Laptop LCD screen turned completely white
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.
Entry Filed under: LCD Screen Repair
May 18th, 2008 at 10:21 am
Erica,
Troubleshooting laptops with black screens will be similar. Here’s my previous post for troubleshooting video problems.
You said the screen is black. How black is it? Can you see anything at all, maybe a very faint image? Did you test the laptop with an external monitor? Can you get see external video?
May 18th, 2008 at 10:12 am
Helvis,
Different LCD screens have different connectors. If you want to test your laptop with another screen, you’ll have to remove the screen from your laptop and compare connectors.
May 17th, 2008 at 3:45 pm
wow that was great you are awesome…does the same thing apply for black screens?
May 16th, 2008 at 8:30 pm
I’m new to this and have only handled a few different models/brands but it seems to me that most lcd video cables have different connectors (where they connect to the motherboard). Is the connector on the back of the lcd the same so that you can swap any lcd for testing or do they all have specific connectors on the back as well?
May 11th, 2008 at 8:47 am
js_buyandsell,
I guess in your laptop the video card is integrated into the motherboard?
If you’ve replaced LCD, motherboard and inverter but the laptop still has the same problem with video, then I would assume the problem is related to the video cable.
May 11th, 2008 at 8:03 am
Good job. thank you
May 10th, 2008 at 7:58 pm
Also if I hold a light to the screen I can see it, otherwise everything is black.
May 10th, 2008 at 7:56 pm
I had the same problem. Did the same test and then replaced the screen. Still same results, any ideas.
So far I replaced the screen, motherboard, and the inverter.
May 10th, 2008 at 1:06 am
Thank you for sharing such a nice data, it was usefull information .
keep it up..
May 9th, 2008 at 2:02 am
you do a good job. thanks