Hey everyone!

I'm new to the forum but am seeking some advice on my laptop.

Just this afternoon, I came home from a week's holiday and turned on my computer. The computer sounds as though it's booting up normally, it's responsive to its power cable and makes the usual whirring noises it makes when it's booting up. But there is a black screen. Nothing at all is happening on screen.

Does it sound like my video card is broken?

I'm trying to avoid having to pay a fortune for a consultation with computer a fixing company, so I can just tell them what is wrong with it and ask for a replacement video card, and for them to install that for me.

If you think that this is what's wrong with it, could you give me an idea of how much a new video card will cost. I'm a student so I hope it's not that much and I need my laptop all the time!

On this topic, I just accidentally created a black screen with my presario r3000 when I booted up. The last thing I did on the laptop before shutting down was disable the default monitor. Is there a way to enable it from the black screen, for example a hotkey or something? Any help would be greatly appreciated. PJA67

After you boot up, hit <fn F7> and see if it helps. This key combination cycles the video card through internal, external and no monitor. While doing this, have another nmonitor plugged into the rear video port.c This will let you know if your video card is any good.. Also, check to see if the little lid switch is stuck down. Most laptops have a switch that depresses when the lid is closed, and this can turn off the monitor also. Try and repost please, good luck.

This is a good way to check this. But be aware, for a R3000 this is the fn-F4 combination.
Thanks.

I have also started having problems with my R3000's screen. Here's the story, in short:

- Power cord problem. Disassembled the computer to get to the motherboard, noticed the pins were intact, reassembled computer.
- Screen does not work. No backlight on, just a black screen, so I can't tell that it's booting, except that after a while, the power button does not immediately cut the power when pressed. This suggests that somewhere in there, it's trying to go through the Windows shutdown process maybe? I can't tell.

WHAT WORKS:
- The fans
- The battery
- The DVD-ROM drive (spins and ejects)
- The power indicating LED, the LED indicating the touchpad is on.
- The power LED on the front, and the "HDD" and battery LED on the front, which turns on when the computer is powered on, and then turns off in a little while.

WHAT DOESN'T WORK:
- The screen
- The LEDs on the side for volume mute and wireless card

WHAT I'VE TRIED:
- Reseating the RAM, and then repeating with only one stick of RAM in at a time, in turn.
- Plugging in an external monitor. No signal is sent to that monitor either.
- Fn-F4 to cycle through the monitors.

When I pulled it apart and took the motherboard out, I noticed there were two video cards in there. Both GeForce, one newer than the other. I don't know how to replace the video cards in this laptop (they looked anchored on there really good!).

Any other suggestions?

I made progress.

Now, I have a picture, but it's bright green and flickery with a black vertical band down the middle. When I cycle the video out to the external monitor, my picture appears fine.

Guesses? Or is this a truly dead thread....?

Same problem here. I haven't replaced anything yet, but I have dark bands vertically down the screen. I'm thinking virus. I recently let the Norton Anti-Virus expire because of the cost.

If the video is fine on an external monitor, then your video card is most likely fine and also not a virus. It is either the video cable or the LCD screen itself. Unfortunately, you need a known good unit to swap out for testing.