The laptop screen started to flicker and split in two zones
My Toshiba Satellite L25-SP151’s screen started to flicker all of a sudden, going from a brilliant and perfect image to a dimmed, contrastless one, and strangely split in two zones: a bottom horizontal zone, with about 1/4 of the total screen area in height, which shows whiter than the top zone if there is a color image showing (like the one of the Desktop) or darker if there is a white background, like when using Notepad, for instance. When the screen gets like this, both zones are perfectly delimited and show no variation in size, although the bottom zone shows active ripping lines on and off very rapidly.
The screen remains in either state, normal or abnormal, for long periods of time, until it changes from one to another; that’s when the flickering starts rapidly until it finally settles in one state at random.
I opened the screen frame and tried reseating the connections that I found accessible in there, like those at both ends of the small horizontal circuit package located at the lower part of the screen compartment, but without favorable results.
I also tried an external monitor, and the image is excellent and totally stable at all times, although I was not able to verify if the LCD screen failed during the test, since it turns off automatically when using the external monitor.
What could be the cause of this behavior? I’d appreciate very much any comments or suggestions to this problem of mine. Thank you very much in advance, and warm greetings from Mexico.
You said that the external monitor has excellent image so most likely this problem is not related to the motherboard or the video card. I think the problem is somewhere inside the display assembly, most likely you have a faulty LCD screen.
When image on the laptop LCD goes bad, can you get it back to normal by touching, twisting or torquing the screen? If you can, probably you have a bad screen.
Try reseating the video cable connection on the back of the LCD screen, not on the inverter board (small horizontal circuit package) as you did before. In some cases you can get distorted video because of bad connection between the video cable and the LCD screen.
September 6th, 2007 at 2:18 pm
This is a question. I have a laptop that when you press the shift key and press a number key it gives you the character to the right of the one you are pressing. For example: If I press shift and want to type the $ sign it will type the % sign instead. Any solutions? Thanks
September 11th, 2007 at 10:07 am
Guy,
Just in case test your laptop with an external keyboard. Does it work fine? Maybe some kind of virus?
Sounds like a bad keyboard. I think you’ll have to replace the keyboard.
September 14th, 2007 at 12:35 am
Here is a question.
I have my laptop, a Gateway MX3050b bought in the UK, with a strange behaviour.
It’s been like a month since last time I turned it on, and never had problems.
When I try to turn it on now, the power button blinks for some seconds and it doesn’t start or anything.
I’ve taken out the battery, leave it on a non-electric place for a while and put it back on but no help.
Any ideas?
Thanks!
October 9th, 2007 at 12:02 pm
I have a laptop pcg-k43f and it splitted in four, in one zone (left) the screen divides into two not simmetrical areas on the other (right) both sided less in size from those on the left flicker, I resetted my computer and still it won’t change. Any ideas? mail me please.
May 26th, 2008 at 9:43 pm
My sister’s Toshiba Notebook has a video problem. Everytime she use it on powerpoint presentation the image on the projector’s screen is different from what on laptop’s LCD. It’s showing like a blurred pictures and it seems like on a safe mode screen. The LCD is completely fine, the only problem is the external video when she uses both parallel or S-video ports/output.
Do you have any idea on how to fix this problem?
January 10th, 2009 at 5:07 pm
My problem with laptop can demonstrate this picture (in sequence):
http://www.mynetimages.com/d38a5ea5.jpg
http://www.mynetimages.com/ca204ee3.jpg
http://www.mynetimages.com/8b4fe300.jpg
At system boot LCD display are splitted into 6 parts, external display (through D-Sub 15 VGA port) works fine.
I reinstall WindowsXP from different distributives, but unsuccesfully. Key’s combinations with Fn does’nt work (i mean – it work, but not solve problem).
Laptop – Asus Z53S, before work normally with Windows Vista and Windows XP Pro Sp3.
I mean, the problem is in BIOS or in LCD – because external monitor work normally. But don’t work under Windows. Strange, i will try different video driver.
January 10th, 2009 at 9:43 pm
For computer’ monitor split, I recommend to turn your computer off always from the start button and never pressing the external button in order to shut it down, try resetting your computer several times and always turn it off with the start button of windows never the external button of the computer that seemed to calm the splittin in my laptop.
Regards.
January 11th, 2009 at 3:04 pm
Maddock,
1. Enter the BIOS setup menu and load BIOS defaults.
2. Try reflashing the BIOS. Maybe you can download a newer version from the manufacturer’s website. If there is no new version available, you can try reflashing the BIOS with the same version.
April 19th, 2009 at 12:29 pm
Having a similar problem as this previously linked picture
http://www.mynetimages.com/d38a5ea5.jpg
Screen is split like this picture, only I am lucky to even be able to see it clearly. Most of the time it is just a bunch of weird multy colored pixels. Every once and a while I am able to get it to start up normally, but this is very rare. Have done system restore and recovery, but as soon as you restart the computer, it goes back to the split screen with pixels. Not very PC savy, so any help would be wonderful. Thanks.
May 12th, 2009 at 2:26 pm
Hey,
I’m from portugal, don’t know if this topic still getting answers but I have the same problem of this guy, my screen do the same flickering, and when I touch, twist or close and open the screen sometimes it changes, otherwise I just try to find a position that disable that.
I’m not a Hardware Person,more like software and network, how can I know if I have a bad screen?What can I do?
It already expire the guarantee, it’s a ASUS Z53S Series.
I really hope for an answer.
June 28th, 2009 at 2:13 pm
I have the same f*cking problem in the same f*ucking computer. I have installed WVista and Ubuntu 8.0, it worked normally for a year but since yesterday I’m having problems. I’ve read in other websites and people talk about hardware problems but my laptop has not received any hit. But it usually gets too hot and sometimes it turns off because of the heat, maybe it has caused the problem. I’d like any response ’cause I’m so worried with my issue.
thank you!!
August 5th, 2009 at 11:01 pm
Big problems with Video after BIOS update Toshiba X305-Q708…
I started having a CMOS checksum error messages after a few unexpected shutdowns (apparently caused by overheating the processor during HD video rendering)…
So I decided to update the BIOS using the 1.5 version of the BIOS listed in the downloads section on the toshiba.com for my X305-Q708…
Update was successful (or so it said) on the screen and the computer shut off… When I powered it back up, I immediately saw a shifted image (the initial boot screen image)…
How do I explain this….
The image is squeezed towards the top and 1/3 of the top is duplicated at the bottom…
When windows loads it the same story…
The system lost my video hardware and it identified only ONE 9800GTS card out of two and no integrated 9400M….
I tried updating to version 1.6 from the same download section…. no luck… things stay the same…
BIG question: did I screw things up so bad that it can’t be fixed???? I can’t send the machine to the service company since I am in the north africa and will not be going to Europe or the States any time soon…
Talked to the tech support in the US.
They could not do anything. Told me that the BIOS is not downgradable, that it’s bad or screwed up from my BIOS upgrade activities and that I had to send it to the service center for motherboard replacement…
BUT – BIOS is downgradable. Those who run into a message within Windows that it’s not possible should make a bootable CD and use it to flash your BIOS. It works with no problems. For my case – I downgraded it to 1.4 and then to 1.3 with no luck in fixin’ my problem.
So, here is what I finally did:
1. Downgraded to 1.3
2. Installed latest video drivers from the support site (driver identified all hardware fine but LCD problem still stays)
3. Upgraded BIOS to 1.6
results:
HDMI output works fine – just like before
Monitor output works well too – just like before
normal LCD display still shows squeezed towards the top image with 1/3 of it duplicated on the bottom… http://napolskih.com/DSC_0001_.jpg
I have reseated both ends of the video cable (behind the LCD and on the motherboard) – no changes…
Something tells me I have to replace the LCD screen… but is that normal that I can’t change the resolution now? Max it goes to is 1024*768… before it sure was much higher. Anyways…
Please help… any suggestions on what to do would be greatly appreciated.
August 6th, 2009 at 7:56 am
Aleksey,
Have you tried loading default setting in the BIOS setup menu.
Enter the BIOS and press F9 (I believe it’s the right button) to load default settings and save them.
It’s possible that you had a problem with the CMOS chip even before the update and updating the BIOS to the latest version was the last straw. If that’s the case, the only way to fix the problem is replacing the motherboard.
It looks like external video output works fine and apparently the video card works properly.
I think there could be a problem with the LCD screen. Can you get video back to normal if you torque the LCD a little bit? Move the top left and right corners to opposite directions. Does it change image on the screen somehow?
Good luck!
Удачи!
August 6th, 2009 at 11:02 pm
Laptop Freak, thanks for your reply!
1. I tried loading default setting in the BIOS setup menu. No difference.
2. I have tried to torque to screen… no luck… it stays the same.
the fact that external video output works fine tells us that the video card and motherboard function as designed. Am I right on this?
From all the info I read online, it seems that the LCD is busted… and the fact that it went to heck during the reboot after the BIOS update could just be a coincidence….
I sure hope so…
August 7th, 2009 at 10:40 am
Aleksey,
Most likely yes. There is a chance that you have a problem with the video cable connector on the motherboard but it’s not a common type of failure.
Apparently, your LCD was on the brink of failure and updating the BIOS just killed it.
October 25th, 2009 at 6:33 am
I have a Dell Inspiron 6000 and recently have been having problems with the lcd screen. When I turn on my laptop the bottom 1/3 of the screen will either freeze the image, turn black, or become fuzzy and look like a crazy barcode. The mouse pointer disappears when moved into this zone. The top 2/3 of the screen always works fine. If I jiggle and bend the monitor the bottom 1/3 can be fixed, but the problem seems to be getting worse everyday.
October 25th, 2009 at 4:39 pm
slammindam,
I think you have a bad LCD screen. I posted your question and some suggestions here.
August 26th, 2011 at 7:25 pm
i have my to years old Acer netbook aspire one AO531h-MCK11
my problem is my netbook screen split in two, half of my screen was negative in its resolution while the other half is functioning well how do i fix this?
May 23rd, 2012 at 4:30 am
Hi, i have the same issue and i notice one little pin is missing from my LCD LED cable, my pc its a XPS m1330, and i just replaced the LCD because it broke, but i just order a new cable hopefully thats the issue, and not the new lcd. and as well, it works perfect with an external monitor
June 29th, 2012 at 6:47 am
Hi there,
I had the very same problem, on a toshiba satellite P200.
I reinstalled the OS, checked all the software and hardware, nothing was wrong and the problem didn’t go away. I noticed that the malfunction disappears when slightly lifting the screen from the hinges and comes back once the hinges fully carry all the weight of the screen again. Therefore I suspect that one of the cables in the central hinge gets jammed someway. Find a service manual on the web and remove the lcd cover (with hinge cover) and release the tension on the cables. This worked well for me. Unfortunately the problem came back after some weeks.