laptop display is black, but external monitor will show screen

Hey guys,

So just recently, my laptops screen wont show any picture and just remains black. when i plug it into an external monitor, the picture shows up clear. any ideas?

 

Please post the following info:

* Make/model of PC
* OS (version of Windows)
* Does the laptop display show the BIOS (startup) screen before it goes dark?
* Holding your ear near the cooling fan, can you hear it turning or feel air moving?

Thanks.

 

If you shine a light on the screen, can you see anything?

 

its a dell inspiron (e1505), windows xp, the BIOS flashes for a second in an orange tint, and then goes black, and yes i can hear the fan.

when i shine a light at the screen, i can faintly see a little of the background

 

Since the fan is working, it's doubtful the issue is being caused by overheating (I have seen several notebook PCs where this happened).

Since I'm not an expert on diagnosing and repairing screens, I'm going to let someone who's more experienced cover repair tips. My only advice is to consider the cost of the repair versus the cost of buying a new notebook PC. A replacement screen usually has (at best) a 30-day warranty.

 

I suspect the backlight or inverter.
Some info on the subject. http://www.ehow.com/facts_5004007_what-lcd-inverter.html

The inverter is a relatively easy repair but if you're uncomfortable opening up your laptop yourself you may want to leave it to a professional. The backlight replacement is a lot more complicated because it will involve soldering in addition to opening the case and removing the screen. Replacing either will be cheaper than replacing the entire LCD display.

 

sounds good, ill look into those, thanks for everything!!