Dell Inspiron 1545 Black Screen

Hi,

Welcome to the Community.

It appears to be a no boot issue.Try going to the safe mode through the advance Boot option. You will get to the screen by tapping F8 multiple times after powering on the system before you get a Dell logo. If the system boots up in the safe mode then you can back up the data. If the system doesn’t boots  in the Safe mode then run the hardware diagnostic by tapping the F12 before Dell logo after powering on the system. If you get an error code then it will be indication of hardware failure and the data would be lost if the Hard drive has failed.

Please refer to the following URL:  http://dell.to/i5zbDR  to know more about how to troubleshoot Hardware problems.

Hope this will give help you resolve the issue.

Thanks,

Shashi K

Dell | Social Media Outreach | Global Social Media & Community

Try attaching an external monitor.

Mine does the same thing!  I can see with external monitor.  I can see the screen if I shine a bright light on it.  If I plug external monitor in, the LCD comes on just fine.    It is as if the video card is turning the LCD screen off or something.  I JUST did a complete system restore back to DELL image, hoping this would resolve the issue, and it hasn't.

I was going to replace the LCD 'starter' I think it's called.  But I can't understand why it works just fine on start up, and into safe mode.  It displays fine until it starts loading windows.  Coincidence?  It IS running Vista.  I could replace that 'starter', but I don't really think that is the problem.....  PLEASE HELP ME!!!

I just bought a new Dell inspiron 1545 from Binary Store. I think it's not just the screen issue that we have with this model but my laptop heats up pretty quickly.

I think the HEAT IS the problem.  I think the heat from the processor is heating the video chip.  I cleaned the cooling fins on the fan, which is a not so easy task.  You pretty much have to completely dis-assembly  the laptop to gain proper access to the cooling fan to clean it.  I think it gets hot, and causes that chip to act up.  Here is a video I found that is an EXCELLENT resource for getting to the fan.  www.youtube.com/watch

I cleaned the cooling fins and the fan pretty good, and it has helped.  I have a theory that once that chip gets hot and starts acting up, it becomes very sensitive.  Because even though I have cleaned the cooling fan, my screen will still go blank randomly.  

I still don't have it fixed, I'm just not sure what to do at this point...?

Hey there, at first I thought it was a heat-related problem, too. But now I think it's something else. I'm not saying that high temperatures cannot cause the computer to act up, but see what I found out in another forum:

Apparently, the problem is a faulty inverter. If you don't know what it is (I didn't), just google "LCD inverter" and see for yourself. Basically, what it does is to invert or convert the low voltage from the laptop power source to a much higher voltage needed by the screen. When the inverter is faulty, LCD screen may appear black (but you can still see if you shine a bright light, like you said).

If it was the video card, then you wouldn't be able to see anything on an external screen either. But in my case, if I connect an external screen, I see perfectly.

If it was the LCD backlight, then the screen would be totally black (you wouldn't see anything, even if you shine a light on it) and it wouldn't ever come on. And that's not the case, because in both your laptop and mine, the screen eventually works.

Check this video on how to replace the inverter, it looks really easy, and the part seems pretty inexpensive. I think I'll order it online and see how it goes. I checked with two friends who are computer technicians, and they both told me that, according the symptons, 99% chances it's the inverter.

Just one question, how is your computer working now? Does the screen go black when you first turn it on?

Mine does this:

- I switch it on in the morning. It starts booting but the screen goes almost totally black when the Dell logo comes on.

- Then, I plug the external monitor and wait for the Windows sound that confirms the booting process is complete.

- Then I press F1 to go back and forth between LCD and VGA (laptop screen and external monitor) until I get an image in both screens. Once I have that, I just disconnect the external screen, and everything is fine for the rest of the day.

I bought an inverter from Dell. The part is like $6.73 and shipping was 7 bucks!  Less than 15 bucks for everything.  When I changed the part, NOTHING!!  Screen was still black, nothing!  No Dell splash screen upon power up.  So I went back to the old inverter.  It seems to work fine until you move the screen.  Sometimes you don't have to move the screen at all, it just goes black.  

The laptop isn't really mine.  It's a friends.  I helped him find it, and get it set up a couple of years ago.  So I am trying to get it fixed.  What I have been trying to determine is if I can swap displays from another laptop to his and see if that makes a difference?  I have couple Dell Lattitude D600s laying around, and I KNOW their displays are working correctly.  However, I need to know if they are interchangeable.  That way I can determine if it is the display or the video.

Does anyone know?

Given that the D600 and Inspirons were made by totally different companies, it's highly unlikely.  The D600 uses a 14" screen vs. 15.x for the Inspiron - so the screen won't even fit (nor does it have the same aspect ratio).

Try this!  I have placed a fridge magnet (about 1.5 inch by 2.5 inch) on the lower right corner of the laptop right next to the touch pad.  This is where the hall effect switch it to sense the lid closing.  Since putting the magnet there, the screen has not gone black!  I COULD replace the switch,  but I won't!  If this keeps working, I'll leave the magnet there!

Let's not get all crazy about magnets either.  I'm not talking about a rare earth magnet, or something super strong.  Just an everyday fridge magnet like a business card with a company name on it!

Try it, post your results!

have you fix this problem since you post this comment?

have you fix this problem since you post this comment?

No it's just sitting there.  Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.  It was a friends laptop.  He told me that he put a magnet on the laptop approximately where the magnet in the lid would hit (to simulate a closed lid situation) and it seemed to work for a bit.  I think he got tired of the magnet there though.

HERE IS A TIP TO FIX A BLACK SCREEN:

1. REMOVE THE BATTERY

2. OPEN THE RAM COMPARTMENT

3. TAKE OUT BOTH RAM STICKS

4. INSERT ONE OF THE TWO RAM STICK (EITHER ONE)

5. REPLACE INTO THE LAPTOP, START IT UP

6.REPLACE THE BATTERY

   (START IT UP, IF THIS WORKS THE SCREEN WILL WORK)

7.IF IT DOES NOT, SHUT DOWN COMPUTER

8. REMOVE BATTERY

9. REPLACE THE RAM STICK PUT IT ON THE SIDE

10. REPLACE THE RAM WITH THE OTHER ONE INSERT IT.

11.REPLACE BATTERY

12.START UP COMPUTER..

13...RE-DO ALL THIS AGAIN WITH TOP PART OF THE RAM INSERT

IF YOU NEED HELP WE CAN SET UP I CAN DO IT FOR FOR A CHARGE.

I REPAIR COMPUTERS ON A DAILY BASIS.

THE PROBLEM OF BLACK SCREENS BROKEN OR BAD RAM/MEMORY STICKS

D@MN!  That is like the LAST thing I would have checked!  I'll get it back and give it a go.  I'll let you know what happens.  Thanks for the tip!