[Zuggel]

My not quite 2 year old dell studio 1737 laptop (win 7) quite working properly on me over the weekend. I now have a display that is completely white. It does not change when moving the screen up or down, but does go black momentarily when booting.

I can currently access the computer via logmein (remote viewing software) and it is functioning properly. When it first occurred, I attached it to an external monitor and was able to view it on that. A later attempt at attaching it to an external monitor failed, although I suspect that is due to my randomly turning it on an off while looking at it, causing it to not shut down boot properly. I plan on confirming that it works with an external monitor, or not, later today.

Assuming that it works with the external monitor, that means it is either the screen or the inverter correct?

Since I used it at night, set it down still running and it was white in the morning, I am assuming that it is the inverter. (is this a correct assumption to make, I'm really not familiar with laptop repair/troubleshooting like i am with a desktop?). I found a great youtube video here that show me how to replace the inverter.

With inverters, are they computer/monitor specific? Meaning, i'm looking to spend as little as possible, so I need to know what I need to look for.

I think that is the whole story, if I made poor/incorrect assumptions/guesses/troubleshooting or if anyone has some tips for me I would appreciate the input.

[Zuggel]

OK, so it works when hooked up to an external monitor. Looking like an inverter. Any other thoughts or a good place to get one?

[Gr3iz]

If the backlight inverter was bad, the screen would be dark, not white. The inverter supplies power to the, basically, fluorescent lamp that shines through the liquid crystals. You're seeing the light, so the inverter is functioning, but the LCD is not. It could be the screen itself, or it could be the graphics circuitry on the main board. Since it uses different circuitry for the LCD and the monitor output, the fact that the external monitor works does not rule out the main board.

[Zuggel]

I had thought about that....Does that rule out the inverter as a possible cause completely? I tried a extra backlight I had (ripped from an old laptop) and that also lit up white...although i'm not sure how that helps me.

[Gr3iz]

It doesn't help you. Your backlight inverter is working. It powers up your backlight. The display itself is not working. It's allowing all of the light through, rather than blocking and allowing only select pixels through to create an image, or text.

[Zuggel]

:-( suggestions or thoughts?

[Gr3iz]

It is more likely the LCD panel itself, rather than the main board, but it's probably about a 80/20 call at this point. The screen would also be the less expensive of the two, and easier to replace.

[managed]

It could also be the cable joining mobo to screen, I've seen a loose connection behind the screen do this. If you're comfortable with dismantling the laptop check it at both ends but be careful at the screen end, that connection and especially the other ribbon cables are quite fragile.

[Zuggel]

Gr3iz, is there anyway to test to see if it is the screen, other than having another screen to hook it up to?

managed, it's already apart. I've reattached the motherboard end a few time with no change. I looked at the screen end and it looked ok. I didn't mess with it since i was going with the inverter theory at that time. I will check that later today.

[Gr3iz]

Zuggel, I don't really know any way to definitively determine whether it is the screen or the main board without trying one or the other. Either could cause the problem.

[Zuggel]

I checked the cable connected to the LCD, it looked well connected. I took it out and reconnected without any changes. While I had the laptop semi back together, I also tried a boot disk without any luck just to rule out an possible driver issue....but I did realize that I currently have no way to get the disk back out without reattaching more stuff :-)

[Gr3iz]

If you mean a CD, there's usually a small hole in the end, near the eject button, that you can stick an unfolded paper clip into. It needs to go in about an inch and a half, or so, then the drawer should pop out.

[Zuggel]

Originally Posted by Gr3iz

If you mean a CD, there's usually a small hole in the end, near the eject button, that you can stick an unfolded paper clip into. It needs to go in about an inch and a half, or so, then the drawer should pop out.

Yeah, there isn't...that was the first thing i checked . Or rather there probably is, but it's covered by the laptop case.

[Gr3iz]

You don't have a drawer that pops out to accept the disk? Is it just a slot?

[Zuggel]

Correct, similar to a car cd player.