Inverter or back light?

[600rob]

Hi,

Ive got a toshiba satellite pro a200 laptop that has been giving me some problems.

On start up the toshiba splash screen displays perfectly fine the the screen goes black.
On closer inspection the screen is not totally dark as I have tried shining a flashlight on the screen and I can see the windows login page so the machine seems to be starting up fine.

Also if I put the machine in sleep mode and wake it up the windows screen displays perfectly fine for about a second then all goes dark again.

From what I've read so far it sounds like it could be a screen inverter or backlight problem.

Is there anyway to diagnose between the two possible causes.

 

[WR2]

Hello 600rob;

If I were to guess - and it would be a guess - I would say the backlight.
As the tube starts cool and heats up it goes from working (1sec) to dark.
Both are fairly inexpensive parts.

 

[600rob]

Hi WR2,

Thanks for the response.

I've managed to find replacement inverters fairly cheap online but when searching for backlights my search is bringing up the entire replacement LCD screen.

can you tell me if there if there is another name for the back light which I should be searching for or is the back light infact the same part as the actual screen itself?

Thanks
Rob

 

[WR2]

Here is a LCD backlight tube plugged into an inverter board

with a pencil for size comparison.

 

[Brett928S2]

Hi

I own a laptop repair company...

That dark sceen fault is normally the inverter....which you change FIRST...

Then if it didnt work you change the whole screen....

All the best Brett

 

[600rob]

Thanks to both of you I will try the inverter first and go from there.

Will let you know how i get on.

thanks

 

[600rob]

so i changed the inverter and it made no difference, the same symptoms are being displayed.

maybe ill try a new back light and see if it makes any difference

 

[Brett928S2]

so i changed the inverter and it made no difference, the same symptoms are being displayed.

maybe ill try a new back light and see if it makes any difference

Hi

You dont change the back light...you change the whole screen now 🙁

All the best Brett

 

[600rob]

Really? 🙁

i found a few online guides showing how you can take out the cold cathode tube from the screen assembly and replace it as an individual part....?

if this is not the case ill probably skip getting a new screen and just strip the machine for parts

 

[WR2]

Have you found a matching backlight replacement yet?
Check the disassemble-reassembly instructions for your model. That might help you make up your mind.

 

[600rob]

ive found the back light already.

i guess i just need to fully check out the instructions to dismantle the screen.

 

[600rob]

hey thanks for the advice guys,

new bulb purchased for £10 sucessfully installed and my screen is working perfect once again.

It is a bit of a fiddly job and takes a little patience but is fairly straight forward & easy to do if you take your time.