Advice Pls - HP Laptop no display but sounds like it boots

[jonamv8]

Hi

Have an Elitebook 8460p, decent spec i7 machine.

Did a windows update restarted and no screen. No BIOS, nothing, just black. All lights come on to show it's turned on, the hard drive whirs, cd spins etc but nothing on screen.

Surely the software update a coincidence right?

I'm thinking video card or screen. Tried connecting it to external monitor, nothing. Should auto divert the feed right on boot to the other screen? My other laptops do.

Video card - presume on the board so nothing I can replace there.

Any ideas or advice, am I missing something?? Don't want to throw it away was working brilliant pre update!!!!

[oilslick]

This might sound a little stupid, but if you shine a torch at the screen when you switch it on can you see anything on the screen? If the backlight's gone then you may see something on the screen.

If it still looks blank you could try unplugging the adapter, take out the battery, press and hold the power button for a few seconds, then put everything back together and try again.

[jonamv8]

Thanks appreciate the advice i will try this tomorrow at the office

[TheEnd]

when you plug it in to an external display, press fn +f4, and that should switch it to the external display if the keyboard looks like this-



Sometimes graphic driver updates will screw up the screen, but I'm sure you should still see the bios page etc.

[gpo746]

Check the RAM memory
If 2 slots of ram remove one and see if it works with just the one
If only one slot, remove it and reinstall it

Make sure the laptop is switched off completely if its a removable battery remove that as well

[telecat]

THat Laptop should have a VGA or DVI output so you can connect to a standard monitor. That should tell you if it is working. You could also Remote Desktop in if you know what you called the PC.

Barring that it is probably the screen or the cable connecting it to the board. I rarely see the card components go. Push along the bottom bezel of the screen and see if the screen reacts. If it does the cable is loose.

[jonamv8]

had the screen out and back in to check connection, still nothing. Have an identical donor laptop to try to transplant screen with so should know after that what it is for certain.

[MyM2006]

If you plug in an external monitor and it doesn't display anything then it's almost certainly either the video element of the laptop, an add on graphics card or the onboard or the motherboard itself. Cable or screen wouldn't stop it displaying on the external device.

Have had to fix a few in the past, laptop powers up, no video on screen or external monitor. £50ish for a replacement video card and the laptop is back up and running, if its onboard then I usually sell on for parts as it can be too much hassle to find a motherboard and know what state it's in.