Broken laptop screen connected to TV using VGA and there is no picture

[anginter]

Hey all... I have an Acer laptop, about 9 or 10 years old that I dropped and busted the screen. The computer still starts up, I can hear and feel the moving parts, and even still change the screen brightness. However, I cannot actually see anything, its just shattered with black covering most of the screen. I attempted to plug the laptop into my TV and a different laptop as monitors to try and recover files from the old computer. When I plug in the VGA cord to the new "monitors" there is no picture showing up. The settings are all correct on my TV and newer laptop. Am I missing something?

 

[alsar88]

press function and one of the f keys to switch main display

 

[USAFRet]

You have to tell the laptop to use that other screen. Probably a key on the top row.

 

[mbarnes86]

How easy is it to remove the hard drive from this lap top?
Probably a ide / ata / pata interface ( 3 names for same thing)
Get a usb to ide adaptor tray or a older PC with a ide interface

2.5" and 3.5" hard drives have different ribbon cables and connectors , adapters are available

I presume the laptop has a VGA 15 pin blue connector and requires a LCD or crt screen with standard VGA input and you have to press correct keys to send output to external screen
Usually Fn + one of function keys marked with a square

Regards
Mike Barnes

 

[anginter]

Yes, it does have a Fn key to tell the computer to use the other monitor. I tried that, it does not work. It sounds like I may have to take out the hard drive. I have friends that have to ability to this, but was hoping they would be my last resort.