The Notebook Review forums were hosted by TechTarget, who shut down them down on January 31, 2022. This static read-only archive was pulled by NBR forum users between January 20 and January 31, 2022, in an effort to make sure that the valuable technical information that had been posted on the forums is preserved. For current discussions, many NBR forum users moved over to NotebookTalk.net after the shutdown.
Problems? See this thread at archive.org.

    broken/dead backlight on C714NR laptop (Compaq)

    Discussion in 'HP' started by huge, Jun 19, 2009.

  1. huge

    huge Notebook Enthusiast

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    13
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    5
    I recently took my Compaq Presario C714NR laptop on a road trip, and one day some water spilled on the case without me realizing it, so that the case and laptop were wet when I got to my hotel room. The screen no longer illuminates - I can just barely see the proper windows and images on the screen if there is bright light in the room, but it's nearly invisible. I assume that either the backlight is dead or that a wire/connection to the backlight is loose or shorted.

    Several months ago I had to replace the screen when the laptop was dropped and the screen broken (bought a new replace ment screen through eBay, replaced it myself), so the screen has had a bit of a hard life.

    Are there any tricks/tips to figuring out what exactly is wrong? Or any advice on trying to fix the problem? My inclination is to look up the instructions I followed when I replaced the screen and to see if I can figure out what's wrong - hopefully I'll just find a wire that's come loose - but it was a pretty complicated procedure so I thought I'd see if anyone has any more specific ideas on what I should be looking for, and how likely it is that I'll be able to locate and fix the problem on my own.

    Thanks for any info or advice you can provide...
     
    huge, Jun 19, 2009
    #1
  2. cyber16

    cyber16 Notebook Deity

    Reputations:
    337
    Messages:
    715
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    30
    Sounds like maybe the inverter went out
    Search for:
    COMPAQ PRESARIO C714NR LAPTOP INVERTER BOARD

    This part converts the low DC voltage to high voltage to ignite the florescent tube
    The part it self should not cost more than $40 likely much lower.
    I am sure that part is a common part used in several models

    I would first open up the laptop display and make sure it is dry, dry that inverter, maybe it will still work again.
    [​IMG]

    This part is usually mounted just below the LCD panel in the display assembly
     
    cyber16, Jun 19, 2009
    #2
  3. huge

    huge Notebook Enthusiast

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    13
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    5
    ok, thanks for the reply. I just took apart the laptop (amazing how many things need to be removed/detached to get at anything other than the memory), removed the inverter, tried to make sure the backlight cable was connected firmly, put it all back together, no luck.

    It seems like it could be (A) the wiring to the inverter, (B) the inverter itself, (C) wires between the inverter and the backlight, or (D) the backlight itself. Before I go and buy a new inverter, is there any way to tell which of those things is most likely to be causing the problem?

    thanks again
     
    huge, Jun 21, 2009
    #3