Laptop screen went black. Picture on external screen has pixelation.
I have a Tosiba Satellite P100 17 inch laptop. It has Nvidia Geforce 7600 Go Video card. The LCD screen went black few days ago, but the laptop is in working condition, LED lights are working. Was able to connect to external monitor via VGA port, got the picture, but it’s somewhat corrupted, picture has a lot of pixelation. This is also repeated with another external LCD. I disassembled it to check connections, the video cable connection seems to be tight… What seems to be the problem? If this is screen , why I have pixelation on external monitor? Is it a video card? Is it a motherboard?
That description sounds like a problem with the video card and I’ve seen this happening with Satellite P100 laptops before. Most likely you will be able to fix the laptop if you replace the video card, which is located underneath the motherboard. You can follow this disassembly instructions for a Satellite P105, which is a similar laptop except it has a video card integrated into the motherboard. In your laptop the video card should be a discrete module which you can separate from the motherboard.
If you can give me the laptop model number from the sticker on the bottom, I can look up the video card part number for you so you can google it and find a replacement.
February 6th, 2009 at 4:28 am
Hi there.
My wife’s laptop Toshiba Tecra M3 has the same problem, and I get garbled ASCII characters even in the F8 menu for Windows XP
However when I choose to boot into safe mode or vga mode only, on the next boot sequence, the F8 menu is readable.
Same thing occurs with an external screen. I reckon too it’s a problem with the video card.
Could you please fill me in on how can I source a replacement video card and could I also get some step by step instructions on how to replace it.
I live in Australia
Kind regards
Dexter
February 8th, 2009 at 11:11 am
Dexter,
If the same problem appears on both screens, it’s related to the video card. I believe in a Tecra M3 laptop the video card is integrated into the motherboard. The video card cannot be remove or replaced. When the video card fails, it’s necessary to replace the whole motherboard.
You’ll find laptop disassembly instructions at http://www.irisvista.com/tech/ This laptop is similar to Tecra M2 and you can follow same instructions.
February 10th, 2009 at 6:08 am
toshiba A55 S306 wireless issues? we have 3 of these laptops and everyone is experiencing the same issue and gets the BSD when we try to use the wireless access built in the PC. If wireless is off, the pc works great! Each laptop is running XP Pro, SP2 with 2GB of RAM.
February 10th, 2009 at 1:33 pm
Thanks for the responses, it’s quite expensive to replace with a brand new motherboard on the Tecra M3. I’m gonna see if I can pick up a faulty Tecra M3 on ebay, with the hopes that the motherboard is still functional. Do I have to be specific on which Tecra I have to use to scavenge parts out of, or can I look at the other Tecra models?
Cheers
Dexter
February 12th, 2009 at 2:00 pm
Hi.
Have a HP laptop that’s not functioning. On pressing power on the screen lights up a bit but it’s blank – you can only see very faint the outline of the screen’s pixels – no image at all not even a faint one. Don’t see the bios screens, the windows logo, anything.
On connecting to another monitor you get the picture but it’s got problems – vertical pixel lines. Boots in safe mode, not normal mode.
With screen lighting a bit – don’t think it’s backlight. With external monitor working albeit corrupted – video card can’t be totally dead but faulty? LCD problem? Are my conclusions correct?
February 13th, 2009 at 1:34 am
Hello Jamie
Looks like you have the same problem as me. You are correct that the video card is not dead, just faulty.
Essentially, you can only use the video card in safe video mode only.
I also tried a live ubuntu cd and I had to use safe video mode to view bios, boot up etc.
February 13th, 2009 at 4:53 am
Just seemed strange that you get NOTHING on the laptop screen, but something on the external screen albeit slightly corrupted. Using the external screen you can see what’s happening during boot so can choose to boot in safe mode or normal. Normal just freezes. Then eventually blue screens. Safe mode boots up.
Laptop’s a dead duck just now then. What’s the chances or any idea of cost for fixing? Or is it bite the bullet and buy a new one time?
February 23rd, 2009 at 5:06 am
hi i have a ibm T60 thinkpad running on intel centrino duo cpu 4gb ram and 60gb hdd.I have a ati graphic card this i rubbish for gaming! can you suggest a card that will work great for gaming and that will be compatible
February 25th, 2009 at 10:48 pm
Dell Inspiron E1705 (Almost 3 years old)
100 GB Hard Drive (7200 rpm)
Nvidia GeForce G0 7900 GS
2 GB SDRAM
Windows XP SP3
My question does not really fit in any one particular section, although the problem my laptop has is somehow reflected in several categories:
Two weeks ago while playing a DVD, the laptop turned black and when I restarted it had the vertical green lines and speckles of color all over, and would only restart in safe mode, but the lines and colored speckles would still be all over the place (in both my laptop’s LCD and my external LCD monitor).
I have an extended warranty from Dell with on site technical help. After my third phone conversation with them and after running some diagnostic test with them, it was determined that the problem was my Video Card. So a Dell technician came to my home and replaced the video card (same Nvidia GeForce GO 7900 GS).
The laptop worked fine for eight days before it crashed again. This time it would not even start. When I tried to turn it on the battery indicator at the bottom of my screen would flash and then nothing, the laptop was totally dead. I have two dell batteries and two AC adapters so I tried starting the Laptop with-without each battery and AC adapter to no avail.
Some more phone conversations latter with Dell technicians and it was determined that my Motherboard was the issue. So Dell sent another technician and this time around replaced both the motherboard and the Eight day new Nvidia Video card with another new one.
Five minutes after the technician left, while I was testing the laptop with a DVD , the image froze and upon restarting the computer it once again showed the vertical lines and other speckles of color all over the monitor and would only star on safe mode.
Now Dell will be showing up with a new motherboard (again), two new I GB SDRAM cards (I tested my original ones by running one at the time and changing the slot and did not make a difference) and a CD KIT.
I am fine with Dell replacing the parts (still under warranty) but I just feel they are just throwing new parts without actually working the problem. A friend of mine who is also my technician suggests I ask Dell to bring also another Hard Drive because he believes the problem could actually be the hard drive.
What could be wrong with my Laptop? The consences is that is hardware related but there is just not much more to replace. Could it be the hard drive as my friend suggests? If this next attempt to fix it doesn’t work I am asking Dell to give me a new laptop. I use it for work and cannot spend more time trying to solve this puzzle. I thank you in advance for any comments you may have
February 26th, 2009 at 12:42 pm
A while back my laptop screen flickered, became very pixelated and faded to a solid bright white. The only way to get a response from the computer was to press and hold the power button. After tuurning it back on the bios splash page (logo, version, etc.) was also pixelated in random colors. The computer would go through post with no issues and proceed to the windows loading screen (xp pro, sp 2 – 3 was unavailable when this happened) and the screen would again fade to solid white. I would press and hold the power button to turn off and turn it back on. Again bios start page is pixelated. This time it says windows was not shut down properly and I choose to boot into safe mode with networking. The computer boots with no issues – no graphical distortion at all. I run the resolution at 1920 x 1200 and in safe mode this resolution was still used, however any loading of graphics was very slow (e.g. Scrolling through content in IE 7).
I have tried new drivers and external monitors for the same result. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.
March 1st, 2009 at 4:22 pm
Ryan,
Sounds like a problem with the video card.
I posted your question and some suggestions here:
My laptop screen became pixelated and faded to solid white
March 1st, 2009 at 4:55 pm
Jose,
Sounds like a classing video card failure.
I think your original problem is related to the video card and they just keep installing DOA parts.
I’m pretty sure it’s not a hard drive related problem.
I truly believe that your original problem was the video card but now, after they replaced the motherboard, it’s hard to tell.
June 15th, 2009 at 3:00 pm
ihave a toshiba and one day out of no where the screen went black. thecomputer powers up and lights up but no picture. what could be the problem?
July 23rd, 2009 at 7:22 pm
hi I have a laptop here that the lcd goes black
when rebooted it starts perfectly fine
Once used after a certain amount of time the screen randomly goes black, you still can see the desktop display faintly.
Using an external Monitor works perfectly.
My guess was that, the video drivers might be the cause but I’m not so sure
the laptop is a Toshiba Satellite A135-S4407
August 9th, 2009 at 6:19 pm
I have an IBM Thinkpad with a Pentium 4 processor and Windows Vista (all up to date as well as drivers). 2 weeks ago, i had it hooked up to my Mistubishi 1080 HDTV via VGA cable and it was working fine. Now, after I have hosted kareoke through a second monitor 2 fridays in a row, the TV won’t display the computer screen after the green loading bar for windows. The laptop screen proceeds onto the password screen to log in.
Out of my ten or so attempts, the last one yielded a sort of faded green line screen on the TV after the loading screen. The screen on the laptop is fine, the cable and settings are the same. I don’t understand how it can show the screen until the login screen.
Please help!
September 11th, 2009 at 7:59 pm
The Dell Latitude D810 monitor never came back on after I put it to sleep with Fn+Esc (sleep). Usually I close the laptop which puts it to sleep but this time I decided to do it differently. When I boot the computer everything comes up including the Windows XP loading sign, than it just goes dead black when it comes to the log on screen. (colors are fine when booting) I plugged in my desktop monitor and everything works perfect. My ATI display manager shows the laptop monitor disconnected. (Radeon X600)
I’m hoping that it’s a simple issue but and nothing is wrong with the hardware.
Thank you for your time
September 15th, 2009 at 11:51 am
I have a Toshiba Qosmio F20 137,running Windows XP Media Edition and its about 3 years old. A problem has developed without warning. When I power up, with or without the mains plugged in, the start up screen appears with the XP logo but there are vertical dashed lines right across the screen.They are in batches of four lines and there are ten sets of four across the screen. After a few seconds the XP logo disappears as it would normally before the blue logon screen comes on but the screen goes completely black. I have connected to a friends external monitor and the same thing is displayed on that monitor, which makes me think it is not the LCD or the inverter. I have reloaded the recovery disk, which seems to go through the entire set up, whilst this is running the lines are still on the screen but the display and progress bar is clearly visible. At the end after removing the disk and pressing CTRL ALT DEL to reboot I am back to the same start up and black screen. In safe mode (and also safe with cammand prompt)there are no lines on the screen, but as soon as it is loaded an error box appears stating ” The system is not fully installed. Please run set up again.” I have done this three times and still no difference. As I’ve only got a black screen, its not possible to look at any of the systems or drivers or in fact do anything else.
Any help would be very much appreciated
September 24th, 2009 at 2:53 am
I have a Sony Vaio VGN-A317M, where the screen went black, shortly after bootup and stayed dark.
I plugged in my external monitor and the picture looked fine.
However, as I connected the VGA cable, the laptop screen came back on, as it switched resolutions.
Mostly, the laptop screen doesn’t come on at all, so I have to use the external monitor.
Sometimes, it is on briefly but flickers and goes off again.
I can sometimes get it working by plugging the VGA cable in/out.
When screen is working, everything looks normal – no unusual lines, pixels or blocks.
Because the screen is clear and sharp, with no visible defects, the graphics card (and screen lamps) seem ok but there might be a dodgy connection somewhere.
Otherwise, a windows driver issue, because the screen comes back when there is a change of resolution (as when changing to external monitor).
The problem with Sony laptops, is they use bespoke drivers, tailored to the machine. It won’t allow me to use the latest Ati driver.
September 24th, 2009 at 9:24 am
Trevor~
I have the same problem, but on my HP Pavilion. Have you found a solution. Only thing I can come up with is that the video card is done!
November 11th, 2009 at 1:05 am
My Dell laptop has been giving me these strange horizontal and angular lines and dots on my screen with different characters on the text as well. Tried reloading fresh windows and drivers but still the same finally came across technomart. They fixed the video chip fault and it is as good as new.
Bob001
December 21st, 2009 at 8:45 am
Hello,
I have a Toshiba P105 9312 with a Nvida Go 7900 Video Card. A few weeks ago the screen went blank and the computer started running super slow. The screen randomly blacks out from time to time. I have ordered a inverter for it and am still waiting for it to come in. When the LCD is black the lights on the back of it still light up (I took the bevel off and have yet to put it back). I have checked all the cables and none were loose and the video cable doesn’t seem to have a short in it because when I move it around nothing changes.
In regards to the LCD screen if the video card is the cause of the problem is there anything I can do since the card is integrated into the motherboard?
In regards to the computer being very slow, can the video card be the cause? I have put a clean version of windows on the computer and even replaced the hard drive but the it didn’t solve the speed issue.
Would like some advice to see if I need to just scrap this laptop and buy another one or invest and try to save it.
Thanks.
May 21st, 2010 at 3:07 am
I have a Toshiba P105-S9337 where everything is running fine (yep, I know – I am lucky).
I have one annoying issue: The screen stays black after pressing the power button until it reaches the Windows Logo/logon screen. This happened a while after I got the lappy – it must have been an update or something. There is a slight change in the brightness however I think that is just the tubes powering up.
This means I can’t see any of the BIOS prompts, etc.
Not a huge problem EXCEPT I am upgrading my HDD. I can’t see the Windows screen when it pops up to start the “repair” after booting from the hard disk.
Any ideas how I can get the screen to show the boot sequence again? I am afraid it may be a Catch-22…