Laptop Screen Help

[Simzter]

Hi, I've got a laptop that's developed a strange problem. When it is powered on, the screen illuminates for about 2 seconds - displaying the BIOS menu, but in a strange red colour. After that, the screen appears to go dead. The computer still boots normally and you can see the display if you hold a torch to the screen. Also plugging an external monitor works.

If you push the button that's beside the hinge (the one that is pressed when you close the lid) the screen illuminates again for no longer than 2 seconds and then goes dead. Again with the weird red colour.

The laptop is an Acer TravelMate 4050 Series.

Does anybody have any ideas what the problem is likely to be and where parts can be bought for a fix?

Any help/input on this that gets this laptop working will make a young girl very happy.

Thanks

[TechWreck]

Originally Posted by Simzter

Hi, I've got a laptop that's developed a strange problem. When it is powered on, the screen illuminates for about 2 seconds - displaying the BIOS menu, but in a strange red colour. After that, the screen appears to go dead. The computer still boots normally and you can see the display if you hold a torch to the screen. Also plugging an external monitor works.

If you push the button that's beside the hinge (the one that is pressed when you close the lid) the screen illuminates again for no longer than 2 seconds and then goes dead. Again with the weird red colour.

The laptop is an Acer TravelMate 4050 Series.

Does anybody have any ideas what the problem is likely to be and where parts can be bought for a fix?

Any help/input on this that gets this laptop working will make a young girl very happy.

Thanks

right have you got another monitor in the house? if yes connect this to the laptop via the vga port on it.
then switch from the laptop screen to the external monitor,normally this is done by holding the fn button down and then pressing one of the f keys on the top row you normally have a small screen logo on the f key to help you
if the screen appears ok on the monitor then the laptop screen needs replacing if its the same then its probably a onboard graphics chip prob.

[Simzter]

Yeah I mentioned in the post that an external monitor connected works fine. With the symptoms I've described - I'd guess it was a problem with the Inverter or the Backlight? The screen itself isn't cracked/damaged - and it displays clearly for that brief moment when booting up - but with the red/pink colour.

Is there any clearcut way of telling which needs replacement? I'm tempted to replace the inverter as they're relatively inexpensive and see if this sorts it.

[lambo]

if i were to pick one i would go for the invertor board, i had the same problem with a mate's packard bell a couple of years back, you could just about make out the screen, i replaced the inverter and it wrked fine

[Simzter]

Cool - I figured as much I've got an inverter on order - as soon as I've installed it I'll let you know how I get on!

[MorriSoft]

Originally Posted by lambo

if i were to pick one i would go for the invertor board, i had the same problem with a mate's packard bell a couple of years back, you could just about make out the screen, i replaced the inverter and it wrked fine

Indeed, I had a problem with a Dell monitor and its invertor board, a friend was throwing it away, replaced the dead board and bang, was on eBay for £60 the next day

[ant16151189]

My laptop screen goes red when i tilt the screen, its slowly dying lol.

[lambo]

Originally Posted by ant16151189

My laptop screen goes red when i tilt the screen, its slowly dying lol.

what make is the laptop, i remember that hp had a problem like that a while ago, it turned out to be the cable from the monitor to the board was broken from opening and closing the screen