June 5th, 2008 at 9:23 pm
i cannot hear any sound.also i lost my driver cd.tell me how i recover this problem.my laptop’s product id-2887AE3
type-2887-AE3S/NL3-AECXB
rply me soon.
June 5th, 2008 at 10:54 pm
RAJDEEP,
You can try restoring the laptop back to the previous restore point (when the sound was working fine) using Windows System Restore utility.
June 6th, 2008 at 2:47 pm
I have an IBM thinkpad T42. I have a problem exactly like discribed for a bad Screen Inverter.
After a short while ( 5 to 40 min) the screen goes very dim as discribed. No lines no buzzing. This while on battery, when plugged in screen goes dim within a few secs to mins.
Works fine with external monitor. I can restore sceen for a short while by toggleing though the ext monitor function (Fn + F7).
I did get a new inverter (FRU 26P8464) from bestcompu.com on ebay. It does the the exactly same thing. They will replace or refund.
Could it be another problem?
June 6th, 2008 at 6:55 pm
David Goldman,
It’s possible that you got a defective inverter. If after replacing the inverter again you still have the same problem, most likely it’s related to the backlight lamp (CCFL), apparently it’s getting old. The backlight lamp is located inside the LCD screen, on the bottom. It’s possible to replace the backlight lamp at home, as I described in this post, but it’s not easy and there is a chance that you can damage the LCD screen. The best way to go is replacing the whole LCD screen. If you have nothing to lose, then you can try replacing the backlight lamp, you can find it online for $10-15.
June 9th, 2008 at 4:10 pm
Part of the screen is black and part shows the screen. It looks shattered around the edges of the black.
Can this be fixed or do I need to replace the screen
June 10th, 2008 at 7:29 am
i have a ibm thinkpad laptop it latter says resource conflict-allocation error static node #01, i changed the battery the message continues what can i do to rectify that
June 11th, 2008 at 1:36 pm
Joe Beene,
If the LCD screen had been cracked, you cannot repair it. You’ll have to replace the whole LCD screen.
June 13th, 2008 at 5:22 am
Thank you for this site and your input. This is a continuation of post 275 + 274. I have not sent back the replacement inverter board and have kept it installed. I have lowered the screen brightness with the function keys (Fn + [home or down]), to 5 bars of 7. For a few days now the screen works normally, with not one outage. Can I consider it fixed? What was (is?) the probable problem?
June 18th, 2008 at 2:48 pm
Hi,
I have an HP dv6157ea notebook. Some days back the display started flickering and after a day or two it went totally dim. It seems that the backlight is turned off as I can still faintly see my desktop if there is enough light focused on it.
I took it to a local computer repair centre who say that its a motherboard problem and the entire motherboard needs to be replaced! However, when I connected an external monitor, it works fine. So I’m sure its not a motherboard issue.
I’m pretty sure that its something to do with the magnetic display lid switch as I have tried replacing the inverter.
Any ideas on how can I find the switch in the laptop and replace it?
Many thanks!
June 18th, 2008 at 9:36 pm
David G,
Here’s my guess. If you are getting the same problem with another inverter board, most likely it’s not related to the inverter. Apparently, the backlight lamp is getting old but it still works when you lower the voltage (reduce the screen brightness). I just tried reducing the screen brightness from 7 bars to 5 bars on my ThinkPad T42 and looks OK, it’s still usable.
June 18th, 2008 at 10:02 pm
Enigmaniac,
This problem could be related to:
1. Screen inverter.
2. Backlight lamp (CCFL lump) inside the LCD screen.
3. Video cable.
4. Motherboard.
I think the magnetic lid switch would be the last think to blame. I’ve never seen a failed magnetic switch. Maybe I’m lucky.
You should ask the technician how he came to that conclusion. If he tested your laptop with another known good LCD screen and inverter, most likely he’s right. Also, this problem could be related to the video cable.
If you have a magnetic lid close switch, you have to have a magnet somewhere inside the LCD panel. This magnet activates the switch when the display is closed. Find a small metal screwdriver and move it slowly along the LCD screen bezel. The screwdriver will be attracted by the magnet. Now when you know where the magnet is located, close the display and find the location of the magnetic switch.
Try reducing the LCD screen brightness as David did in the comment 279. I guess you have a different key combination for a HP laptop. On my HP Pavilion zv5000 I use Fn+F7 to reduce the screen brightness and Fn+F8 to increase the brightness.
The only reliable way to narrow down the problem is installing another inverter and LCD screen. Talk to your technician and ask what he did. If he tried that already, you may try replacing the video cable. If replacing LCD, inverter and video cable will not help, apparently you need a new motherboard.
June 19th, 2008 at 2:34 am
Hi again,
This is related to my previous post number 280.
Thanks for your reply!
The reason I think the motherboard is working okay is because I’ve connected an external monitor and it works fine. Can the motherboard be faulty even if the external monitor is working okay?
Please correct me if I am wrong.
Thanks again!
June 19th, 2008 at 8:35 am
Guys, I had the same problem with my laptop as well and had a working temporary solution (still gives me a problem sometimes)
I had an IBM x20 with screen problem. Bought a new inverter and new screen and just doesn’t show any picture at all after I replace it.
Apparently there are some setting or option that determine if your computer recognize your screen properly after you fiddle with it residing in its own proprietary or shared ram. Whichever one it is you need to take your charger off and take out your battery as well. Then leave your computer for about 30 seconds before turning your computer back on to make sure the charge in memory has been cleared /depleted.
This solution works fine for me and now I had my x20 shining like new again. The screen still blink sometimes maybe indicating that I need to get a new inverter board. I actually still using my old inverter because it is not dead yet. The replacement is already waiting besides me.
Unless your cable breaks (you can check it visually) or your connector very loose (no idea how to make certain) then you don’t need a new cable. Just reseat the cable properly then clear your memory using the step above and it should solve your problem. It may take several attemps though…
Good luck
ps: That’s why you pay for professional to fix your computer, saves you a lot of hassle plus you have someone to blame if it doesn’t work…..hahaha
June 19th, 2008 at 8:54 am
Enigmaniac,
Yes, it’s possible. I’ve seen that before.
In the comment 280 you said:
The image is still on the laptop screen but it’s very dark (no backlight), right? That means that the LCD screen is getting data signal from the motherboard / video card but the backlight lamp is not getting power. Take a look at this picture. Display diagram
What could be wrong?
1. The backlight lamp is bad.
2. The inverter board is bad and it will not provide power for the backlight lamp.
3. The video cable is defective and because of that the inverter/backlight is not getting any power.
4. There is something wrong with the motherboard and it will not provide power for the inverter/backlight.
Even though the external monitor works fine, the problem still could be related to the motherboard.
June 23rd, 2008 at 11:41 am
i have a compaq presario 2100 i have tried replacing the inverter… still dim screen. when i hook up an external monitor it has no signal… the screen is dim on the laptop tho.. i get a picture when looking very closly… what could be the problem?
June 23rd, 2008 at 1:36 pm
netshark993,
In most cases replacing the inverter board would fix this problem but not all the time. In some cases this problem could be related to the backlight lamp (CCFL bulb), the video cable, or even the motherboard.
The next troubleshooting step would be testing the laptop with another working LCD screen or at least another working backlight lamp, as I explained in this post.
If you don’t have any spare parts, you’ll have to guess.
June 26th, 2008 at 7:52 am
Hi all,
I have a Dell Inspiron 6000
I had the following problems in this order:
- Flickering
- Hot spot in right bottom corner
- Now light for a few mins - then gone
- Faint image
- Fine on monitor
I am ordering a new inverter - but anybody experience of the spot?
Thanks all!
July 5th, 2008 at 3:14 pm
yes if you can see the image dim on screen and perfect on an external monitor then it is your back light.
July 9th, 2008 at 9:52 am
How come there’s always ONE screw which is torqued too tight to remove easily?
And how do you get it out if it’s stripped?
July 9th, 2008 at 10:31 am
rennie,
Yes, it could be the backlight lamp failure but try replacing inverter first. Inverters fail more often then backlight lamps.
July 9th, 2008 at 10:32 am
Charles M. Barnard,
Check our this. How can I remove a tight or stripped screw from a laptop?
July 12th, 2008 at 4:54 am
I have a HP DV5217CL, and I know it is either the inverter or the backilight. For the longest time it has had a pinkish hue to the screen, especially with the battery only powering the pc. I found the Inverter but not the backlight. Can any help me on that?
Stone
July 12th, 2008 at 10:33 am
Stonekold,
I think a pinkish hue on the screen indicated a problem with the backlight bulb, I doubt that replacing the inverter board will help. Please correct if I’m wrong.
It’s not easy to replace the backlight bulb because it’s buried deep inside the LCD screen. You can damage the screen during the disassembly process, so do it only as a last resort.
I guess you can buy a new backlight bulb here, it’s only $10.
Also, you’ll find some instructions for replacing the backlight bulb on HP/Compaq laptops here: http://www.insidemylaptop.com/category/backlight/
July 16th, 2008 at 3:18 pm
Hey, I have a similar problem with my Dell XPS m1710. I’m trying to figure out whether the problem is with the ccfl lamp or the inverter. Whenever I turn on my laptop, the screen is fine, but slowly, over time, the left side will become dimmer until it’s barely lit. If I turn it off and then let it sit for the day, the screen will be back to normal. I’m leaning towards the inverter as the culprit, but I just wanted a second take so that I don’t waste money.
July 23rd, 2008 at 9:14 am
i have an ibm r40 my screen starts jumping around and becomes fuzzy looks like the pixels are off, and if i put some pressure on the left side of the keyboard it stops for about a minute then starts jumping around again any one have any ideas about this?
Am i going to have to buy a new laptop?
Terry
July 30th, 2008 at 10:45 pm
Hi, my (IBM ThinkPad T43) laptop’s suffering from the pink hue and the subsequent dark screen (i can make out the windows and text, but just barely). I’ve since connected my laptop to a monitor. But, i really want to get this fixed, soon. I’m assuming it’s a backlight issue (CCFL), and am not super skilled with dissembling…Does anyone have any idea how much it’d cost for me to bring my laptop to a store and get someone to install it for me? Roughly?
It’s still under warranty, but I spilled some juice in it about a year ago… — don’t think the issue is with the spill though — b/c it is still under warranty, should it be cheaper to send it in for someone at Lenovo/IBM to install it for me?
I can sometimes force the display back on by pressing at the screen on/off button, but it takes a while. I think i may have to resort to keeping my computer on all night in order to keep the screen on.
help !
August 4th, 2008 at 3:56 am
i have a Pavillon ZV5000 with some backlight problem…
when the laptop boots displays red backlight and after few seconds the screen becomes clack.. but i can view image in the dark..
it’s an inverter or backlight problem?
August 8th, 2008 at 8:07 pm
Hi, listen i got a problem with my laptop, when i turn it on the image comes completly white, i guess it’s not a software problem ‘ause i can still listen to the windows starting up, the most wird thing is the fact that if i plug in an external monitor the image is seen on that one and if i swithc between this monitor and the laptop monitor then the image on the lap comes up!, but if i try to change the screen resolution if goes white again, do you have any idea of what could be causing this?? i woul really appreciate your comments, thankx
August 11th, 2008 at 7:11 am
Hi, I am using HP DV5000 series laptop, it has been used for more than 2 years. Today, I got a problem with its backlight. Whenever I try to increase the backlight’s brightness, the screen will be blackout. However, I need to do something for the screen to readjust its setting, for example changing the screen’s resolution, the screen will light up again with the pop up window asking do you confirm with this resolution you have selected, this happens for a few seconds. At this moment, I need to reduces the brightness in order to prevent it from blackout, readjusted to the minimum brightness. Now, the screen back to the normal while the backlight seems blinking frequently, until a moment, it stopped.So, can I actually maximize the brightness at this stage? I am worried if I do then the screen will be blackout again! So what is this problem actually?
Thanks lot for you feedback n helps
August 11th, 2008 at 9:41 am
I’m using a HP DV500 series and for the most part it runs really well. Recently I had a problem with the backlight/inverter and had all the classic symptoms. I replaced the inverter but unfortunately when I went to turn my laptop back on I still had a dim image displayed. However the next day when I went to boot up my laptop to hook it up to an external monitor it was fine and the backlight was working. The only thing thats wrong with it now is sometimes if I move the monitor part it will go back to being a dim screen and I have to move the monitor back and forth repeatedly for it to light up again. I’ve talked to a few people (friends of mine who work with computers) and I’ve gotten suggestions ranging from loose wiring to a bad video card to my CCFL going out. I was just wondering if anyone has had similar problems or any suggestions on how to fix it.
August 11th, 2008 at 10:44 pm
Ben,
It’s hard to tell. Could be faulty inverter board or dying backlight lamp. To find out witch one is causing the problem you’ll have to test the laptop with another known good inverter or backlight.
August 11th, 2008 at 10:55 pm
Elena,
Could be bad connection between the video cable, inverter board and LCD
Could be bad (damaged) video cable.
August 15th, 2008 at 11:56 am
Please help. I have a unique twist on the dim screen problem. When I run my Dell Inspiron 6400 off of its’ battery everything is fine. When I plug in the laptop in to use AC power, the screen goes dim. Too dark to read, but the same faintness everyone else has mentioned. Obviously, the ac power works to recharge the battery. Any ideas? ……please don’t say motherboard.
August 15th, 2008 at 12:24 pm
I had a Thinkpad T43 with the symptoms you described and replaced the inverter and its back up and running again. Thank you very much for this tutorial!
August 17th, 2008 at 9:31 am
I replaced mine but I am still having the problem,when the laptop starts, the backlight comes on then goes off after 1-2 seconds, this also happens when the screen closed button is released. The new board did not do anything different than the first, is there a part that has the same symptom as the inverter board. I am using the thinkpad A31 if that makes a difference.
August 20th, 2008 at 12:45 am
MARGARET,
Have you managed to sort out the problem as ive got the exact problem with my dell inspiron 6400.
let me know
paul
pauliepie@talktalk.net
August 21st, 2008 at 6:39 am
I have an IBM Thinkpad R51 and my screen was black with a picture very faint. I just replaced the inverter my screen goes color for 1 sec and then back to black. I can see some picture but I need a flash light or be in direct light to see it. It does work with external monitor.Can someone please tell me what I can do to fix?
August 22nd, 2008 at 9:57 am
Hi, there. OK, That is great for us to learn about repair laptop. I’m not an expert about laptop. I want to how to do it. My laptop is Dell C600/C500 and it’s 14.1″ LCD XGA screen. It’s cracked at the very front of it. I’m planning to buy the whole LCD Screen Display w/ everything (LCD, Inverter, Cables, Plastic case, and hinges) Please email me back as soon as possible. I want to know, how to fixed it myself. Many thanks.
August 22nd, 2008 at 10:28 am
Frank Thomas jr,
Here are instructions for taking apart Dell Latitude C600/C500 notebook.
Take a look at the Removing Display Assembly chapter.
August 25th, 2008 at 10:50 pm
Phil,
1. It’s possible that your new inverter board is defective.
2. There is a problem with the backlight lamp. The backlight lamp (CCFL) is located inside the LCD screen and it’s hard to replace. You’ll find an example in this post: How to replace laptop backlight lamp (CCFL).
It’s way easier to replace the whole screen, but it’s way expensive too.
September 5th, 2008 at 4:21 pm
Hi, I’m experiencing lack of backlight on a Compaq Presario B1800, except for a moment after power-up and whenever the lid close switch has just been released. I can make the backlight stay on longer if I turn down the brightness, but having the power adapter connected makes it go out much quicker. I purchased a refurbished inverter from PCHub, but I’m experiencing the same problem, though perhaps it stays on a little longer and I can turn the brightness up a notch. When the backlight does light, everything looks as it should.
My question is: do these symptoms indicate that both inverters are faulty, or could it be the backlight itself? Thank you for this excellent resource!
September 9th, 2008 at 6:16 pm
Edward Nilges,
Could be defective inverter or bad backlight. I really cannot tell you (and no one can tell) without testing your laptop with known good equipment.
Probably you still have warranty from PCHub? I would try replacing the inverter again, just in case.
September 12th, 2008 at 3:58 pm
I had a similar issue. In my case, I changed the inverter and the screen worked again for 2 days, then it once again went so dim
I can’t see it. Does it sound like I got a bad inverter? Or is it a coincidence it worked for a while after replacement?
September 13th, 2008 at 8:12 am
Hi, I have a Toshiba satelite Pro, it got dropped and cracked the screen. I have replaced the screen and back light inverter but still have no light, can anybody help?
September 14th, 2008 at 12:46 pm
I was just wondering where I would find a FL inverter board to replace my broken one. Thanks!
September 15th, 2008 at 10:20 am
WOW! WOW! and WOW! just by tapping on the little button the screen came back on!
September 15th, 2008 at 10:36 pm
Colin,
Did you have light on the cracked screen? I mean, did it light up after you dropped the laptop?
Can you see a very faint image on the new LCD screen?
Test your laptop with an external monitor. Can you get the external video? If not, check the memory module. It’s possible the memory module popped up from the slot. Reseat the module.
September 15th, 2008 at 10:45 pm
Marc,
Could be defective inverter board. Try replacing it again if you can.
September 16th, 2008 at 12:21 pm
Hi cj2600, There did appear to be a light on the cracked screen, I can see a faint image of whatever I am doing on the new screen. At the moment I am using an external monitor which is ok. Thanks Colin
September 17th, 2008 at 3:08 am
just fitted new invertor to al51. Still have the same problem when i connect the external vga output to monitor there is nothing on the monitor. The fn function works ok on the laptop screen.
September 20th, 2008 at 11:57 am
Colin,
If your cracked screen lights up, it means the inverter boards works fine.
So, you’ve replaced the LCD screen and now it will not light up but you can see a faint image, right?
1. Could be connection related issue. Make sure the new LCD screen is properly connected to the video cable.
2. It’s possible your new LCD screen has a defective backlight lamp inside. Try installing the old cracked screen and test it again. If the old screen lights up, apparently your new screen is defective.
I posted some suggestions for troubleshooting problems with a new screen here:
You replaced broken LCD screen but the new screen is not working
September 24th, 2008 at 12:04 pm
I have a Dell Insprion 6000 that was in the trunk of my car for a couple of days, when I booted It displayed the upper part fine but the lower 1/3 showed lines. can you advise? Thanks
September 24th, 2008 at 4:26 pm
I replaced the inverter on my acer-5610. I still have the same problem the back light goes out about 1 minute after the machine boots, I can get it to come back on for a brief period by pushing on the pin switch that tells the machine the display is closed. Any thoughts beyond replacing the back light?
September 25th, 2008 at 12:51 pm
i have a compaq presario v2000. how can i tell if i need an inverter board or a backlight? have a dark screen but i can see the screen with a flashlight. i have been looking thru your web site (which is fantastic!) but both problems are similiar. thanks for any help
September 25th, 2008 at 5:11 pm
I have a Dell 5160 inspiron laptop. Just recently, noticed that when the power supply is connected, the screen does not come to full brightness anymore. The screen is always partially dimmed as if it were on battery power. Is this a hardware or software issue?
September 25th, 2008 at 11:20 pm
Whenever I start my Hp pavillion laptop. The display doesn’t show up & it gives a strange buzzing sound though machine seems to be working.
September 27th, 2008 at 9:41 pm
Fred Zayed,
First of all, I would try reconnecting the video cable, maybe it got loose. This connector is located under the hinge cover. You can remove the hinge cover following these instructions.
If reseating the cable will not help, probably you’ve damaged the LCD screen.
September 27th, 2008 at 9:50 pm
Bryce,
There is a slight chance that your new inverter board is defective. If not, I would say it’s bad backlight lamp. You can try replacing the backlight lamp but it’s not easy.
This post could be helpful: How to replace laptop backlight lamp (CCFL).
September 27th, 2008 at 9:56 pm
Kerry,
You cannot tell until one of them replaced. That’s right, you’ll have to guess. I don’t know any reliable way to test the inverter board at home.
Inverter boards fail more often than backlight lamps. If I would have to guess, I would go with the inverter first.
September 27th, 2008 at 10:02 pm
Robert Hansen,
Most likely software settings. Make sure the brightness is set to 100% for the AC mode.
I believe on some (maybe all) Dell laptops you can change the screen brightness settings in the BIOS setup menu.
Also, try changing the brightness with Fn+Up Arrow (to increase) and Fn+Down Arrow (to decrease) keys. Can you? Hold down the Fn key and tap a few times on the Up Arrow key.
September 27th, 2008 at 10:04 pm
Nikhil,
Can you see a very faint image on the screen? Does your laptop work fine with an external monitor?
September 29th, 2008 at 11:15 am
I have the same problem with my macbook. No backlight but you can see desktop image with folders very faintly which tells me that it might be the inverter. However I don’t know how to replace it even if I could find a replacement. Do you know of any instructions for the Macbook? It’s an expensive machine and I can’t afford to buy another one.
October 2nd, 2008 at 4:30 pm
i have an R52 with a dim display, i know the problem is not the screen nor the inverter, because it works fine, any ideas on where to look in the motherboard for a fix?
October 6th, 2008 at 6:25 am
I any one know where I can purchase an invertor for the back light on an HP Pavilion ZE4900(US) please let me know. thebomani_at_hotmail.com
October 7th, 2008 at 9:15 pm
Fernando, you may want to try a ccfl bulb…if you’re decent with a soldering iron and have some patience it’s worth a shot. Just my guess if you say your inverter is fine. The ccfl bulb is physically located at the bottom of the LCD screen.
October 9th, 2008 at 2:26 am
i have a 4 years old IBM R50P THINKPAD. some times ago by starting up my screen turned redish and after a view minutes was back to normal. now it is black and stays black some times a very shallow hard to see image is visual but very rear. what problem could it be.
October 12th, 2008 at 2:38 am
Gerard, I seem to have the exact same problem.
I also have a R50P, the screent was reddish on the sides for a while and turned black on a sunny afternoon.
Now, I orderd this LCD Inverter from IBM Belgium (just called the techcenter, costed me €22, tax and shipping included) and it worked fine for 10 minutes. My screen got red again on the side and it started flickering for a couple of seconds and black again. It is without any doubt that the backlight failed but replacing this is a bit out of my league… And I’m out of waranty since August.
What to do… I know it’s time for a new laptop but I would rather save some cash.
October 12th, 2008 at 4:25 pm
fernando flower,
Check the lid close switch, make sure it’s not stuck inside the case. Try tapping on the switch with a pen, make sure it moved freely.
October 12th, 2008 at 4:27 pm
Gerard Verbeek,
Sounds like a bad backlight lamp (CCFL).
October 12th, 2008 at 4:31 pm
Jasper Pollet,
Apparently, you have the same problem as Gerard Verbeek - failed backlight lamp.
If you cannot replace the backlight lamp, you’ll have to replace the whole LCD screen.
Maybe you can find a technician who can replace the backlight lamp for you.
October 16th, 2008 at 7:20 pm
I’m trying to diagnose a Dell 6000. The screen lights just for a second on power up, then it remains dark. Sometimes it is very, very faint, but usually it’s completely black. Could this be the inverter board?
October 17th, 2008 at 9:51 am
Hi I am replacing a lcd screen from sreentek of my alienware aria 51-m m5500 series a 15.4 b154ew08 v.1,the screen only show 1/4 of it on the left side of the screen the right part has different shade of blue line from top to bottom i change the lcd same thing
but if i plug my desktop lcd monitor the loptop works fine and i also change lcd cable (new) same result, could give an advice
maybe its the video card?
thanks.
joey
October 17th, 2008 at 12:41 pm
Hi All,
I am having trouble with my Thinkpad T42 LCD screen. The problem almost perfectly fits the symptoms of a bad inverter (backlight is off, but an unlit image is still formed on the screen; backlight comes on briefly if I open and close the lid). However, I replaced the inverter, and the problem was not resolved. There is one other symptom (I think): when I open and close the lid, and the backlight turns on briefly, the color on the screen is wrong (the white-point is off, and everything has a red tinge). Does this suggest any other cause for my problem than the inverter? What other problem fits these symptoms (especially that the backlight turns on briefly when opening the lid)? This doesn’t seem to me like a problem with the CFL bulb, but maybe I’m wrong.
Thanks for your help and insight!!!
Steve
October 20th, 2008 at 6:57 am
you rock! this totally explains my problem (i need an inverter). i now can confidently arrange repair. thank you!
October 21st, 2008 at 11:33 am
Awesome, your hint of the close lid switch was the answer in my case. KUDOS to you for the hint.
October 21st, 2008 at 2:01 pm
Hello, My laptop screen started trembling (flickering) I opened my laptop screen and found this inverter
71-4200R-D02
http://www.clevoweb.co.uk/Parts/71-4200R-D02.htm
When I wiggle it with a plastic pen it shows some trembling but I cant find exactly a position that stops the trembling of the light…
Does anyone know of a place in europe that has this for a cheap price? How much does these cost normally? I am in Greece.
Is there any way to REPAIR an FLinverter?
October 22nd, 2008 at 7:32 am
Lol i have that exact part
3 of them in fact except i believe that two are broken
October 23rd, 2008 at 10:51 am
i have the same problem as mentioned with my R50 Think Pad IBM here but what should i do or where their a place to fix these kind of a problems?
i’m not so familiar with opening the screen or what ever it would be is there any one might checking the option within my area?
90048 los angeles
October 24th, 2008 at 6:47 pm
I got the same problem guys but i don’t think it’s a bad inverter, but it may have led me to the correct direction. My backlight bulb fails to light up, but that doesn’t mean the bulb is bad, because sometimes it does light up. My screen goes very very dim, then i have to slightly close the computer lip…. to decrease the angle, then it will light up, then i increase the angle and it’s gone. Sort of a chance by chance thing. Im figuring it’s bad connections or loose connections, so I’m going to take off the lid and check it out.
November 2nd, 2008 at 7:09 pm
My dell inspiron 2200 keyboard is acting strangly. When I type letters like h, y, t, enter key, and the space bar key I get something other that what I selected. My keys are typing words that I have not choosed. Do I need to replace my keyboard, or what can I do?
November 2nd, 2008 at 10:56 pm
Hi, I have HP OMNIBOOK 4150 its casing/body is damadge from the hatches and it creates very troubble to open and close the notebook, I always use a cussion behind the screen for stay.
Please suggest the solution for this or can i change the casing / body of this notebook and if yes then where from i can get.
November 5th, 2008 at 10:25 am
does hp notebooks have a backlight inverter?
November 6th, 2008 at 7:08 pm
which one is broken, if the half screen is black.
inverter or CCFL? thanks
November 9th, 2008 at 3:31 pm
I read this repair help a week or so ago and decided that the inverter was the problem. I ordered a replacement inverter and installed it. The monitor worked !! … but only for a few days. then it went out again. Why would the screen just go out like that again?
November 11th, 2008 at 6:17 pm
Thank you so much. I was having display problems with my Thinkpad R51 and I really thought it was the inverter. The problem was actually in the lid close switch. I took a pin and toggled the mechanism in the hole and the screen was back to normal. Maybe you can indicate on a diagram where this port is located. Thank you so much. You saved me money and time I didnt have to spare.
November 15th, 2008 at 10:28 pm
[...] Well, in fear that the screen would eventually die on me, I diagnost the problem and found that the inverter in my screen was bad and needed to be replaced, so I bought a new [...]
November 16th, 2008 at 1:08 pm
I have a laptop Compaq Presario 2200. The bottom 1/3 of tjhe monitor/screen is blank. My Son did something to resize the image to fit the remaining 2/3 of the screen. But I want the computer fixed. Any idea what is broken? Do I need a new screen or is this something else.
About how much will it cost to fix? Where can I get it fixed?
We live in Green Bay, WI.
Thank you,
Charles A Tomes
charlestomes@aol.com
November 19th, 2008 at 4:04 pm
Hi,
I had a similar backlight problem. The old inverter usually worked for about five minutes. When I changed the inverter with a new one, the backlight turned off immediately during the boot. Also, when I press the lid close switch, the backlight turns on for a second and then turns off again.
What do you think?
THANKS FOR YOUR TIME,
Jack
November 25th, 2008 at 4:44 pm
Congrats on the site - really well put together.
My problem…..Customer has a Thinkpad X61 about 5 months old. Unfortunately she stood on the laptop and broke the LCD. New LCD was purchased and installed. On power up, the lcd was working altho some of the indicator lights on the inverter were not. Decided to also replace the inverter and LCD cable to cover all bases. Parts were ordered. In the meantime, out of the blue the backlight stopped working. Installed new parts on receipt. Everything in the LCD panel is now replaced. Indicator lights now work but still no backlight. Also determined that no voltage from the inverter so I am suspicious of the lid closing “switch”. Appears that this may be a hall effect device attached to the LCD cable and operated by a magnet in the bottom of the bezel (I THINK!). Also noted that the laptop does not go into sleep mode when the lid is closed. Have checked the obvious like secure plugs and also disconnected BIOS battery thinking that BIOS may have gotten confused during surgery. I have run out of any ideas - any help on the matter would be very gratefully accepted.
November 26th, 2008 at 9:34 pm
Hi, I have replaced the backlight and it was working perfectly until I bumped something while placing the stainless steel cover on the back.
Now I don;t get an power out of the inverter (and I have tried multiple inverters). I reckon I must have blown a fuse somewhere. I did see a fuse map that someone posted but honestly can’t understand where I am supposed to be looking.
Has anyone got a detailed fuse map for a Thinkpad T41 or at least a better explanation of where I should be looking for the fuse.
What kind of fuses is it by the way, is it easy to source and replace ?
November 29th, 2008 at 4:58 am
Hi,
I have a T42P and I have the pb describe in your article.
How can I be sure that the problem is the inverter or the CCFL ???
Thanks.
December 2nd, 2008 at 11:23 am
had issues with a T41 screen and replaced it with a screen from a gutted T42… lights fine but no image - assuming I need a new driver??
Anyone know if this can be fixed or if I need a screen from a T41?
December 3rd, 2008 at 8:09 pm
Hi, I have a Dell laptop and the screen doesn’t come on at all, the machine works fine if I hook it up to a monitor so I think the inverter may be my problem. Any Input would be great.
Thanks
December 7th, 2008 at 7:34 pm
romsworld,
The only reliable way to find the culprit would be testing the laptop with a know good inverter board.
If new inverter doesn’t help, apparently it’s bad CCFL.
December 7th, 2008 at 7:38 pm
just broke it,
It’s possible that the video cable is not compatible with your new screen but I’m not sure 100%.
Does it work with an external monitor? The external video output is fine?
I don’t think that you have a driver related problem. Sounds like something is wrong with hardware.
December 7th, 2008 at 7:43 pm
Ben,
I assume it’s not related to software settings. Enter the BIOS setup menu (using video on external monitor) and check the setting, make sure the laptop LCD is not disabled (if there are settings like that).
Take a closer look at the laptop LCD. Can you see a very faint image? If yes, most likely it’s bad inverter. Look at the screen very closely, the image could be very very dark.
If there is NO image at all, probably it’s not a problem with the inverter. Could be bad cable or bad LCD.
December 17th, 2008 at 7:23 am
Acer Aspire 3618 laptop works great but even when it is plugged in and charging it will turn itself off for no reason. Battery says it is 100% charged. I have to turn it back on and I lose anything I haven’t saved. It goes for hours but then may shut down every 10 minutes or so.
December 19th, 2008 at 8:19 pm
Hi, thanks for all your help. I have a thinkpad z61T the screen is very dim, I just replaced the Inverter it did not fix my problem. I can see whatever is in my screen with a flash light and also works fine with an external monitor. Do you think is the back light or another cable. The ghost image on the screen appear with and without the inverter.
Thanks again
Marlon
December 20th, 2008 at 10:32 am
HI I have a HP laptop and the screen is blank and as per your advice I used a flash light to see if any dim image are there but I couldn’t find that one. But when I press the LCD inverter it show a white screen with nothing. Do you think if it is a bad inverter or a video card problem? hope you will help me to fix it.Thanking you.
December 24th, 2008 at 9:08 am
Help with Thinkpad T41. Have an IBM Thinkpad T41 that has a disk problem. The laptop randomly just goes dead. Its not a power source issue, but seems to be a problem with the disk drive. With constant medium pressure on the keyboard, directly above where the disk drive sits, the laptop will run without a problem, while a bit awkward to use (lol). However, remove the pressure, and the system stops instantly. I’ve reseated the drive a couple of times, without any luck. Am trying to determine if there’s some known issue, or how best to diagnose / resolve. This is an older refurbished unit. Thanks for any help.
December 26th, 2008 at 3:12 am
Can someone help me with freezing VGN-FE41M.
Sometimes my laptop freeze at startup and sometimes when working on windows Vista or XP. I have check all components like memory, HD, Modem, NIC and replaced them by others but nothing helps. Vista and XP have installed many times too.
Does anyone have any idea what the problem is?
Thanks for your help.
December 26th, 2008 at 4:37 pm
i have a compaq laptop with a 15.4 brightview lscreen that has a glich or something going on with only the bottom third of the screen. if i put pressure on the lower left hand side of the screen it will look ok till i let it go. it seems to be getting worse. i have opened it up and checked all the wires and i checked the screen for damage. all seems well and i have never dropped the computer. any ideas? do i need a new screen? inverter? video card? i donno? ill appriate any and all help and info you come up with.
thanks
January 2nd, 2009 at 12:12 pm
hi
thank you for your valuable information on laptop.
i have a Sony notebook vgn model. the laptop shows half screen when i poweron but the bottom screen images are not visible.
i connected the laptop with desktop pc (dual monitor setup) it works fine..
i have a doubt , the trouble is because of invertor or screen ?
can you please help me in this issue/
gk
January 3rd, 2009 at 5:17 pm
I am so glad to have found the root cause of my problem.
I still need some further help before i go and open up the LCD to get the FR number to buy a new inverter.
1. My laptop LCD works fine on battery power (Its much less bright than ii used to be and compared to my husbands T43. But at least i can use the laptop for the 30-40 min it works on full charge! The minute I plug in the AC power it flickers and turn off but I can see the image is there. Is this still an inverter problem?.
2. I know the process seems simple with the pics and all but is there any special care I need to take to ensure I do not mess something else up when i replace the inverter?
3. Is it possible to use the same FR number and buy an inverter card before i open up my laptop?
January 7th, 2009 at 9:49 am
my T60, the top 1/3 of the display works fine, but the bottom 2/3 is full spectrum colorful tiny verticle bars. what’s the problem? inverter? backlight? or something else? please help me with this!
January 7th, 2009 at 10:11 am
Aashtee,
It’s hard to tell until you test the laptop with another working inverter board. Could be either bad inverter or failing backlight lamp.
Here’s something to try. Enter the power management utility and lower LCD brightness for the AC mode, make it the same as for the battery mode. It’s possible after that you’ll be able to use your laptop with AC adapter too.
Be careful with the LCD mask, it’s made of fragile plastic. Do not forget to remove the battery. And do not hurry.
You should check the FRU part number on your inverter and buy the same.
January 7th, 2009 at 10:14 am
shawn,
If the screen still lights up there is nothing wrong with the inverter or backlight.
Does it look like a screen in this guide? Removing LCD from HP dv6000
If it does, most likely it’s a bad LCD screen.
January 7th, 2009 at 12:08 pm
yes. exactly the same. now i see it’s a bad LCD screen.
Thanks!
January 8th, 2009 at 8:23 am
Hi there!
I Have Dell laptop INSPIRON 6400 for last 3 years and recently I have problem with monitor. No image on it only vertical lanes, back light working ok so screen looked to be white. I connected external monitor and laptop works ok, so I replace screen and that didn’t fix problem then I replace video cable and still no joy, at this stage I’m running out of ideas, didn’t try replace inverter back light working ok so I don’t its inerter can inverter effect image on lcd? Any chance you can help me my warranty expired, please help Val
January 16th, 2009 at 5:32 pm
Inspiron 6000
laptop very dim. can see the screen faintly in well lit room.
i replaced the inverter but it doesn’t fit perfectly. the screen holes don’t line up exactly. but the connectors fit fine and i just used a bit of tape.
is the screw necessary for an electrical connection? can i drop some solder to connect them?
do you think the lamp is broke?
thanks.
January 18th, 2009 at 2:23 pm
Dell Vostro 1000
Display is much dimmer than normal, but not totally dim as I’ve seen on other laptops with a bad inverter board.
Do you think this is also a bad inverter board? I’m going to replace it to find out, but am curious.
January 19th, 2009 at 10:07 pm
hello.
i have a toshiba satellite a135-s4467. its 2 years old and my display went dim. i replaced the fl inverter today, and the computer was running great. however, i thought i should mention that when i replaced the inverter, it was buzzing a bit. i was fearful at first but then the buzzing stopped. my joy was short lived though, after approx 3 hours or so, the screen went dim again. same prob. that i had before. display visible with a flashlight…..
was wondering if i received a bad inverter, or is something else causing the inverter to go bad. this computer obviously is out of warranty and i’m in no situation right now to purchase a new one. so i was trying to fix the problem myself.
can anyone tell me if something else can cause the inverter to go bad
January 20th, 2009 at 2:35 pm
Just replaced a laptop screen… random horizontal lines at random times. Nothing seemed to cause it, just appeared randomly. Twisting the screen, or torquing the screen fixed the problem for a short period of time. Turned out to be the screen itself.
January 21st, 2009 at 10:50 am
DUDE I LOVE YOU! Tapping the button fixed my monitor on my laptop THANK YOU SO MUCH!
January 21st, 2009 at 3:02 pm
I have a problem I’ve replace it but it seems no only partially work!
I orders a hp dv1000 LCD inverter and it fixed the dim problem.
But when I unplug my laptop and run of the battery its all dim again.
I thought it might be a defective product from the manufacturer,
so I ordered another one and its still the same thing..
Its really weird…
Plugged into the wall, electricity, it works fine
Running off the battery its back to dim barley seen screen.
Please advise.
I also would like to know how I can tighten my screen cause unlike other laptops the hp dv 1000 dosent have a simple screw that I can just tighten
Thank you
January 22nd, 2009 at 7:38 pm
Dell Inspiron 1720: The screen went dark on the left side but is fine on the right side. What would cause this problem? Looks like the backlight is out on the left side only — is that possible? I can read the left side of the screen, but it is darker that the right side.
January 24th, 2009 at 11:03 am
Its a Compaq v5000 the screen went black and all you can see is lines running up and down if i move the screen it will get brighter and some thing could me seen at times but only for a second. could it be the inverter of the screen
thanks in advance.
January 24th, 2009 at 2:43 pm
Before I pitch this thing:
I have an hp dv1720us. The inverter went out once and hp repaired under warranty. It seemed to go out again - classic description - at bootup see logo then goes dim. I ordered replacement, put in, worked for 24 hours then stopped. Same scenario. I ordered replacement and no go.
What is interesting is that connector to the left, facing machine, the one with 4 or 5 little connections - if I “wiggle’ it, or just barely attach, the display comes on but then goes again - almost like it’s a short or something but I can’t figure how to troubleshoot it. I’m just about going to give up and sell it for parts on ebay as I don’t want to spend money on it.
If there are any words of wisdom, please let me know.
Thanks in advance.
January 26th, 2009 at 11:10 am
Thanks for putting out this excellent guide. I was able to replace the inverter on my dell inspiron 5150 using the procedure provided. Couldn’t have done without it. Thanks Again!
January 26th, 2009 at 11:08 pm
Mo,
Is it dim like there is no backlight at all, or dim like the backlight works but it’s not bright enough?
Did you check the laptop power settings (usually found in control panel)? Maybe the screen brightness is set to minimum for the battery mode?
January 26th, 2009 at 11:10 pm
Colleen,
Not sure 100% what’s going on but I think the backlight lamp is failing. I think one day it will not light up at all. That’s just a guess.
January 26th, 2009 at 11:14 pm
frank,
If the screen is black but you can see the lines, it’s not the inverter. When inverter fails, you barely can see anything.
You’ll have to test the laptop with an external monitor and check the external video.
1. If the external monitor works fine, most likely you have either bad LCD screen or defective video cable. For some reason I think your problem is related to the cable, but I could be wrong.
2. If both the internal LCD and external monitor display same lines, most likely your problem is related to the video card. I guess in your laptop the video card is integrated into the motherboard, so it’s a bad motherboard.
First of all, test the external video output. It will help to narrow down the problem.
January 26th, 2009 at 11:17 pm
Brian,
From the description it sounds like there could be a problem with the cable, not the inverter.
You’ve replace the inverter two times, but still experiencing the same problem. At the same time you cam make it work if you wiggle the cable? Sounds like a bad cable to me.
January 30th, 2009 at 12:42 pm
I have had recurring problems with my laptop screen. 6 months ago the screen went dark (but picture still dimly visible) and I was told the problem was the cable, it was replaced and I was good to go. For 6 months. The screen went out again (still dimly visible), the inverter was replaced, and the screen worked for a day. When the screen went dark again (still dimly visible), I took it back to the computer shop - they kept it for a week, then told me that the video card was bad, it would be very expensive to replace, and I would have to replace the whole motherboard. He then suggested just connecting the laptop to an external monitor. Which I did. Works fine. But another tech I happened to run into, said that if the external monitor works, the video card is fine, and the original tech must have put in a defective inverter or missed a cable problem. Before I take it back to the original technician, does the opinion of the 2nd tech make sense? Any help greatly appreciated.
January 31st, 2009 at 7:33 am
Hi there
I am the owner of T41. When I touch left or right bottom part of ma LCD the bulbs go blind and I barely can sse the windows desktop. I can see what is going on. When i touch the upper part of my lcd and move it up and down nothing bad happens. When I touch near the inwerter and start moving the lid I hear buzzing sounds from the inverter place and then the lcd becomes dark, bust still it is possible to see the desktop. My friend says it the lcd cable but from the above posts it seems to me it is the inverter. What do you think?
And one more thing. I could work without any interference yesterday when moving the lcd lid. It only happens when I move the lid.
thx
February 1st, 2009 at 5:18 pm
394cj2600 Says:
January 26th, 2009 at 11:17 pm
Brian,
What is interesting is that connector to the left, facing machine, the one with 4 or 5 little connections - if I “wiggle’ it, or just barely attach, the display comes on but then goes again - almost like it’s a short or something but I can’t figure how to troubleshoot it.
From the description it sounds like there could be a problem with the cable, not the inverter.
You’ve replace the inverter two times, but still experiencing the same problem. At the same time you cam make it work if you wiggle the cable? Sounds like a bad cable to me.
***************
Can I purchase this cable somewhere? I’m not sure how to google that….
February 2nd, 2009 at 1:49 pm
What if plugging an external monitor into the VGA port works fine - does that still mean the inverter board might be bad?
February 2nd, 2009 at 8:27 pm
Judy,
From my experience, if the external monitor works MOST LIKELY there is nothing wrong with the video card.
It’s possible the inverter board was defective and has to be replaced again.
February 2nd, 2009 at 8:32 pm
radiator,
It’s hard to tell what’s going on with your laptop. Could be bad connection, defective cables, some kind of grounding issue, etc…
I think it’s necessary to remove the screen bezel and find out which part you have to move or touch in order to kill the backlight. If the backlight goes off when you move the cable, it’s either bad connection between the cable and inverter or the cable is defective.
February 2nd, 2009 at 8:40 pm
Brian,
Usually HP puts a sticker with the part number. Can you find the sticker on your cable? Also, you should be able to find the part number in the maintenance and service manual.
By the way, I tried searching for the manual but when I search for an HP Pavilion dv1720us, I’m getting no results. Are you sure your wrote the laptop model correctly?
February 2nd, 2009 at 8:43 pm
John Dougherty,
Testing a laptop with an external monitor tells you nothing about inverter.
If the external monitor works fine, it means that most likely the motherboard/video card work properly. If the laptop screen is extremely dim but you still can see the image, most likely it’s related to the inverter but also could be bad backlight lamp, defective video cable and even faulty motherboard. Can you see any image on the laptop screen at all?
February 3rd, 2009 at 4:19 pm
By the way, I tried searching for the manual but when I search for an HP Pavilion dv1720us, I’m getting no results. Are you sure your wrote the laptop model correctly?
It is dv1712us. I found the cable - ddct1alc100 and found on ebay. I will likely order one. I know I tried two inverter boards but the symptoms are so classic for what you describe. One of the items comes with both cable and inverter board so i may purchase that one to be sure. I’ll let you know what happens….
Thanks for your help!
February 5th, 2009 at 7:41 am
I am posting this here hoping to get advice from those folks who disassembled Lenovo displays.
I had to replace the broken bottom cover of my X60s and now the LEDs at the bottom of the screen are dead. (These are green status indicators for battery/AC, hard drive, wireless, caps lock, etc.) The laptop works fine otherwise. Since I did not open the display, I suspect that I damaged one of the cables that power the LEDs.
The images here suggest that the LEDs sit on the inverter board. Are they powered by the same ribbon cable as the rest of the display? Or is it one of the wires hidden in the hinges?
Finally, could it be a software issue? Windows found some ‘new hardware’ when I turned it on, so a lost driver is possible. Do the LEDs have their own driver?
Thanks!
February 6th, 2009 at 7:59 am
I’m really in need of a screen replacement on my thinkpad. The laptop is in perfect condition exept the screen is cracked and now I can’t see nothing I know there’s an easy solution but I don’t want to make any drastic moves.
February 7th, 2009 at 8:32 pm
It is dv1712us. I found the cable - ddct1alc100 and found on ebay. I will likely order one. I know I tried two inverter boards but the symptoms are so classic for what you describe. One of the items comes with both cable and inverter board so i may purchase that one to be sure. I’ll let you know what happens….
UPDATE:
Got the new cable with the inverter and am typing on the laptop NOW! So, it worked. As an experiment, I tried one of the other inverters with the new cable and it DIDN’T work - so, who knows. the new cable with it’s inverter seems to be working so I’m happy. The only minor thing is cosmetic - I can’t seem to get the plastic housing that sits just over the inverter to snap back in place - I don’t know if it’s a little ‘thicker’ or something but I’m not messing with it any more and I’m happy to have my little laptop back.
Thanks again for all your help and love the website.
February 9th, 2009 at 7:44 am
I have HP dv5000t (15′) have display issue where I can see DIM image on the screen but the VGA out to external monitor works great.
So based on the reviews, I thought it could be inverter board or the Lamp. So First I replace inverter board $15 from ebay (most common problem and also easy to replace). But didnot solve my problem, still same dim image on the scrren.
Can anyone suggests, replacing CCFL lamp would solve my display problem? If yes than what kind of lamp should i be buying , as i cannot get good info for my laptop anywhere.
Any suggestion would be a gr8 help.
February 12th, 2009 at 12:14 am
I have a Hp Dv2000. The problem is weird every time I boot my laptop the screen is dim[I can see the Hp logo]. after hitting the Fn F4 a few times the screen comes back on OR if I close the lid and open again after 3 mins the screen is on. the laptop then works fine for 2.5 hrs or so. then suddenly the screen starts getting dim and the back light goes off.
The screen starts working again after a few hours of using the external monitor.
-happens on both power and battery.
-external monitor works fine.
-lid switch works fine[have tested by disconnecting it]
-have tested the ram
I don’t know if the problem is the invertors or some voltage problem on the mother board.
Please help.
February 12th, 2009 at 12:46 am
FORGOT TO ADD
Fn F& &F8 brightness control not working as well
February 12th, 2009 at 4:47 pm
I changed my LCD screen (glossy) and was dim s replaced the inverter and dim as well…any suggestions on what to do.
February 16th, 2009 at 7:32 am
my laptop screen wont come on but the actual laptop does
i have tried putting a cable in the back of it then in my pc screen and it comes up on my pc but not on my laptop.
whats the problem and how do i fix it ??
February 18th, 2009 at 8:36 am
I have this problem but am not bothered to do this as it is much hastle. I have a toshiba tecra and this happens to me . now while i am plugged into mains electricity it flickers slightly but while idle or after system startup it flickers rapidly and to the point where the backlight dims completely and i can hear a strange buzzing noise coming from the hinges of my laptop.
February 18th, 2009 at 8:39 am
Update :
I replaced the CCFL lamp but still the image on the scrren is DIM. The lamp didnot glow when connected to inverter and powered on.
Beffoe that i also replace the inverter board.
Not sure what elase colud be the issue.
Any suggestions?
February 21st, 2009 at 2:39 am
Hi,
My laptop (Dell Latitude D630) screen has gone dull. Usually when we plug it in the screen gets brighter but now when we plug it in it gets duller.
Does it need an LCD inverter like above?
Thanks
February 23rd, 2009 at 4:18 pm
I have a IBM Thinkpad and the symptoms are the same as you stated withthe inverter board. I replaced it with no results.
When I boot up the screen is pink and then goes away.
If I go into sleep mode and then back it comes back fro a short time.
You can faintly see the screen as you state for the symptoms for the inverter board.
The disk is constantly running. Could it be software???
Please help!!
March 4th, 2009 at 6:13 pm
I have a problem, it seems as though the inverter is a problem but I have one thing that really can make the difference. When my laptop is not plugged in or isn’t being recharged while in use, the screen is fine. However, as soon as I plug the charger into the laptop, it goes very, very DIM. The Image is there, but the backlight just turns off. Any suggestions as to how I would fix this?
March 6th, 2009 at 9:44 pm
I have a very similar situation as comment #415:
1. Screen seemed a bit pink at start-up for a few weeks, but hardly noticable.
2. Start up Thinkpad T43 and screen is blank. Notice desktop is visible, just barely - seems like a backlight issue.
3. Connect external monitor, activate “presentation on projector and thinkpad 800×600″ display profile, i.e. mirrored display on LCD and external monitor. Surprisingly, the main monitor now works (at 800×600).
What’s the deal? Last major thing I did was a full Matlab R2008b installation just before shutting down.
March 8th, 2009 at 3:40 am
after changing inverter board on the LCD i have a picture but is not like before its less light about 30 % than before. what should i do
March 8th, 2009 at 9:10 am
MY THINKPAD T40 SCREEN BOOTS UP TO WINDOWS XP PRO BUT WHILE ITS TRYING TO REINSTALL XP, THE SCREEN ALWAYS BLACKS OUT. THE IMAGE IS NOT DIM I CANNOT SEE IT AT ALL, WHEN THE SCREEN IS AVAILABLE IT IS CLEAR AND VISIBLE, COULD THIS BE AN INVERTER PROBLEM?
March 10th, 2009 at 12:51 am
I just replaced the invertor in my HP NC8000 laptop. Basically, the screen was going very dark, you could only very slightly see the images. Sometimes the image would come on properly. Sometimes it would flicker. Or it would come on for 5 seconds when you first turn it on, but would dim after that. Since replacing, it hasn’t happened. Good luck to you all.
March 10th, 2009 at 3:31 am
can i just remove the laptop monitor and replace it with a regular monitor.. i have a flat screen 21inc monitor.. is that possible?
March 22nd, 2009 at 9:02 pm
ok I took everything a part andpulled out in inverter to get the number now having trouble finding a place that will sell it …is ir possible it can be the bulbs that are making the screen dim? and if so how do I change those and find out what kind of bulbs I need?
March 24th, 2009 at 6:33 pm
Bottom third of screen blacked out on a HP Pavillion ze4900?
March 31st, 2009 at 8:57 pm
hi. so i just followed your instructions on how to take apart a toshiba a105 laptop screen to replace my inverter. i just got done replacing it (with a board from the ebay site that you suggested) and i rebooted my laptop it flickered a little bit and it stop being pink. but after a few minutes i heard a hissing noise and the screen all of a sudden died on me again being completely dim or complete darkness with some windows being visible if i use a light on it. any suggestions?
March 31st, 2009 at 9:01 pm
michael,
1. Could be defective inverter board.
2. You have a faulty backlight lamp. If that’s the case, you’ll have to replace the LCD screen. You can try replacing the lamp but it’s not easy at all and only for people with experience.
March 31st, 2009 at 10:43 pm
My Advent 7108 goes dark after a couple of seconds, but if I look really carefully I can still see the graphics, cursor moving etc and the atatched monitor works fine. If I toggle between the monitor and the laptop screen the picture comes back for a couple of seconds. I see a high voltage on the output of the Darfon inverter for a couple of seconds (not not long enough to get a stable reading on my DVM).
Classic inverter problem you may say, but exactly the same thing happens with the replacement inverter. Have I just been unlucky and the repalcmeent unit (sold as tested and working) has exactly the same issue as the original?
I don’t see how it can be the screen since the inverter cannot sustain an output voltage with the screen unplugged.
Am I being unreasonable to expect the supplier to send a replacement or refund?
Thanks in advance
Robert
March 31st, 2009 at 10:54 pm
Robert Folkes,
It’s either bad inverter or faulty backlight lamp.
I doubt that you can test the inverter board with a regular voltmeter. I’ve been looking for a good reliable method to test inverters with a voltmeter for a long time and haven’t found one yet. As soon as you attach the voltmeter to the inverter board, it shocks the system and the laptop stops working properly until you restart it. That was my experience with testing inverters. The only reliable way is installing a known good inverter board or attaching a known good backlight lamp.
That means you have a problem with the backlight lamp inside the screen. Also, there could be a problem with the motherboard or video cable but it’s not common. My guess, it’s either defective inverter or bad backlight.
That’s right, it works correctly only when it’s loaded - the backlight lamp is attached.
Not at all. Try replacing the inverter again. If you still experience the same problem, move to the backlight lamp.
April 5th, 2009 at 10:13 pm
I have replaced the LCD (twice) and the inverter (3 times!) on my IBM R51 - screen’s black but working -I can see a faint image.
So I guess the motherboard power to the ibnverter’s the problem - is that diagnosable or fixable?
April 7th, 2009 at 3:45 am
hello,
My X40 screen has gone black, and i don’t know whether it’s the inverter or the back light. how can i figure this ?
Also i have a asus m5 which is dead. Can i user this screen and the associated inverter on the x40 ?
April 9th, 2009 at 8:06 am
Alan,
First of all, check the lid close switch - a small button located close to one of the display hinges. Make sure the button moved freely and is not stuck inside the case. Can you make the backlight flash if you tap on the lid close switch?
If tapping on the switch doesn’t help, apparently there is a problem with the motherboard.
Also, you may have a defective video cable.
I don’t know what else could be wrong. It’s either bad cable or motherboard.
April 9th, 2009 at 8:11 am
sexyback,
The only reliable way is testing the laptop with another known good inverter or backlight. If you have to guess, go with the inverter first.
Nope, you cannot. IBM laptops require IBM parts.
April 9th, 2009 at 2:35 pm
Thank you for this great info. I have a Dell 640m and I was sure that I had a inverter gone bad. So I ordered the part opened up my laptop and switched the inverter.
My laptop was working fine for about 2 days or so then the flickering started and I have the same issue again. I just replaced the inverter so it can’t be that. Could it be a short circuit somewhere or something else?
Please help.
April 9th, 2009 at 9:32 pm
Riz moorji,
Did you purchase a used inverter? Maybe it was defective?
At this point it’s hard to tell what’s wrong. I would try replacing the inverter board again. If it fails again, most likely you have the backlight failure. The next step will be replacing the LCD screen (it has the backlight lamp inside).
April 11th, 2009 at 7:33 pm
I have an HP Pavilion DV1000.
It sounds like a faulty FL inverter after reading this page.
The backlight turns off a second after releasing the ‘closed lid’ button. It works, but never for more than a second. It used to stay on for 5 min then turn off. It makes that ‘buzzing’ sound and seems to get quite warm in the area of the wiring on the left side of the inverter.
I accidentally pulled the colored wires out of the white plug and need the pin set. What is the order?
Thanks
Green Black White Red Blue?
April 12th, 2009 at 11:51 am
Kept getting BSOD error. Screen shut off sometimes. I reinstalled XP, now the screen just freezes randomly. I tried using a different monitor but it doesn’t help. Any suggestions?
April 12th, 2009 at 1:11 pm
tim,
sorry, cannot help. I don’t have this laptop and cannot confirm the pin set.
April 12th, 2009 at 1:14 pm
zmasterflex,
Most likely it’s either memory or hard drive related problem and one of them is failing.
1. If you have two memory modules installed, try removing them one by one. Start the laptop with only one memory module installed.
2. You can run Memtest86+ and test memory. Make sure the test makes a few passes. Does it give you any errors?
3. Listen for the hard drive sounds when the laptop boots up. Can you hear any grinding or clicking sounds? You can use Hitachi’s drive fitness test to test the hard drive. Does it fail?
I linked to both utilities in Resources on the right side.
April 19th, 2009 at 8:10 am
i replaced lcd screen on hp530 laptop everything was ok until i put the laptop back together now the back light dosent come on could i have damaged the inverter or the back light
April 19th, 2009 at 11:33 am
vinchenzo,
Could be just a connection related issue, maybe you accidentally pulled the LCD cable from the connector while installing the screen.
Disassemble the display panel again and try reseating the cable. Check connections on the inverter board.
April 19th, 2009 at 3:02 pm
Hi. I was wondering if when doing this if there is a way I could seriously damage any part of the computer and how?
May 7th, 2009 at 2:46 pm
I ordered a Sharp LCD replacement for my Fujitsu laptop (it got cracked), and asked the seller if it was a Sharp LA02 (my model), which they confirmed, so I bought it. I plugged in what looked like the identical part into the laptop and got no light, nothing, not even the faint image. It was a Sharp LA03. When I called to complain they said it was the same thing and that the manufacturer was not shipping 02’s any more. So as a test I tried the old screen, which used to work even though cracked. Now that doesn’t come at all on either, not even faintly.
Based on your comments, it doesn’t sound like the inverter, which is what the company who sold me the screen is saying. I can return it and get my money back, but I would rather get it working and be done with it (if they are correct in fact about the LA03 being compatible).
help
May 7th, 2009 at 10:06 pm
I have a Dell Inspirion 1501 and have had it for a year and a half. My screen keeps going dim especially when I plug in my ac adapter. I can still see the words on the screen and there is a buzzing noise. Based on what I have read, it sounds like a faulty inverter board.
May 9th, 2009 at 3:52 pm
Hi,
I think your web page is awsome!
I have a Dell Inspiron E1505 the screen is not as dark as what is talked about in these messages but it is dim and very hard to read in the day time but easier at night. If I move the screen back and forth the light will come back on but then goes back off in about 10 seconds but again you can move the screen and the same thing comes back on then goes back off. Everything eles seems to be fine what could the problem be? I have tried the Fn key and that doesn’t help.
Thank you so much for you time and May God Bless You for all the help you give
May 10th, 2009 at 1:03 pm
Hi,
I recently replaced the inverter on a ThinkPad R32. After the replacement the panel displayed nothing. Turned out I had to run IBM’s “LCD Panel Utility” from the “ThinkPad CE Utility Diskette” to make it work. More details can be found in my blog.
May 14th, 2009 at 11:54 am
I had a similar problem after the screen went dark but in which you could still see the picture. I’ve replaced both the inverter and the LCD panel, still no difference. The inverter is the exact same item. Could it be both are bad? Or could it be both CCFLs are bad on both LCDs? Could there be yet another culprit I’m not aware of that would make the CCFL not ignite?
May 17th, 2009 at 3:43 pm
I replaced the inverter on my Qosmio F25 laptop and the screen is still black, although I can still see faint images in the black. Online comments led me to believe it was an inverter problem. Is replacing the lamp the next solution or, as one blog suggested, the ID in the inverter EEPROM needs to be updated?
May 18th, 2009 at 10:20 am
will,
I’ve fixed many Toshiba laptops but never had to “updated the ID in the inverter EEPROM”. To be honest, I don’t even know how to do that.
The inverter board and backlight lamp failure symptoms are very similar. The screen light goes off but you still can see a very faint image.
If replacing the inverter doesn’t help, most likely it’s bad backligth lamp.
Here’s how you can test the laptop with a spare backlight lamp without replacing the whole screen.
May 18th, 2009 at 1:09 pm
Tim Williams,
If you replaced the inverter and backlight with known good parts but still experience the same issue, apparently it’s either bad motherboard (most likely) or defective video cable (less likely).
May 20th, 2009 at 5:58 am
Hi, my Toshiba Satellite M105-S3041 has developed an issue where the screen dims when the screen is moved up and down or due to some vibration, there is also a buzzing noise when this happens. I have to move the screen around normally to correct it. Does this sound like I need to replace the screen inverter? or could it be the video cable that is faulty? or something else? It’s normally fine when there is no physical movement. Please also recommend a site to order the part from. Thanks!
May 28th, 2009 at 6:49 am
I have a similar problem whereby the screen goes very dim a few seconds after being turned on, so I presume it’s the inverter. However, sometimes before going dim it flickers in horizontal blocks the full width of the screen - some dark, some less dark and some full brightness (and slightly grainy image quality, although it’s hard to tell because usually immediately it then all goes very dark). Have you heard of this? Could this also be caused by a faulty inverter? I’ve ruled out a bad connection because waggling the screen makes no difference.
June 4th, 2009 at 4:58 am
fixed it myself…thanks to this site.
thank you
June 15th, 2009 at 8:43 pm
Great! Fixed the HP Pavilion dv1000 in about 15 minutes. If you don’t have a guitar pick, the edge of a credit card should do the trick.
June 17th, 2009 at 5:44 pm
On my 2.5 year old Toshiba Satellite A135, I replaced the inverter but that wasn’t the problem for my computer. My backlight had obviously failed as I could see the images on the laptop screen using a flashlight. But replacing the inverter using the info on this site gave me the confidence to handle replacing the screen myself.
Got a new LCD screen today for $99 from lcdsforless and that fixed the problem (thank goodness). So I don’t have to buy a new laptop and deal with transferring data at least for now. The backlight lamp apparently failed on the old screen, and I wasn’t interested in peforming surgery on the old LCD screen to replace the lamp.
SO glad to have it working correctly as a laptop tethered to a regular display monitor isn’t very portable. And it is nice to have a very bright screen again - in comparison to this new screen (and backlight) I can now see how dim the other one had become before it failed.
June 20th, 2009 at 11:36 am
Dell inspiron 1501. Had the sometimes dim, sometimes black screen, so I replaced the backlight and the inverter. The backlight does light up but very dimly and only the first few inches of the bulb. Could I have bought a bad replacement inverter or do you think there is another problem? ALmost like there is not enough power to light the bulb all the way. Seems like there must be another problem if the replacement parts didnt change anything, but I don’t know where to look now.
June 22nd, 2009 at 10:01 am
WoW that was the fastest repair i ever made to a computer!!! Thank you so much for the step by step instructions.
June 22nd, 2009 at 2:49 pm
Can a laptop (in my case, Dell Inspiron 1501) have different inverters parts that are not interchangeable or compatible? I just purchased one on ebay, and when I installed it, My screen still did not light up (See previous posting. So I contacted the seller to arrange for an even exchange, thinking my new one was doa…but the seller says because the part number of the inverter I bought was different than the original one in the machine, I must have purchased the wrong one (they look very similar). So, my question is….can there be multiple inverters for the same laptop model that are not interchangeable?
June 23rd, 2009 at 2:32 am
Hi
and what if only the backlight works on an LCD and no other output can be seen?
is it inverter or LCD failure?
June 27th, 2009 at 11:48 am
REPLY to Sharon:
Laptop LCD backlight mostly consists of 4 different parts: Laptop inverter, laptop LCD lamp (CCFL) , inverter cable and toggle switch. Failure of any of the component will give similar symptoms. There is no other way to find out what might be wrong as long as you don’t use tester equipment. Possible causes of lamp failure is laptop age, continued usage of LCD. Inverter failure is mostly due to variation in power source to LCD or laptop. Sometimes physical breakage and pressure impact also causes backlight failures. Toggle switch issues are very common with HP and Compaq laptops. Toggle switch is On Off switch which turns light off on laptop LCD when laptop bezel is closed. Inverter cable is a bus which runs from motherboard to inverter. Function of inverter cable is to run power from motherboard to inverter. Possible cause of failure is hard impact of pressure or breakage on laptop as cable is situated inner side of laptop and normally does not tear out with age. In worst cases Bad Motherboard and bad LCD cable ( flex cable ) can also cause backlight failure.
June 27th, 2009 at 11:37 pm
Kamykaze,
It’s not related to the inverter. The backlight is on, so the inverter works properly.
Can you get image on the external monitor?
June 28th, 2009 at 9:14 pm
Well, my post from June 15th was maybe a bit premature. I replaced the inverter (in my Mom’s laptop) due to the black screen. You could just barely make out an image if you got the right angle of light on the screen. The laptop worked great for two weeks. Just got an email that it’s back to the same problem with a dark screen. I ordered the replacement inverter from lcdparts.net using their link posted in this article. Could I have maybe gotten a bad inverter? Or does this sound like the inverter is not actually the problem?
June 28th, 2009 at 10:17 pm
Paul Volker,
I think it’s possible that you got a bad one. Try replacing it again.
June 29th, 2009 at 1:13 pm
Thank you for this tutorial. The screen on my HP 6000 laptop was intermittently dim, so after reading your article I ordered a replacement inverter on eBay for less than $12, including shipping. I followed another website’s specific bezel removal instructions for my screen (trivial, if you know where the 6 screws are), and in less than 30 minutes I had a nice, bright good-as-new display.
June 30th, 2009 at 4:29 am
Hi
yes, the external monitor showed perfect image, so I changed the LCD screen in the laptop so now it’s OK. I just wasn’t sure about which component to change (inverter or LCD).
So if backlight OK + external output OK = LCD error
Many thanks for the help and instructions
July 1st, 2009 at 6:27 am
hi i would just like to ask, because i have the same problem, but not on a laptop. but on a IBM POS system. The lcd is fru 47p9282. i can see an image but very dark and no backlight. can you help me pls? thanks.