Replacing a laptop screen

KG

Ok - I broke my laptop screen in a stupid accident. Damn!

I have heard it said that it's cheaper to replace the whole laptop than just the screen but was wondering if that was true in all cases. How easy is it to swap a screen over??? Easier than transfering _everything_ from my current hard drive onto the new one?

If I bought a cheapie second hand laptop should I be able to swap it over pretty easy?

Bought the laptop in NZ and it's an Acer. Am actually currently out here again for about another 5 days so may be able to source a screen out here if it's a good idea.

The laptop still runs ok and I would hate to throw it out just because the screen is knackered.

Ta

KG

LadyMorticia

What kind of accident?

My ex broke my other laptop. I'm still not sure how but he was the only one using it at the time and the LCD has cracked so it has a lot of green patches on the laptop screen and the cracks are filed with green. I think he might have stood on it or something. :eek: Stupid man.lol.

I'd be interested to hear peoples replies, so I'll subscribe to this thread.

xx

Browntoa

you are looking to completely dismantle the whole laptop more or less to get to the screen....depends how much time/effort you want to spend on it..

sillyvixen

i broke my lappy screen and case - stupid me i was making a cake from a recipe i had down loaded when i knocked the laptop off the worktop onto the kitchen floor!! i took it to my local dealers who told me a new laptop would be more economical (it a mac and they would have sent it to the us) than repair and to contact my insurance company to see if it was covered. they subcontracted to a company working for the insurance company (they would replace it for another make or send it to the us for apple to repair themselves) i wanted it repaired so off it went on its holidays and it took 6 weeks) i am quite attatched to my quirky mac so this was the perfect solution.

my brother who works in computers borrowed a external hard drive from work and backed up everthing before wiping lappy the hard drive before it went away - he also removed the memory upgrades and sorted everthing out when it came back.

this was the best solution for me as the new parts alone caot a lot more than my excess and i had the piece of mind of knowing that it was returned to apple for the repair work.

all the best with whatever route you take!

KG

Thanks for the replies so far. It's not under warranty and I don't have insurance. I don't mind the time and effort and would prefer to reuse and recyle rather than buy new if at all possible.

And yes I stepped on it... Note for the future - don't leave the laptop on the bed and don't walk over the bed as a short cut...

richt71

I used to work for a laptop manufacturer and can tell you unfortunately a replacement screen is the most expensive part of a laptop. The screen will cost you somewhere between £150-£200 normally (new). You could try ebay.

rdpro

You might not have to strip down the entire unit to replace the screen - some models just have a few screws under plastic covers around the screen frame and then use a plastic ruler or spatula to 'split' the frame open.

If you're lucky, the connectors will all detach from the rear of the screen.

If you're unlucky, they'll be hardwired to the screen and then you'll need to remove the keyboard and possibly the top casing (about 6-10 screws) to detach the video cable from the motherboard.

Pretty sure you can pick up a suitable replacement for 70-100 quid on ebay.

Btw, if you do attempt it, remove the battery first - there's a small inverter board in with the lcd that can pack a nasty shock if it's still powered.

chunter

What make/model is the laptop?
Some are easier sourced and fitted than others.

Replacing it yourself is probably not for the faint hearted.
Especially if you've paid 100 odd quid for the part.

I would be inclined to lob it onto ebay, put a reasonable reserve on it
and buy a new one.

Why take the gamble on you fixing it yourself,
let someone else who has the know-how/parts sort it.

Dell doing one at the minute for 258 inc VAT and delivery
http://configure.euro.dell.com/dellstore/config.aspx?b=&c=uk&cs=ukbsd1&l=en&oc=N0510001&s=bsd&sbc=rf_spider&m_30=139043&dgc=AF&cid=5213&lid=122757

johng_uk

This is a big task and would require a working knowledge of computers.

I think if you have to ask the question, the job is probably not for you tbh.

Might be better to look for a cheap replacement if possible?

bitsandpieces

It will be a *lot* easier to just copy everything from your hard drive onto a new laptop than to fit a new screen. You really should have all your data backed up already (if not, especially given that the machine has been trod on, do it now).

You may want to install a repaired screen to let you reuse the old laptop, to save money, etc - fair enough if you do. But, as far as which route is easier, that's a no-brainer: replacing a laptop screen is harder than copying data from your backup and onto a new computer.