[SOLVED] Laptop Screen not working , but laptop still running

[MatthewX]

My laptop screen just went black one day. So I restarted the laptop using an external monitor which worked. After a week the external monitor also wouldn't work for some reason, perhaps the HDMI. So I decided to open it up. I though I might try and remove any dust and check if there is any loose connections . I made sure the the screen was connected to the motherboard okay.

Then I turned it on and the screen stated working. I was celebrating. However, these celebrations were short lived. I then picked up the laptop and the screen just died again. Does this sound like a GPU issue? I might open it up again later and check is something snagging it. Let me know what you guys think.

The laptop is an Acer Swift 3 sf314-54

EDIT: Apologies for the silly sentences , I'm tired. Fixed them there and added the model number

 

[gmagdna]

Need you to tell us the laptop brand and model

So I restarted the laptop using an external monitor and had no luck. After a week the external monitor wouldn't work for some reason.

So those two sentences seem entirely contrary....for a week you were able to use the external monitor but the built in display was still black? Or you "had no luck" with the external monitor?

 

[MatthewX]

Need you to tell us the laptop brand and model




So those two sentences seem entirely contrary....for a week you were able to use the external monitor but the built in display was still black? Or you "had no luck" with the external monitor?

Hi, I just fixed the sentences (it's late where I am) and added the make and model.

 

[gmagdna]

Lots of reports on black screen and HDMI issues with various Swift models. Most common suggestion that works in several cases is to the power reset the machine. I had a Toshiba years ago where after several trouble free years of use I had to do this occasionally:

1. Turn off your laptop.
2. Remove the AC adapter cable, hard drives, the battery and any other attached peripheral devices.
3. Press and hold the Power button for 30 seconds and release. Your laptop will boot up and turn off during this time period.
4. Put your battery back in and plug the charger. Then don’t plug anything else.
5. Press the Power button as normal to turn on your laptop.

 

[apriestley881]

Now that you have cleaned dust and checked connections. Does the external monitor work?

 

[MatthewX]

Lots of reports on black screen and HDMI issues with various Swift models. Most common suggestion that works in several cases is to the power reset the machine. I had a Toshiba years ago where after several trouble free years of use I had to do this occasionally:

1. Turn off your laptop.
2. Remove the AC adapter cable, hard drives, the battery and any other attached peripheral devices.
3. Press and hold the Power button for 30 seconds and release. Your laptop will boot up and turn off during this time period.
4. Put your battery back in and plug the charger. Then don’t plug anything else.
5. Press the Power button as normal to turn on your laptop.

I'll try this and yet you all know the results. Thank you for your help.

 

[MatthewX]

Now that you have cleaned dust and checked connections. Does the external monitor work?

It does at the moment. However there was a brief period the HDMI wouldn't recognize the monitor.

 

[MatthewX]

Lots of reports on black screen and HDMI issues with various Swift models. Most common suggestion that works in several cases is to the power reset the machine. I had a Toshiba years ago where after several trouble free years of use I had to do this occasionally:

1. Turn off your laptop.
2. Remove the AC adapter cable, hard drives, the battery and any other attached peripheral devices.
3. Press and hold the Power button for 30 seconds and release. Your laptop will boot up and turn off during this time period.
4. Put your battery back in and plug the charger. Then don’t plug anything else.
5. Press the Power button as normal to turn on your laptop.

Did what you said. Screen did work when battery was disconnected and laptop was running on AC power. However when I tried to boot with battery the screen did NOT work. Perhaps its a faulty battery? Battery life before the screen issues was okay.

 

[gmagdna]

From everything I've read it's not indicative of a bad battery. Apparently the Swift models were generally no very reliable with many owners experiencing failures out of the box.

Something else that may come up is that it won't power on. If that happens the steps that may work are:

1. Remove the charger
2. On the bottom of the laptop check for a battery reset pinhole, it will have a battery symbol
3. Gently insert a paperclip for about 10 seconds to disconnect the battery
4. Let the machine rest for about 15 mins
5. Plug the charger back in.
6. Try to turn it on

 

[apriestley881]

Sounds like a broken EDP cable these a relatively easy to replace as long as you can find the right one.