Member Panel

sorry for this being a bit lengthy but here's the full story of what happened...

my power button wasn't working on my laptop so I opened it up and trying to ensure that all of the connections in the computer were completely plugged in. I reassembled the computer and the power button was fixed however my monitor does not work now. I have tried reconnecting the monitor plug several times but it still doesn't want to work. Some of the other things I have tried include...

plugging in a CRT to the external plug, this works but only for a bit. I can see GRUB (I am using Ubuntu) and then the OS loading. However as soon as I get to the log in (before I can even see it) the CRT goes out and the LCD tries to power on. I can see the screen brighten and the LCD then starts to do a few weird things including create a 'haze' in the bottom right and left corners and a bar scrolls from top to bottom (screen refreshing?).

I also tried completely unplugging the plug inside the computer to ONLY supply power to the CRT and the same thing happened.

I tested both memory sticks individually but the memory is fine.

I also loaded the OS disk into the drive and tried loading the OS from the disk but it got to the same point (after the OS bar is 100%) the CRT monitor goes out.


I am out of ideas and was hoping somebody recognized this problem and could offer some assistance. Thanks

~Tom

Hello Tom,

For the CRT, Windows will default to the last monitor settings it was using in it's last session, so you'll need to switch back using the [FN]+Screen button which I believe is normally F6. Depending on the laptop, you'll be able to switch between your laptop screen, CRT screen or both.

As for the laptop screen itself, it's possible something could have been damaged when it was open? When your at the Windows screen, if you look at the monitor closely, can you see the outline of your windows very faintly, or is it completely blank?

Not sure how you came to the conclusion it may have been a memory issue Tom?

I didn't think it was memory but thought I'd test all of the hardware components best I could in case I had not grounded myself.

Regarding the LCD...I don't see an outline when I start up the laptop, the monitor isn't receiving any power even though the laptop is on and running. The monitor doesn't 'power on' until Ubuntu is done loading the OS and gets to the log in screen. At that point the LCD turns on (the back light) but the image is removed from the CRT and NEITHER monitor works. The only thing that happens after the monitor turns on is I get a line that runs from top to bottom and is constantly 'scanning' the monitor and these random dots that appear on the monitor. The scanning and random dots seem to only happen when the computer is given a task like I move the mouse or I hit a key on the keyboard. After a while it stops and only starts again when I move something.



I tried using FN + F5 (the key you were looking for) but got nothing.

Regarding possibly damaging something, it's possible I guess but I don't know what I could have damaged since I didn't blatently break anything (didn't hear any snaps or any 'bad' noises when opening and removing connections. There is only one main plug for the monitor and it is 100% pllugged in and none of the wires seem to have come out nor any of the pins bent.

With the monitor cable you were talking about, that connects to the monitor, was this checked both sides, at the back of the screen also? I know this cable is generally tight with most laptops, no slack really to be pulled about. At the same time, this cable is also quite a sensative cable with only a very thin layer to protect these wires from being exposed, check for wear on this cable as I think it's the most likely culprit. It could be the screen itself.

I thought you had Windows on the laptop, not Ubuntu? From what I could gather from your description, it sounds as if the resolution or refresh rate is too high for the monitor. Is it an old CRT screen?

The the [FN]+[F5] key, I know some laptops don't immediate switch. Some will come up with a OSD menu. Try holding down the [FN] key, and tapping [F5] twice before releasing the [FN] key.

EDIT: Marked as Answered.

alright, I set this project aside for some other things going on in my life and I am back to fixing this laptop. Here is what I have learned since my last post....

I removed the laptop monitor completely to see what would happen, I have only the essential components: hard drive, power (from wall adapter, batter removed), fans, external mouse (USB), external keyboard (PS2), and a CRT monitor being used.

The computer boots up fine, recognizes the partition in use and runs accordingly until it gets to the login screen for the Ubuntu Linux OS then the CRT goes blank but the computer continues to run. If I type my user name and log-in in even though I can't see the screen the computer starts running again (assumingly because it is now logged in and the OS loaded up).

Does this sound like a hardware thing? Maybe the video card getting screwed up? I have reassembled the thing many many times by this point and every time I do I make sure I am maticulious about putting it together properly but still the problem remains.

I should also note this problem occured for the first time after I opened the laptop up and took it apart. The reason I opened it was the power button was not aligned properly and was not powering on. Because I was not familiar with the laptop I removed everything to better understand what I was dealing with so that in the future I would be familiar with the laptop. I put it back together and the button was fine but then this problem started to occur.

any ideas? Thanks

~Tom

Hey there is your problem/question/issue resolved now?

Let me know how it is going.

Thankyou.

JB.

sadly this problem is just one after the next....

I decided I would try installing windows and see if the OS was at fault, sure enough the laptop started working 100%. I got all the windows updates and packed up my laptop for vacation. Got to the hotel and the laptop wouldn't even power up. It just cycles through a quick power on of the power light then shuts down. Admittedly I am a bit of an idiot and packed the laptop up 50% put together. I finished assembling everything at the hotel before powering it on but like I said it didn't work. I opened the laptop back up and to my dismay I did forget to ground myself and caused something to fry something, I am 90% sure it was just the LED for the power adapter being plugged in because that is where the smell comes from along with it doesn't work anymore :\

I am going to take a look at it again to see if I can get the OS to boot up again but I don't know what is causing the computer to fail to even reach the bios, os, hp logo or anything else. Everything is connected properly...

I don't do a lot of laptop work so I know this is kinda a dumb question but does a laptop have a CMOS battery because I have been unable to locate it to try resetting it.

I'm sure more will come as this saga unfolds...