Member Avatar for phoenixjuice

I have a HP Pavilion dv5000 laptop, 1.5 years old (unfortunately out of warranty). One day a few weeks ago, when I turned it on, the screen lit up but nothing showed up on the screen. Fans were running and Windows XP seemed to start properly (I could log in and log out "by touch"). Since then, there were two or three times when the screen would actually work normally when I start up, but most of the time when I tried, the screen would be blank (but the backlight is there).

I tried hooking up an external monitor. It would show the Windows splash screen while Windows was loading, but then the monitor would go blank ("No Signal").

Today I found this forum and read through a bunch of threads on similar problems, so I thought I'd try some of the ideas posted here. Here's a summary of what I've tried:

- Booted in Safe Mode and the external monitor worked. Disabled the display adapter, and now I can get normal Windows mode to show up on the external monitor (but not on the laptop monitor).

- Ran chkdsk /f, but it didn't fix everything. (It kept finding file errors on subsequent runs of chkdsk.)

- Tried Diagnostics under the BIOS screen (again, only on the external monitor). It quit before it's done, claiming "#2 Test failure - 07".

What else should I be checking? And what is probably causing the problem? The LCD on the laptop, the drivers, the hard drive, the motherboard, or what? I could probably live with hooking it up permanently to an external monitor, but is this problem indicative of something more serious (like imminent HD/mobo failure---should I start budgeting for a new laptop?)?

Thanks so much in advance!

  • 2 Contributors
  • 1 Reply
  • 288 Views
  • 2 Weeks Discussion Span
  • Latest Post Latest Post by mechbas

Dani AI

Generated

Short summary and priority: the symptoms you describe point to two separate failure paths — storage and video — and the immediate priority is data protection. Because built-in diagnostics already reported a failing component, back up irreplaceable files before anything else, then run the full HP hardware diagnostics (note any failure ID the tool gives). HP’s diagnostics will tell you whether the storage subsystem failed and produce a failure code you can use with support. ()

Storage checklist: repeated filesystem fixes are a strong warning sign that the disk is dying rather than a one-off corruption. Run the SMART/long-disk tests (or clone the drive to a known-good disk) and treat any SMART/diagnostic failures as actionable — copy your data off immediately and plan a replacement. SMART and vendor diagnostics are the reliable way to confirm a drive problem. (en.wikipedia.org)

Display checklist and narrowing steps: because the external output and Safe Mode behavior isolate where to look, use that to your advantage. Safe Mode loads a basic display driver, so if video works there but not in normal Windows the issue can be driver/software related; use Safe Mode or a clean OS image to uninstall drivers, test vendor drivers, or boot a Live USB to isolate Windows from hardware. If the internal panel is dark while an external shows video even in Safe Mode, then the panel/cable/inverter or the GPU/motherboard are more likely culprits — reseat the LCD cable, test with a different panel or inverter if possible, and look for a very faint image with a flashlight (backlight vs. signal check). (learn.microsoft.com)

Context and next steps: was right to flag storage as likely. Also note that some HP Pavilion-era models had known mobile-GPU reliability problems; if diagnostics point to the system board/GPU the repair cost can be high and professional diagnosis is recommended. Order of operations: backup → run HP extensive diagnostics and SMART/long tests → test with Live USB/Safe Mode and try driver rollback → troubleshoot display wiring/inverter/panel → pursue repair or board replacement if board/GPU fails. (engadget.com)

Member Avatar for mechbas

This "could" be virus activity but more likely it's a sign of a failing or failed HD.

Be a part of the DaniWeb community

We're a friendly, industry-focused community of developers, IT pros, digital marketers, and technology enthusiasts meeting, networking, learning, and sharing knowledge.