Laptop backlight not working at all

[EmuzMan]

I had my laptop brightness turned down this morning (the laptop was still usable at this point) and when I went to turn it back up, it didn't go any brighter. So I turned the laptop off and back on... and it blue-screened. I turned it off/on again and ever since then, all I can see is a VERY faint image of the screen... no brightness whatsoever. I can barely tell what's going on if I point my flashlight at it. Completely unusable 🙁

Here's a picture of my flashlight on the screen.. you can barely make out the MS Word logo:
http/

Any ideas? Thanks for the help. I really appreciate the helpful atmosphere here.

 

[ratedk]

Knowing the Laptop make & model would help us identify they type of screen/backlight.

If it is an older style CCFL backlight, you may be able to replace the inverter inexpensively without replacing the entire screen. If it's an LED backlight, you'll probably have to replace the screen.

 

[EmuzMan]

Knowing the Laptop make & model would help us identify they type of screen/backlight.

If it is an older style CCFL backlight, you may be able to replace the inverter inexpensively without replacing the entire screen. If it's an LED backlight, you'll probably have to replace the screen.

Dell Studio XPS 1640. Model No. PP35L.

Recommendations?

 

[jarotech]

Hi, try going into the BIOS.

 

[EmuzMan]

Hi, try going into the BIOS.

Went into the BIOS and the brightness didn't change. Still no backlight.

 

[ratedk]

It's a newer LED backlit screen, which means they can be replaced fairly inexpensively. I'm finding 15.6" & 16" versions of your laptop. Screen part numbers are:

16" = LTN160HT02
15.6" = LP156WF1 TL B1

 

[EmuzMan]

It's a newer LED backlit screen, which means they can be replaced fairly inexpensively. I'm finding 15.6" & 16" versions of your laptop. Screen part numbers are:

16" = LTN160HT02
15.6" = LP156WF1 TL B1

I tried measuring but I'm not 100% sure of my screen size. Is there a way to be sure before I order?

 

[jarotech]

You have the screen number on the back of the screen itself.

 

[ratedk]

Yes! With the screen removed, there will be a sticker on the back with the number you need. You'll notice that the screen size is referenced within the part number.

 

[EmuzMan]

Okay, so I took the laptop apart and got the screen by itself. Here are two pics:

http/i.imgur.com/qjIkZ7C.jpg

http/i.imgur.com/Pxw2SQ6.jpg

It looks like the part number is LTN160AT03-002.

I looked on Amazon and I see LTN160AT03-001 but not LTN160AT03-002. Would that one still work? Does anyone have a direct link to the screen that I should be looking at buying? I really don't want to spend ~$100 on the wrong part and have to deal with returns and those kind of hassles.

Thanks for all the help!

 

[jarotech]

On your first picture, the number is LTN160AT03-001.

 

[EmuzMan]

Hmm, didn't even notice. I was going by the "002" in the second pic. So is it safe to assume that this one would work?

http/www.amazon.com/SAMSUNG-LTN160AT03-001-LAPTOP-SUBSTITUTE-REPLACEMENT/dp/B003TQ4N00

And this is something I can do myself, right? I'm pretty experiences with computers.. I've built a few desktops

 

[jarotech]

Yes, you can do it by yourself, you already took some pictures of the back of the screen, you just have to disconnect the ribbon and reconnect to the new screen. On the picture from Amazon.com for your screen, they cover the sticker for the number of the screen, I don't know why. I found one screen with the same number of your screen, it's more expensive and it's from eBay : http/www.ebay.com/itm/16-0-HD-LED-LAPTOP-SCREEN-LTN160AT03-002-001-For-Dell-Studio-XPS-1640-1647-/281269432008?pt=US_Laptop_Screens_LCD_Panels&hash=item417cf6eec8

 

[EmuzMan]

Weird indeed. What would you suggest personally? Is there a decent chance that the Amazon screen will be incompatible, or is the compatibility of these parts somewhat flexible? I don't have a problem paying a few extra dollars for the eBay screen, but it will take two weeks or so to get here

Thanks again.

 

[jarotech]

Maybe they use the same picture for different screens they sell at Amazon.com, and it's the reason they cover the sticker. But one thing I noticed from Amazon, they don't mention which laptop will use the screen. On the other hand, eBay mention the screen they sell is compatible to your laptop. It's up to you to judge which one you will buy.

 

[EmuzMan]

Ok, I replaced the screen but it did not fix the problem. I have the same situation as before. Any thoughts?

 

[EmuzMan]

Does anyone have any ideas as to why the new screen is having the same problem? I haven't done much work at all with these kinds of internal parts.. so I'm drawing a blank. The laptop still functions perfectly when connected to another display via HDMI but I don't want to completely lose the portability. I'd like to get the internal screen working

Thanks for all the help so far and I'm looking forward to any ideas.

 

[jarotech]

Did you try the Built-In Self-Test (BIST) test? When the laptop is off, press and hold the D key while pressing the power button. This will start the BIST.