I have a Dell 9400 and I believe the LCD inverter is either gone, going, or lose. When it boots up I can see the Dell logo which is dark, but there. The screen immediately goes dark. A couple of times I have been able to use the monitor as it did not go dark. One of these times it stayed working for several hours, which makes me question if it is actually the inverter that is gone. I have taken the LCD assembly apart and sort of wiggled the inverter connections around, which did nothing. Ordinarily I would just purchase a new inverter as they seem to be short money, but I have been out of work for a while and money is very tight. Any ideas? Thanks for your help!!!

When it goes dark, if you shine a flashlight into the screen, can you see the image? If so, then yes, it points to the inverter, or the backlight florescent tube it powers.

However, I would connect an external monitor up first before spending any money. If you get a proper display with the external monitor, then you know the notebook's graphics solution works. If you don't get a proper display, then you have problems in the notebook.

Thank you for your reply. Yes, if I use a flashlight against the display, I can see what is going on. I am actually using a tv as a secondary monitor and it work very well. I guess I am confused because upon occasion the notebook display has worked very well, but most of the time it is dark. I'll be honest, I know just enough about hardware to be dangerous...LOL If the inverter has gone bad, why would it work sometimes and not others? Do connections like this get loose? If so, is there a way to reseat it? Thanks again.

Well, yes. Though not very common, connectors can come loose and you have to remove the screen, or close to it, to get to it to check - but it should be checked before spending money on it.

Electronics devices don't always simply die. They can, through natural aging, a manufacturing defect, physical abuse, or impurities in the raw materials, become weak, and less tolerant of heat or current - even at "normal" heat and current levels, and become unstable, which disrupts the circuit. Eventually, they will continue to weaken to a point they will completely fail.

Depending on the size and model of your notebook display, parts are usually $50 to $150 and it takes a qualified technician about 1 hour labor. A reputable shop with experience may be worth it because they have the tools and experience as this is a common repair job. Plus, they know the exact strategic place to position their tongues when opening notebook cases.

Thanks for you answer...it all makes a lot of sense...and electrician friend once told me that appliances can slowly go bad depending on the electrical circuits they are feeding on...it sounded strange at the time, but I have come to believe this...and the placement of the technicians tongue does in fact make a big difference...K