Inspiron 6400 Screen is Dim / Backlight problem?

Okay, so today I opened my laptop only to find that the screen was black. Upon closer inspection I can barely see my desktop, and if I sit in direct sunlight the screen looks fine. So I know that it must be an issue with the backlight on the computer, since using the brightness keys does nothing.

So basically how can I fix this problem? What are some troubleshooting tips/solutions that could help me?

Thanks for any and all replies!

 

Also, I just tried playing around with the lid switch pin (located on the right hinge) and that did not change anything.

 

Sounds like either the backlight or inverter is dead. If it's the inverter, you're lucky; it's a pretty simple replacement of a small part that you can do yourself. If it's the backlight itself, though, you'll have to replace the whole display. If you still have warranty left, then contact Dell and tell them you have a dead backlight. If you're out of warranty, then buy a replacement LCD from eBay, and read up on how to do the swap yourself. Displays typically run between $60 to $200, depending on the size, resolution, quality, and availability.

 

That's pretty much the general gist of it.

If the backlight turns out to be the culprit, you can buy them individually, and you can try to replace it yourself, but it's a PITA, downright time-consuming, and most likely not worth the money you'll save (compared to a relatively cheap display).

 

Your problem sounds similar to this posters problem
Screen Turns Off.

Work around....
I found by removing the power cable before turning on the Dell Inspiron 6400 the backlight would not power off after a few seconds of being on. Huge improvement On battery, the screen is dull so I used <Fn> <up> to turn up the brightness a few levels, wham, black screen!

So I went into the BIOS, found the default brightness for AC power was on maximum, (8), so I turned it back one, saved BIOS settings and rebooted. It works.....so long as no-one turns up the brightness to maximum!

I don't know why this is suddenly a problem after so many years? Hope this helps someone.

I also have TightVNC Server installed so as right from the first black screen experience I could login via VNCviewer and still control the laptop even though I could not see the screen. I totally expect I could have plugged a monitor in too but that was too difficult when I already had VNC installed ;-)