The monitor on my laptop is not working. I've noticed that there was this red/pinkish color when the computer wakes up or when I reboot the computer. Now, it's completely black. When I shut the laptop and open it, I see the desktop or start up screen for a second. I'm using a monitor and mirroring what's on my laptop with the external monitor, but I'm wondering why the display on my laptop is not working.
When I shut the laptop and open it, I see the desktop or start up screen for a second.
That's suggestive that the cabling that runs through the hinge areas is worn/damaged. This signal only works when the display is in certain positions. Not an easy DIY fix unless you are comfortable working with small parts in a confined area.
I bought my laptop in '05. After using it a year or so, the screen began going black while I was working. However, if I moved the monitor slightly forward or backward, the image would reappear instantly. These episodes were rare at first, but over the years became more frequent. (I had a smaller powerbook before purchasing this one, and thought that perhaps it was just a glitch with the wider screen). I live in a rural community, and it isn't convenient to take it anywhere to have the problem looked at - so as I worked, I just kept wiggling the monitor 'til the image returned. Recently, the screen went totally black! I panicked! However, I have a friend who is a techie, he grimaced and said it wasn't an easy fix ... but suggested a cheap/easy fix (if you don't need the portability of a laptop) ... with a VGI cable adapter, I attached the cord of an old computer monitor to the right side of the laptop. I can now use it, until I decide to haul it in for a repair. Or, you can at least secure, transfer, or delete files before repairing yours or upgrading to a newer model.
I replaced the video inverter cable on mine, which is the cable that goes through the hinge. Cost about $15 for the cable used off of eBay. Shipped from India. Time was about 2 hours or so. Unfortunately for me this involved a lot of delicate operations. Detaching the screen from the case was not a big issue, but to replace the cable you have to seperate the back of the LCD from the front bezel. I pretty much destroyed both my bezel and the inside metal tabs of the back panel. It worked, but I had what looked like a FrankenMac.
You need a steady, delicate hand for this. And patience. My second unfortuntate experience was that even with replacing the cable, the screen itself ultimately was bad. I kept having issues. So, I replaced the screen (used from eBay, $80). That only took about an hours work. Cosmetically the back panel of the new screen has far more scratches and blemishes, but I have a screen that works flawlessly.
I followed the guides on ifixit.com. Replacing the LVDS cable though was not one guide ifixit had. I had to do a Google search and did not find much on replacing the cable itself.
In short, if you can do this then great. But you risk screwing up the back and the bezel if you don't do it right. The screen may then still work, but your Mac may look like a mess.
