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Author Topic: Gateway laptop LCD issues  (Read 215 times)

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Offline VampireMuffinMan

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Gateway laptop LCD issues
« on: February 08, 2010, 03:31:17 PM »
My dad just sent me his 'old' laptop, a Gateway nx860xl saying that GeekSquad said that the MB was bad.  So I turned it on and it seemed to boot, but nothing on the screen.  So I swapped the plug from my 2nd monitor over and viola, instant picture...  So, not the MB.  Now the question is, is it the backlight or the screen inverter board.  I can't find any testing procedure for the board that doesn't involve plugging in a known working backlight, and the backlight itself seems integrated into the screen.
So my question is does anyone here know how I should test the board or can point me to a forum that may be able to help me out?
I'd rather not buy a replacement board only to find out it's the backlight...or go through the trouble of replacing the backlight (pretty touchy operation in this case) only to find out it's the board after all.  I definitely don't want to buy a new screen at ~$150+...
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Offline IH8U

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Re: Gateway laptop LCD issues
« Reply #1 on: February 08, 2010, 08:20:53 PM »
Boot the computer using the external monitor. Display a picture on it and switch to the laptop's screen. Grab a flashlight and shine it on the screen. If you can see anything but it is really dim then it is most likely the inverter. If it is completely black then the screen is bad or the connector is disconnected from the motherboard.

Check Ebay for screens and inverters. Most screens can be had for less than $100 new.
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Offline VampireMuffinMan

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Re: Gateway laptop LCD issues
« Reply #2 on: February 08, 2010, 10:37:13 PM »
Already been running with the external.  Spent a few hours running updates (hadn't been done for over a year due to dial up) and installing avast! changing some settings and scanning and defragging.  Needless to say, the computer works flawlessly.
Anyway, I can see an extremely faint picture on the screen and there is no flicker and the 'intensity' of the faint image doesn't change from 10 minutes to hours of running.  From what I've read, it could still be either the backlight or the inverter.  I'm pretty much thinking of just getting both.  The backlight runs >$10 and the inverter runs ~$40.  A monitor runs $140 and up and those are used ones (off lease and take offs) so I wouldn't do that even if I was going to turn around and sell the computer.
I was really just wondering if there was a way that I could test the inverter with a multimeter.  The $10 for the backlight isn't worth much more research, though so I may just buy them both, as I said...  I can always sell the backlight on ebay if I don't need it.

Another question.  I've found each part, but does anyone have a source they recommend where I can find both?
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