screen go's black on laptop

jimbull · 08-17-2004, 04:44 AM

PLEASE HELP my screen keeps going off on my laptop ..??all my power settings are all set to never -turn off - standby - hibernate-so what could be the problem PLEEEEESE HELP

Will.Spencer · 08-19-2004, 02:15 AM

How do you mean "goes off"?

Does the laptop itself go into standby?

Does the screen saver come on?

What make and model is the laptop?

Have you checked the power-save features in both Windows and BIOS?

I've had several laptops where the screen just went blank... all due to bad connections between the motherboard and the screen. Twisting the screen physically just a wee bit would bring the scrren back.

What brings the screen back for you?

jimbull · 08-19-2004, 05:33 AM

its a toshiba tecra 8100 no the screen saver isnt activated when the screen go's black you can still see the stuff on the screen if you look very hard its as if the light go's off not actually the screen if i press the little button that turns off when you shut the screen down it comes back on or if it happens frequently i re-start and sometimes it cures the problem i havent tryed to twist the screen slightley must try that next time it happens!! when you say bad connection to the mother board from the screen ?if it is that how would i solve it obviously cost is very important !!ie -what would i need to buy to solve the problem ''ps thanks for the reply mate..jb

**idtent** · 08-19-2004, 07:40 AM

Definitly check your bios for any "screen" savings modes.

It could be a possible loose wire to the "ballast" or from the "ballast" to the bulb. Maybe the connector is loose.

johnwill · 08-19-2004, 12:12 PM

Sounds like a loose connection or a hardware issue with the backlight circuitry.

**idtent** · 08-19-2004, 12:19 PM

Recent toshiba repair:
Started with bulb, no go.
Replaced inverter, no go.
Replaced Contrast control. Worked!!

Try adjusting the brightness and the contrast to see if the problem clears or not.

Xtant · 08-19-2004, 12:26 PM

What your experiencing is 90% attributed to the backlight button on the bezel (the thing that turns the backlight off when you shut your screen) or the inverter. I can give you some tips of things to do or check but keep in mind these things should only be done by someone who knows what they are doing. If you are uncomfortable with these steps do NOT do them as you can cause more harm than good.

Take off the plastic trim piece that surrounds the backlight button, usually is a pressure fit piece but sometimes can have screws from underneath in it. This varies by model so I can't be a big help here telling you were/how the piece comes off. What you need to do is look for where the button presses down to the actual button below. I see these go bad all the time and usually it because a spring wears out, metal peice gets bent, something out of alignment. Make sure that piece is working correctly. This is probably your issue right here.

If that doesn't do it remove the plastic bezel that surround the LCD screen, usually located at the bottom between the hinges is your inverter, it will have a wire going in on one side and out the other. Remove wires and remove inverter. Buy a can of contact cleaner and spray the ever loving piss out of it (make sure to remove any plastic sleeves etc that may be shiedling the inverter before spraying) Let it sit out and dry a minute and reconnect everything. I have NO idea why this contact cleaner process works so many times but it does. I've rejuvinated countless inverters this way.

Good luck

chichilatte · 09-06-2004, 09:15 AM

my tecra 8100 has just started doing exactly what yours is doing: screen backlight randomly turns off completely (you can _just_ make out the details). by pressing the Function and f5 keys together a few times the backlight comes on again. the F5 key has a picture of a computer and a screen on it. seems to work.

it's just started doing it on mine very recently after my power-supply brick melted overnight. I got a replacement brick, but it isn't an original toshiba product, it's a Sunny (the company i bought it from seem to know what they're doing).

So either something's been damaged when the original power-supply melted, or the replacement power-supply is doing something weird with the screen.

anyway it's very irritating.

OlleBoll · 09-13-2004, 01:35 PM

Hi guys...
I'm suffering the from the same annoying thing. I tried in every way to get rid of the need-for-tapping-the-close-lid-button, every power saver were turned of (both in OS and BIOS) the toshiba power saver programs were uninstalled without result. BUT... I entered the BIOS setup meny and once there I realized that the phenomenon was like vanished, I couls stay there for ages without screen blackout (=no hw error). I believe that the problem is related to some sort of function in the OS since the error only appears once it's started... I'll keep on trobleshooting and watching this site...

umtali16 · 12-03-2005, 01:40 PM

I don't understand why this keeps happening, it's really annoying though and I'm sure it's not great on the internals of my machine.

tpfar · 12-04-2005, 04:30 PM

Opening the display and reseating the inverter connectors may fix the problem.
Sometimes the cable is mounted so tightly that when you open and close your lid a few times the connector will become slightly unplugged and the problem can start all over again.
A sollution to this is to unscrew the clip which is 'holding' this cable, pull a little on the cable to make it a little longer (it's taped in a small loop so it's long enough), refit the clip, check the connector.
As an extra security measure you can tape the cable to the back of the panel to prevent it from moving when closing and opening the lid.

ALWAYS!!!! Remove AC adaptor and battery before using this process, DANGEROUS VOLTAGES WILL BE PRESENT ON THE INVERTER BOARD IF POWERED ON!!!!!!!
&
AFTER OPENING THE DISPLAY, TOUCH A BARE METAL PART (HINGE WILL WORK) to discharge any static you have in your body. Do this each time you get up from your chair, static can destroy ckt boards.

Hope this helps

08-17-2004, 04:44 AM	#1 (permalink)
jimbull Registered User Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: uk Posts: 105 OS: windows xp sp2	screen go's black on laptop PLEASE HELP my screen keeps going off on my laptop ..??all my power settings are all set to never -turn off - standby - hibernate-so what could be the problem PLEEEEESE HELP

08-19-2004, 02:15 AM	#2 (permalink)
Will.Spencer Registered User Join Date: Aug 2004 Posts: 6 OS: FreeBSD	How do you mean "goes off"? Does the laptop itself go into standby? Does the screen saver come on? What make and model is the laptop? Have you checked the power-save features in both Windows and BIOS? I've had several laptops where the screen just went blank... all due to bad connections between the motherboard and the screen. Twisting the screen physically just a wee bit would bring the scrren back. What brings the screen back for you? __________________ Webmaster: The Tech FAQ, The Internet Search Engines FAQ, SAN Security, Enterprise Storage Management, and GSM Security

08-19-2004, 07:40 AM	#4 (permalink)
idtent ID10T Circuit replacement Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Wyoming Posts: 927 OS: XP Home, Pro, Win2k, 98 SE	Definitly check your bios for any "screen" savings modes. It could be a possible loose wire to the "ballast" or from the "ballast" to the bulb. Maybe the connector is loose. __________________ PICNIC (Problem In Chair Not In Computer) "Looks like you've been missing a lot of work lately. " "Well, I wouldn't exactly say I've been missing it, Bob. " Office Space Help TSF! Save the computers!

08-19-2004, 12:12 PM	#5 (permalink)
johnwill Manager, Networking Forums Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: S.E. Pennsylvania, US Posts: 31,307 OS: XP-Pro, Vista, Linux Blog Entries: 1	Sounds like a loose connection or a hardware issue with the backlight circuitry. __________________ If TSF has helped you, Tell us about it! or Donate to help keep the site up! Microsoft MVP - Windows Desktop Experience

08-19-2004, 12:19 PM	#6 (permalink)
idtent ID10T Circuit replacement Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Wyoming Posts: 927 OS: XP Home, Pro, Win2k, 98 SE	Recent toshiba repair: Started with bulb, no go. Replaced inverter, no go. Replaced Contrast control. Worked!! Try adjusting the brightness and the contrast to see if the problem clears or not. __________________ PICNIC (Problem In Chair Not In Computer) "Looks like you've been missing a lot of work lately. " "Well, I wouldn't exactly say I've been missing it, Bob. " Office Space Help TSF! Save the computers!

08-19-2004, 05:33 AM	#3 (permalink)
jimbull Registered User Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: uk Posts: 105 OS: windows xp sp2	its a toshiba tecra 8100 no the screen saver isnt activated when the screen go's black you can still see the stuff on the screen if you look very hard its as if the light go's off not actually the screen if i press the little button that turns off when you shut the screen down it comes back on or if it happens frequently i re-start and sometimes it cures the problem i havent tryed to twist the screen slightley must try that next time it happens!! when you say bad connection to the mother board from the screen ?if it is that how would i solve it obviously cost is very important !!ie -what would i need to buy to solve the problem ''ps thanks for the reply mate..jb

08-19-2004, 12:26 PM	#7 (permalink)
Xtant Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Posts: 144 OS: XP Pro	What your experiencing is 90% attributed to the backlight button on the bezel (the thing that turns the backlight off when you shut your screen) or the inverter. I can give you some tips of things to do or check but keep in mind these things should only be done by someone who knows what they are doing. If you are uncomfortable with these steps do NOT do them as you can cause more harm than good. Take off the plastic trim piece that surrounds the backlight button, usually is a pressure fit piece but sometimes can have screws from underneath in it. This varies by model so I can't be a big help here telling you were/how the piece comes off. What you need to do is look for where the button presses down to the actual button below. I see these go bad all the time and usually it because a spring wears out, metal peice gets bent, something out of alignment. Make sure that piece is working correctly. This is probably your issue right here. If that doesn't do it remove the plastic bezel that surround the LCD screen, usually located at the bottom between the hinges is your inverter, it will have a wire going in on one side and out the other. Remove wires and remove inverter. Buy a can of contact cleaner and spray the ever loving piss out of it (make sure to remove any plastic sleeves etc that may be shiedling the inverter before spraying) Let it sit out and dry a minute and reconnect everything. I have NO idea why this contact cleaner process works so many times but it does. I've rejuvinated countless inverters this way. Good luck

09-06-2004, 09:15 AM	#8 (permalink)
chichilatte Registered User Join Date: Sep 2004 Posts: 1 OS: win2000	yup mine's just started doing this too my tecra 8100 has just started doing exactly what yours is doing: screen backlight randomly turns off completely (you can _just_ make out the details). by pressing the Function and f5 keys together a few times the backlight comes on again. the F5 key has a picture of a computer and a screen on it. seems to work. it's just started doing it on mine very recently after my power-supply brick melted overnight. I got a replacement brick, but it isn't an original toshiba product, it's a Sunny (the company i bought it from seem to know what they're doing). So either something's been damaged when the original power-supply melted, or the replacement power-supply is doing something weird with the screen. anyway it's very irritating. Last edited by chichilatte : 09-06-2004 at 09:17 AM.

09-13-2004, 01:35 PM	#9 (permalink)
OlleBoll Registered User Join Date: Sep 2004 Posts: 4 OS: Win2000, WinXP	and yet another tecra 8100 suffering.. Hi guys... I'm suffering the from the same annoying thing. I tried in every way to get rid of the need-for-tapping-the-close-lid-button, every power saver were turned of (both in OS and BIOS) the toshiba power saver programs were uninstalled without result. BUT... I entered the BIOS setup meny and once there I realized that the phenomenon was like vanished, I couls stay there for ages without screen blackout (=no hw error). I believe that the problem is related to some sort of function in the OS since the error only appears once it's started... I'll keep on trobleshooting and watching this site...

12-03-2005, 01:40 PM	#10 (permalink)
umtali16 Registered User Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 1 OS: XP	Yet another Tecra I don't understand why this keeps happening, it's really annoying though and I'm sure it's not great on the internals of my machine.

12-04-2005, 04:30 PM	#11 (permalink)
tpfar Registered User Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 3 OS: Win2000	inverter? Opening the display and reseating the inverter connectors may fix the problem. Sometimes the cable is mounted so tightly that when you open and close your lid a few times the connector will become slightly unplugged and the problem can start all over again. A sollution to this is to unscrew the clip which is 'holding' this cable, pull a little on the cable to make it a little longer (it's taped in a small loop so it's long enough), refit the clip, check the connector. As an extra security measure you can tape the cable to the back of the panel to prevent it from moving when closing and opening the lid. ALWAYS!!!! Remove AC adaptor and battery before using this process, DANGEROUS VOLTAGES WILL BE PRESENT ON THE INVERTER BOARD IF POWERED ON!!!!!!! & AFTER OPENING THE DISPLAY, TOUCH A BARE METAL PART (HINGE WILL WORK) to discharge any static you have in your body. Do this each time you get up from your chair, static can destroy ckt boards. Hope this helps