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Michelle · Posted: Fri May 11, 2007 11:44 pm Post subject: Laptop LCD Screen Problem

The girl-child's laptop is playing up and I'm wondering if anyone else has had this problem, or may know what is causing it.

It's a Compaq Presario V2000 running Windows XP SP 2 and the lcd screen has gone dark. If you hold it under a light or point a torch at it, it is possible to see what's on the screen but not easy to read. It's almost as if you've turned the brightness right down.

There was a lot of spyware on it, as the boy-child and I discovered when we started trying to rule out various possible causes.

Is there any hope or could it be stuffed?
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JerWA · Prince Joined: 01 Jan 2007 Posts: 1497 Location: WA, USA

Get the latest display drivers for it, they will probably (should) include a control panel/management type application that will let you adjust brightness at the card. If that helps/fixes it, good. If not, the backlight is probably stuffed. It can be repaired, but I have no idea how many places do it. This is one I found with a quick search: http://www.fastlaptoprepair.com/backlightrepair.asp

The prices aren't cheap though. It looks like it'd be $170+ USD, I imagine even more for you in Aussyland (at least all of my previous experiences are with electronics being more there, exchange rate aside).
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Michelle · Posted: Sat May 12, 2007 1:24 am Post subject:

Thanks, JerWA. I had a bit of a google for similar problems and have a feeling it is the backlight. Sad

Could be quite exxy down here, so it might have to wait until I get the house sold and we move.

In the meantime, the boy-child and I are reinstalling the operating system just in case there might have been a virus that has done something. A very long shot, but you never know. When that's done, I'll update display drivers and see if that helps.

#ni-1

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JerWA · Prince Joined: 01 Jan 2007 Posts: 1497 Location: WA, USA

It's too bad Dell doesn't do refurb systems there. $200 is half way to a new Dell XPS 410 dual core refurb machine (entry level at least).

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Just1vet · Squire Joined: 03 Apr 2007 Posts: 7

If you have a monitor laying around somewhere you should be able to just plug it in and use it instead of the built in one. Of course there goes your potability. But you could still use it as a regular computer

JerWA · Prince Joined: 01 Jan 2007 Posts: 1497 Location: WA, USA

mohrorless · Posted: Sat May 12, 2007 5:31 pm Post subject:

JerWA! You are NOT kidding. You really ARE trying to get Michelle to upgrade!
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JerWA · Prince Joined: 01 Jan 2007 Posts: 1497 Location: WA, USA

Well yes, I didn't mean about that part. I meant about telling him to hush and essentially disregarding his input. The last time I did that with a n00b they got all upset like it was personal or something. It's not, I pretty much disregard everyones input, but we should all still be able to get along.

In the mean time, Michelle, laptops are so... 1996. You should, instead, install a server rack and several servers. <~ on my account

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Michelle · Posted: Sat May 12, 2007 7:51 pm Post subject:

*sarcastic mode on* Yeah, I'll do that JerWA. I'd love to get a server rack and several servers to shrub on your account. *sarcastic mode off*

hahahaha Nice try, JerWA. Razz

John, I'd love to upgrade. Laughing

My shrubberies would get a nice little boost.

Anyway, getting back to the original dilemma.
I bought the boy-child and girl-child a Presario each when I sold the previous house to buy this one. The boy-child's kept overheating and cutting out all the time, so he pulled the back off it to clean some dust out and it got worse. Rolling Eyes

Took it to a repair shop and all they did was pull the back off, look at it, put the back on, turned it on and said it works okay, $200 please. It was close to $200 anyway. It still doesn't work. Turns on and cuts out almost immediately, so I have a feeling it could be the power supply or whatever. He doesn't particularly like the laptop for his games anyway so he uses the other (older) Acer desktop I've got and keeps pausing my folding. Rolling Eyes

What we might try to do is take his monitor off and put it on the girl-child's laptop. I've found a site with lcd removal instructions, so fingers crossed that it works and gets the girl-child off my computer.
#ni-1

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mohrorless · Posted: Sat May 12, 2007 10:11 pm Post subject:

Who wouldn't want to upgrade Michelle?

Good Luck Michelle!
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JerWA · Prince Joined: 01 Jan 2007 Posts: 1497 Location: WA, USA

KWSN Im Not Dead · Posted: Sun May 13, 2007 5:38 am Post subject:

Core Duo?

??
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Michelle · Posted: Sun May 13, 2007 7:42 am Post subject:

Um, not quite. Rolling Eyes

I wouldn't mind an upgrade, though. Better still, turn the clock back 5 - 10 years.
#ni-1

Anyway....success!! Boy-child and I pulled the liddy thing/monitor off both laptops then girl-child and I put the working one onto her laptop and it bloody well worked. Jeez, we're gettin' good at this technomological stuff.

Downloading the proper repair manual helped too. Laughing

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JerWA · Prince Joined: 01 Jan 2007 Posts: 1497 Location: WA, USA

That's crazy. I don't think I'm brave enough to try that, so kudos to you for actually doing it (AND having it work, no less).
#ni-1

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mohrorless · Posted: Sun May 13, 2007 12:06 pm Post subject:

Congrats on your bravery or insanity not sure which!!!
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jbyram2 · Posted: Mon May 14, 2007 5:55 am Post subject:

Woo-Hoo!

I was going to suggest an LCD swap, with a comp from Ebay or something. Good thing you had one lying around.
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Just1vet · Squire Joined: 03 Apr 2007 Posts: 7

Just1vet · Squire Joined: 03 Apr 2007 Posts: 7

Michelle, you are braver than what I am, and I do computer repair for a living. Will not touch lappies though if it is any sort of mechanical faiure. Broke to many of them, and that tends to be expensive Very Happy

jonnyv · Posted: Mon May 14, 2007 6:33 pm Post subject:

The power lead to the back light might have just come loose. Something to test if you (or your son) feels up to it.
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Michelle · Posted: Tue May 15, 2007 9:21 am Post subject:

I hope that isn't all that was wrong with it, jonnyv. It went straight into the bin and I didn't feel like digging it back out of there.

JerWA, John, Punkin, Just1vet - Thank you. #ni-1

It really wasn't that hard because we had the instructions in the manual I downloaded. I wouldn't have attempted it without that.
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