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    Dimly lit monitor on X31 - loose cables or hardware failure?

    Discussion in 'Hardware Components and Aftermarket Upgrades' started by epimp, Jan 28, 2009.

  1. epimp

    epimp Newbie

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    The monitor on my 5-year-old and so far reliable Thinkpad X31 is no longer as bright as it once was (understatement).

    When I power on the laptop, everything seems to be working fine, hard drive led is blinking vividly but I can only vaguely see the XP log-in screen (as well as BIOS information at boot time). I can log in but performing anything more than that is impossible as I can't see a thing...

    Is it a loose power cable or is it possibly some kind of a hardware failure?

    I tried to disassemble the casing without much luck. I can't seem to get to where the cable attaches to the motherboard. Does anyone have any piece of advice (or perhaps a manual or a guide) on how to do this properly?

    Thanks in advance for any suggestions and ideas. I'd love to get my beloved laptop back in the game.
     
    epimp, Jan 28, 2009
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  2. whizzo

    whizzo Notebook Prophet

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    you have tried the appropriate Fn+F(whatever it is on thinkpads that changes the monitor brightness) combination, right?
     
    whizzo, Jan 28, 2009
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  3. Michel.K

    Michel.K 167WAISIQ

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    Most probably the inverter going bad, it's fairly cheap to get a new.

    You can google "laptop model + service manual" and see if you can find a service manual.

    If you can use a flashlight on the screen to see better, it's the inverter that's broken.
     
    Michel.K, Jan 28, 2009
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  4. epimp

    epimp Newbie

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    Haha, yes, I did try adjusting the screen brightness :)

    From the description, it could very well be the inverter. Shining light on the screen does make things slightly more visible.

    Thanks.
     
    epimp, Jan 28, 2009
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