elemen7al

I have a problem with my Toshiba Satellite 2410 this is what happens:

Power on = Black screen no backlight and no faint images shows up with a light.

So the laptop screen is compleatly OFF.

If i attach a monitor the laptop it boots up and i see everything from the TOSHIBA logo and i can access the BIOS etc etc.

my keypad on my laptop is damged due to a spill of TEA on it. I removed it and washed it etc etc and all the keys now are working.

If i press the Fn+F5 to switch displays my "MONITOR" goes black but my laptop screen does nothing. If i press it a few times my "LAPTOP SCREEN" backlight flickers on and then off. As if it is trying to turn it on but it just flicks back off.


Now.. I hit Fn+F5 loads of times over and over and eventully my screen came on and was working perfectly. I then shutdown my laptop and powered back up to see if it would stay on and it has gone off again compleatly. Pressing the Fn+F5 does nothing i cant get it back on. I have booted from a ubuntu LIVE CD to try that and still nothing.

I would definatly think it would be the inverter but how can it work and then just not work after a reboot. Could the faulty keypad be casuing this? or even tho i got it working could it still be the inverter? but faulty?

there is a thread i read on this already here:
[SOLVED] laptop display goes blank and does not even show the bios

But i got mine working and its an old laptop so no warrenty or anything.

Thank in advance if you can help

Done_Fishin

Sounds like an LCD inverter problem which means either the inverter is failing or the backlight.
It is just possible that your spillage has altered some circuitry by changing component characteristics which would mean digging down to find the inverter .. might just be the connector for the loom to the display panel .. which plugs in under the keyboard close to the display. Most Inverter boards I have seen on older laptops are a slim board in teh display panel .. but that doesn't mean that yours is there too.

elemen7al

Thanks for the reply. I have had it to bits and checked all cables etc the inverter is in the screen and the spill definatly didnt hit that. It probably is the inverter i just thought i would ask incase it could be somthing els.

Seems wired i got it to work by hitting the Fn+f5 key then after a reboot it went off.

i will have to get my hands on a inverter to try it out :(... and im skint lol

Done_Fishin

if it was anything else then you probably wouldn't get an output to your monitor via VGA connector. I think that you're just forcing the inverter to work occasionally by harassment .. until you find a replacement at least you can use your monitor .. it's just not very portable any more

Unless something went down towards the graphics chip or card (some laptops have a pluggable graphics card) to cause you problems the inverter is the most likely possibility.
Theres a UK site which sells stuff for laptop repairs
take a look at the inverter section here

as for your being skint .. join the club .. it's a common problem without guaranteed cure

elemen7al

Lol.. i will have to get a new inverter and give it a test thanks for the replys guys

Done_Fishin

Let us know how you get on ... when you find the "readies"

elemen7al

Well i had abit more mess around with it and i got the screen back on. I have uploaded some images and would like to know if these look like INVERTER PROBLMES?

I went in to device manager and uninstalled my GFX which ofcourse required a reboot. Once it loaded back up after the windows logon music i hit Fn+F5 and my screen came on hear are the pics. The picture without a desktop is what a got first time i tried uninstalling. The 2nd pic with a desktop is what i have now. (Notice the screen resolution isnt fitting down the right) I dont want to turn it off as i dont think it will come back on lol..

http://aycu10.webshots.com/image/473...9482804_fs.jpg

http://aycu40.webshots.com/image/514...4838462_fs.jpg

This an inverter problem? I dont think it can be if i uninstalled my GFX and its on now. And how can it be a DRIVER issue if i cant get the screen on when i am in the BIOS or a DOS environment.

Thanks in advance

Done_Fishin

if you have uninstalled drivers and it appears to work EVERY TIME now .. you may be having a driver issue ..

if you have to play around with function keys to get it going it may well be the inverter

the 2nd picture looks fine but isn't perfect due to the flash going off .. is the first picture showing a reflection of something behind you or was it some sort of grid display ?? I haven't ever seen anything like it before (1st picture)

elemen7al

I havent got a clue.. thats exactly what it looks like.. The light is on but no picture.

Am lost now untll find a inverter to try.

thanks for the help

Done_Fishin

originally you said this

now you are saying

That tends to rule out the inverter since the inverter is what creates the voltage to power the backlight ..

it looks like your system is refusing to boot or perhaps it is sending the VGA output to your VGA connector rather than the internal LCD screen ..

elemen7al

Yes thats he conclusion i have come too.

I get no light when i power it on from boot.. but the external monitor works pefect.(no signal to my LCD)

I get a light but no picture in the example i showed above.But only AFTER i hav hit Fn+F5 a few times..

If i uninstallthe GFX card and boot to windows then hit FN+F5 i get it to work (picture 2) but thers about 1inch of unused space own the right of te screen ifyou look you can see.

i must say i need to hit Fn+F5 about 7 or 8 times before i get it to work, most of the time the screen will just flicker a backlight on off.

Once i install drivers fo my GFX i ant get iton no matter what i try. (External works perfect tho)

elemen7al

When i get a time im going to rip it appart and check the motherboard for corrupt chips or anything that could be causing a short on the board.

TY for your help DONE_Fishin.. I do appriciate the help.

Done_Fishin

it's possible that you have a hardware problem on your laptop motherboard. If it's equipped with a replaceable graphics card (some laptops do) it may boil down to a bad connection ..

repeated prompting of the function keys to prod the LCD display into life tends to indicate that the problem is around the graphics area rather than the display itself .. that your monitor ALWAYS shows the correct picture could mean that there is a leakage at the point where the laptop looks for an external connection for VGA .. Do you know if there is a BIOS setting for sending the initial VGA output ??

elemen7al

There is an option to change it in the bios your right. However changing it does nothing. I have been building PC's for years but not laptops. I can usually fix just about anything wrong with a PC or atleast find a faulty componant. This however has got me totally confused.

Your definatly thinking along the lines of my conclusions tho. I think somewhere from the GFX to LCD CABLE CONNECTION on the motherboard(the place where the cable from the LCD connects to the MOBO) there is a problem.

for example:

(EXTERNAL MONITOR)-----OK-------GFX----DAMAGED---(LAPTOP LCD CABLE CONNECTION)

Also i think me constantly hitting the Fn+F5 is sending the signal over and over again down this damaged line and then eventually its passing whats damaged and giving me partial output.

Done_Fishin

I'm not sure about the PHYSICAL method .. but something similar to the TV out where it recognises that a connection to a TV has been made so it cuts out the local monitor ...

elemen7al

Hmm.. Its a hard one lol..wouldnt that be a software issue?

i think i am going to have to pull it appart and see what i can find out. The GFX is built in to the motherboard am pretty sure.

Thanks again for the fast replys.

Done_Fishin

not necessarily .. first you ha to p[lug in the cabl;e to a TV which then shorts two parts of the connector signalling the card that it should notify the CPU of the connection .. then it becomes software/firmware for the "switchover" .. I assume thay do something similar for the VGA output using the ID pins ..
see hardware book VGA 15 pin Connector "ID" here

elemen7al

Any sugestions on what i should do?

OR if/when i take it appart what should i be looking for.

Another thing (before i have to run to work Grrr) when i press the FN+F5 key 1 time it makes no NOISE press it again NO noise Then when i hit it again for the 3rd time the board or somthing makes kinda like a HISSING noise and thats when my LCD backlight flashes.

Done_Fishin

if you'll excuse the pun ... I'm as much in the dark here as you ..


check Toshiba for a service manual ..before you start .. I found one for my laptop ( just don't remember where though )

check to see where the LCD is connected, push firmly home .. not much else to say ..

elemen7al

yer lol its a wired one.. i think ive tried everything i can appart from mainboard examination.

ill keep you posted tyvm for your time and the help.