How do I fix a dim screen on a Acer

[Montie69]

I have a Acer Aspire 5740-5780, about 5 years old. For the last almost a year the screen has been dim unless I plugged in the charger. No real problem since I mostly use it at home. I always though it was battery related. I finally broke down and bought a new battery, well that messed it up worse. Now the screen stays dim all the time, even when plugged in. I switched back to the old battery hoping that would help. Nope dim all the time. Any ideas??? Besides updating to a new computer.

 

[cklaubur]

Until you mentioned replacing the battery making the condition worse, I was going to state that some laptops will dim the display in order to reduce battery usage.

It sounds like a backlight issue internal to the display. If you plug in an external monitor, is it just as dim?

Casey

 

[Montie69]

I haven't tried another monitor yet.

 

[cklaubur]

That would tell you if the problem is with the laptop's display or the graphics chip. Personally, I'm leaning toward a backlight issue, but let's check everything before just replacing anything.

Casey

 

[Montie69]

I just plugged in another monitor, screen on that monitor was fine but the laptop got darker. Does that mean the laptop needs a new back light? How difficult is that or how expensive at a computer shop?

 

[digitaldoc]

The display on a notebook is backlit, and just like any light bulb, can go dim over time and need to be replaced.

Here is a guide to replacing a notebook display, and also a source for replacement parts:

http://www.computershopper.com/laptops/howto/replace-your-laptop-screen

In general, for a notebook that old, I doubt putting serious money into it is going to pay, and would generally just get a new one with a warranty.