Samsung R580 won't start most times.

[Lechu1777]

Hello,

my colleague gave me his laptop to check what's going on. It's R580 with Nvidia and i3 (stickers under the keyboard). It doesn't have the battery, only AC. So when I plug it, the LED lights up then I click power button and it seems to boot ok but on the screen nothing happens. It's black. Lights around the touchpad shine and AC LED shine, too. Sometimes WiFi LED also shines. I managed to boot it properly ONCE. I mean it booted to Windows loading and then went black again. So I believe that it's not completly dead, there might be a faulty connector or something.

What I tried:
1) removed 1st ram, tried booting then replaced with the other - no changes
2) removed HDD - no changes
3) connecting using VGA but the external display says "No signal" but as far as I know I have to use a key combination and I'm not really sure how does it work on Samsung. I tried FN+F4 and only F4 but it didnt help at all.

Could you give me some advices what to do?

 

[Abmario]

Connect the laptop to TV or monitor, press Fn+(F4), try few times...

If you still have the original HDD. Turn ON, if Windows does not load, press the F4 Key at the Samsung logo when you first power on the computer, it should take you to Samsung Recover Solution..

 

[Lechu1777]

Okay update:
I have trouble opening this laptop because some id... has driven a screw so hard and badly that it's ruined and I need some better equipment to remove it. BUT! I disconnected, cleaned and connected again what I was able to without top cover fully removed and I managed to keep the booting alive! If the laptop stays still and the top cover is a bit undermined using simple pen, everything works just fine. Windows boots till login screen (dont have password, tho) and everything is fine. So I assume it's a bad connection / short circuit somewhere but I can't find it with that top cover bothering me I also tried to keep the laptop still and move display cable (first thing I wanted to check) using screwdriver and nothing happened, it's not it, the display stays fine when I'm touching the display cable so I don't think it causes the problem. So what might? On the other hand when I move the laptop a lil bit when it's working (both booting or windows login screen), the display goes instant black OR it becomes 'broken', lots of colors, weird marks etc. and then it goes black.

btw, Samsung Recover Solution is probably for software problems, I have strictly hardware problem here.

 

[Abmario]

If the display turns blank, try put some light on it either flashlight/torch or table lamp.. if you can find same image (dim) then goes out without a light... your display inverter is failing...

But if your display is having mixed colors then most probably loose connections, it could be that small ribbon or cables connecting laptop and LED/LCD display

On Laptop to TV display, how about changing cable.. and pressing Fn+F4 for several times.. pressing it should be: Laptop display, TV display, Duplicate display and Dual display..

 

[Lechu1777]

If I manage to boot Windows properly, the display works ok and I can use keys combination to turn off display backlights and I can also inc/dec brightness. Yeah, I believe it's small ribbon or a cable but I have no idea which one since it doesn't seem to be that major cable that goes to the display through display wicket. I mean when I touch that cable, screen doesn't crash and I also checked if moving the display (opening/closing the laptop) does something and it turned out that it doesn't. Moving the display doesn't crash the image. When it comes to external VGA, I plugged (D-Sub) my old monitor and it works just fine but ONLY when the laptop display works fine, too. It seems like something disconnects in graphic part of the laptop? Is there any connector that affects BOTH external VGA and built-in display? Moreover, both external monitor and built-in work ONLY when laptop boots properly and only to the moment when I shake the laptop too much then it's something like short circuit or display connection failure and I have to reboot to make it work again.

 

[Abmario]

You laptop must have dedicated graphics aside from Intel HD graphics but use same port... How about clean installation of drivers? but before that, you may try sfc /scannow. Just to see if you don't have system file error..
http/support.microsoft.com/kb/929833

 

[Lechu1777]

It acts the same when I completly remove the HDD but I'll give it a shot soon. I also disconnected what I was able to: touchpad, speakers. Just to exclude all possible parts. It's All Saint's Day soon and I have to visit my family I'll update next week. Thanks for your help.

 

[Lechu1777]

I'm not sure what was actually wrong but I opened the whole thing, cleaned it up and the laptop works fine again. Tested 2x4 hours. I have no idea what was that. Maybe dust/wetness? The mainboard PCB was pretty dusty. Looks like connection problem to me. Thanks for help.

 

[Abmario]

Congrats.