Old IBM Thinkpad screen keeps blacking out!

[amdgraphics]

Hello Tom's Hardware Community!

My Dad has an old IBM Thinkpad Laptop running Windows XP. In the past months, the screen would just randomly black out (and stay black). But, while annoying, just closing the computer and waiting for it to go to sleep and opening it back up would make it work fine again. But now it will turn black and stay black so often. even on waking the computer, that it makes virtually impossible to use. Is there a solution to this problem? Much help is appreciated! Thank you so much!

 

[captaincharisma]

sounds like an issue with the cable that connects the display to the mainboard. it may be it is on its way out or something has come loose. if it is a bad part it may be hard to find a replacment depending how how old the laptop is

 

[hang-the-9]

What model? This is a bit common in T41 an T42 models, but they are so old by now that it's not really bad, just something that happens to the systems as they age. I think the screens in those fail as they get to be older even more than the hard drives.

It is probably easier to buy a working system than try to fix it if it's old enough to be running XP.