Intersting Laptop problem. - Contractor Talk - Professional Construction and Remodeling Forum

**Leo G** · 08-20-2009, 12:04 PM

Well, this morning I turned on my laptop and it didn't look right as it was coming out of hibernation. I didn't see the video card info and it seemed to take longer before the bar came up that it was loading my last session. And then black. I could hear that things were normal with the computer and could see the HD working normally. My mouse LED was working and when I plugged my phone in it started to charge. So all was normal with the CPU and everything, just a black screen. At one point I clicked on a sound icon that I have on the desktop and it loaded the sound player and played the sound. But I noticed I could see the playbar in the right light. So I was getting the information to the LCD screen, just no backlight. Well, that sucks.

Closed the top and went out for a bit. Came back and the battery light was flashing, weird, opened the screen up and it was there again, Hooray, but the computer was locked up and I had to reboot. Black screen again. Well, I know that something weird is going on. I am down at the beach and was thinking maybe there is condensation on the board and by luck when the computer didn't shut down it burned off the moisture.

After a few reboots I got the screen to light up again and promptly went to hook up my cellphone to get on the internet and whatta ya know, had a problem with my driver that requires me to reboot. Not a lot of luck going on with me today. After a reboot and a wait the screen pops back to life and I have been using it for an hour or so without any problems. Anybody have any reason why this might be doing this. Does the condensation theory sound or far fetched. Or is this display just on its way out. I think it is about 2 1/2 years old.

Any guesses?

SelfContract · 08-20-2009, 12:12 PM

If all else fails even defrag drive??... the re-format, reinstall windows, and be anew again??

(ofcourse assuming you are expert in windows setup & re-install apps again too?)

**Leo G** · 08-20-2009, 12:18 PM

Nothing wrong with the system. It is the LCD display. The back lighting wasn't working. Nothing to do with the HD. I take care of all that stuff when it needs it. I scan my computer frequently for malware and viri. I had originally thought that the cable connecting the laptop to the display may have cracked do to fatigue from opening and closing the display. But the way it came back to life proved that to be wrong. Maybe the regulator for the display lighting, that would be bad, no way to repair without replacing the LCD.

BACKWOODS · 08-20-2009, 12:45 PM

check to see if the little switch plunger that detects the top of the laptop closing is sticking in the down or closed position.

SelfContract · 08-20-2009, 12:52 PM

You can also try to scan/search local Craiglists to see if anyone throw away similar model laptop at yours or sell similar cheap, old, defective ones,.. then screw-open both covers and replace their LCD with yours.

I think besides few screws & some small power wires going from laptop base to swivel LCD section, not too much labor at all. Simple & not that complicated I hope??

ScipioAfricanus · 08-20-2009, 02:11 PM

Gamma radiation from a close by star going super nova fell into a worm hole and popped into your computer causing havoc?

Hey it can happen.

Andy.

WarriorWithWood · 08-20-2009, 02:19 PM

Check your video drivers, they sound corrupted. My computer does it once in a while when coming out of hibernation. If that isn't it the backlight is faulty. How old is the computer?

SLSTech · 08-20-2009, 03:40 PM

Never, ever down grade IE - that's what happened...

It sounds like a hardware issue to me, but I would go with Dennis's recommendation & try the drivers first, if it's hardware related you can bring it in to get fixed or just go buy a new one with IE8 already installed

I have generally had bad luck using the hibernation feature, it seems to always corrupt some file or something

**Leo G** · 08-20-2009, 04:00 PM

computer is about 2 1/2 yo. I did downgrade from IE 7 to 6 because it sucks. But that was months ago. I have always had IE 6. It was a problem with google toolbar. It upgraded itself without my knowledge and that is when the problems started. I went through a lot of different things before I figured it was google toolbar. Then I downgraded that to ver 4 and all was well.

My cousin is a computer dude and I have talked with him about it. Going to go see him tomorrow, I'll have him refresh the video driver to be sure.

zookies · 08-20-2009, 04:45 PM

Can you connect an external vga display? I am sorry to say that in my experience, even though I can work on computers, when they have lcd display problems, it runs $ 250 to $ 750 for a qualified tech to fix.

**Leo G** · 08-20-2009, 05:14 PM

I don't have one to connect while I am here at the beach. When I get home I will. But that won't help me when I am on the road or at a clients home. For now it seems to be working, but I don't plan on shutting the system down unless I am forced to. So far it has worked as normal. Don't really understand what is going on and why it started working again, but I'm not complaining. Just worried about it shutting down after I turn the computer off.

Inner10 · 08-21-2009, 07:03 PM

Leo, next time the screen doesn't pop up take a flashlight and hold it to the screen at a steep angle and see if you can see the image faintly in the screen. If it all looks good behind the darkness your ballast has taken a dump, its normal for them to die; or you have a bad connection on the ribbon cable to the screen.

If its just having trouble comming out of sleep mode you have what I like to call "HP syndrome"...a known problem.

72chevy4x4 · 08-28-2009, 06:21 AM

it could be the cfl-the little flourescent backlight or the power supply for the cfl. I replaced one after purchasing it-they're a bear to work with, very fragile. worked for 6 months before taking another dump :-(

**Leo G** · 08-28-2009, 07:15 AM

My problem seems to have resolved itself. Just started working again like it just stopped working. Of course I ordered the inverter for it (power supply for the backlight) and then it starts working again. I played with the power settings for the screen shutdown. Moved them all over the place and then reset them to my normal, then did a hard boot of the computer. It had started working again before I had done this, so I haven't a clue why it stopped and then started working again.

All I know is now I have another problem. Got a power light that is flashing yellow quickly 4 times and then green once for a short time. I think I have it narrowed down to needing a new main battery. When I take it out and operate with the power supply only I have no flashing. As soon as I put the battery back in it starts flashing again.

Either way, I gotta pour more money into it.