Gateway laptop screen problem

tony873004 · 07-09-2007, 06:58 PM

Hi, I have a Gateway 7326. For months the screen has flickered in brightness, usually for the first few minutes after turning the computer on, then it would settle down. But now the problem is so bad that the computer is virtually unusable.

I've read about others with the same problem, and one person opened the computer and found a wire near the hinge that touched something. Moving the wire solved his problem.

I'm not afraid to take things apart and put them back together. But I can't figure out how to open the laptop. I removed 14 screws, including one hiding inside the removable harddrive chamber. But it would not come apart, and I didn't want to force it.

Should I even be attempting this? I have the feeling the cost of repair will be more than I want to pay.

**TheMatt** · 07-09-2007, 07:54 PM

Hi Tony,

It sounds like a loose wire or possibly a failing inverter. There should be a little strip of plastic at the base of the display. This is removable on most laptops, so what you have to do is just snap it off. You have to be careful though not to break it because it is easy to do so.

If you can find a service manual, then you should have a better idea of what to do. But if not, you might be better off taking it to a shop. If you repair it locally, then it will probably be cheaper than taking it to a chain shop.

07-09-2007, 06:58 PM	#1 (permalink)
tony873004 Registered User Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: San Francisco Posts: 50 OS: xp	Gateway laptop screen problem Hi, I have a Gateway 7326. For months the screen has flickered in brightness, usually for the first few minutes after turning the computer on, then it would settle down. But now the problem is so bad that the computer is virtually unusable. I've read about others with the same problem, and one person opened the computer and found a wire near the hinge that touched something. Moving the wire solved his problem. I'm not afraid to take things apart and put them back together. But I can't figure out how to open the laptop. I removed 14 screws, including one hiding inside the removable harddrive chamber. But it would not come apart, and I didn't want to force it. Should I even be attempting this? I have the feeling the cost of repair will be more than I want to pay.

07-09-2007, 07:54 PM	#2 (permalink)
TheMatt TSF Enthusiast Join Date: May 2006 Location: Boston Posts: 13,701 OS: Win 3.1, 98, NT 4.0, XP Debian 4.0, Kubuntu 6.06 My System Blog Entries: 3	Re: Gateway laptop screen problem Hi Tony, It sounds like a loose wire or possibly a failing inverter. There should be a little strip of plastic at the base of the display. This is removable on most laptops, so what you have to do is just snap it off. You have to be careful though not to break it because it is easy to do so. If you can find a service manual, then you should have a better idea of what to do. But if not, you might be better off taking it to a shop. If you repair it locally, then it will probably be cheaper than taking it to a chain shop. __________________ - Matt M - KB1OSC - Folding@Home 85015 [url="http://www.techsupportforum.com/hardware-support/"] If TSF has helped you, please consider donating. If I have stopped responding to a thread, feel free to send me a PM with a link to the thread. It is advisable to subscribe to threads so you will receive updates when replies are posted. You can subscribe to threads from the "Thread Tools" Menu. »Memtest86 »Prime95 »UBCD »SpeedFan »NHC Personal »Everest »Sandra »PC Wizard »RivaTuner »ATi Tool Click here for Useful Articles and Guides