INSPIRON N5010 Laptop Black Screen Issue

Hi,

It seems to be a connection issue, I would suggest you to follow the steps below to troubleshoot the issue:

1. Please go to BIOS and check if the screen goes black in BIOS as well. To boot the computer to BIOS start tapping F2 on the Dell logo screen.

2. If the screen goes black in BIOS, LCD assembly needs replacement.

3. In case, it does not go black in BIOS, please click the link to run the MS Fix-it support.microsoft.com/.../Windows_Display_Quality_Diagnostics

Please keep me posted with the results.

Thanks & Regards
Manshu S
#iworkfordell

Thanks for the response.

Will let you know if it worked.

Thank you

Hi,

I booted the system to BIOS as you suggested but the screen remained black even so( although the screen was black to start with). So i shut down and 

restarted the system by 'power and D-button' combination and the screen came back on as expected. I continued to BIOS and the screen remained lit. However, 

the screen went black again as soon as i exited BIOS. I rebooted the system the second time, again by the holding down the D button and could continue with

the screen now lit up again.

I ran the MS Fix-it regardless and could continue gaming since then without the screen going black again( so far at least).I can't say for sure if it was the program that fixed the issue.

 I still don't think the LCD assembly is at fault since the back light goes off only when a game is loaded. If the back light was indeed damaged, why would it go black

only when gaming. It seems something triggers the back light to turn off when a game is running.

I hope the issue doesn't crop up again soon. If it does what should my next course of action be.

Thank you 

Hi,

Thank you for the reply. Could you please let me know the following details to troubleshoot the issue further:

1. For how long does the screen go black once you start the game?
2. Is it that the screen goes black and after some time the game starts?
3. Do you have to restart the computer once the screen goes black?

In case it occurs again, would recommend you to update graphics card driver of the system. Please click on the link below which will take you to the driver’s website: http://dell.to/uIo3ef .

Enter the Service Tag of the computer and choose the Operating System installed on the computer. Please update the latest version of graphics card driver available.

Thanks & Regards
Manshu S
#iworkfordell

Hi,

Thanks again for your reply.

1)      The screen stays black until it decides to come back up on its own (it could be as little as a few minutes to a day or two). Sometimes the screen does light up when I Alt+Tab out of the game and goes black again when enter full screen (again not every time).

2)      Yes the screen goes black after I’m a few minutes into a game.

3)      Restarting the system doesn't help to get the screen back up and running. If the screen was black when I shut-down the system, it stays black when I boot the next time. However, if the screen wasn't black at shut down, it boots up as normal.

4)      I have the latest Graphics driver installed from the dell website ( although Dell hasn’t updated the driver in 2 years now)

I would like to let you know that the screen hasn’t gone black since I ran the MS Fix it program you suggested. Still not sure if it was the software that did the trick. Hope it doesn’t happen again.

Note: I can get the screen working again if I shut down and restarted by D+power button combination every time the screen goes black (I was unaware of this method until a few days ago).

Thank you

Hi,

The issue re-appeared today (first time in about 10 days).  The screen went black again when I loaded the game today. However, this time Alt+Tab ing out of the game didn’t work. So, I restarted the system by holding down the D button and as expected the screen came back to life. I ran the MS Fix it program again and had the display re-calibrated. Since, then the screen hasn’t gone black and I could continue gaming.

I’m at a loss as to why the screen decides to turn off randomly only when I run a game. It seems to be a software glitch of some sort. Re-installing the graphics driver doesn’t seem to make any difference either. Fingers crossed I can continue without the screen going black gain for the next ten days.

I’m wondering if the high CPU/GPU temperature when gaming has anything to do with the issue. Even if that was the case I fail to understand why it goes black at random and not consistently stay black when gaming.

Thank you.

Hi,

Could you please provide the following details:

1. Do you get black screen while playing a particular game or while playing any game?
2. Have you tried uninstalling and reinstalling the game?

Meanwhile, follow the steps below if the issue occurs when you initiate the game:

1. Please verify compatibility of the game by checking the below link:
http://bit.ly/cHcEh3
2. Also, would suggest you to check game developer’s website for new patches (updates) which can solve the issue with the game.
3. Please update the latest Direct X version by following the link mentioned below:
http://bit.ly/iyM4H9

Please reply for further assistance

Thanks & Regards
Manshu S
#iworkfordell

Hi,

1)      I don’t think the issue is related to a specific game. The black screen appeared the first time about 5 months back when paying F1 2011. However, the issue is persistent with other games I’ve played since then. The issue now has resurfaced with F1 2012.

2)      I’ve tried re-installing the game to no avail. I also have the latest game patches installed, which makes no difference however. It seems something signals the back light to turn off when I start a game. It comes back on when I ALT+TAB out of the game ( not every time though).

3)      The games I’ve been playing are very much compatible with the system.

4)      I have DirectX version 11 installed. The link you provided is for DirectX 9.0. (I’m not sure how to check for the latest version. It would be helpful if you can let me know)

Note: I’ve been playing games on my system for a year without this issue until it showed up 5 or so months back.

Thank you 

Seems to be a backlight failure due to bad connection.Try reseating the display cable and take a close look at the connectors (use a magnifying glass - one or two pins of the connectors might be slightly burnt out as a result of high current for the WLED display)Bad/loose connections are unpredictable in their behaviour.

1:Go to YouTube and search for "Dell Inspiron n5010 Hard Drive Removal "

2:Go to YouTube and search for "HOW TO - replace the LCD in Dell Inspiron N5010 , LCD replacement"

Both videos show you how to dismantle the laptop and where the display cable connectors are located

Manual:

=====================================

Note:

You should have some basic skills to do this - do it on your own responsibility - if in doubt take it to a local computer repair shop !!

Whatever you decide to do it's worthwhile watching the videos to see what your laptop looks like inside

Hi Micro TEST,

Thanks for your response.

The display cable is something I’d over looked so far (although the built in display cable test did pass the last time I ran it). I’ve actually dismantled my system previously (after watching a few YouTube videos as you suggested of course) to replace the thermal paste a few months back. Will give the display cable a closer look and see if the pins are indeed burnt out.

A faulty display cable (or backlight) would only require replacement of the cable and not the whole LCD assembly, is it not? I think replacing a perfectly functioning LCD because of a damaged display cable/backlight is criminal wastage of resources. A rather poor design choice I have to respectfully point out.

Also, does the LCD draw more current when gaming than under normal operating conditions? I assumed the power usage was only related to the brightness level of the screen because I’ve noticed the wattage of the screen goes up only when there is an increase in brightness.

Anyway, will give it a try.

Thanks again for the suggestion.

As I wrote earlier - if there is a problem with a loose cable the behaviour is unpredictable and the display cable test will have hard time to really detect this kind of problems.

If you are able to dismantle the laptop so that you can still turn it on with all cables attached to it you could try applying some gentle pressure on the display cable/connectors to see if it makes any difference.

A burnt out and loose (power) pin could be highly susceptible to temperature.Is it cold the pin shrinks it is hot the pin expands - difficult to say what the outcome will be.

Since the display cable and connectors are mechanical parts and need to be connected to each other by hand there is always a chance that something had gone wrong when the laptop was assembled.This is always stuff that should be checked first before replacing parts.

If reseating the cable cannot fix the problem you would actually need a voltmeter to determine if the problem is with the mainboard(it delivers the power to the display) or the display itself.

Be careful when disconnecting the cable - there are usually tiny sliders at both ends of the connector which lock or unlock the cable !

Hi.

I’m not sure I’ll be able to dismantle the laptop with the cables connected because the main power button cable is connected to the palm rest, which needs dis-assembly before I can even access the mother board. Even if I managed to leave the power button cable connected to the mother board, a gentle tug at the cable end would rip it off the mother board mating part.

The fact that I’m far from an expert when it comes to electricals makes me even more wary of disassembling the laptop with the power turned on.

Are you referring to the display cable connector at the mother board end or the one connected to the LCD assembly because I've never come across the tiny sliders you mentioned when unplugging the cable connector from the MoBo. It’s just a plain plug-in type connector as far as I can see.

What would I need to check for with the voltmeter (assuming I can dismantle the laptop with the cables attached)? How do I go about doing this anyway (like I mentioned my knowledge of electricals is merely theoretical)? Hope you don’t mind explaining the procedure or if you can link me to a video source, even better.

Thank you

Not all connectors have sliders or special locking mechanism but some have and if somebody is not aware of it they pull the cable so hard that they damage the connectors and maybe the cable too.Connectors cannot be replaced !

Just be careful.

===================

If you have no electrical experience just try reseating the cable - in all other cases you should contact a local computer repair shop or call Dell technical support.In both cases ask how much they will charge you.

I'll try reseating the cable and check for any burnt out pins. That seems to be my best bet for now.

I'll keep you posted.

Thanks again for the inputs.

Hi,

I tried reseating the display cable connector fixed to the display assembly. The screen stayed black at start up. So, I restarted the system by holding down the D button. However, this time the screen didn't come back on as it usually would. The system did boot up as normal though.

I also checked for any burnt out pins as you suggested.

Didn't seem any of the pins were burnt although one pin of the connector at the motherboard end had a very slight discolouration.

Now I've to wait for the screen to turn back on on its own. If it doesn't, contacting dell would be the next step i guess.

Note: Any idea why the screen stayed black even when i tried the D + power button technique. It worked without fail every time i tried it.

Thanks again