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Gateway Laptop M675 doesn't boot. the light at on button comes on I can hear the fan and the hard drive. screen just black.

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  • Latest Post Latest Post by mah300274

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As described, the machine shows power (button LED, fan and HDD spin) but the screen stays black. That pattern usually means the laptop is getting DC power but either the display subsystem or the POST/graphics path is failing. Building on and , here are clear, safe steps to isolate the fault and what each outcome means.

  • Remove AC and the battery, press and hold the power button 20–30 seconds to discharge residual power, then try booting with AC only.
  • With power off, open the RAM cover and reseat modules (try one stick at a time in each slot). Faulty/misaligned RAM commonly prevents POST.
  • With the lid open in a dim room, shine a bright flashlight at the screen at an angle while the laptop is powered on. A very faint image means the panel is working but the backlight/inverter is dead.
  • Try an external monitor (VGA/HDMI). If the external shows video, the issue is the display assembly, inverter, or LVDS/eDP cable in the hinge. If the external is also blank, suspect motherboard/GPU/BIOS.
  • Remove the HDD and power on: if the machine then reaches BIOS/POST, the problem is software/drive-related; if it stays dead, it’s more likely hardware.
  • Note any beep patterns or Caps/NumLock LED blinks at power-up — these are POST codes and help identify RAM, video, or CPU faults. Record them for a repair shop if needed.

Do not open the chassis if the laptop is under warranty. Use anti-static precautions when handling components. If data is valuable, remove the drive and connect it to another PC (USB enclosure) before deeper repairs. If these tests point to a bad panel or a failing motherboard and you’re not comfortable replacing parts, a local repair shop can confirm the diagnosis and quote parts vs. replacement cost.

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Member Avatar for tje210

maybe issue with the display. can you hook up an external monitor? do you hear the hard drive clicking and working? do you have remote desktop or VNC on the computer to try to remote in?

Member Avatar for mah300274

You should move your post to troubly shooting dead machines.... that will help getting a lot more views in your topic.

Member Avatar for tje210

OP isn't responding, as you can see from the time since last post...

Member Avatar for mah300274

ya, but my posts here still count for another point! Whether right or not!

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