Laptop screen gone wrong!

Lum

I'm assuming the driver thing didn't work either. Probably to be expected, but still worth a shot as a free thing to try.

At this point I'm going with either something has come loose or something has overheated and become damaged. There's a few options now, unless someone else can come up with something we've all missed.

1) Buy a new laptop
2) See if someone can fix this one, but frankly it's probably cheaper to buy a new one
3) Live with it, the machine is still usable and screen issues don't usually spread anywhere else.
4) as 3 but hook it up to an external monitor and basically turn it into a desktop.

MissSarah151

Hey - right I'm really confused now, same this morning when I switched it on but there was a new Windows update - did that a little while ago - and now the screen is back to normal like nothing had happened. so, out of your ideas I think maybe something is loose and it's gone back in place by me moving it around and the update was a coincidence - or pkr had corrupted something and this update has reset things that I couldnt.

it did go back to normal temporarily the other day though so would not be surprised if tomorrow it's wrong again.

thanks for your help!

Sarah

closed

if you want to rule out software, backup using macrium to an external drive now while it's working, and create the rescue cd.

Ratboy

After much more deliberating, the OP has been told what is likely to be wrong by myself. Then collectively, you stumble upon the same solution. That's the difference between a hobbyist, user, or a person that has repaired this in the past.

Lum

Thing is though, laptop repairs are basically not cost effective unless you can repair them yourself. The labour costs rapidly go through the roof and this machine is probably what? six years old?

It's at least worth trying the simple stuff, the stuff it's possible to advise about over the internet, before writing it off as a brick.

For the price of getting someone to open this machine up and see if it's just a loose cable, you could probably buy a similar or higher spec laptop new.

At least this way, Sarah knows that she's tried all the possible options before going out and spending money.

closed

Ratboy wrote: »

After much more deliberating, the OP has been told what is likely to be wrong by myself. Then collectively, you stumble upon the same solution. That's the difference between a hobbyist, user, or a person that has repaired this in the past.

:rotfl:A little personal don't you think?

MissSarah151 wrote: »

Ratboy- yeah it says the device is working properly. tapping didn't help

MissSarah151

Hey - yeah that's exactly why I came here - I don't know the simple things but grudge paying over the odds in a computer shop for a computer that is old in computer terms!

it was normal for a few hours and then back to broken when I switched it on again the next day. what is odd though, is I checked the resolution when it was right and it was 1280x800 now it's back to 1024x700 (think that's the numbers lol) but no option to put it back - am I missing something really obvious here?! I know for a fact now that it does run at the correct resolution so why isn't it?!

S

Lum

When your laptop boots, the graphics controller on your laptop will ask the screen what resolution it is.

At a guess I'd say that if the cable is loose or damaged, then it is getting back duff data causing the graphics controller to (sometimes) think the screen is 1024x768.

This is why I was trying to see if you could forcibly override it. It it was possible to do this, you might have been able to get 1280x800 in Windows (but not during bootup) which would have been enough to keep you going. It was certainly worth a shot.

MissSarah151

is there a reason I couldn't forcibly override it - I unchecked that box you told me to - but no other options came up. I also tried updating the driver but it kept saying there was an unknown error and set up would now close - (no viruses, I did a scan)

just frustrating trying to use word with some of the screen missing haha.

sorry I must be annoying you all now with so many questions!

S

Ratboy

I recall a rule of the internet, like DON'T SHOUT, which is, a thread will go into abandon after 7 posts, and even after the correct answer is given, x14 people will disagree, if you then disagree and make your point, 28 people will disagree, because they stick to their principles, even if they may be wrong. The invertor costs like £15, and there are 4 screws to replace it. It's like the starter/invertor in your flo tube in your kitchen! It's a simple transformer, easily replaced by yourself