sounds like the backlight on the LCD is failing. One of hte few things you can do is test to make sure it does this in the BIOS as well as windows (F2 on bootup to get int he BIOS).
Assuming it does, well you're welcome tot ry and update the BIOS if there is an update, but more than likely will be needing a new lcd display or, if someone locally repairs them, i'm not sure if you can replace the backlight or not on them. Dell would just replace the LCD if it's under warranty.
My wife just had the same problem with her Inspiron 2200 notebook this morning... It's only 3 months old and (of course) now a few days out of warranty.
So what's the solution? New video card?
Or trash the thing and find a new one (from another manufacturer, obviously)
Resolution is gonna be a new LCD display most likely.
You bought a 90 day warranty on a notebook, heh. Maybe i've just been around notebooks longer than i know better, but....if you ever buy a notebook again, you should know that teh motherboard and the lcd display are generally worth about $400-$800 depending on the notebook. That's usually at half the price of the computer. Unless you're comfortable paying this if it go's out, i'd suggest getting a longer warranty next time, preferably 3 years or so. You've kinda found this out the hard way this time. And having taken the absolute least warranty (essentially none) i don't really blame dell for not helping much when you're outta warranty.
It seems to be a dell software issue. Went in BIOS and no black screen. Had it on for 3hrs. Did some windows updates and I have not got the problem again. Just wait and see if it happens again. I also got the 3 month warrantly. The extended warrantly is to much, when you add the first initial warranty which you pay $199, and if you want the two extended warrantly which totals 3 years, that alone cost another $179, total almost, $400. Laptop cost me about $700, now I take out the first year warrantly, I only have to pay $500 for the laptop. Cheap laptops with no warrantly is your bet. Don't give me wrong, I have a more expensive laptop which is top of the line, and I do have a three year warrantly on that one. But, for inexpensive laptops, I dont see the point in wasting $400 more..for a laptop that is inexpensive and not top of line cpu/memory..etc..just basic
scottatah
2 Intern
•
658 Posts
0
August 13th, 2005 22:00
sounds like the backlight on the LCD is failing. One of hte few things you can do is test to make sure it does this in the BIOS as well as windows (F2 on bootup to get int he BIOS).
Assuming it does, well you're welcome tot ry and update the BIOS if there is an update, but more than likely will be needing a new lcd display or, if someone locally repairs them, i'm not sure if you can replace the backlight or not on them. Dell would just replace the LCD if it's under warranty.
dbeas1965
1 Message
0
August 15th, 2005 14:00
My wife just had the same problem with her Inspiron 2200 notebook this morning... It's only 3 months old and (of course) now a few days out of warranty.
So what's the solution? New video card?
Or trash the thing and find a new one (from another manufacturer, obviously)
Dell didn't seem terribly sympathetic.
scottatah
2 Intern
•
658 Posts
0
August 15th, 2005 16:00
Resolution is gonna be a new LCD display most likely.
You bought a 90 day warranty on a notebook, heh. Maybe i've just been around notebooks longer than i know better, but....if you ever buy a notebook again, you should know that teh motherboard and the lcd display are generally worth about $400-$800 depending on the notebook. That's usually at half the price of the computer. Unless you're comfortable paying this if it go's out, i'd suggest getting a longer warranty next time, preferably 3 years or so. You've kinda found this out the hard way this time. And having taken the absolute least warranty (essentially none) i don't really blame dell for not helping much when you're outta warranty.
help101
3 Posts
0
August 16th, 2005 20:00