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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February 3rd, 2009 at 4:17 pm
Hi, I seem to be having a similar problem. My screen is completely white but when I put pressure on the top part of the laptop screen (where I’m told the connectors are) I can get an image on my laptop. It is too painful to keep putting pressure with one hand on the top part of the screen. Do you think this is simply a problem with the connection? Everything else works fine as I am actually using my laptop and typing this with one hand.
February 2nd, 2009 at 9:58 pm
Seth,
Unfortunately, I cannot tell which one is bad without testing the laptop with a known good screen. One day we had two laptops in our shop failing exactly the same way as yours. One of them had a problem with the LCD screen and the second one a bad motherboard.
Sorry, cannot help.
February 1st, 2009 at 4:16 pm
HI, my sony vaio VGN-CR25G laptop LCD screen turned completely white. But I’m sure that the OS is running, Keyboard is working; everything else is working except the LCD screen.
1. I tried to connect my laptop to External Monitor, but it’s not working either.
2. I tried reconnect the cable between LCD and motherboard. no luck either.
I don’t think the Graphic Card is faulty…coz OS is loading, and I can shut down Windows normally, although I can only completely white
screen
Is that a LCD issue or MotherBoard issue? Thanks
January 15th, 2009 at 10:52 am
Responce to # 64 paul Says:
No Paul I have an older Laptop (Gateway Solo from the mid 90’s) and my current laptop is a Compaq V2424 from @2003. I am asking if the Inverter/bulb would be the same for testing.
I would hate to take the new laptop apart to replace the bulb and find it’s not the problem. But I would realy hate to try the inverter and it messes up the new laptop…
December 22nd, 2008 at 12:41 pm
My old Toshiba 1905-S301 worked perfectly for over 6 years.
He is still working perfectly as long I DO NOT MOVE THE LAPTOP OR THE SCREEN. THEN THE SCREEN IS BECOMING OF DIFFERENTS COLORS WITH LINES OR SQUARES, WITH OR WITHOUT THE POINTER APPARENT ON IT. SOMETIMES THE SCREEN TURNS BLANK.
I CONNECTED AN EXTERNAL MONITOR AND IT WORKS FINE (TOGETHER WITH THE LAPTOP SCREEN) AS LONG I DO NOT MOVE THE COMPUTER OR THE SCREEN OF THE LAPTOP. THEREFORE I PRESUME THE PROBLEM IS NOT IN THE SCREEN OF MY LAPTOP.
AFTER THE FAILURE, I CAN HEAR THE HDD, THE COOLING FAN RUNING AND THE CHARGING OF THE BATTERY IS WORKING FINE AND NOT AFFECTED BY THE FAULT.
SO IT CANNOT BE A POWER SUPPLY PROBLEM.
I presume the fault is coming from a short or a loosed connection between the SCREEN and the COMPUTER (because of many years of opening and closing the laptop) or A LOOSE CONNECTION IN THE MOTHERBOARD (VIDEO/VGA).
I HAD A PROBLEM WITH A BROKEN PIN OF THE POWER BOARD BUT I REPLACED AND IT WORKS PERFECTLY.
I bought a new Toshiba laptop but I like my old one better and I would like to keep it for “play” and “experiments”.
Could you help me?
Thanks.
December 19th, 2008 at 5:20 am
i have a problem with an Acer Aspire 3610 screen, when i switch the computer on the screen goes full white and then fades into the normal view slowly and with blotches, and the mouse arrow cursor moves really slowly, here’s a video of waht i mean: http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=8QqJ-21yCJc
any ideas? thanks.
December 10th, 2008 at 4:58 am
when you said you have a test LCD does it have to be the same LCD what matches the model of the laptop or can you use any laptop LCD to test these problems
December 9th, 2008 at 1:15 pm
Thanks cj2600 for the reply,
I have an older laptop (Gateway SoLo), the connector to the LCD was a different size so I couldn’t try that without taking the LCD apart further (i didn’t check to see if the cable to the notebook card was the same, figured it was also different).
Would the inverters be the same for testing?
Yes the screen flickers (only for a second) as the laptop is turning on or switching between displays, and as I play with the switch. I did call the shop after I found out there was an inverter and bulb that could also be wrong, but they didn’t remember if they checked the inverter, just said they found the LCD bad…
Don’t have any problem with replacing the bulb (downloaded the guide), I just need some advice on where to start so I don’t purchase something not needed. It does seem to be the inverter or bulb.
Thanks, Dan
December 7th, 2008 at 7:03 pm
Dan Brown,
Sounds like a problem with the inverter board or backlight lamp.
You mentioned that the screen turns on for a moment and it has reddish tint, right? It tells me that most likely you have a problem with the backlight lamp but I cannot be sure without testing the laptop with a known good inverter.
You can try replacing the inverter board first. If it doesn’t help, you’ll have to replace the LCD (or backlight lamp inside the LCD).
You said the repair shop quoted you a new screen, apparently it’s a problem with the backlight lamp which is located INSIDE the LCD screen. I assume they already tried a new inverter, you can ask them. Most repair shops will not replace backlight lamps and they quote you a new LCD screen instead.
It’s possible to replace the backlight lamp yourself but it’s difficult. Check out this post:
How to replace laptop backlight lamp (CCFL)
If you have no experience, there is a really good chance to damage the LCD. But if your repair is successful, it will cost you less then $20 instead of $525. Proceed on your own risk.
December 5th, 2008 at 3:22 pm
In reference to Post #60:
Not knowing what to do I took the laptop apart (nothing broke). I checked the connections for the video card, video cable and inverter, they all looked fine. Nothing looked out of the ordinary, no burnt cards, smells or blackened areas.
I checked the standby button (lid close button) to see if it was dirty or loose. The rubber extension for the button was clean and the switch itself does not seem loose at the circuit board. But if I play with the switch (tapping it down) I can get the screen to flicker.
Moving the small plastic point that comes out of the switch side-to-side does nothing, just up/down (on/off) makes it flicker.
Could this be my problem, just the switch?
Thanks, Dan