Inverter or Backlight?

Hi,
I'm having a little bit of trouble with a new macbook that I hope you can help with... This morning I was just opening up an internet connection when the display became very very black (though intermittently a faint outline of the desktop could be seen). I thought I must accidentally pressed the light button (despite just using the mouse), but the display wouldn't return. The CD/DVD drive started making strange noises (despite being empty). I restarted the computer and the first grey screen appeared, as did a later blue screen, but everything else remained black. I left it on (still black) while I tried to search through the forums to find out what was going on. About 15 mins later the display returned, but all the desktop icons were missing. I relaunched the finder and everything seems to be fine now...
The posts I read seem to indicate backlight or inverter problems for this type of display issue.. how do I know which problem it might be and how to fix it?
Thanks!

As an update, this problem became increasingly worse. Two days after the first incident, the computer wouldn't display anything at all. After repeated attempts to run hardware checks, boot into windows, reset the PRAM it finally turned on for 5 mins, only to flicker on and off repeatedly every 60 seconds or so. It then turned off and I haven't been able to get the display back since (except for about 1 second everytime it boots up on the blue mac screen)... The weirdest part seems to be that it accesses the CD/DVD drive all the time.
I have now taken the computer to the nearest apple outlet for help... I can't believe this is only 1 month old! (The DVD/CD player has been crashing frequently as well - originally I thought it was bad CDs, but now I'm not so sure)....

Similar Messages

  • Screen went dark!!! inverter or backlight?

    Hello everyone, 
    I have a Toshiba satellite L500-02H I bought the laptop in Canada so the model might have a different name in the US. Needless to say my screen just went black all of a sudden and I can barely read anything on it, there's still an image but as I say I can barely see it, I read on this forum and in other articles online that the issue might be a defective inverter or that my backlight has stopped working, I looked on some online stores and each part is priced around 15 bucks, I've seen videos of how to replace the inverter and that seems relatively easy but when it comes down to the backlight it seems a little more complicated, I have contacted a few places where I live in order to see if they could fix the problem and most of them are telling me that I will need a new screen, so I was wondering would it be better to buy a new screen and replace it or should I go by purchasing the inverter and black light and try to replacing those.....I would also like to know if anyone would know the correct part numbers for the inverter, backlight and screen for my model of Toshiba.
    Thank you,
    Mannie

    As an update, this problem became increasingly worse. Two days after the first incident, the computer wouldn't display anything at all. After repeated attempts to run hardware checks, boot into windows, reset the PRAM it finally turned on for 5 mins, only to flicker on and off repeatedly every 60 seconds or so. It then turned off and I haven't been able to get the display back since (except for about 1 second everytime it boots up on the blue mac screen)... The weirdest part seems to be that it accesses the CD/DVD drive all the time.
    I have now taken the computer to the nearest apple outlet for help... I can't believe this is only 1 month old! (The DVD/CD player has been crashing frequently as well - originally I thought it was bad CDs, but now I'm not so sure)....

  • Lenovo T61 Backlight Problem !

    Hi, so i bought a notebook Lenovo T61 last year in september. The model is 6459CTO with a 15.4 WSXGA screen. This is how it shows on the packing list.
    15.4 WSXGA- TFT
    So 25 days after warranty expired the notebook screen died. How **bleep**ty is that ? When i turn on the notebook, i only see very dim thinkpad on the screen and then it gets completely dark. After researching, I am quite sure its either the inverter or the backlight. Since i am a college student i cant really afford getting it fixed so i have to do it myself.
    Can anyone help me find the backlight ? I tried finding the backlight online but no success. Also it would be great if someone knows how to open up the notebook LCD and replace the backlight. I have all the required tools including the solder. Please help me out !!! Thanks

    Welcome to the forum!
    Before you start pulling that T61 apart, let's review a couple of things:
    a) Does it have Intel or nVidia graphics?
    b) Does it display anything on external monitor?
    c) Was the LCD reddish/pinkish on initial boot before this last episode?
    While it may very well be the inverter or backlight (more likely) you may also be looking at a motherboard problem. That's why I'm asking whether the machine displays on external monitor.
    Replacing a backlight is NOT a job for a novice, take it from someone who's done it in the past but chooses to have it done by another party nowadays...
    Good luck and let us know.
    Cheers,
    George
    In daily use: R60F, R500F, T61, T410
    Collecting dust: T60
    Enjoying retirement: A31p, T42p,
    Non-ThinkPads: Panasonic CF-31 & CF-52, HP 8760W
    Starting Thursday, 08/14/2014 I'll be away from the forums until further notice. Please do NOT send private messages since I won't be able to read them. Thank you.

  • Monitor on Equium U400 is inverted

    Started Equium U400 and screen is now inverted, believe it may be the inverter or backlight in the monitor.
    Would appreciate any assistance in trying to, either find a solution to fix it or suggestion of a place to buy the correct part for my laptop.
    Many thanks
    Clark

    hi thebear2006
    as i am reading your posts correctly with the magnifier and changing colors to inverted everything is ok?
    try this:
    - deinstall grafics driver
    - restart and install the newest one
    - after this restart once more
    if this not solves the issue maybe another application is causing this strange behaviour.
    i dont think ist hardware related because you can change colors...
    the inverter provides the power for the light tube, if it is broken you have no more backlight but you still can see a dark picture on the screen.
    naybe you have to recover to get rid of that....
    rarely it could be a broken wire....

  • Inverted Screen

    Hi ive seen the other topics re this issue.
    I also have encountered the Inverted Screen issue. I have not replaced any hardware have made several upgrades to software. the device has never gotten wet, has had 1 fall onto carpet so should not have gotten major damage.
     carrier: Bmobile (Trinidad)
    Model info and OS version :9850  OS 7.1 Bundle 1737
     Battery Pull Does not fix issue.
    Issue occured with no additional apps
    Issue first occured a few months ago.left the device to update overnight and when i woke had a blank screen.(possible backlighting issue)
    battery pulled brought the device to life with an inverted screen. 
    downgraded software problem resolved but then returned.
    put device aside for a cpl months battery out no media or sim card installed
    charged phone and it worked well no inverted screen.
    backlighting issues returned. screen wud dim out. still active but unable to be seen unless exposed to bright light.
    a couple battery pulls or patience wud usually be required for issue to go away
    updated os. device worked well still with backlighting issues
    backlight refused to come back on, 
    opended device reconnected all cables snugly.
    screen comes on properly but now inverted again.,
    locking screen brings back back lighting issue battery pull solves but still inverted.
    screen still inverted on all osés

    Is this on a Torch 9850?
    Have you tried running the diagnostics? Go to Options >type Status in the search bar. On the Status page type the letters T E S T. You won't see anything being typed but the device will enter a diagnostics mode where you can diagnose and test many of the device's capabilities.
    1. Please thank those who help you by clicking the "Like" button at the bottom of the post that helped you.
    2. If your issue has been solved, please resolve it by marking the post "Solution?" which solved it for you!

  • Big lcd screen in conjunction with my laptop

    I have been running LR on my laptop with a 15.4 screen.
    Although it isn't state of the art dual core pc, it runs ok and I am happy with it.
    I was thinking of getting a bigger laptop with a 17 inch screen, but now I'm thinking of getting a big 20 inch lcd and plugging it into my laptop.
    Can anyone give me some advice on the best way to plug it in and tips on calibrating it properly. If I calibrate the new screen, will it "uncalibrate my laptop screen"?
    Any other tips on using a second monitor with the laptop monitor.
    Thanks.

    Remove the machine from any external monitors (make sure to remove from the laptop side-sometimes people remove the cable from the monitor side-).
    If docked, remove from dock.
    Shut machine down, unplugg from power source and remove battery. Without replacing battery or attaching to ac power, "turn machine on" hold power button down for 10-20 seconds.
    Re-install battery and power (make sure not to connect anything else). Do you see the "Thinkpad/Lenovo/IBM" splash screen? If you don't, shut the machine down and try to "shine a flashlight" into the screen...due you see a 'faint" image on the LCD?
    If you do, then it could be due to several reasons in this order:
    Inverter
    LCD (backlight)
    Motherboard.
    There is a "switch" that tells the laptop when the LCD is closed or open, I had this problem on one and it turned out to be nothing more than "dust bunnies" building up on this switch...YMMV
    Good luck.
    Currently own: X220T, X201, X200, T61 X2, X61T X3

  • T41 screen goes dark after one second while powering up

    T41 2379-DKU running XP Pro. I power on the machine, the screen lights up with the logo for a second and goes totally dark, but I can still very dimly see the logo on the screen with room lighting.
    I replaced the motherboard a year ago for the "flex" failure. Was working fine prior to this, no pink in whites, clear, accurate color rendition. What is broken? Inverter? Backlight?, none of the above?

    The inverter that powers your display backlight is failing and needs to be replaced.

  • Screen Flicker on one side

    Hi, I use an HP  Mini 210-1099.TU. It has served me very well so far but since a few days the right side of the screen doesnt stop fickering. I have tried system restore to an earlier date and taken all steps as advised by 'Windows Help' regarding brightness but nothing seems to work. Kindly guide me as to how this issue can be resolved.
    Thank you!

    Dear Customer,
    Welcome to HP Support Forum and we are glad to assist you.
    Whether your laptop screen flickers occasionally or continuously, it's not only a distraction but it could mean that a hardware problem has developed. Troubleshooting the exact cause of a flickering screen can be challenging, but the cause may be something as minor as a loose cable
    The inverter board provides the laptop's backlight lamp power. It does this by converting AC current to DC. If the inverter board is shorting out or failing, it could cause your laptop screen to flicker
    The backlight lamp provides light to the LCD or LED laptop screen. LCD laptop screens generally use CCFL backlights, while LED screens use LED backlights. Your laptop's screen may flicker if the backlight lamp is failing or if the power cable from the inverter board is not securely connected
    Step 1
    Change the refresh rate to match the capabilities of your monitor. The refresh rate is a measurement of how many times the screen redraws each second. Although this setting is related to older, desktop monitors, it can affect the quality of the Liquid Crystal Displays found in laptops. Right-click the desktop and choose "Screen Resolution," then click "Advanced Settings" and "Monitor." If enabled, place a check beside "Hide Modes That This Monitor Cannot Display" and choose a higher refresh rate from the list.
    Step 2
    Update your graphics card drivers. This is the most likely cause if you've always had a problem with flicker. Look for "Hardware and Sound" in the Control Panel and click "Device Manager." Under "Display Adapters," you'll see the exact brand and model of your video card. Go to the manufacturer's driver Web page and search for this model to download the appropriate drivers. Alternatively, you can revert to an older driver if the flicker began immediately after an update. In this case, return to the Device Manager, right-click your adapter and then "Driver." Click "Roll Back Driver" and "Yes" to confirm.
    Step 3
    Turn on Vertical Sync if the flicker occurs when DirectX or OpenGL is in use, for example, while playing a PC game. Vertical Sync, or VSync, locks the refresh rate of the application to the refresh rate of the monitor. Horizontal flicker is reduced, which improves image quality. For Nvidia cards, VSync is found in "Manage 3D Settings." For Intel, look for "3D Settings" or "Asynchronous Flip." On ATI/AMD cards, turn on "Wait for Vertical Refresh."
    Step 4
    Lower and raise the laptop screen repeatedly to determine if the flicker is related to movement. Hardware failure is the likely cause when flicker occurs only when the laptop moves. Most likely, the screen cable is loose or damaged, but the inverter and backlight can also cause this problem. The laptop needs to be opened in order to confirm the problem, but do not attempt this unless you are familiar with PC repair and do not mind voiding the warranty. For the best results, take the laptop to a licensed technician or send it back to the manufacturer.
    Hope this helps, for any further queries reply to the post and feel free to join us again
     **Click the KUDOS star on left to say Thanks**
    Make it easier for other people to find solutions by marking a Reply 'Accept as Solution' if it solves your problem.
    Thank You,
    K N R K
    Although I am an HP employee, I am speaking for myself and not for HP

  • Z61P Video problems

    I have an old Z61, the ID is : 9450-CTO.
    When I turn on the laptop the screen remains dark and no image is displayed at all. I have tried to us a flashlight and other light sources to see if it is just a bad inverter or backlight bulb. I do not see any image what so ever. I am currently trying to figure out if it is mainboard or video processor related. I have tried with and without battery, tried the lid close magnetic tab, tried blowing out the fan and interior of the case with compressed air. I have not yet tried to reseat the heat sink with new thermal paste but that is an option if someone thinks it will help. Also it sounds like the fan is no longer running at all. I plan to replace the fan if I can see that it is not operating with my own eyes.
    My questions for the forum are:
    Why does the video work sometimes and not others.
    It will come on for 10 seconds some days and not at all others.
    How do I figure out what needs to be fixed or replaced to solve this problem?
    Can the fan not running, be causing the video to not work?
    Keeping in mind that I don't know if it is overheating, as the video is only ever on for around 10-15 seconds when it comes on at all.
    Thank you for your time.
    Johnathan

    This is just the quirk with the Vista, i don't know why it occurs, this problem exists in HP laptops that used the ATI graphics too from that era. 
    Regards,
    Jin Li
    May this year, be the year of 'DO'!
    I am a volunteer, and not a paid staff of Lenovo or Microsoft

  • HORRIBLE green streaks all across my 23" Cinema display

    I have a 23" ACD and it suddenly started showing INSANE green streaks everywhere! I don't know what's wrong with it! It wasn't dropped (that I know of) and doesn't show signs of a cracked screen, but I can't for the life of me figure it out.
    Is it the LCD panel? Inverter? Backlights? DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY IDEA?!? I've attached pictures below. I'm out of warranty and need to find out what to do.
    If I have the LCD display panel replaced with an OEM part, would it correct this problem? Or is it something else internally? If anyone's had this problem, PLEASE HELP and advise!
    when windows is running on parallels - http://img.auctiva.com/imgdata/4/9/8/1/0/9/webimg/358314581_o.jpg
    when the screen isn't entirely filled - http://img.auctiva.com/imgdata/4/9/8/1/0/9/webimg/358314547_o.jpg
    another BAD shot of the display - http://img.auctiva.com/imgdata/4/9/8/1/0/9/webimg/358314609_o.jpg

    Are you sure that it is the monitor and not the video card in your computer?
    Have you tested with another monitor?
    Have you tested the display with another computer?

  • My G72 notebook screen is very garbled but i can plug in another screen and it works perfectly.

    Is this a common problem with the G 72? Does my warranty cover it?

    Remove the machine from any external monitors (make sure to remove from the laptop side-sometimes people remove the cable from the monitor side-).
    If docked, remove from dock.
    Shut machine down, unplugg from power source and remove battery. Without replacing battery or attaching to ac power, "turn machine on" hold power button down for 10-20 seconds.
    Re-install battery and power (make sure not to connect anything else). Do you see the "Thinkpad/Lenovo/IBM" splash screen? If you don't, shut the machine down and try to "shine a flashlight" into the screen...due you see a 'faint" image on the LCD?
    If you do, then it could be due to several reasons in this order:
    Inverter
    LCD (backlight)
    Motherboard.
    There is a "switch" that tells the laptop when the LCD is closed or open, I had this problem on one and it turned out to be nothing more than "dust bunnies" building up on this switch...YMMV
    Good luck.
    Currently own: X220T, X201, X200, T61 X2, X61T X3

  • Disappearing display

    Hi,
    I've been reading other people threads on this topic, but I'm still not sure what the exact problem with my computer is. My ibook G4 screen just goes black. I have no idea why. The three things I've read are about the inverter cable, the backlight in display going, and the logic board. I was reading the "Another g4 Logic Board Failure" and in there it says about using a flash light to see if you can see the screen when it goes bad. Which I did, and I can see the screen. Now in that thread it says that if you can see the screen, then it's a bad inverter or backlight cable. But I'm not sure what that means? Does that mean that there is nothing wrong with the logic board or the display, it's just some cords/cables? I was reading in another post about someone replacing the cables, and was wondering how you do that and how you can tell there is something wrong?

    Hi gypsy and Welcome to Apple Discussions,
    Does that mean that there is nothing wrong with the logic board or the display,
    If you see a good desktop and clean video then the GPU would probably be OK but without good video that's not a given. Does it work with an external display?
    it's just some cords/cables
    Technically it could be the inverter supply or the backlight bulb but usually the inverter cable or inverter board.
    Richard

  • T 30 Screen flickered now just black

    We pulled our old T30 which was retired to the closet for a couple years because we couldn't remember what was wrong with it.  Turned it on and it booted up immediately.  The screen started flickering and we remembered why we abandoned it.  I searched the net and found a driver download which we installed on the T30.  That fixed the flickering for about an hour.  Then the flickering started again so we left the project till the next day.  All other functions on the computer worked except for the flickering
    Next day we tried to turn the computer on.  All the lights go on but the screen is black.  The battery light with the plus sign stays on as well as the Z light. My husband started hitting all the F type buttons but we can't get the screen to turn on. 
    If we can fix this issue affordably, we would like to give this computer to a friend who has lost her job, house and all her belongings.  I have read that this might be an inceptor or LCD malfunction.   Please advise what I might try.  Thank you in advance for your advice.  I hate to just smash the harddrive and sell it on ebay for parts because I know she could sure use it.

    External screen works perfectly and unit is totally operational when hooked up to one..  Husband reseated the inverter.  Screen is still black---no image at all.  Does the flickering problem then deteriorating to total black indicate a bad inverter or backlight?  Any other possible problems?
    System is operating on XP Pro.  I hate to pull the hard drive and sell it for parts on fleabay when my friend really needs it. 

  • 15" studio display backlight inverter

    Does anyone know where I can get a backlight inverter for my 15" studio display? I can only find parts for the 17". Please help.
    Thanks,
    Dean
    G4 + 15" display (M2454)   Mac OS X (10.3.9)  

    http://www.moniserv.com/doc/pricelist.html
    Does anyone know where I can get a backlight inverter
    for my 15" studio display? I can only find parts for
    the 17". Please help.
    Thanks,
    Dean
    G4 + 15" display
    (M2454) Mac OS X (10.3.9)

  • Dead Backlight vs Dead Inverter Board?

    Hi
    My Ti has fallen down on the clutch hinge (witch is broken). The screen seems to be OK but there is no more backlight. I can see the image on the screen whith a light behind and I can use the Ti with an external display. My question is :
    How can I fix if the inverter bord is dead or something in the display itself and what part. Additionnaly, I'm curious to know how the blacklight works. A sheeme will be very helpful.
    Thanks a lot
    Vinc'

    Hi
    I've found all responses on a french site.
    3 elements can be wrong
    • inverter board
    • inverter cable
    • Neon
    And a method to diagnostic
    Here is the adress with explainations (in french) :
    http://forum.macbidouille.com/index.php?showtopic=195217&st=0&gopid=1972136&
    Vinc'
    Titanium 15'/Pismo/Imac/PM 350/ Alu 15'... Mac OS X (10.4.8)

Maybe you are looking for