Lap top advice

[chris68nufc]

I havent got much idea regarding laptops so i am after some advice. Recently i have noticed a blue line running down my screen and want to know what to do with it. Its a Dell Inspiron and was very cheap therefore making me believe its crap. Its fine for what i want it for but the blue line is irritating me. As far as im aware it hasnt been dropped or banged. What should i do before i get myself frustrated by ringing Dell in India and not being able to understand a single word.
Thanks in advance.

[Martin-Barbour]

Sounds like a dead screen to me.
If it's still under Dell warranty then they should send out an engineer with new screen for free.
I've had a couple of Dells over the past 5 years and provided the warranty is still valid, they've always been excellent at repairs / replacements....

If it's out of warranty they should still be able to help diagnose the problem. You may get a cheap replacement on eBay and if it is the screen then it's really very easy to swap out....

[chris68nufc]

Cheers for that mate. I will try and ring Dell on Monday.

[glypo]

Sounds like a graphics card problem to me.

I had the same issue with a Toshiba laptop from the 2003 generation. It turned out to be the cooling was poor as the processor and graphics card were right next to each other, and the heat damage created solid lines on the screen.

If you try a google search to see if anyone else had similar issues, with my Toshiba I found hundreds of hits with same issues. Another thing, my screen started off as one line, but then a new line has come along about every month. Good thing it's only my backup laptop.

Unfortunately the graphics card is not as easy to change as a screen, so would have to be a return to factory if that was the fault. As said above, Dell should be able to properly diagnose the issue even over the phone. Good luck.

[Richard Lowe]

Try plugging a monitor into the VGA/DVI port on the laptop, if you get the same thing on the monitor it's the motherboard thats at fault, if it's not then it's probably the screen.

If it was only a cheap laptop and the screen is dead then it might not be worth repairing, when we change screens on Acer's at work they are £150-£250 just for the screen

Re Toshiba's, we get them in a lot for overheating, normally it's because the heatsink's Toshiba uses have very closely spaced fins that get clogged with dust really quickly, an air duster usually sorts that out

[chris68nufc]

Computer wizz aswell as RC Legend eh Rich? To be fair it only cost me 360 Quid but surely the warranty will cover if somethings wrong. The line has turned into a pink rectangle from top to bottom about 1.5" long and if i press the screen and the front cover lightly with finger and thumb at the top then it disappears. Bit annoying sittin on the net with 1 hand out of action LOL!

Cheers anyway

[Richard Lowe]

Originally Posted by chris68nufc

The line has turned into a pink rectangle from top to bottom about 1.5" long and if i press the screen and the front cover lightly with finger and thumb at the top then it disappears.

Dodgy connection to/in the screen then by the sounds of it, if you are pressing down at the bottom of the screen near the hinge then it might be fixable, if it's at the top then not

Originally Posted by chris68nufc

Bit annoying sittin on the net with 1 hand out of action LOL!

I don't think little Ben could survive like that