Help with thinkpad R31 Laptop Monitor.

[proxus]

I was just hoping if anybody knows what the problem might be regarding the screen on my laptop.

Those who own Thinkpads know that you can turn off the monitor by pressing the blue "Fn" key and F3.

The problem is, when I start to use the computer again the screen should turn on.
It should turn on by moving the mouse, pressing Fn-F3 again or start typing on the keypad.

Now, it turns on ( I can see the desktop with everything on it if I use bright flashlight to illuminate the screen)

The background light does not turn on right away, usually between 5 to 10 minutes !

Restarting the computer doesn't help either.

This does not seem to be a hardware problem, but then again I do not know.

Please help if you have a remedy for this problem, I really can't afford expensive computerguys right now.

Best regards
Proxus

[Front_Seat_Dreamer]

proxus - dunno if this is much help but on all laptops I have had/have pressing fn + F2 or 3 or 4 or 5 cycles the video signal from the screen to the external monitor then both then back to the laptop screen so it might be worth a bit of button bashing.

[proxus]

Yes I've allready tried that, ( on this lap its fn-F7 ) and it does not help.

I'm wondering if this has happened to other types of laptops ?

Well, this is getting quite annoying, as i'm writing this practicly blind, ( I can hardly see what I write )

Proxus

[Tinstaafl]

Your backlight OR the inverter board for the backlight is on the way out.

I had the same thing develop in a laptop. Initially the screen would not display after a resume. A bright light would show the LCD was producing the image but there was no light passing through it to show the image. Then an occasional boot would also have the same problem, then over time the screen would go blank (no backlight, LCD image still being produced).

Typically the LCD screen is more expensive than the rest of the laptop put together. For that laptop an inverter board was 15 UKP, the screen (LCD + integral backlight) was 500 quid. The quick & cheap test was to replace the inverter board. This solved the problem for a while (months) but then the problem returned.

I've since found a USA supplier of the backlights for LCD screens (for a much more reasonable price than replacing a perfectly good image producer + light) so when I get the time I'm going to get a replacement light. It still works perfectly well using an external monitor.

That laptop is now old hat re. processor /graphics etc. & I've long since replaced it so the cost is worth while on a hobby/curiosity factor. It's only a cold cathode ray tube so parts + my own labour. I'm quite comfortable pulling it apart & replacing bits & pieces.