Question Screen, LVDS cable or something else?

[Markou10]

Hello everyone! This would be a little longer post.

So, my problem is pink and green flickering lines which cause laptop screen to glitch (on external monitor-TV everything is fine). This first happened about a year ago (maybe more) and I fixed it by changing the refresh rate to 40Hz for few days and then changed it to 60Hz later and everything worked fine for about 6 months. After that it happened again, so I again tried the refresh rate but nothing.. I tried everything possible but nothing worked. I should mention that lines appear as soon as I press the power button (before the BIOS check and POST). So after nothing worked I was hopeless and thought well I could try to reinstall windows but I knew that is not the problem.

I was lazy so I decided to just put another HDD that I had which had fresh windows installed. I was both confused and happy that the lines went away. So I wanted to reinstall windows on my old HDD but when I was changing it, I dropped it on my motherboard which resulted in dead mobo (missing 3.3V power rail). I ordered a new one AND new RAM stick. Installed windows and everything was fine as I expected. Untill few days ago when those lines came back AGAIN.

I was not scared since I knew that the windows is the problem but I had it with windows and installed linux mint and as soon as I booted from USB the lines disapeared and everything worked fine for few days and now it came back. Now I'm scared. It's not windows, it's not linux (I tried with another hdd and without hdd, with bootable usb and without it and lines are there at POST and BIOS check), it's a new mobo, new RAM, works on external display through HDMI.. I know that ribbon and screen are only things left and logical but to me it's not logical. How can cable or screen get fixed by reinstalling sistem?

I should also mention that both last times this happened, the laptop was off for about few hours to few days. First time I was home for holidays (2 days), came back and see lines on startup. Secon time I was on a trip (it worked fine there, I carried it with me) and when I came back, same thing happened. So it was off in a bag for a few hours. It's HP 15-p153nm mobo (intel pentium N3540 quad, nvidia 830m 2gb vram and 4gb ddr3l ram). Any help is needed. I use it mostly as a stationary pc plugged in all the time (battery in), never turn it off, all up to date always, YT, movies, web browsing, nothing saved on HDD, deleting everything (pictures, movies, songs etc). I have pictures and video but I don't know how to post them (if it's even possible here).

 

[hang-the-9]

Screen would not get fixed when you reinstalled Windows, it just happened to work after you did that. If you got sick and went to wash your car, day later you felt better, would you say that washing the car made you better?

Did you re-seat the connections to the screen? You have a few other things to try, new screen is one of them. But really for that old system you may just look into replacing it.

 

[Markou10]

Thanks for the reply but that didn't happen the day later but instantly after switching the HDD first time and instantly after booting from USB the second time. I took coincidance into account but it seems highly unlikely. I tried reseating the cable at both ends, cleaning the connectors, pressing the connector, closing and opening the lid, flexing the cable by hand while on, nothing happens.. I tried disconnecting everything of the motherboard except the lvds cable, even the power button and turning it on by shorting the pins. It looks like lvds cable fault (it even seems damaged at the screen end). And about replacing the system, why? It is much more than I need. I use it for faculty and entertainment as I mentioned. I don't play games (only mario bros via zsnes emulator), I don't need high rez screen or what not. It's perfectly good laptop for what I need it. It runs fast for 4 year old laptop, expecially on linux and I don't need super high specs. Same reason I use samsung J3. It meets my needs and I don't need more. About the fault, I'll try different screen or ribbon cable in few days and see (that was my intention anyway since nothing else worked). If it's the screen fault, I might aswell connect it to the tv and use it as desktop with wireless mouse and keyboard.

 

[hang-the-9]

Why replace it? Because you are having screen issues. I would not put time and money into a system that won't cost much to replace.

 

[Markou10]

$5 for a cable or $40 for a screen (or even nothing if I plug the HDMI to TV) is much less than 500 or 1000 for a new laptop that works perfectly fine, especially for a student in a 3rd world country like myself where monthly salary is $300. Would you throw away a perfectly fine working car because your windshield broke and buy a Lambo even though you don't need it and your old car meets all your needs?

 

[Markou10]

So I was pressing on the pcb under the screen near the connector and screen was changing to worse and then it turned all white and when I let go it got back to the same problem. So i took a closer look at the cable connector and saw one of the ground wires as I assume (it wasn't insulated and was soldered to the housing of the cable connector) touching one of the data wires. After I moved it and connected the cable the screen was normal. So it is a cable after all and now it's back to normal. New one for few bucks and laptop is back as new. To throw away perfectly working laptop because of this, no. I thought this was a support forum, not the "just buy a new one" forum. Anyways thanks for your help and reply.

 

[webworkings]

We are a support forum, and we do what we can. I think perhaps you misunderstood what they were saying.

I think the point was that, rather than invest in some major repairs (which can happen in such a case and with an older system) that you would be better served to get a new device. That doesn't mean you shouldn't try any basic and cheaper repairs.

I mean if it say turned out that not only the cable but the display itself and also the graphics (and possibly the motherboard) needed replacing, then it would not be worth the cost.

 

[Markou10]

As I said, I troubleshooted the problem and only thing that can be the issue is screen, cable or something else, as the title states. Since it's not yet possible for me to try another screen or cable and reinstalling operating systems worked every time, I was asking if there is something else I could try before I'm able to comfirm display or cable problem. Second thing, graphics is fine since I get normal picture through HDMI (also mentioned), I have 3.3V on the VGA connector on the motherboard so the mobo is also fine. Even if it isn't, I paid it &40. Still much cheaper than new system. I didn't come to ask if I should throw it away, I came for advice concerning the repair. If I came with the advice on repairing a chinese digital alarm clock on support forum, I want support about the repair, not advice on buying a new one. Nobody said anything about the troubleshooting but only about replacing the PC. You are right, if it was something major cost wise, I should think about replacing the PC but nobody even bothered to try and see if it's something major. Firts thing was "buy a new one". Please, first see what the problem is and then you can advise on what should I do and what is cheaper solution. I didn't misunderstood them, they misunderstood my question because I didn't ask if it's cheaper to replace the PC. I asked about the problem so I expect advice about that.

 

[webworkings]

I have to say that seems rather unusual that nothing else was mentioned. That is not what normally happens here. And, upon reading back, it looks like they did ask things first. Perhaps it was missed.

Such is life, errors happen.

 

[Markou10]

No, it wasn't missed as I answered the question in my next reply. And as I stated before, first we have to see what the problem is and then go and give advice on what is more cost worth - fixing or buying new. They gave advice on buying new one in their first reply. As you said "you are support forum" so you should give support about finding and fixing the problems. Maybe I want to fix it just because I want to. You still only have to be concerned about giving advice about asked question and my question was about troubleshooting the problem, not what is more cost worth in my situation. That was not helpful at all and wasn't intended to be said as help but to show some kind of superiority by being pretentious. Some people are greatful for what they have and some people can't have luxury. It's like telling an African child "lolz just buy a big mac" when it asked you where can it find some food. I have money to buy the newest system, I have money to buy newest iPhone (even in this third world country) but I DON'T NEED IT. Why would I? I can fix my perfectly fine working laptop, so why would I throw it away and buy a new one that I don't need?

 

[webworkings]

I understand your need for assistance, and I understand not caring for one of the replies you received, however we can only do so much. We are just people like you trying to help others with issues. Not everything goes as planned.

Me, I am the same way about things. I don't 'need' something just because it is new. Don't have that OMG I need the latest whatever addiction so many have.

Alas, other than trying the cable or display, there would not be anything you could really do. Some fixes don't have quick easy no part replacement answers.

To be honest, I don't find your comparison appropriate. Telling someone to try getting a new computer is nothing like telling someone who has no food to get a computer. The difference is beyond measure. Please stick to a more appropriate line and if you don't get the answer you wish (or don't care for the one you got -not saying answer was or wasn't right) just state that. We try to keep things considerate and friendly here.

I have been here quite a few years, and it is a really great site to ask questions and get answers, even for those of us who know a lot about computers and other electronics, as no one knows everything.

Do let us know once you have tried the other parts if it resolved the problem.

 

[Markou10]

I see your point and I would've appreciated "I don't know" as an answer more than "buy a new one".. This is not the first time that I ask something about repair and get the "just buy a new one" answer. Example I found a short on the motherboard (protective overcurrent zener diode on 19V power line, laptop was dead). I posted the thread on another forum (not this site at all) asking where I can buy that diode (google search would not give me diode specs) and first answer was buy a new laptop. First of all, laptop wasn't mine. Second, the motherboard was working again, laptop was all good, I just needed the diode because the charger was universal one and the diode burnt out because of it I assume as the guy switched the charger to 21 volts by mistake. So they were advising me to throw away the guys laptop and tell him to buy a new one even though it is working fine again because they don't know where I can buy the $0.01 diode. I told the guy to buy original charger and it's working to this day. And I didn't say telling the child to buy a computer but to buy a big mac in mcdonalds.. I think I found the problem and think that it's the controller board of the screen. As I said, pressing on it would give me white screen so I was messing around the cable and it worked so I thought it was the cable. But when I rebooted the laptop, the screen had lines again hence not the cable and just coincidance. So the screen probably has some power issues or something. I just use it on the TV as stationary PC with wireless keyboard and mouse but I'm interested in this fault, I want to know what is wrong so I will probably diagnose it just out of curiosity. I want to know exactly what part of the screen makes this problem. I'll try different screen or cable in the future just to be sure it's not cable.

 

[webworkings]

It could be a few different things. There is no real way to tell without literally taking it apart, and even then it may not be easily detected. Without testing equipment that is.

 

[Markou10]

I know and I have a few suspects..