Inspiron 3520 screen randomly covered in white fuzzy horizontal lines

Question

Hi all, The screen of my Inspiron 3520 randomly becomes completely covered in white fuzzy lines; the entire screen. There is no particular pattern for when this happens. It sometimes happens as soon as I log in and begin typing and/or clicking on the mouse pad, and on other occasions I can use the laptop for a good hour or two before it happens. Today, for example, I used the laptop for 5 minutes and it happened 4 times, with each occasion lasting about 20-30 seconds in duration. However, yesterday I used the laptop for over an hour and it didn't happen at all. I imagine this is a hardware problem relating to a wire connecting the screen as it only happens when I'm actually using the laptop to type or surf the web etc (I can watch a film on the laptop for a straight 2 hours and it won't happen once, so long as I don't touch the machine). So I'm thinking that possibly the mild vibrations caused by me pressing the keys and/or mouse pad are causing a wire to disconnect or become lose. It doesn't matter if the laptop is 'hot' or 'cold: it's indiscriminate. I have ran all the applicable tests on SupportAssist and no issue is found. I've also updated all drivers. About 6 months ago I upgraded from Windows 8.1 to 10 and the problem stopped for a short while, so I was hopeful it had been a software glitch. However it soon started again and now it's happening so frequently the laptop is basically useless, other than for watching films/clips. Any ideas/suggestions, guys? Many thanks

ejn63 · Answer

If that's the cause, then the image should be ok on an external screen - that would be the first thing to check.   If it's not, the problem is with the mainboard.

diptimoymandal · Answer

in these days most appliances are like that

craigmclaugh · Answer

Cruelly, this issue started one month after my warranty expired.

craigmclaugh · Answer

Hi, yes, I have connected to an external monitor and it doesnt seem to be an issue. Also, when it happens I've taken screenshots, however, when I view them subsequently they're clear and don't show the lines!

DELL-Rishi · Answer

Hi CRAIGMCLAUGH,

Does the system overheat? Are there are any bluescreens?

Try updating the BIOS - http://dell.to/2dCjlb3- restart and check.

Since you have stated that the issue sometimes occurs even on a cold boot, I have not mentioned any other troubleshooting step.

If the external monitor is working fine at all times, then the issue is with the LCD itself.

If the display is distorted on both the external screen and LCD, then the motherboard needs to be replaced.

As there is no warranty, then you could contact our team to get a quote for a paid service call - http://dell.to/1vnT6CQ

If you wish to replace the parts yourself, then you could get the parts here - http://bit.ly/2dnKLxO

Let us know if you have any other queries.

craigmclaugh · Answer

Hi, Rishi, No the system doesn't overheat nor are there any bluescreens.

I've just used the machine to watch a dvd which was over 2 hours in length and the issue didn't occur once. However, since I started typing and pressing the mousepad (about 5 minutes ago) it has happened 3 times. On each occasion I need to close the lid and relift it to return to clear screen....

DELL-Rishi · Answer

Hi CRAIGMCLAUGH,

Thank you for the update.

Have you tried the external display as advised in my previous post?

Based on your description, I suspect the LCD cable.

Try this, connect an external mouse and keyboard and use the system and check if the lines appear again.

Download the service manual - http://dell.to/2cRPJ8w - and reseat the LCD cable.

Keep us updated.

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