[SOLVED] I have a broken laptop and I need to diagnose it. It can be either display or GPU

[tralph3]

Hi, a friend of mine recently gave me his laptop so I could get a shot at fixing it. The thing is pretty old, but seems to be functional. I turn it on and fans start spinning and lights function accodingly. The keyboard also responds to my inputs (the fn key has a light for it). The battery is good, as it does turn on without AC. The thing is, the display is black, always. I didn't see it even flash once, it's completely unresponsive. The computer only has a VGA output so that's everything I have to work with. I have another laptop that has VGA output and mini Display port, but I lack the latter cable. I have a main PC (big one, with a case) that has HDMI and DVI output, however I use a VGA adapter for the DVI output as my monitor only accepts VGA.

So, I've been trying to diagnose this for the past 2 hours and I coudln't get anything. I tried the obvious, just hook up the laptop to my main PCs monitor to use it as an external, nothing. I did it before it turned on, I did it after, I did it while the BIOS screen should be appearing, nothing. I noticed it has like a monitor icon on the F5 key for use with Fn. I pressed it and sure enought, the external monitor stopped blinking its light, indicating it is receiving a signal, however it doesn't actually display anything and it starts blinking again after a few seconds. I opened up the laptop and physically disconnected the internal monitor to see if it defaults to the external. Nothing, still dead. I tried to hook up my main PC with HDMI to a TV, and then the VGA to the laptop, still nothing. I tried to hook up my laptop to the broken one, nothing. I also tried to close the lid when connecting the external monitor, both with the internal display attached and deatached and still nothing.

So, I'm pretty sure the display is dead, but I should be able to get a signal if that's all that broke, and I'm not getting anything, so I still suspect GPU may be dead too. It's worth noting the laptop doesn't make any noise, no post boot noise or windows login or nothing so maybe it is not even posting so I don't know. The laptop model is Toshiba Satellite L305D. Hope you have any ideas on the matter. I'll include some pics for you to see.

Thanks all

 

[Ceclan007]

Hi, a friend of mine recently gave me his laptop so I could get a shot at fixing it. The thing is pretty old, but seems to be functional. I turn it on and fans start spinning and lights function accodingly. The keyboard also responds to my inputs (the fn key has a light for it). The battery is good, as it does turn on without AC. The thing is, the display is black, always. I didn't see it even flash once, it's completely unresponsive. The computer only has a VGA output so that's everything I have to work with. I have another laptop that has VGA output and mini Display port, but I lack the latter cable. I have a main PC (big one, with a case) that has HDMI and DVI output, however I use a VGA adapter for the DVI output as my monitor only accepts VGA.

So, I've been trying to diagnose this for the past 2 hours and I coudln't get anything. I tried the obvious, just hook up the laptop to my main PCs monitor to use it as an external, nothing. I did it before it turned on, I did it after, I did it while the BIOS screen should be appearing, nothing. I noticed it has like a monitor icon on the F5 key for use with Fn. I pressed it and sure enought, the external monitor stopped blinking its light, indicating it is receiving a signal, however it doesn't actually display anything and it starts blinking again after a few seconds. I opened up the laptop and physically disconnected the internal monitor to see if it defaults to the external. Nothing, still dead. I tried to hook up my main PC with HDMI to a TV, and then the VGA to the laptop, still nothing. I tried to hook up my laptop to the broken one, nothing. I also tried to close the lid when connecting the external monitor, both with the internal display attached and deatached and still nothing.

So, I'm pretty sure the display is dead, but I should be able to get a signal if that's all that broke, and I'm not getting anything, so I still suspect GPU may be dead too. It's worth noting the laptop doesn't make any noise, no post boot noise or windows login or nothing so maybe it is not even posting so I don't know. The laptop model is Toshiba Satellite L305D. Hope you have any ideas on the matter. I'll include some pics for you to see.

Thanks all

Hmm,you could try and disconnect the built-in display and then trying to boot it up with your external display so windows will be forced to use that. If it's not posting or anything the gpu could be a problem. Also the old laptops that used the ATI gpus we're able to run hot enough that the laptop could get damaged.
I had an old laptop which tended to get hot enough to hit 95+C.
So try to disconnect the built-in display and connect it to an external one. If it will work,yes the display gone bad. If it's not, you can forget about the laptop because reballing or trying to repair a soldered gpu is almost impossible.
Good luck.

 

[onespeedbiker]

Try a hard boot, meaning disconnect the Ac adapter and remove the battery, then hold down the power button for ten seconds, then attach the power supply and try and boot the laptop, As mentioned above, old Toshibas are known for the solder connections of the GPU chip failing, requiring the uber expensive process of re-balling.

 

[tralph3]

Hmm,you could try and disconnect the built-in display and then trying to boot it up with your external display so windows will be forced to use that. If it's not posting or anything the gpu could be a problem. Also the old laptops that used the ATI gpus we're able to run hot enough that the laptop could get damaged.
I had an old laptop which tended to get hot enough to hit 95+C.
So try to disconnect the built-in display and connect it to an external one. If it will work,yes the display gone bad. If it's not, you can forget about the laptop because reballing or trying to repair a soldered gpu is almost impossible.
Good luck.

I think I did that already so that's why I'm thinking GPU may be a problem here rather than screen. I will try again tho just to make sure. Thanks.

 

[tralph3]

Try a hard boot, meaning disconnect the Ac adapter and remove the battery, then hold down the power button for ten seconds, then attach the power supply and try and boot the laptop, As mentioned above, old Toshibas are known for the solder connections of the GPU chip failing, requiring the uber expensive process of re-balling.

I'll see if this helps.

 

[tralph3]

Try a hard boot, meaning disconnect the Ac adapter and remove the battery, then hold down the power button for ten seconds, then attach the power supply and try and boot the laptop, As mentioned above, old Toshibas are known for the solder connections of the GPU chip failing, requiring the uber expensive process of re-balling.

Well I'm pretty sure the GPU is dead so that's the issue here. Guess I'm gonna be using the laptop for parts now as my friend doesn't have any use for it. I'll give him the drive tho, of course.