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Inspiron N5110 1R screen stays black
Hello,
An Inspiron N1550 here, i7 with 4GB of RAM. I bought it second hand recently, and it has a problem where when I turn the laptop on, I can hear the fan etc, and the power lights come on, but the display stays black - no sign of even a backlight - and there are 8 beeps, then a pause of a few seconds, then another 8, and so on.
I rang Dell and they instructed me to reset the laptop (remove battery + power and hold down the power button) but all that achieved was making it so that the computer only starts now when I have the battery in, it won't turn on with just the power plugged in.
The person that I spoke to told me that it could be a motherboard problem and that I may have to replace the motherboard. I don't want to have todo this, so does anybody have any ideas as to what else might be the cuse of the problem, that I might try first? I've already tried the RAM.
In my reading on the internet, I've read that it could possibly be the graphics card or the LCD cable - could this be the case? If so, are LCD cables universal or would I have to buy one to test this out? Or could it be the LCD itself?
Thanks in advance for any help you can provide me with.
DELL-Saharsh K
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September 7th, 2013 00:00
Hi 846,
8 beep codes in Inspiron N5110 indicates LCD failure. Try connecting the system to an external monitor and check if you are able to get display on it or not. Also try reseating the LVDS cable and check if that resolves the issue. If not then first part that you can try replacing is the LVDS cable and then the LCD.
Please refer to the Service Manual of this system for instructions on removing and reseating the hardware components. Make sure you follow the safety guidelines listed in manual.
In regards to the power issue, release the residual charge from the system and check if you are able to power on the system on AC Adapter alone or not. Here are the steps:
Hope this helps. Please reply if you have any questions.
846
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September 7th, 2013 01:00
Hi,
Thanks for the prompt reply.
How would I go about connecting the computer to an external monitor, considering I can't see anything on the screen so I can't change any settings to use the external monitor? I've tried it using Fn+F1 but it didn't work.
What exactly is the LVDS cable - is it the cable that connects the screen to the motherboard?
To test if that is the problem, can I use a cable from a different laptop to test?
Thanks
DELL-Saharsh K
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September 7th, 2013 02:00
Hi 846,
Dell Inspiron N5110 system has VGA and HDMI port on it. You may use a VGA cable or a HDMI cable to connect the system to an external monitor and try toggling the display by pressing the below mentioned keys combinations:
Yes, LVDS cable is the one that connects the LCD with the motherboard. You will have to use a similar LVDS cable as installed in this system to test it.
Hope this helps. Please reply if you have any questions.
846
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September 7th, 2013 05:00
Unfortunately I can't do that as I can't get into Windows. Is there any other way to connect to an external monitor?
If the problem is not the LVDS cable, might it be the display itself?
Thanks
DELL-Saharsh K
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September 7th, 2013 05:00
Hi 846,
Yes, if the LVDS cable is functioning properly, it is the LCD which has failed and needs replacements. Unfortunately, there is no other way to connect external monitor.
Please reply if you have any questions.
846
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October 5th, 2013 21:00
Hi,
Sorry for the delay in replying; I was awaiting the part (cable) from Dell to arrive in the mail.
I replaced the cable but the problem persists. Is the problem likely to be the display cable then?
According to Dell, the motherboard is the problem. Is this another possibility?
Thanks
DELL-Saharsh K
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October 8th, 2013 05:00
Hi 846,
More likely, it appears to be an issue with the LCD. As you were getting 8 beep code error as well, which indicates LCD failure. I would recommend you to replace the LCD first, if the issue is still there, then there is a possibility of motherboard going bad.
Hope this helps. Please reply if you have any questions.
846
51 Posts
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October 8th, 2013 14:00
Thanks for your reply.
I will let you know after I have obtained a new screen and installed it, and whether the issue persists.
Thanks
DELL-Saharsh K
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October 9th, 2013 03:00
Hi 846,
Thank you for your response.
Keep me posted with the results, I'll be happy to assist.
846
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November 22nd, 2013 20:00
Hello,
I apologize for the very late reply.
I acquired a new screen, but after I installed it the problem persisted. I even tried my old screen in a different laptop and it worked fine with that, so the screen definitely isn't the problem.
I suppose it's the motherboard then isn't it? There are no possible repairs I can make to the one I have? I don't want to buy a new motehrboard - if that's what I have to do then the laptop goes.
Thanks in advance for any help you can provide.