Need Help/Advice --> Laptop LCD

[verdad]

Well I think my dads laptop finally bit it. It's an old Presario 700 that he does nothing but surf the web with. Today is the first time I noticed anything wrong with it, it seems as if the display gave way somewhere. I can see the desktop, etc..but it's very very dark, it's as if the brightness on the machine has been turned down to almost nothing. Unfornately simply turning up the brightness on the display wasn't the solution to the problem. I don't have much experience troubleshooting laptops, so I've come to you guys for advice/thoughts/comments. Any clue what could be going on? Thanks in advance.

edit: Everything works fine on an external monitor & when I push the little button that turns off the light on the display, nothing happens. Is it possible that the backlight or something went out?

Curt

 

[volvo9]

It's very possible that the backlight has gone out. I used to have an old laptop and when I pushed the button that was activated when the lid was closed, all it did was turn off the backlight, and the screen image was still kind of visible, but it was realy dark, so it does sound like the cold cathode flourescent tube has died. But I think LCD screens use 2 CC tubes, a left and right, so maybe the power wire running to the converter has broken from opening and closing the lid, or maybe the converter has burned out.

. I've heard of people replacing these, and there are places on the web which sell replacement cold cathode tubes, but I think it may be easier to buy a used screen from ebay or something.

 

[swatbat]

Most notebook screens use 1 cathode(I can't remember seeing any that use 2) but more times then not the inverter for the backlight is the issue. Sometimes it is interference with the wires(ask anyone that works on toshibas) but most of the time the inverter just craped out(unless it is a toshbia).You may want to wiggle the wires going to the inverter first then try replaceing it. If that does not fix it then yes you can put a cathode tube in the lcd and generic ones that would prob fit start at about 10 bucks or so but it can be a real bitch to put in.