Inspiron 5160 LCD display problem!

Some of us are having the blank screen problem due to the latest microsoft automatic update.  It's a couple threads down.

 

Scott

I didnt do the LCD cable reseating and the steps that remove laptop's parts as if you do a mistake there may be a problem in warranty. So just do the steps you can physically do without removing laptop's parts.. I tried most of it and doesnt seem to work , so i now did a service call..that's all i can do..Hope this helps the people who are in the same state as me. This screen goes blank at random times and you cant say when! so strange..i bought the laptop in september last year and this strange things started to appear in mid February this year.

1. Remove the system from the docking station, if applicable.

If the portable computer is connected to a docking station or
port replicator, remove it from the dock.

2. Disconnect all external components from the portable computer.

Completely power down the system.
Unplug everything from the front and back of the system except
the power cord.

NOTE:  This includes the keyboard, mouse, monitor, speakers,
printers, scanners, USB devices, PDAs, Zip drives, joysticks,
game pads, and any other external components.


3. Determine if the LCD is cracked or damaged.

NOTE:  There is no way for LCD glass to break or crack through
normal wear and tear.


Check to see if the LCD is cracked. If non-vertical or non-horizontal
line are seen on the screen, then the possibility of a crack
in the display glass is extremely likely. A cracked LCD may often
be described as "ink spots,", "a spiderweb," or an "oil spill."


4. Press the power button and check for POST.

Press the power button and check for POST. The following scenarios
may indicate a successful POST:

If any part of the Operating System startup is displayed, the
system POST was successful.
Listen for the single beep that signals the end of the POST process.
Toggle the Caps Lock, Num Lock, and Scroll Lock LEDs on the keyboard.
Power-On-Self-Test (POST) is the initial process executed by
the system BIOS. After the controllers on the system board are
initialized and tested, the system BIOS transfers control to
the operating system on the bootable media (such as the hard
drive, floppy drive, CD drive, etc.).  If you are able to enter
the BIOS (System Setup), the system has completed POST.

In general, "no POST" or "no video" problems may be caused by
one or more of the following:

Defective power supply
Loss of AC power or PC not plugged in
Defective system board
Defective or non-standard memory
Poorly-connected or defective components
NOTE:  If the POST process is intermittent in nature, checking
for POST after each step may not indicate whether the troubleshooting
step performed was successful. Several attempts may be required
to confirm a permanent resolution. 



5. Check for a ´no video´ situation with Caps Lock key.
Check for a "no video" situation with Caps Lock key.

Turn the system on and wait three minutes.
Listen for hard drive activity.
When the hard drive activity stops, press the and
keys.
If the Caps Lock and Num Lock LEDs turn on and off the system
is posting but the video isnt functional.



6. Toggle the video mode with the and keys.
Press the and keys to toggle the display mode between
the video modes (LCD Only, Monitor Only, and Both).


7. Check the AC adapter plug to see if the pin is damaged or
missing.

Check the AC adapter barrel connector that plugs into the system.
Recessed inside the barrel is a short pin. Make sure that this
pin is not bent or missing. This pin sends information on the
ac adapter type for the D-series portables and if it is bent
or missing, the battery will not be charged.

8. Determine if the LCD symptoms are affected by movement.


Note any change in symptoms or an increased frequency of occurrence
of the symptom when doing the following:

Swivel the LCD back and forth.

Lightly tap the LCD back plastics (top plastics).

Gently apply pressure on the bezel surrounding the screen.


Gently apply pressure above the keyboard near the LEDs and power
button.


9. Remove all power and reset the system.*

Remove all power and reset the system.

Remove the battery and AC power from the system.

Press and hold the power button for 10 to15 seconds.

Reattach the AC adapter to the system.

Power the system on

10. Boot to the PSA diagnostics to check for no video. -Internal

To launch the PSA diagnostics, perform the following steps

Press and hold the key, and then press the power button
to power the system on.

Release both buttons.

The PSA diagnostics sequence begins. After approximately 30 seconds,
the computer emits a number of alert tones. After the alert tones,
the computer emits a series of low beeps.

Record the sequence of beeps in the log.

Check for no video while the system emits beep codes.


11. Remove the hinge cover and check the position of the suspend
switch.

To remove the hinge cover, perform the following steps:

Remove any external monitors from the system.

Locate the Suspend Switch.

Remove the hinge cover.

Press down on the suspend switch and confirm that it is not in
the down position.

Reinstall the hinge cover.

Press the power button and check for POST.


12.  Reseat the LCD cable.

Refer to the above System link and remove the Keyboard and you
will find the LCD display cable towards the right of the LCD.
Just remove and reseat the cable firmly.

Refer the link belwo to reseat the LCD Cbale.

http://docs.euro.dell.com/docs/systems/ins5160/en/SM/index.htm


13. Connect an external monitor and check if the external monitor
works fine.
Attach an external monitor to see if the system works fine with
video

NOTE: If there is no video on the monitor, press the < FN >
+ < F8 > keys to try and toggle the video.

** Do you have video when connected to monitor? **

hi kashif

 

in that doc i hve posted..it give a link where it explains every step.. I didnt bother to do this as im scared of opening up my laptop as one mistake could disqualify the warranty.. I dont knw why dell asks customers to do this anyway as static electric charge can ruin everything... What they should have done is given external work we can do. hope this helps

 

thanks again for the link....but, it still is taking me to the support home page!

 

maybe i'll try searching for my answer there...

 

well, glad to hear your system is working with an external monitor, so i guess at least you can use your computer while figuring out what's wrong!

 

i was hoping mine was the standby switch, but i'm now wondering if it just might be the inverter or backlight for the lcd.....hoping still though that it's a stuck standy switch, i think that will be much cheaper!

 

keep me posted, let me know how your troubleshooting is coming along.

Well, I figured out my problem.  The "standby" pin/button was jammed in a down position, making the laptop think that it was closed.  So the nvidia drivers were just a coincidence. 

 

-Gabe

how did u find the standby switch?

It's a tiny button at the top of the keyboard, just above the NumLock light.  When your laptop is open, the button should stick out of its hole by about 1/8" or so.  Mine was kind of slanted and wedged against the side of its hole.  Once I picked at it with my fingernail, it popped out all the way and the monitor was back to normal. 

 

I've since noticed that it frequently gets stuck, just not so badly that the laptop thinks it's shut.