Member Avatar for Soile Berg

My daughter's Dell Inspiron 8600 laptop screen went blank. The problem was not the backlight, so we installed a new screen. When turning the laptop on, the screen slowly flashes from red to green to blue etc. When using an external monitor, we can see that Windows always starts in the Safe mode. I would appreciate any ideas!

Soile

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  • Latest Post Latest Post by DylnCox

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A concise diagnostic summary and practical checks based on the thread: the internal panel cycles solid colors while an external display shows a usable image, and community replies pointed at both panel/cable faults and video-board faults (see and ). The symptom set is best handled with a short, ordered isolation process so the failing component can be identified without unnecessary parts replacement.

  1. Clarify when the color cycle appears. If it is present immediately at power-on / before the BIOS logo, the problem is almost certainly hardware (panel, LVDS cable/connector, or GPU/motherboard). If the cycle only begins after Windows loads video drivers, software or driver/GPU interactions are more likely.
  2. Run Dell pre-boot diagnostics (Boot menu -> Diagnostics) and note any error codes or beeps. Record results for reference.
  3. Power down, remove AC and battery, discharge by holding the power button ~30 seconds, then reseat the LCD cable, memory modules, and any accessible ribbon connectors. Inspect the LCD connector and cable for bent pins, torn shielding, crushed kinks, or corrosion. A wobbly connector that changes the display when nudged is a strong sign the LVDS cable/connector is bad.
  4. Confirm panel compatibility. Replacement panels can be physically identical yet use different LVDS mappings or EDID firmware; check the part number on the back of the panel against the laptop service tag / service manual. A mismatch can produce constant color/test patterns.
  5. If the cable and panel check out, the fault shifts toward the video chip or board interconnects. @w25v’s experience where a video-card swap fixed the issue is consistent with failing GPU or cracked BGA solder joints; board repair or donor-board replacement are common next steps. Reflow is a short-term repair and should be left to experienced technicians.

Prioritize non-destructive tests (diagnostics, reseat, cable inspection, part-number match) before buying major parts. ESD precautions and careful documentation of part numbers will save time and money.

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All 6 Replies

Member Avatar for alc6379

Sounds like a video diagnostic. Flashing from red,green,blue, etc, is an onboard video diag that runs on Dell systems. Is there any beeping? Will it boot past that, eventually?

Member Avatar for Soile Berg

Sounds like a video diagnostic. Flashing from red,green,blue, etc, is an onboard video diag that runs on Dell systems. Is there any beeping? Will it boot past that, eventually?

It will boot up Windows in safe mode, but I can only see it on an external monitor. On the laptop monitor, the colors will keep flashing. I'll have to check about any beeping. Thank you!

Member Avatar for Soile Berg

Hi Alex,
Here is some more information on the Inspiron lcd problem. I checked under Manage, System, and found that the event log file is corrupt. The Device Manager does not show any Monitors, so it seems like the pc doesn't detect the new screen. I checked the flat connecting wire and it seems ok. The old lcd was UXGA 15.4" Oct.31, 2003, and the new one UXGA 15.4" May 14, 2004. We upgraded the Bios to the latest version, but it didn't help either. I would appreciate any additional troubleshooting ideas!

Member Avatar for rogerdub

Sounds like a video diagnostic. Flashing from red,green,blue, etc, is an onboard video diag that runs on Dell systems. Is there any beeping? Will it boot past that, eventually?

My Dell 5150 is also flashing Red, green, blue. Did this ever get resolved? You said it is an onboard video diagnostic. Can you give me any more information about that diagnostic?
Thanks.

Member Avatar for w25v

My Dell 5150 is also flashing Red, green, blue. Did this ever get resolved? You said it is an onboard video diagnostic. Can you give me any more information about that diagnostic?
Thanks.

hello
i had the same problem have a new screen on mij del 8600,
and it starting to flashes the colors.
then i replaced the flatcable to the screen.
nothing!!!
now i have chanced the video card and it works perfect...

Member Avatar for DylnCox

I know this topic hasn't been touched in a couple of years but I stumbled upon it through Google, after my Mini 10 laptop encountered this just minutes ago. The same laptop, might I add, that I'm using now to post this reply. My laptop was plugged into the AC charger and I immediately, like all of you must've, panicked. I thought to myself,

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