Help with Sony Laptop LCD

My girlfriends Sony PCG-nv170 lap top has a weird problem with the LCD display.

When you turn the laptop on, the display come on, the backlight flicers, then shuts off. When, when windows turns on and it hits the display drivers (I assue) just when it comes on, the light turns on again, flickers, and shuts off.

If at any point while it is on, you close the screen and open it again, it flickers and shuts off.

I figured it was the Inverter. I really didn't have time to deal with it so I took it to CompUSA. They said it was the invertor or the LCD itself. They charged $250 for the inverter (which I know is a rip off, I can get it on-line for $70). Either way, they tried the inverter (so they say), and siad that it wasn't the inverter, that they need to replace the whole LCD. (They also so that the LCD is $900, so you know where I told them to shove their LCD). I picked it up, (By the way, I put a stop payment on the inital $140 service fee to them because I had the rudest service ever).

I figured I'll order an LCD display and do it myself. Thing is, I just don't feel right about them saying it is the LCD itself. I still feel it could be the inverter, that they just didn't try it right.

Is there any chance that it's not the LCD but some sensor that is internal in the Laptop itself, that is not in the LCD unit?

Anyone ever encounter this before? Any ideas?

Thanks

Anyone have any idea's? I am thinking of sending it to Sony because I don't want to start ordering one part after another.

Ahhhhh. Spent 30 mins on a live chat with Sony. The person tells me 3 times to update my video drivers.

I keep explaining to her, there is no back light when the PC turns on, no back light in the BIOS. There is NO WAY that the video driver needs to be changed.

What does she say. "Please hold on while I get you some information". WHat does she come back with? "Can you please install the video drivers and then come back if you still have a problem? Thank you"

Anyone know where on the Sony web-site you can find out if you PC is still under warraty by the S/N?

99% of the time this problem will just be due to a bad inverter. If you press the display switch that normally turns it off and release it, it will flicker on for a second. This means one of two things, either the inverter is bad, or the contacts on the ends of it have become oxidized.

You can try cleaning the ends with contact cleaner available at most electronic stores. If that doesn't fix it, replace the FL inverter.