Opening LCD screens without screws? whats the secret?

[Fizzycapola]

I have an LCD screen (Digimate 17" LCD monitor) that stopped working last year, I've always wanted to open it to see if theres anything easily fixed inside, but for the past year haven't been able to get inside it. Their aren't any screws to unscrew and prising it open at various points with alot of force doesn't seem to open it.

[kc8adu]

look into the seam for cutouts.
often you carefully push these with a knife blade to release them.
hard to tell without seeing your unit.
could have been made by anyone.
post a pic.

[willawake]

did you take the stand off?
sometimes when you cant open something there is a screw underneath a sticker.

[Fizzycapola]

yeah I think it's no go unless an engineer of such lcd's happens to browse this forum, the back is on tight - cannot prise with a screwdriver and no screws under the mount.

Guess because of the lethal voltages inside they don't want it opened too easy, unlike other brands hehe.

[Tom41]

Lethal voltages inside? Most LCDs I've seen run from an external transformer, either in the mains plug or a separate unit between the mains cable and the power cable going to the LCD. I always thought that LCDs, unlike CRTs, have low voltages inside to drive the display and backlight. Is this true, or is it just as dangerous inside as the high voltages found with a CRT?

[kc8adu]

high voltage very low current in ccfl inverters.
more unpleasant than dangerous.
some lcd units have a line powered smps instead of an external brick.

[Harvey]

Everyone I've seen so far that is 'impossible' to open has simply been clipped together. The trick (if there is one) is to be able to unclip the back without severely damaging the case. Not easy in some cases, but with a little perseverance and time its quite possible to open them doing minimal damage.

Just don't rush it.

[Fizzycapola]

Opened it with two standard dinner knifes easily.

Amazing what the ravashes of old age do, hard to believe it took me over a year to think of it.

All inside looked perfectly pristine (might have a photo on a memory stick somewhere I'll post when I get around to dumping my sticks) - in conclusion :so left for the bin men. Fairwell my beloved cheap but awesome LCD ...

I'll order a new one.

[stevo1210]

Originally Posted by Fizzycapola

Opened it with two standard dinner knifes easily.

Amazing what the ravashes of old age do, hard to believe it took me over a year to think of it.

All inside looked perfectly pristine (might have a photo on a memory stick somewhere I'll post when I get around to dumping my sticks) - in conclusion :so left for the bin men. Fairwell my beloved cheap but awesome LCD ...

I'll order a new one.

Just curious, but what brand caps did it have??

[Fizzycapola]

Looked like Teapo blue/gold.

[willawake]

Amazing what the ravashes of old age do, hard to believe it took me over a year to think of it.

fuck off i am 6 years older than you. mikey is even older....hes like so old i dont even ask anymore how old he is

[Fizzycapola]

Picture as promised. (only one I managed to take camera was a bit jittery for some reason that day)...

[chipper]

Like kc8adu says , look for what appear to be "cutouts" or solid plastic areas in the ventilation slits near the corners at the top and bottom where screws should be.
Somewhere along the line someone thought it would be a good idea to cover up the screws for a better looking cabinet for monitors.

They should push out from front to back to expose the screws themselves. Once you have found them and removed them you might have to fish around underneath the base to find some kind of hooks that hold the bottom tightly to the base , which doesn't pull away , it stays in place.

When I found mine , on my 22" Mitsubishi they were like that and they broke because the hooks had become brittle - so , only expect to push the covers about a half of an inch to unlock them (both).