laptop screen

**Rae** · July 16th, 2004, 08:50 AM

I just registered and have a problem with my Compaq 1200
laptop.
The monitor screen will not come on!
It was getting hard to comeon before --now it won't at all!
Help???????

**NooNoo** · July 16th, 2004, 09:12 AM

Welcome to Windrivers Rae

This is normally a hardware problem, not fixable by the average person. If you are good with electronics and soldering irons, I am sure someone here will talk you through it. If not, take it to a reputable compaq service place and get a quote.... it is not going to be cheap.

I assume that the laptop appears to start normally other than not showing you anything?

**Rae** · July 16th, 2004, 09:38 AM

Well, guess I'll wait on that.
Since the laptop is a "spare".
I got it in '98' or '99'.
Is the sreen like that stuff in the new plasma tv's?
If so, that's a bad idea!

Originally Posted by NooNoo

Welcome to Windrivers Rae

This is normally a hardware problem, not fixable by the average person. If you are good with electronics and soldering irons, I am sure someone here will talk you through it. If not, take it to a reputable compaq service place and get a quote.... it is not going to be cheap.

I assume that the laptop appears to start normally other than not showing you anything?

**FatalException0E** · July 16th, 2004, 10:56 AM

No, the screen is not a plasma. Its a regular LCD. That laptop should have a VGA port on it for an external monitor. Hook up a monitor that you know works. That will tell you whether the laptop is coming up or not, so you can really isolate it as a display problem.

**mike0877** · August 11th, 2004, 12:53 PM

I was searching on how to fix the same problem when I came across your post. I have the same exact problem the same laptop.

The screen does not come on at all. I plug a regular monitor in the back and still get nothing (although I probably need to change a setting for that to work??)

Please post if there's a way to fix it.

Thanks,
Mike

**NooNoo** · August 16th, 2004, 05:16 AM

Welcome to Windrivers mike

Alot of laptops use a function key combo such as fn f5

If the video has gone down then it's a hardware problem and not easily fixable.

**mike0877** · August 24th, 2004, 12:03 PM

Please excuse my ignorance. I am well versed in troubleshooting standard PCs, but have little experience with laptops.
The display doesn't come up when connecting to a monitor, so does this mean that the video card neads replacing (or are they usually built into the motherboard on laptops??)
Thanks.