Hi,
I have a Dell Inspiron 710m running XP sp3 and the screen is not functioning properly.

It hasn't gone"out" completely - it's not black. It began with the image on the screen becoming jumpy, and by a few hours later the screen was just a series of vertical colored lines - except for a narrow horizontal band at the very top of the screen where the image is perfectly normal. If I connect an external monitor the image on the monitor is totally normal.

If anyone can give me an idea of what the problem is I'd really appreciate it ....

thanks

It sounds to me like something is wrong with the monitor so I would take it to a repair shop. Maybe they can help. If it was a driver or windows issue the external wouldn't work & since an external does then it probably isn't the graphics chip. That leaves the monitor or the cable to the monitor. So unless you feel like opening up a laptop and screwing around with it that leaves you with a repair shop.

Classic "inverter" symptom (dark but you can still see the image). The parts can cost from $50 to $150 and a competent technician can fix it within 1 hour of labor - if no other problems found.

Originally Posted by Digerati

Classic "inverter" symptom (dark but you can still see the image). The parts can cost from $50 to $150 and a competent technician can fix it within 1 hour of labor - if no other problems found.

What about the colored vertical lines? That sounds to me like it is a problem with the screen. Either way sounds like it needs to go to a technician.

Thanks townsbg and digerati for your replies. In trying to research this problem on the internet I came across the term "inverter" (as you mentioned, digerati) and I have to confess I don't know what that is. Can you tell me what is the inverter and what role it plays in making the screen function?

I'm going to try to be a bit more descriptive on what I see on the screen to see if that can help anyone form an opinion on where the problem lies.....

I mentioned there is a narrow horizontal strip at the top of the screen where the image is normal - basically I can see the blue "title" bar of any window I'm looking at. Below that the screen appears as a series of very narrow vertical colored lines. But it's not a "blur" of the image in the window - it doesn't change at all as I change from window to window. If I change between various windows I have open I see the title bar at the top change but the vertical lines do not seem to change at all - there's no correspondence between the colored lines and the image in the window.

thanks for you help

The inverter takes DC voltage and converts it AC. The inverter board is located behind the display panel. While this does point to the inverter, it could be the backlight bulb or a cable. While I don't recommend non-technical types replace their own inverters, it can be done, with care, and a steady hand. That said, if left to a qualified technician, they have the experience of many previous replacements to ensure no collateral damage, and they have the responsibility to fix any collateral damage should it happen anyway. They would also have a spare bulb on hand for testing to ensure only the needed parts are ordered.

See Laptop Repair Help Screen inverter replacement. Fixing laptop backlight problem. for more information.

Thanks Digerati for the info about the inverter.

I have to take back something I said a moment ago: I said the colored lines didn't change as the image on the screen changed - but after looking at it some more I realize that I just didn't wait long enough. If I change the image on the screen, after a moment, the colored lines (which is ALL I can see - I can't make out the actual image at all) change in a corresponding way. There IS a correlation between the image on the screen and the placement and colors of the vertical lines.

I can't make out the actual image at all

Shine a light on it and if you get the right angle and hold your tongue just right, you will probably see the image too. If the inverter is bad, it can cause odd display issues too, but the darkness is the clue, especially since a 2nd monitor works fine.