What can you do if the laptop LCD screen turned completely white? From my experience I can tell that this problem may be related to the following:
1. Loose connection between the video cable and the LCD screen.
2. Defective LCD screen.
3. Defective motherboard (I assume the graphics card is integrated into the motherboard).
Here’s an example of a laptop with white screen. When you turn on the laptop, it starts but the image on the screen is completely white right from the beginning. In my case it was a Toshiba Satellite M45 laptop but this problem may occur with any other brand.
Most likely you still can use the laptop with an external monitor. Just connect the monitor to the VGA port on the back or side of your laptop and then switch the video output from internal to external mode.
On Toshiba laptops you can toggle between internal and external screens using Fn+F5 keys. Hold down Fn and press on F5 until you get video on the external monitor.
On IBM laptops use Fn+F7.
On HP laptops use Fn+F4.
It’s possible that you have to use a different key combination on your laptop but you get the idea.
On some laptops, in order to be able to use the external monitor, you have to connect it to the laptop and then restart the laptop so the external monitor is detected by the laptop.
I noticed that in some cases the laptop screen may turn white because of poor connection between the video cable and the LCD screen. If you want to check this connection, you’ll have to take apart the display panel because the connector is located on the back side of the LCD screen.
These laptop service manuals and disassembly instructions may be useful.
I always check the video cable connection first. Reconnecting the video cable may fix your problem.
If reconnecting the video cable doesn’t help, most likely you have a problem either with the LCD screen or with the motherboard.
The best way to find out witch one is causing the problem is testing the laptop with another working LCD screen. Without this test you’ll have to guess because as I mentioned before this could either bad motherboard or bad LCD screen.
You’ll have to disconnect the video cable from the LCD screen (connector 2) and the inverter board (connectors 3 and 1). After that you connect another working screen and test video.
For this purpose I’m using one of my test LCD screens. My test screen is cracked and because of that you see a wide white band in the center but it still works fine for this test.
The original screen is white but my test screen works normal (except the crack of course) and I can see the image. After this test I can tell that the problem must be related to the screen.
After I assembled everything back together and connected the original LCD, it’s still white.
CONCLUSION. In my case this problem is related to the LCD screen and it has to be replaced.
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November 9th, 2009 at 11:03 pm
Rob,
It’s hard to tell. I would think that you should test the laptop with another 15.4″ screen.
I don’t know if the 15″ screen will work, I haven’t tried it myself.
November 9th, 2009 at 10:35 pm
Ernest,
It’s impossible to tell what is wrong without testing the laptop. Maybe you have a stuck lid close switch and the laptop “thinks” that the display is closed even though it’s opened.
When the display is closed, it activates the lid close switch and the backlight goes off.
November 9th, 2009 at 5:20 pm
Hi.
I hope someone can answer my question. When using another screen to test the laptop, does it need to be the same size as the original one? i.e. could I test my 15.4″ widescreen laptop with an older 15″ screen as long as the connectors are the same?
Cheers
Rob
November 8th, 2009 at 12:46 pm
hi,
I have tested the backlight and the inverter board everything is ok and power to the inverter board is also ok but my lcd screen is still dim, what should i do. Please if there is a fault on the motherboard how would i fix it. Thank you.
November 3rd, 2009 at 12:13 pm
Emmanuel mwaba,
It’s hard to tell what’s going on because it’s not a common failure.
Try reseating memory modules. Maybe one of the modules is not making good contact with the motherboard.
Test the laptop with only one memory module installed, try it in different slots. Maybe the memory slot is bad.
November 2nd, 2009 at 3:45 am
I have the problem with my HP compaq laptop cn6120. when I switch it on it starts normally and it hangs up after a few seconds until I press near the mouse pad. when it opens into windows again it hangs and brings a pop up message saing power surge on USB port hub. Could you please help me solve this problem.
October 25th, 2009 at 8:45 pm
Suvesh varghese,
1. Could be bad connection between video cable and LCD screen. Try reconnecting the cable.
2. If reconnecting the cable doesn’t help, most likely you have a failed screen. You cannot fix the screen. You’ll have to replace it with a new one.
3. Could be a problem with the motherboard.
October 24th, 2009 at 3:14 am
I have a SONY VAIO VGN-CR23G laptop.
My laptop lcd screen shows white blank screen.
I connected with an external monitor but i am not getting either
” the white screen” nor the normal screen. Thus it is neither showing white screen nor working properly.
I tested my external monitor with another laptop, it is fine
Sony service people say categorically that my LCD has to be changed cost around 250$, which is not acceptable to me.
Kindly show me some light
October 17th, 2009 at 1:50 pm
hi,
i also hav a white screen problem but i think a bit complicater.
my laptop falled down and the screen broke ,its now completely white .do you thing its the inverter ,the screen or both i have to replace ? please notice that the screen is a 16,4 ” CCFL 2-Bulbs and i dont hav the possibility to find another one just for test purposes .
here a picture : http://img49.imageshack.us/img49/7489/img0992.jpg