Laptop screen going dark?

[shesells]

Over the past month or so, my laptop screen sometimes goes almost completely black. At first I thought it was shutting down but then I noticed I could just about make out the text.

It's a PB Easynote. A few years old but with a new hard disk.

Anyone know why this is happening or what I can do about it?

 

[Complainer]

Sounds like a backlight problem - is it under any warranty?

 

[shesells]

Nope. It's about 5 years old. Was going to replace it when hard disk died but computer guy (recommended by IT dept in work) said that the laptop was basically sound, good screen etc and it would be a waste to bin it.

 

[kada_fd]

its hardly on a different battery saving setting or screen saving setting?

 

[mathepac]

Sounds like a backlight problem -

you can check by plugging an external monitor into the VGA / SVGA / DVI socket on the lap-top and re-booting.

 

[shesells]

its hardly on a different battery saving setting or screen saving setting?

Nope. First thing I checked.

Will try the monitor thing at my folks' at the weekend.

 

[ClubMan]

Sounds like a backlight problem - is it under any warranty?

Or a faulty LCD screen inverter. Or simply a loose connection. If you can pinpoint the problem then it may be possible to source a replacement part (e.g. from eBay) and do a DIY repair.

 

[shesells]

Am 99% certain it's the backlight. Am annoyed because I put a new hard disk in this summer rather than replace the laptop when it crashed because the IT guy that came recommended said that my laptop was otherwise perfect.

 

[ClubMan]

Maybe it was and the screen/backlight/inverter problem developed since? Anyway you can possibly repair it and if you have to replace it then you can still take the hard disk out and use it in a caddy as an external drive etc.