Member Avatar for Mistchf

Hi all...

I sure hope someone can help here!! I have the Inspiron 1150, just over a year old and in November had the motherboard replaced because the power supply connection just broke off. Warranty out in Jan, now there is just a black screen when the computer turns on. I can BARELY see the windows logo and all, it is booting up but you can't see the screen. On first start up, the Dell logo with blue flashes bright, then it just goes dark. I've tried doing the FN /crt key thing (saw it on an earlier post)but nothing. Any suggestions? Thanks much in advance, I cannot afford another laptop!!!

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  • Latest Post Latest Post by ukbajan

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A short, practical diagnosis and repair plan that expands on the thread (symptoms: Dell logo flashes, machine boots but the internal screen goes almost totally dark).

The pattern described by (logo visible briefly, then dark) plus ’s brightness check failing points to a display backlight problem rather than Windows or the hard drive. Quick way to separate video-output faults from a panel/backlight issue: attach an external monitor — a normal picture there means the GPU/mainboard is still outputting video. The common next check is the “flashlight test”: boot in a dark room and shine a bright light at an angle onto the screen; a faint desktop visible under strong light indicates the LCD is drawing the image but the backlight (inverter/CCFL or LED driver) is not lighting. These diagnostic steps are standard and explained in Dell’s service documentation and community repair guides. (Dell Inspiron 1150 Service Manual, iFixit diagnosis notes).

If the flashlight/external-monitor results point to the backlight, the inverter on the Inspiron 1150 sits at the bottom edge of the LCD assembly and is user-replaceable after removing the bezel and display assembly. The service steps and inverter location are shown in the Inspiron 1150 display removal guide. Before any disassembly the battery and AC must be removed and static precautions taken — the inverter/CCFL circuit uses high voltage and incorrect handling can cause damage. Also confirm the panel part number (sticker on the back of the LCD) because inverter/panel variants differ by screen size and model; as noted, ordering the wrong inverter will not fix the problem. (iFixit removal guide).

If replacing the inverter does not restore a steady backlight the fault can be the CCFL lamp itself, the display cable in the hinge, or a power fuse/rail on the system board. When diagnosis is uncertain or if uncomfortable working inside the lid, a local repair shop can test quickly and avoid ordering incorrect parts. General inverter/backlight behavior and further failure modes are summarized in repair references. (Techwalla inverter symptoms).

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All 6 Replies

Member Avatar for UberAAZ

Perhaps you need to increase the screen brightness (on my Dell Latitude D510 the hotkey is Fn+Up Arrow).
Just a suggestion, but it might just work.

Hope that helps,

Member Avatar for BeastOverlordH6

That's... bad.


Probably worse than dead pixels. I hope this doesn't involve the hard drive, or Windows, as it would make many new problems and much harder to fix. Nonetheless, a screen that darkens and flashes is not healthy nor is it common.

I couldn't tell you what to do with this.

Member Avatar for Mistchf

thanks...the screen brightening didn't work, from what I've seen in other threads about this particular model, this is pretty common, to the point where people have talked about a class action so I guess there's not much of a fix:(:( Brand new motherboard too!!

Member Avatar for ukbajan

Hi all...

I sure hope someone can help here!! I have the Inspiron 1150, just over a year old and in November had the motherboard replaced because the power supply connection just broke off. Warranty out in Jan, now there is just a black screen when the computer turns on. I can BARELY see the windows logo and all, it is booting up but you can't see the screen. On first start up, the Dell logo with blue flashes bright, then it just goes dark. I've tried doing the FN /crt key thing (saw it on an earlier post)but nothing. Any suggestions? Thanks much in advance, I cannot afford another laptop!!!

i have got the same problem and as far as i can see it is the inverter that has gone wrong. it's a simple case of replacing it

Member Avatar for roedear

Did you find out what was wrong with your 1150? Mine is doing the same thing & I hate the fact that I've got a glorified paper weight!

Member Avatar for ukbajan

it is the inverter that has gone wrong. i would suggest that you pay a visit to ebay which seems to be the cheapest place to get a replacement.

please bear in mind that there are 2 varieties of inverter available for this model. one is for the 14" screen, the other is for the 15" screen. please get the correct one or you have wasted your money.

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