Laptop screen problem - any ideas?

Oriel

Folks,
When I turn on my laptop, the screen just goes white instead of displaying what it's supposed to. I've stripped it down to just the basics and it's still doing the same thing. No BIOS screen, just all pixels are white.

It's an old machine, but it's done my well since 2000:
Celeron 500,
192Mb RAM
10Gb
XP

I haven't tried using S-video out yet and I ned to wait until Friday to get the lead.

Firstly, do you have any idea what's wrong with the laptop? Is the screen just bollocksed, or is it displaying what it's being told to display by a bollocksed motherboard or gfx card?
Secondly, do you need to get into windows to use the S-video-out, or does it work from DOS?

Cheers,
S.

Ruu_Old

Did you try plugging in an external monitor to it?

Oriel

As far as I know, I need windows to activate the external monitor port.

Ruu_Old

ah feck it, forgot that. i googled for a while and a common problem with certain laptops was the connection between the base and the lcd, a ribbon cable maybe loose. best of luck anyway.

Oriel

Actually, Ruu,
I was getting confused, you only need windows for Dual-monitor support - plugging a normal monitor into the VGA port works fine!

SOOOOO, everything's fine on the laptop end, everything's there and accounted for. Any ideas what could be causing the white screen? Do you think it's just loose wiring, or something more serious?

Cheers!
S.

tonyharris999

had the same problem with a new Dell and the support people talked me thru a fix. Seems there's a switch so when you close the lid the monitor goes off ( like the fridge I suppose)

Anyway, this switch was just a pressure switch near the right hinge and removing the cover and prodding it released it. Dirt maybe ? but it worked ok after that

might help

zilog_jones

Yeah there's usually some switch or button somewhere around the hinges on laptops - check if that's ok first. Otherwise it's quite possible the ribbon cable to the display is loose or has got frayed or something.