Discussion Forums > Technology
Replacing a laptop LCD
Freedom Kira:
--- Quote from: daveLovesIt on July 18, 2010, 03:53:41 PM ---Even if the screen isn't hooked up properly, you should be able to power the laptop on okay, just not seeing anything. If it's starting to power up and cutting out, you might have a loose wire or a short somewhere or the battery may need charging. I'm assuming you left the cable in and allowed the battery to charge a bit before trying to turn it on?
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Like I said...
--- Quote from: Freedom Kira on July 17, 2010, 06:28:47 PM ---So I'm wondering what the problem might be. I suspect that the laptop is performing a self-check on startup, and is not detecting the LCD screen and thus shutting itself back off.
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I've spent a few weeks troubleshooting some malfunctioning DS Lites, and they also have this feature. If one of the two screens is not detected, the system automatically shuts back off. Older laptops may not do this, sure, but I wouldn't be surprised if this is the problem.
No loose wires as far as I can tell, and the battery status doesn't matter, as a laptop should turn on when the power cable is attached, regardless of how much juice is left in the battery. I also didn't touch the motherboard, which is where the battery hooks in.
--- Quote from: daveLovesIt on July 18, 2010, 03:53:41 PM ---Your first problem is getting the laptop to turn back on with either the old screen or no screen, if you can do that, then you know you haven't introduced a new problem, like a bit of solder floating around the case somewhere or too much pressure at some point when screwing stuff back together that's causing it to cut out during POST checks (does it get as far as making a beep of any sort when trying to power it?)
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Problem is, the connector cable is stuck in the adapter. I've tried for 15 minutes to remove the cable from the adapter without any luck. And it was to try exactly that, to see if it's fine with the old screen.
No beeps. I've described exactly what happens in my first post. A beep or some audible response would have been nice though. Beep code would be even better.
--- Quote from: daveLovesIt on July 18, 2010, 03:53:41 PM ---Someone might be bale to help your more easily if you could put up a pic of the connectors on the new screen, particularly showing detail of the damage you are talking about. But again, a broken screen should not be stopping the thing booting.
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I guess I could do that, but don't expect it to be soon...
And no, the broken screen doesn't stop anything. In case you missed it:
--- Quote from: Freedom Kira on July 18, 2010, 11:22:07 AM ---Heh, I highly doubt that dropping the laptop would have any clue to the problem, especially if the old screen still worked aside from half of the screen, which showed some fancy colors and a haphazard black shape.
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--- Quote from: daveLovesIt on July 18, 2010, 03:53:41 PM ---A lot of BIOSes are set to allow both VGA and LCD output by default, you don't expect an incompatible screen to case a shutdown, but it can't hurt to see what happens with if you hook it up to a standard CRT monitor, I've actually found this useful in the past simply for verifying the components around the mainboard were working correctly before attaching the new screen. (I had a similar problem following an "accident" with an annoying youtube video and a slightly overzealous gyaku tsuki)
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... Why CRT? Any external monitor would work as long as it connects to VGA. I don't have an old CRT monitor lying around. And, like I said before:
--- Quote from: Freedom Kira on July 17, 2010, 06:28:47 PM ---I got a new laptop LCD screen to replace a cracked one. So far I've successfully taken it apart and removed the old one, and connected the new one and put it back together. At this point, the laptop is plugged in and the battery indicator shows that the battery is charging. When I attempt to power on the laptop, the power indicator lights up, the fan turns on, and about one second later everything shuts back off. There is no screen reaction. When an external display is connected, the results are the same.
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Granted, the external display was an LCD monitor, but I honestly don't think it would matter if it was a CRT monitor instead.
I really don't think I have to check if the mobo is fine if the laptop had worked the day before I took it apart, broken screen and all, especially if I didn't touch anything near the mobo.
--- Quote from: JoonasTo on July 18, 2010, 09:33:19 PM ---
--- Quote ---(I had a similar problem following an "accident" with an annoying youtube video and a slightly overzealous gyaku tsuki)
--- End quote ---
Totally off-topic but I just had to quote that.
Anger leads to the dark side. Karateka must follow the light.
--- End quote ---
QFT.
fohfoh:
How far do you get before it shuts off? You might have "borked" the mobo. I know that mobos are a little more tempermental on Sony laptops. (In fact, many times, you can't even find good info about your mobo, only a certified Sony repair place has access to such info). But it was rare (but it did happen a few times) that my Sony would turn off by itself when I accidentally killed my mobo with too much heat. (The Asian weather wasn't being nice to my laptop... clogging it with gritty dust etc. and causing too much heat buildup). Mine in the end just kept on getting stuck at a certain screen. (Worked fine in safemode, but never normal).
Reopen the whole thing and double check everything ranging from connections from other random crap like the keyboard etc. and double check the connections on everything to make sure nothing is loose. If that's the case, try cleaning it with some compressed air and see if there's anything else that looks like it could be an issue. Unplug some things if necessary and reconnect them. However, I'm quite convinced that this might be a mobo problem of sorts and not the other stuff. Unless you did something like shorted out some ram or something and it's causing memory issues. (But does that actually cause shut down? My brother's Lenovo just showed a black screen for a bit of time and loaded up SUPER slow)
daveLovesIt:
--- Quote from: Freedom Kira on July 18, 2010, 11:38:48 PM ---Like I said...
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And didn't you just! I could now put up a similar post, nit-picking your nit-picking, and re-quoting myself in response to your re-quoting yourself, and then you could do the same, and then the thread will have zero readers left before very long. Instead, let's try to focus on your notebook. I'm sensing hostility; if you don't want my input, just say so, and I will respect your wishes and stop posting. But sometimes I do exactly what you just did, and I really don't mean anything by it, so....
--- Quote ---I've spent a few weeks troubleshooting some malfunctioning DS Lites, and they also have this feature. If one of the two screens is not detected, the system automatically shuts back off. Older laptops may not do this, sure, but I wouldn't be surprised if this is the problem.
--- End quote ---
If it is the case (and I suspect not) You would expect an error code from the post, which equates to "No Screen". I have yet to do diagnostics on a laptop that refuses to boot without a screen attached, and this includes a Sony VAIO. But still, this is partly why I suggested an external screen; however...
--- Quote ---Granted, the external display was an LCD monitor, but I honestly don't think it would matter if it was a CRT monitor instead.
--- End quote ---
...I genuinely did miss this. My bad. No, It won't make a difference; I thought you had only tried the broken screen and the new one.
--- Quote --- ...the battery status doesn't matter, as a laptop should turn on when the power cable is attached, regardless of how much juice is left in the battery...
--- End quote ---
Laptops often won't boot even with mains power, unless at least a minimum level of charge is present. I guess the act of turning it on first causes a large drain on the battery which drops after a few seconds. Also, if you have a problem with dissipating charge, you will be losing power more quickly than the mains is supplying it. Charging the battery fully (I gather you still have normal output from the LEDs) is a staple trick of troubleshooting the exact problem you are experiencing; if the notebook takes noticeably longer to cut out when the battery is full, you have a *big* clue. Any technician will tell you to charge the battery, and see what happens.
--- Quote ---Problem is, the connector cable is stuck in the adapter. I've tried for 15 minutes to remove the cable from the adapter without any luck.
--- End quote ---
Seriously... what have you done to these poor connectors!? It's vital to seperate the new screen at this stage, and get back to where you were before attaching it. Good luck!
--- Quote ---I really don't think I have to check if the mobo is fine if the laptop had worked the day before I took it apart, broken screen and all, especially if I didn't touch anything near the mobo.
--- End quote ---
Well, you'd know what you are likely to have interfered with. But dropping a screw or some solder (you did mention solder) inside the case may cause a short, and in the case of the the laptop I mentioned earlier, my problem had turned out to be a cable was slightly out of place and the motherboard was being strained - simply loosening the screws in the area I had been working suddenly brought the machine back to life. In your case though, I think it has more to do with the new screen or the battery/power supply.
EDIT - Forgot to ask - got a part/model number for that new LCD screen? And does the adapter belong with the laptop or the screen, and does that have a part number on it?
--- Quote from: JoonasTo on July 18, 2010, 09:33:19 PM ---Anger leads to the dark side. Karateka must follow the light.
--- End quote ---
Haha... you didn't see the video. I assure you, it was an act of pure self-defence. In the tranquil moments that followed, I had no regrets. Staring at the interplay of black cracks on a field of white, I was centred, and my soul was at peace.
Freedom Kira:
--- Quote from: fohfoh on July 19, 2010, 04:36:52 AM ---How far do you get before it shuts off? You might have "borked" the mobo. I know that mobos are a little more tempermental on Sony laptops. (In fact, many times, you can't even find good info about your mobo, only a certified Sony repair place has access to such info). But it was rare (but it did happen a few times) that my Sony would turn off by itself when I accidentally killed my mobo with too much heat. (The Asian weather wasn't being nice to my laptop... clogging it with gritty dust etc. and causing too much heat buildup). Mine in the end just kept on getting stuck at a certain screen. (Worked fine in safemode, but never normal).
--- End quote ---
Heh, same friend as the broken screen laptop had this exact problem, so I know exactly what you're talking about. Turned out the fan was getting rusty or something and wouldn't spin properly, so I replaced the fan. Somehow it still shut off after a while, but it was a longer while than before, at least, about an hour compared to 15-ish minutes. Side note, is thermal paste necessary in a laptop? I noticed there wasn't any when I opened that one up (not the broken screen one). That family has three laptops now, excluding a netbook. Sheesh.
As for how far I get, it's about 1 second after seeing a response from hitting the power button (as mentioned in first post). It's always the exact same time.
--- Quote from: fohfoh on July 19, 2010, 04:36:52 AM ---Reopen the whole thing and double check everything ranging from connections from other random crap like the keyboard etc. and double check the connections on everything to make sure nothing is loose. If that's the case, try cleaning it with some compressed air and see if there's anything else that looks like it could be an issue. Unplug some things if necessary and reconnect them. However, I'm quite convinced that this might be a mobo problem of sorts and not the other stuff. Unless you did something like shorted out some ram or something and it's causing memory issues. (But does that actually cause shut down? My brother's Lenovo just showed a black screen for a bit of time and loaded up SUPER slow)
--- End quote ---
Granted, it's a really dirty laptop, but it powered on fine the day before I took the screen out, and I didn't touch anything on the mobo side (keyboard, RAM, HDD, battery, etc.). Except someone was bored and screwed around with keys on the keyboard while I was working, but the keys were put back in properly. So I don't think it's even possible that I screwed something up on the mobo side.
Hmm, from past experience, bad RAM causes an error at POST and possibly a beep code indicating bad RAM (depends on manufacturer and year of manufacture), at which point the computer stops booting. The screen stays black IIRC. I haven't seen shorted RAM before though.
--- Quote from: daveLovesIt on July 19, 2010, 05:50:46 AM ---And didn't you just! I could now put up a similar post, nit-picking your nit-picking, and re-quoting myself in response to your re-quoting yourself, and then you could do the same, and then the thread will have zero readers left before very long. Instead, let's try to focus on your notebook. I'm sensing hostility; if you don't want my input, just say so, and I will respect your wishes and stop posting. But sometimes I do exactly what you just did, and I really don't mean anything by it, so....
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Why don't we leave this as a misread hostility point?
--- Quote from: daveLovesIt on July 19, 2010, 05:50:46 AM ---If it is the case (and I suspect not) You would expect an error code from the post, which equates to "No Screen". I have yet to do diagnostics on a laptop that refuses to boot without a screen attached, and this includes a Sony VAIO. But still, this is partly why I suggested an external screen; however...
...I genuinely did miss this. My bad. No, It won't make a difference; I thought you had only tried the broken screen and the new one.
--- End quote ---
I'll keep that in mind. But the thing is, the laptop doesn't even make it to POST, as it shuts off about one second after powering on.
--- Quote from: daveLovesIt on July 19, 2010, 05:50:46 AM ---Laptops often won't boot even with mains power, unless at least a minimum level of charge is present. I guess the act of turning it on first causes a large drain on the battery which drops after a few seconds. Also, if you have a problem with dissipating charge, you will be losing power more quickly than the mains is supplying it. Charging the battery fully (I gather you still have normal output from the LEDs) is a staple trick of troubleshooting the exact problem you are experiencing; if the notebook takes noticeably longer to cut out when the battery is full, you have a *big* clue. Any technician will tell you to charge the battery, and see what happens.
--- End quote ---
Come to think of it, the laptop whose fan I replaced didn't power on with the battery removed. I guess it depends on brand, because HP laptops don't do that (at least, mine doesn't, and neither does another friend's).
But no way it's the battery, because I didn't even take it out (I realize I should have, actually) and it powered on fine the day before. I feel like I've said that 10 times now...
I ended up unintentionally leaving the charging cord plugged into the laptop. Eventually the battery indicator stopped flashing, so it's fully charged. No difference.
--- Quote from: daveLovesIt on July 19, 2010, 05:50:46 AM ---Seriously... what have you done to these poor connectors!? It's vital to seperate the new screen at this stage, and get back to where you were before attaching it. Good luck!
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I tried... I'll see if there's a clip somewhere that I have to click out. I don't have the laptop ATM. Next chance I get to work on it is Wednesday.
--- Quote from: daveLovesIt on July 19, 2010, 05:50:46 AM ---Well, you'd know what you are likely to have interfered with. But dropping a screw or some solder (you did mention solder) inside the case may cause a short, and in the case of the the laptop I mentioned earlier, my problem had turned out to be a cable was slightly out of place and the motherboard was being strained - simply loosening the screws in the area I had been working suddenly brought the machine back to life. In your case though, I think it has more to do with the new screen or the battery/power supply.
EDIT - Forgot to ask - got a part/model number for that new LCD screen? And does the adapter belong with the laptop or the screen, and does that have a part number on it?
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I never even opened the case. Feels like I've said that 10 times too.
The only screws I worked with were the ones holding the LCD panel in place.
Edit: If my Internet wasn't so crapped up right now, I'd grab the page off eBay for you. Remind me later.
--- Quote from: daveLovesIt on July 19, 2010, 05:50:46 AM ---Haha... you didn't see the video. I assure you, it was an act of pure self-defence. In the tranquil moments that followed, I had no regrets. Staring at the interplay of black cracks on a field of white, I was centred, and my soul was at peace.
--- End quote ---
I suspect it's one of those videos where you're asked to turn up your volume and concentrate on something, and suddenly a zombie pops up and screams.
I don't know if I'd feel at peace when I see the broken screen, knowing I'd have to spend $100+ to replace that...
costi:
--- Quote ---Laptops often won't boot even with mains power, unless at least a minimum level of charge is present.
--- End quote ---
I disagree - in 99% of laptops they don't care where the power comes from and the presence of battery is not necessary if it is plugged in. In fact, if you're planning to use your laptop on AC power a lot (like a desktop replacement), it is recommended to remove the battery.
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