Laptop Screen Fade.....
Discussion
Last night the screen on my laptop wobbled a bit then just faded to white as if a fo had rolled in. It stayed like that for a while, flickered and reverted to normal.
After that it was hit n miss whether I could finished typing a sentence before it would fade again.
It's spec as below (yes I know it's old but I'd rather not replace it yet)
Fujitsu
Lifebook
C Series
PIII 850
128mB Ram
bought in 2001
After that it was hit n miss whether I could finished typing a sentence before it would fade again.
It's spec as below (yes I know it's old but I'd rather not replace it yet)
Fujitsu
Lifebook
C Series
PIII 850
128mB Ram
bought in 2001
Where do you use it? You could plug in an external monitor (you could probably get a CRT free from someone) if you don't need to cart it around.
You could probably buy a whole new laptop these days for less than the cost of replacing the screen.
It *might* be the flexible cable between the base unit and the screen - try wobbling the screen a bit next time it fades.
You could probably buy a whole new laptop these days for less than the cost of replacing the screen.
It *might* be the flexible cable between the base unit and the screen - try wobbling the screen a bit next time it fades.
On the plus side laptop prices have come down masively from the days of when you last bought one. Dell, for instance, sell them for just a few hundred pounds now. And whilst they'll hardly be cutting edge by todays standards they'll blow the performance of your old laptop out of the water.
Alternatively if it is the TFT screen and not the graphics card then you might be able to hook up the laptop to a monitor, if you have one?
Or have a look on ebay for the very same laptop (or screen).
Alternatively if it is the TFT screen and not the graphics card then you might be able to hook up the laptop to a monitor, if you have one?
Or have a look on ebay for the very same laptop (or screen).
I work away from home so secondary monitor would work fine, but hassle to ship at beginning / end of project. (work in Budapest but live near Bordeaux!)
Yes Prices have come down but the trouble being that I'd like to be able to do more gaming on any replacement and finding something that can run games like http://whatisfear.com/uk/ they get pricey again....
Yes Prices have come down but the trouble being that I'd like to be able to do more gaming on any replacement and finding something that can run games like http://whatisfear.com/uk/ they get pricey again....
Derek M5 said:
I work away from home so secondary monitor would work fine, but hassle to ship at beginning / end of project. (work in Budapest but live near Bordeaux!)
Do you use the laptop for work - you can't be running anything very demanding!
Derek M5 said:
Yes Prices have come down but the trouble being that I'd like to be able to do more gaming on any replacement and finding something that can run games like http://whatisfear.com/uk/ they get pricey again....
That's a huge jump from what you've got now. I'd also be a tad nervous about running games on a laptop I used for work anyway.
Can't whoever is funding the work buy you a new laptop (or buy it through your company if self employed)?
It's probably not the actual TFT that's going but the back light or inverter. So long as your in the mood to play with screw drivers you should be able to disassembled the screen assembly (usually this reqires removing it from the laptop first) take out the back light and hunt via google for the part numbers. Snag some compatible units, drop them in and bingo.
Even without disassembling try googleing "Lifebook inverter" and see if you get any parts lists... ebay.com might also be a good place to look.
Even without disassembling try googleing "Lifebook inverter" and see if you get any parts lists... ebay.com might also be a good place to look.
Podie said:
Interesting commute...
Boring really 06:00 flight from Bordeaux to Schipol 10:00 Schipol to Budapest get in to office around 13:00 on a Monday. Leave at 12:00 on a Friday, get home around Midnight
deva link said:
Do you use the laptop for work - you can't be running anything very demanding
Generally interweb stuff, the odd MS project schedule word docs, nowt too hungry really, but want to be able to run some heavier games, dvd's etc. deva link said:
That's a huge jump from what you've got now. I'd also be a tad nervous about running games on a laptop I used for work anyway.
When I bought it, it was pretty much the mutts nutts, but as it's generally personal use and it was running fine felt I no need to upgrade. If I am going to replace it, I want it to be able to last a similar amount of time. I don't run any work stuff on there that isn't backed up elsewhere so no issues running games on it.
deva link said:
Can't whoever is funding the work buy you a new laptop (or buy it through your company if self employed)?
I'll most likely be buying it through the company, but as wifey is also a director there'll be the why do we need a 3k laptop and not one for 300 discussion? ThePassenger said:
It's probably not the actual TFT that's going but the back light or inverter. So long as your in the mood to play with screw drivers you should be able to disassembled the screen assembly (usually this reqires removing it from the laptop first) take out the back light and hunt via google for the part numbers. Snag some compatible units, drop them in and bingo.
Even without disassembling try googleing "Lifebook inverter" and see if you get any parts lists... ebay.com might also be a good place to look.
Even without disassembling try googleing "Lifebook inverter" and see if you get any parts lists... ebay.com might also be a good place to look.
OK, this sounds like fun.... Didn't think Laptops were as 'approachable' as pc's and this could be something I can actually do! I'd better bring tools back to Budapest with me as home pc is still in component parts on the office floor and someone is bound to pass comment if I'm stripping another computer before re-assembling the chimera that is our home pc.
Derek M5 said:
ThePassenger said:
It's probably not the actual TFT that's going but the back light or inverter. So long as your in the mood to play with screw drivers you should be able to disassembled the screen assembly (usually this reqires removing it from the laptop first) take out the back light and hunt via google for the part numbers. Snag some compatible units, drop them in and bingo.
Even without disassembling try googleing "Lifebook inverter" and see if you get any parts lists... ebay.com might also be a good place to look.
Even without disassembling try googleing "Lifebook inverter" and see if you get any parts lists... ebay.com might also be a good place to look.
OK, this sounds like fun.... Didn't think Laptops were as 'approachable' as pc's and this could be something I can actually do! I'd better bring tools back to Budapest with me as home pc is still in component parts on the office floor and someone is bound to pass comment if I'm stripping another computer before re-assembling the chimera that is our home pc.
They're fiddly, often with plastic catches and stuff but so long as your patient and have the tools you can get a laptop stripped quite easily. Keep in mind that someone in a factory had to assemble it and that if something was duff they'd had have to replace the damaged part. So just take your time and work it out.
ThePassenger said:
They're fiddly, often with plastic catches and stuff but so long as your patient and have the tools you can get a laptop stripped quite easily. Keep in mind that someone in a factory had to assemble it and that if something was duff they'd had have to replace the damaged part. So just take your time and work it out.
Thanks..... will see what info I can find on the web before starting up the chainsaw.
and can I send the components to you for reassembly when I get to the point where even I have to admit that I've royally fecked it up?
ThePassenger said:
It's probably not the actual TFT that's going but the back light or inverter.
I'm not an expert on laptops, but the original failure description "faded to white" steered me away from the backlight/inverter. Often they go pink as they're aging. If it was the backlight then surely the screen would go dark rather than white (although it may well just be the way Derek M5 has written it). Also, the text would still be there, just very difficult to see.
deva link said:
ThePassenger said:
It's probably not the actual TFT that's going but the back light or inverter.
I'm not an expert on laptops, but the original failure description "faded to white" steered me away from the backlight/inverter. Often they go pink as they're aging. If it was the backlight then surely the screen would go dark rather than white (although it may well just be the way Derek M5 has written it). Also, the text would still be there, just very difficult to see.
To be honest the whole back light assembly can cause a number of entertaining faults depending on what's gone wrong. If the inverter has gone nuts then it could go pink, dark (under voltage), light (over voltage), be perfectly normal but make a high pitch whine, flicker, light only half the screen... often behind the panel is a white piece of plastic (it can be silver or shiny black I've seen all three) to act as a reflector, if the back light fails... you'll see this. Not being an expert on Fujitsu's I couldn't honestly tell you what reflector they've used; I'm assuming white plastic hence the 'fade to white' but text still present, if hard to read.
It could well be the panel itself, I admit but again, once the unit is apart you can find part numbers and go shopping depending on the price for a compatible unit. Or a symptom of something else (such as the graphics card). However replacing the backlight assembly is usually a cheapo way of saying "right, it's completely bolloxed time to go get a new one".
Derek M5 said:
ThePassenger said:
replacing the backlight assembly is usually a cheapo way of saying "right, it's completely bolloxed time to go get a new one".
Will be warming up chainsaw next week, wish me luck and tally ho!
Have fun. Sometimes the engineering that goes in to a laptop is quite impressive once you have the chassis apart and see how it was put together.
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