having trouble with display on external monitor

hi to all,

I hope this is the place to get some answers. I did a very stupid thing. I was getting frustrated with my external monitor because the screen color was turning dark purplish at times, so I went into Device Manager and deleted both default monitor entries instead of just one under Monitors in hopes that it would've gotten rid of the purple haze so to speak. I tried unhooking the monitor and unplugging everything before I deleted the default monitor entries in Device Manager, but it didn't get rid of the purple screen.

I have a fairly old notebook Dell Inspiron 4000 with WinMe installed and the display is no longer working assumed due to a bad or broken LCD, which is why I'm using the external monitor. The external monitor has been working fine for months until it started turning purple on me when it was being used with the notebook. When the monitor is hooked up with my desktop, the screen color is just fine.

The notebook has got a lot of storage on it. During the boot process on the notebook, the external monitor lights up at one point (no longer purplish), but goes blank/dark after a few seconds and says it no longer is getting a signal from the notebook.

I can see shadows of the desktop icons on the notebook during the daytime, but it's virtually impossible to see the pointer. Upon booting on the notebook, the screen lights up normally until it gets to the desktop screen and then goes dark.

Anybody have any ideas on how to get the external monitor to display the notebook once again, or even fix the notebook display? Any thoughts are greatly appreciated.

 

Since the screen turns on then goes off after a short time, it's almost 100% certainly the power inverter.

If you feel comfortable taking the laptop apart, you will be able to do the whole job for about $30 dollars.

Here's the service manual for your laptop:
http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/ins4000/en/sm_en/remove.htm

All you will need to do is take off the LCD bezel (this is such a simple part to swap)
Here's the part of the service manual outlining it:
http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/ins4000/en/sm_en/remove.htm#1064498

You won't even have to take anything out, just will have to remove the bezel and remove the inverter. Once you do this, you can post there part number on it and I will find you a replacement online. Knowning it's an Inspiron 4000 is unfortunately not enough, I have had experience with these systems where the inverter from one Inspiron 4000 is not compatible with another Inspiron 4000. That said, there is a chance that I have the spare part in my basement, which I could sell you for about $10 shipped... assuming it's the right one. If not, it shouldn't cost more than 30-40 bucks on ebay.

 

Hep!,

I was reading the manual and it sounds like a lot of screws to take out, but it sounds pretty straightforward. Certainly more involved than replacing the hard drive which I've done in the past. Not a technician and have a couple of quick questions...

1. This may sound like a stupid question, but would thin latex rubber gloves be ok to use so to not worry about ESD at all, like the kind one would use in the kitchen or bathroom to clean with?

2. As far as the screws go, do they all require a Phillips screwdriver? I have a small one to use for the replacement of the hard drive, but nothing smaller on hand. I do have smaller regular screwdrivers that should fit in the smaller screws on hand though.

3. Am I removing the entire LCD Assembly or just the bezel to get to the power inverter?

4. The power inverter that you spoke of...where is it and is it easy to remove? It doesn't mention anywhere in the manual what it is and where it's at.

5. If I have any problems with putting any of the parts back together, can I come back here for assistance?

Other than that, I assume there's no way to get the display back on the external monitor. Thanks for getting back with me and will be waiting for your response.

Tom

 

1. I do this professionally and use no ESD protection. Doesn't mean it's not a good idea - and yes, latex gloves can help.
2. I actually have the same laptop at home. IIRC, this should be a six screw job. So fairly small by terms of laptops, especially this laptop. Now the motherboard, THAT'S painful.
3. Just the bezel. It will probably tell you to remove the entire assembly, but it's totally unnecessary. At most, you will have to remove the two hinge covers in addition to the LCD bezel.
4. It's under the bezel, all the way on the bottom. Just below the bottom line of the LCD. It's a small board, usually about half an inch high by four or five inches wide.
5. Of course. I'll be subscribed to this thread for several weeks to respond to any activity, and am always available for help via PM.

Do you get anything on the external monitor at any point before Windows? 9x is pretty bad with drivers I know, ME particularly, but if you can't get anything even at the BIOS level then it may be an indication of another problem. You could download a attempt to boot a LiveCD. I would suggest GParted ( http://gparted.sourceforge.net/) as it includes the VESA driver and is a very small download. Useful tool as well, keep it in your CD wallet

 

Hep!

thanks for the answers to the questions.

The external monitor for a split second or 2 lights up during boot, but doesn't stay lit. It lights up after the splash screen and goes dark before the desktop screen appears. I thought about getting into the BIOS and I can, but without a lit screen from either the laptop or the external monitor, I can't see what's going on if an adjustment needs to be made in the BIOS. I can barely make out the shadows of the lettering and highlighted boxes on page 1 of the BIOS. Is there a setting in the BIOS to allow external monitors? I believe there are 4 pages in the BIOS. Maybe if I knew how many keystrokes to make to activate external monitors...

'You could download a attempt to boot a LiveCD. I would suggest GParted (http://gparted.sourceforge.net/) as it includes the VESA driver and is a very small download. Useful tool as well, keep it in your CD wallet'

I went to the website and read what this tool does and don't understand how this would help me with my problem at this time.

Tom

 

There is not a BIOS setting, AFAIK, to activate external monitors. External monitors are usually automatically detected, and the fact that it turns on only until you hit Windows is proof that, at least at a BIOS level, the monitor is detected and a signal is being sent.

As for GParted, I want you to boot to a GParted disc, or any liveCD... UBCD, BartPE, Ubuntu, DSL, GParted... and so on. The tool itself is of no value at this point, what IS of value is to see if when you do this, you get video on the external monitor past the BIOS spash screen. I suggested GParted specifically because it's a handy tool, good to have, and is a very small download (approx 50mb) so it will be friendly to a slow internet connection, which you very well may have, I have no idea.
If you do - cool - it's that ME sucks and doesn't have the drivers installed, and can't do so automatically. If you don't get past, and the screen goes out after about the same amount of time, you've likely got another issue. Which would sadly be a hardware issue (such as a failing GPU - which lucky you, I have a spare ATI Radeon Mobility for the Inspiron 4000).

 

I d/l'd the gparted-live-0.4.1-2.iso file, but I don't have any xtra disks to burn to right now so I'm gonna go and get some today as I need some anyway and will let you know what happens when I boot with it. Later...

 

Hep!

The same thing happens when I boot with the gparted live. There is a signal going to the external drive for sure. The BIOS and windows splash screens do not appear on the external monitor (says no signal), but the external monitor screen lights up after the windows splash screen, but goes back out before it hits windows desktop screen. The laptop screen is on throughout the entire bootup process. Ocassionally, the laptop screen will stay on for a few seconds more after windows finishes booting and everything loads.

I burned the gparted iso file to disk and when I booted it on the laptop, there was no difference than when there is no program boot disk in the drive. I thought the gparted was going to try and prompt or install something, but nothing happened. When I look at the contents of the disk, there's no exe file...did I do something wrong or is this what you're looking for?

 

The GParted CD is a bootable operating system contained on one disk. You don't need to install it, when you turn on the PC, quickly tap F12 to select the boot menu, then move down to CD-ROM for booting. If the screen is out before you can even make this point then it doesn't matter, it confirms the same thing. I just want to be SURE this is not software related in any way.

 

I did what you said to do. The various options to boot were displayed on the screen and after i hit boot with cdrom, the screen went dark and never came back on. The external monitor never lit up and never received any signal as far as I could tell. The gparted loaded and did something, but I don't know what as I can't see anything but a shadow of either a screen or a large dialog box. I'm going to leave the laptop in this state until you tell me if its safe to escape and turn the computer off.

 

Yes, it's safe to turn the computer off... that was all the test we needed. Not a software problem.
100% definitely hardware.
I'd replace the inverter and if that didn't do it, trash the laptop.

 

thought it was safe to turn off, but just to be on the safe side... in case I have to trash the laptop, are there newer laptops that are compatible with my hard drive? I have too much on the 2 drives and can't lose what's on them.

In the meantime, I will take apart the bezel sometime during the weekend as I won't have the time the rest of the week without any distractions. I assume there will be a part or model number on the power inverter which you described to give you (at least I think you did). I'm sure I'll find it. Will you be available this weekend in case I have any problems with taking apart the bezel? Thanks for all your help thus far.

 

There are not new laptops that are still using the EIDE interface on hard drives. You will be able to pull the data from the drives using an EIDE to USB adapter on a new laptop, though.

As for availability - I'm on NBR at least once daily.

 

ok. I've set aside some alone time to take it apart tomorrow during the day. Thanks for the info.

 

Hep!

There were 2 tags on the power inverter located at the bottom of the display assembly:

1. A yellow tag with the number A0C00N28B

2. an orange tag with 3 numbers:

a) TN141X8 - The last digit is either an 8 or 'B', but I believe it's an 8
b) K021024.00
c) 1047819-80 - I'm not sure about the 2 '8's or the '9' in this number as it is very difficult to see, at least for me. This is a best guess.

On the power inverter board itself has 3 numbers with a rev:
K021024.00
K021024.01
K021024.02
REV: 8AMBIT

I did not remove the inverter as I was not sure how to remove it. I only took off the 4 screws to remove the display assembly bezel and view the part numbers on the inverter.

 

K021024.00 is the important number, that is the specific manufacturer part number for the laptop you have.

If you want to be 100% positive you're getting the correct part, you can get the identical replacement:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Dell-Inspiron-2500-LCD-lnverter-Board-14-K021024-05_W0QQitemZ370151602287QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item370151602287&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1205|66%3A2|65%3A12|39%3A1|240%3A1318|301%3A1|293%3A1|294%3A50

Otherwise, any of these should do fine:
http://shop.ebay.com/?_from=R40&_tr...piron+4000+inverter&_sacat=See-All-Categories

I'd personally opt for something like this:
http://cgi.ebay.com/DELL-Inspiron-4000-4100-4150-LCD-Inverter-IV11155-T_W0QQitemZ370138012879QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item370138012879&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1205|66%3A2|65%3A12|39%3A1|240%3A1318|301%3A1|293%3A1|294%3A50

10 bucks shipped, 6 month warranty. Can't really go wrong if you ask me.,

 

Hep!

How do I disengage the inverter? You mentioned 6 screws total. Taken 4 out already with the bezel. The other 2: 1 is on the inverter itself and the other screw to be taken out is immediately to the left of the inverter on a small black rectangular piece of the LCD assembly?

I will go with the cheaper of the two. You can't beat free shipping and a 6-month warranty on a used item, plus a 7-day money back guarantee if the item is defective. Thanks for all your hep, Hep!

 

Sorry, I thought the LCD bezel had 6 screws for some reason, not four (varies on laptop model, I personally remembered 6 but checked and there are in fact four.) The inverter should either be double sided taped, screwed (use your eyes ) or both below the screen. You must unplug a cable from each end before removal.
At the very worst case, you will have to remove the screws running alongside the display panel itself, and remove the whole display panel. This will also be outlined in the service manual I linked earlier.

 

As I was checking on the net on how to remove the inverter, I came across the small possibility that if it isn't the inverter, than it could be the backlight lamp which sounds more trouble than its worth. The laptop fell off of the bed twice in its lifetime and the display went out in 2006, a little over 5 years after I bought the laptop. Keeping my fingers crossed that its the inverter that is bad.

 

Like I said, if it's not the inverter, it's time to just scrap it and get rid of it.
If it turns out not being the inverter, wanna send me your right hinge? Mine's been broken a while

 

Hep!

I removed the entire display assembly from the bottom case assembly. It was a little tough (at least for me for fearful of breaking something), but at least I'm learning something. I'm gonna have to remove the panel because the inverter seems to be connected to something on the left side underneath the panel in between the top cover, even though I removed the screw on the inverter and I don't see any wires on that left side. The right side is connected to wires which will be easy to remove if I could just loosen that left side.

Since that left side is stubborn, I'm gonna have to remove the panel, unless you know something I don't. Please let me know. Thanks.

 

tom, you should be able to remove the inverter by removing screws on the bottom of the LCD panel.
If this is not the case, then you are correct in removing the entire panel. It kinda sucks, but sometimes it's the only way to take an inverter out.

 

It sucks! Ok, will do. Thanks...

 

Removing the 4 side screws on the LCD panel is the b word. I even got a friend to try and remove the screws, but no such luck. I'm using the 2mm Phillips which I just got today because I was out of town and the screws will not budge. My friend thinks the left side of the inverter (right side has the wires) looks like it might snap off if I pull it upward, but I'm not sure.

If anybody knows how to get the screws off or get the inverter off without having to remove the panel from the top cover, please let me know. Again, we're dealing with an Inspiron 4000. Thanks for any suggestions.

 

Do you have a metal shim attached to the bottom of the LCD panel holding the inverter in place?

 

There is a piece of metal attached to the bottom of the display on the left side. The screw on the inverter went through that piece of metal. The screw was removed. There is a piece of metal on the middle of the inverter attached to the bottom of the display holding the inverter in place as well. The inverter was lifted up slightly so that that piece of metal is no longer holding the inverter in place anymore. Underneath the inverter on the left side, there is a tapelike loop attached to the inverter via a white rectangular box (the box looks like its part of the inverter), almost looking like the right side, where the 2 wires are plugging into the white box on the inverter. When I lift the left side of the inverter up, it doesn't want to go very far.

 

If you could post a picture it'd help me a lot.

 

Hep!

I made a printout of an inverter sample from the ebay links you supplied me with. I shoulda thought about this sooner. I'm comparing the picture of the inverter with the laptop inverter and it looks like it should just snap off. There are actually 2 loops running 90 degrees from each other, both running from the inverter, one of them going underneath in between the LCD panel and the top cover. There is a small rectangular white box on the left side of the inverter just to the right of the screw in this picture:

http://www.laptopking.com/partpicture_LK.asp?ref=320&category=inverter

In the laptop, the white rectangular box on the inverter is 'seated' in a bigger white rectangular box which is connected to the 2 loops. But it's more than seated. I lift up the inverter and I take the bigger white rectangular box along with the 2 loops with me. I need to hold down the 2 loops or somehow be able to pop out that inverter from where it's snapped into place sitting in that box, which almost looks like the box that is on the right side of the inverter where the 2 wires get plugged into. You following me? If not, I will see if I can get a photo and upload it. Part of the top cover may be blocking the view of what you may need to see, however.

 

I think I'm following you, but if I'm not and I tell you to just pull down on the loops while lifting the inverter, and it breaks... then I wasn't following you.
I'd rather be sure.

 

Ok, will see about getting the photo. I don't have the equipment, but I think my friend does. Anyway, will get back either sooner or later. Thanks again.

 

Hep!

Here's one photo. Hope this helps. If not, let me know.

 

Okay, thanks for the picture.
Hold down on the brown/gold ribbon underneath the board, and lift up evenly and straight up. It should pull out with little resistance, the new inverter will drop into the same place.

 

Any suggestions on what to use to hold it down with? My fingers are too big to fit underneath the inverter.

 

If you lift up the end of the inverter, you should be able to grab the ribbon cable from underneath with your thumb and forefinger. If this fails, carefully hold it down with the eraser end of a pencil.

 

Hep!

It took a little coaxing, but I got the inverter out. When one is not a computer technician, one tends to be as ginger as possible to not break things. Actually, the wires on the right were a little tougher to come out. I sure hope it will be easier to put back together, but I'm not holding my breath!

One more thing before I go to ebay and order. You mentioned 'K021024.00 is the important number, that is the specific manufacturer part number for the laptop you have'. Well, the part number is actually K02'I'024.00, not '1' as I erroneously stated. Are all the ebay links you supplied specific to K02I024.00 as well?

 

Like I said, to ensure 100% compatibility, you get the identical inverter to the one you have now.
Or.... you can just get the cheapest inverter listed as compatible. Either should work, but the first one is guaranteed.

 

Ok, so it doesn't matter if it's 'I' or '1' in the part number. Will get the 3rd one listed as they both should work. Will let you know if it solves the problem. Hopefully you'll still be here once I put it back together and try it out. I've definitely learned something even if it doesn't work. Thanks again for all your help, Hep!

 

No problem. And rest assured, I'll be here.
I've got no life outside

 

Hep!

I received the inverter in the mail today. I was looking for the all important K02I024 part number, but can't find it. Should I be concerned? I was hoping to find the part number on there as it said on the description on the seller's page. And you're probably gonna tell me there's no way to test it before I put it all back together...Would comparing the 2 inverters help?

 

If they said it's compatible, it probably is. I would not be concerned. All you need to do is plug everything in and turn it on to give it a test. You don't need to actually reassemble everything to test. If it works, great. If not... well, hopefully it will.

 

I specifically stated to the seller what I was looking for through the E-bay website and through email, but they didn't respond. But after I ordered, they sent me an email wanting me to make sure that I fill in the feedback form!

At any rate, I'd have to re-attach the display assembly to the board assembly before I turn it back on. Well, I bought it and I'm stuck with it, so I'll just reassemble everything and give it a whirl. They look similar, but they're not exact duplicates of each other. Will let you know what happens.

 

Hep!

A couple of things. When I re-attach the display assembly to the board assembly, the display doesn't want to move backward or forward (open or close). The instructions on removing the display assembly said to open the display assembly approx 90 degrees, and support the display assembly so that it doesn't open past this position, which I did, before I removed the last 2 screws securing the EMI bracket to the board assembly. When I re-attach the display assembly, it just slips right back in at approx a 95 degree angle (it won't go back in at a 90 degree angle, the angle at which I assume I took it out at), but doesn't move either backward or forward once in. Should this be happening? I was expecting that once I re-attached the display, I would have to support it again so that it wouldn't fall backward or forward. I haven't put in any screws yet. Is that the reason why it doesn't move backward or forward?

Also, when I re-connected the new inverter, I assume there's only one way to put the plug with the wires back into the converter. At first, it didn't look like it was going to go in as it needed a little more of a push, more so than when I took the old inverter out. I should've made a note as to what wire was facing me the closest before I took the old inverter out. Right now, the white wire is facing me the closest and the pink is behind it. Is this right?

And I failed to read the NOTICE on removing the display assembly instructions. I pressed on the center of the connector several times when I reconnected the display-feed cable connector the board assembly, instead of pushing down on the top left and right ends of the connector. Did I do any damage to the resistors or other damage by doing so as the NOTICE says might happen?

 

I don't understand your issue with the LCD not closing (opening?) but there is only one way to attach the inverter cables. I doubt you damaged the inverter unless you heard any creaking or breaking sounds.

 

You know when you close the lid of the laptop and open it and you're staring at the LCD display screen? Well, that's what I mean. When I re-attach the LCD to the board assembly (keyboard if you will), the LCD screen assembly doesn't move in either direction, either to close or open all the way once re-attached. It's stuck at the 95 degree angle to the board assembly. Could this be because I have yet to put all the screws back in?

 

No, that sounds like a cable that is caught on something to me.

 

I assume when I took out the LCD from the board assembly, I took it off straight up at a 90 degree angle to the board assembly as the instructions wanted me to do, but I'm having a hard time putting it back in straight down, not at an 95 degree angle which it seems to want to do as it just slips right back into the open slots at that angle.

 

Well I know I'm not putting it in right, as it was much tougher for it to come off. I'll keep trying until I'm able to move the display screen once it's in the slots of the board assembly.

 

Honestly when I do this job I usually work on it at more like a 180 degree angle.

 

As it turns out, looking at what I have in front of me, I probably didn't have to detach the LCD screen assembly from the board assembly. It may have been a little harder to remove the inverter, but it could've been done. If I can't attach the LCD screen assembly back the right way, I'll find somebody who will. Thanks for getting back with me.

 

SUCCESS!!! SUCCESS!!! SUCCESS!!! Aside from the pointer going all haywire and wacko on me after windows loads, the screen LIGHTS UP!!! It kinda flickers a little bit though, like it gets bright, and then a minute or so later it gets a little dim, but then it will go bright again. Any idea what could be causing the laptop screen to flicker every now and then? Could the bulb be getting ready to go out?

Apparently I was putting the LCD back on right all along. And you're right about not having to take the LCD assembly off. There's not a whole lot of room to work with, but you can swap the inverters if you know how to take it off. And now I do thanks to you. Great! THANKS VERY MUCH!

Now how do I make it so that I can view once again through the external monitor? Do I need to reload the display drivers from my drivers and utilities cd? Scratch that. I hooked up the external monitor and it lights up for the entire boot process, and is NOT purplish like before. The laptop screen will only light up when the desktop screen appears, but will stay on. When the external monitor is not connected, then the laptop screen will go on for the entire boot process. Do you have any explanation for why only the external monitor lights up for the entire boot process and not the laptop when the external monitor is connected?

How do I repay you for not having much of a life? Does the site need donations?