Faint Image After Laptop Screen Replacement

Gerb68

I replaced a screen on a Toshiba Laptop. When I tested it by booting up it worked perfect. I then replaced the casing and attached all the screws. When I then booted up the on screen display is very very faint. You can barely make out a few destop icons.

Has anybody come accross this issue before. I read some where that its something to do with the backlit. I tried the screen in another system and it does work ok. The laptop will work with an external monitor.

Any help much appreciated.

aligator_am

I see this a lot in work, particularly with Dell laptops, it's very likely the inverter that's at fault.

Though I'm not overly familiar with Toshiba laptops, on Dell and HP models the inverter tends to be located at the bottom of the screen beneath the bezel / plastics.

Disconnect the AC adaptor and battery then take the screen back out, check the connections into the motherboard and power it back up with the screen sitting loose, could be a loose connection in to the board isn't in all the way.

If the screen is faint then my guess is the inverter, a way to check is to connect the laptop to an external screen and see if that comes on OK, if it does then it should indicate that the video card is alright.

Something else to watch for is the length of all the screws that hold the screen / plastics in place, some may be longer than others and if they don't go back in to their original holes then they can cause the wires to become a bit strectched.

Sure have a go and let us know.

Gerb68

Gerb68 wrote: »

The laptop will work with an external monitor.

A lot of sites say about a faint image issue is that the backlight may be off as with when the lid closes it turns off. There should be a pin to switch it back on but for the life of me I cant find it. Other sites say this is magnetic.

aligator_am wrote: »

... check the connections into the motherboard... could be a loose connection in to the board isn't in all the way.

One thing I have noticed is that the video cable fits in loosely when connected fully in to the motherboard. I tried with a different cable. This was a tighter fit but it still did not fix the issue. I've learned to think that this loose coonection is too much of a coincidence and may be the cause.

aligator_am

Can you verify that the screen works OK when not screwed in to the lid?

Or alternatively, does it work OK when screwed into the lid but doesn't have the bezel / plastics screwed in on top of it?

Do be careful with the screws as I've seen laptop screens crack if the wrong length screw is put in the wrong socket too tightly.

Do you have the model number? you will often find other folk on the web having the same issue and may find a way around it.

Gerb68

The screen is still faint with absolutely no screws attached

aligator_am

Can only imagine that it's a loose connection either on the back of the screen or on the board, AFAIK the inverter will power the backlight so check the connections on the board and inverter itself.

Have you checked around the web to see if anyone else has had the same problem with that model?

Gerb68

aligator_am wrote: »

Have you checked around the web to see if anyone else has had the same problem with that model?

Yeah can't seem to find much. This bit about it have something to do with a Lid close switch that may be jammed has me puzzled. Alot of sites point towards this but theres no real info about it. Not even an image for the switch.

I'll get a new inverter and replace that. I did try one from an Tosh A100 but I'm not even sure if that was working fully.

Appreciate the help anyway aligator_am. thanx alot

aligator_am

Just wondering, why did the screen need to be replaced? did it have lines on it or something? if so then hopefully the inverter on it should be OK (assuming you swapped out the whole LCD + inverter as opposed to just the LCD).

In regard to the lid switch being the cause, you should be able to change settings in control pane --> power options to "do nothing" when the lid closes, that should rule that out.

PM if you like, I know it can be very frustrating messing with laptop innards as they're usually fiddly as fook and delicate