Member Avatar for Matrinka

Hello! I have a laptop and it is acting crazy. I'm hoping that some of you can assist me in fixing it! I have a Compaq Presario v5000 with a 15.4" screen.

Every now and then my laptop's LCD screen turns into a vertically striped mess (all color, no black). It looks somewhat like this:

http://www.laptoprepair101.com/wp-images/LCD-screen-no-image.jpg

My warranty is up and I don't feel like paying the expensive rates to have someone repair this for me. When I use an external monitor, my picture is fine. If I unplug my computer and shut it down it is fine upon start-up about 40% of the time. Things do not repair themselves if I press on the screen, but things WERE working as normal if I flicked it up until last night. When the stripes appear their colors reflect the black screen of booting, blue screen of the window start up, and my desktop wallpaper colors. Unfortunately, all I see are colors. If I'm patient and keep trying to reboot, eventually I'll turn the computer on and everything will look perfect again. There is no hint of there being anything wrong with the LCD - everything looks good. However, if I leave the laptop on long enough it will degrade into the stripey colored mess and not restart prefectly until I play with it (ie, shake, flick, flip upside-down, remove the power and battery... ) Eventually, it will start up and look good again.

Do I have a loose connection somewhere in the cables? Do I need a whole new LCD or can I just replace something like the screen inverter part? Do I need new cables? I believe that I can replace any of these on my own.

I shopped around for a new LCD screen, but they are around $150+ with shipping. Considering that I can buy a new laptop for around $500, it feels just wrong to pay that much.

  • 2 Contributors
  • 2 Replies
  • 242 Views
  • 2 Days Discussion Span
  • Latest Post Latest Post by Matrinka

Dani AI

Generated

A short, focused diagnostic path for (and anyone else seeing colorful vertical stripes that respond to lid movement): the most likely causes are the display flex/ribbon cable where it runs through the hinge, a failing LCD panel, or—less likely when an external monitor is fine—a GPU/driver problem. is right to point at the cable as the first thing to check; intermittent faults that change with opening/closing the lid almost always implicate the flex cable or its connector. (See a step‑by‑step cable/panel teardown for how the cable is routed and secured.) iFixit display cable/panel guide.

Simple tests to narrow the fault quickly:

  • Connect an external monitor. If the external image is clean the GPU is probably OK and the fault is in the laptop display/cable.
  • Take a screenshot while the stripes are visible and view that image on another device. If the screenshot is clean but the physical screen shows stripes, the problem is the panel or its cable; if the screenshot also shows the stripes, the GPU/driver is involved. These are standard diagnostic steps. Lifewire troubleshooting checklist · Microsoft guidance on BIOS/screen checks.

If the tests point to the internal display, try this safe, low‑cost check before ordering a replacement: with the laptop powered off and battery/AC removed, carefully remove the bezel and re-seat the display cable at the panel and at the motherboard — look for frayed ribbon, bent pins, cracked solder, or missing grounding tape. Follow a model‑specific disassembly guide and take ESD precautions. If reseating fixes it the cable or connector was the issue; if it does not, the panel assembly is likely failing and will need replacement. iFixit replacement steps.

A couple of cautions: power everything down and remove the battery before poking inside; repairs can void warranties, so check manufacturer support if unsure. . If a replacement is needed, record the panel part number from the label on the back of the LCD (noting size and connector type) and shop parts suppliers or used panels before buying a full assembly.

Member Avatar for UHCoog05

I can tell you a few things:

1) It's not your inverter. The inverter simply powers the backlight.
2) Yes, it could be a loose connection. For example, the video cable that plugs into the back of the LCD screen.
3) If the laptop displays fine on an external monitor, it typically means you need a new LCD screen. If you don't find a loose connection, chances are you need a new LCD screen.

What you should do:

1) Follow these instructions to get to your video cable and make sure it's in the slot securely.

2) If the cable is not loose, write down the screen part number on the back of the screen (LTN154X3-L01, LP154EW01 etc.) The part number should have 154 in it, being that it's a 15.4 inch screen.

3) Search Google and eBay for new screen using the part number. You will get a better deal when you know the exact part number that you want.

4) If you don't want to bother to fix it, contact me and I'll buy it :)

Hope this helps.

Member Avatar for Matrinka

Thanks for the info -- I'll try just fiddling with the cables and price the LCD! I'll keep you in mind if it gets too expensive.

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.