If your laptop turns on but nothing shows on the screen, there’s a good chance the backlight is out.  The backlight in a laptop is the small CCFL bulb that illuminates the screen, usually from the bottom of the screen.  The light then bounces off of different plastic sheets, passes through the actual LCD pixels, and displays an image.  If this bulb goes out, or if one of it’s critical components go out, the laptop screen dims and it’s extremely difficult to see anything on the screen.

How to tell if your backlight is out

The best way to check is to turn on the computer and let it boot.  A tell-tale sign that it’s the backlight is if the computer boots normally – you hear the log on sound, for example – but nothing shows on screen.  Next, grab a flashlight and aim the flashlight at a sharp downward angle on the LCD.  If you can make out some colors or see your desktop, then you know the backlight isn’t working.  This is one simple test to see if this is the problem you are having.

Other symptoms

• Dim or fading screen
• Random flickering of the screen
• Red tint to the screen

The above symptoms are signs that there is something wrong with the backlight or other components. The backlight might not be getting enough power or may have a loose connection.

How we can help

If you think your backlight is out or you’re not sure, let us check it out.  We will:

• Disassemble the LCD screen enclosure
• Diagnose if it’s the backlight, inverter, or LCD itself that is failing
• Find the most cost effective repair for the problem
• Replace the defective part and test for function
• Reassemble the laptop and run a stress test

Getting this problem fixed really comes down to a good diagnosis.  Where someone might think it’s the LCD or the bulb itself that is bad, sometimes it is the LCD inverter that is the problem.  The inverter is a small device that transforms the low voltage of the laptop into a higher voltage – enough to turn on the backlight.  In many cases, both the inverter and the backlight are out at the same time.  It takes knowledge and experience to find out which part needs to be replaced.

If you have any questions about an LCD backlight repair, or computer repair in general, please give us a call to speak with one of our expert technicians!