Why is it doing this??

[stevo1210]

I have this strange issue with my Toshiba P25-5093 laptop where the screen will intermittently go red and/or fuzzy on very rare occasions. Most of the time the screen is fine and I don't have any problems with it.
When this problem occurs, I just get my finger and lightly tap the area near the hinges and the problem goes away and everything is normal again.
I don't know why this strange issue happens.... but I'm taking a guess that the connection of the screen cable to the motherboard is most likely loose and/or has bad contacts.
I have also tried to recreate the scenario with the red/ fuzzy display by tapping on certain areas of the laptop on purpose, but I have no luck in doing so.... so I can only assume something with bad contacts with the cable and connector.
I presume that if I had bad solder joints this problem would happen all the time and not once in a while/ very rarely and also tapping various areas of the laptop would make the issue reappear immediately.
The issue happens regardless of what i'm doing with the laptop (e.g games and idle desktop).... so I have ruled out any driver/software problems.
By the way, the graphics card is an nvidia Geforce Go FX5200 32MB and the display is a 17" WXGA display.
Does anyone know what could be wrong with my laptop?? Could my idea of the contacts and cable connections be correct??

Thanks.

[PCBONEZ]

Re: Why is it doing this??

Probably the ribbon cable or wires that feed through the hinge is gettin' old / worn.
Tint change is usually the inverter.
Fuzzy is most likely the video.
The Gateway laptops I used to rebuild had the video all on a ribbon cable and the inverter was feed via wires through the other hinge.
I've seen some (other makes) that have everything in one ribbon cable.

.

[zandrax]

Re: Why is it doing this??

I agree with pcbonez: at 99% it's a bad connection between the screen and the mainboard, usually due to a worn connector o a design defect.
The old Compaq X1000 series (a.k.a. HP Zt3000 and NX7000) employed strange compression connector between motherboard, graphic board and video cable; those plastic connector were screwless except the video cable, which was blocked by a single screw on the right side. Simply typing on the keyboard moved those connectors during time, so contacts become more and more worn unless the screen got dizzy, with coloured stripes or any strange defect and the pc refused to boot. A temporary fix was to press Y,6 and 7 keys all togheter, because the connectors were under the keys.

The spare 1% is simply misfortune: I had an Acer 1536LMi with a 5700Goand an Athon 64 3400+, Desktop version. The computer was apparently great, running all software and, of course, even games at high details unless the graphic chip died from overheating. During its slow agony the behavior ranged from green/red striped screen to gpu memory corruption (multicolor pattern on screen), from being able to boot with an external monitor to complete death.
Tech assistance replaced the gpu and I started being carefull about temperature, avoiding games most of times and trying to cool my notebook with a big fan. Nevertheless, it died again three months later: internal cooling was flawed and, perhaps, the mainboard got damaged too. I never managed to know all details because I got a replacement, but this is another story.

Zandrax

[willawake]

Re: Why is it doing this??

looks like fun to take it apart (dunno if thats the exact one though)
http://www.irisvista.com/tech/laptop...lliteP25_1.htm

[Fizzycapola]

Re: Why is it doing this??

Probably, my laptop suffers pink screen and fuzz when opened wide ever since it cracked it's hinges from overheating. I've taped over the hinges with the strongest tape I have to keep it getting worse. The fin film ribbon cables are very diffucult to work with, also cause of failure in my Sony camera (which in the end was left in pieces after failing to fix it) screen changing to all sorts of funky colours. Disconnecting and reconnecting the cable doesn't seem to work very well either.

Other than laptop casing cracking (hinges and screen edges) from normal heat from the laptop, GPU heatsink fell off from heat which had to be reaffixed with Arctic Adhesive.

The fragility of laptops really surprises me. I'd really like to rehouse mine with decent parts that can't be broken so easily but I know industry enjoy selling such fragile expensive goods.

[PSW Co-op]

Re: Why is it doing this??

I used to work for Acer, a lot of thier laptops had to be "modded" when this problem cropped up.

We would remove the bezel (cover) around the power button and under that was the very poorly desgined connector for the screen. We'd cut and glue a little bit of rubber on to the top of the cable, then replace the bezel and tighten it down. This kept the cable fully in contact most of the time.

Does it do the same thing on an external monitor (that will prove if its the graphics card or the connection/screnn)?

Matt

[gdement]

Re: Why is it doing this??

The fragility of laptops really surprises me. I'd really like to rehouse mine with decent parts that can't be broken so easily but I know industry enjoy selling such fragile expensive goods.

Most of the major brands have a separate product line marketed for professional use, but these never seem to show up in any retail stores. Even the office stores that I've checked only stock the consumer model laptops. I'm not certain how much better the build quality is, but it might be significant considering the better warranties and the fact that many people carry them on their daily commute.

[stevo1210]

Re: Why is it doing this??

Most of the major brands have a separate product line marketed for professional use, but these never seem to show up in any retail stores. Even the office stores that I've checked only stock the consumer model laptops. I'm not certain how much better the build quality is, but it might be significant considering the better warranties and the fact that many people carry them on their daily commute.

One example that I can give of this is the Dell Latitude range compared to the home and small office use Inspiron line. I use an Inspiron and I don't have any issues, but I'll bet that the Latitude can probably withstand being moved around better than the Inspiron does.

[Bookworm]

Re: Why is it doing this??

To be honest, my Averatec has been a serious workhorse. I don't use it every day, like an office worker, but It's hauled pillar to post. It's been to Canada two or three times, Detroit a bunch of times, and spent hundreds of thousands of miles being bounced around in my car.

1 hard drive in three years - replaced under extended warranty from Sam's Club. (I think it's still even in warranty).

[stevo1210]

Re: Why is it doing this??

OK, I am back here today with another issue relating to the screen of my Toshiba P25-S5093 laptop. It was fine for a few months and today it did this....



After tapping on the area between in the center just above the keyboard, everything was normal again, like nothing had happened. Sometimes I get a screen that is all red and tapping it lightly in the same area makes it go away. I tried it with an external monitor a while ago whilst this happened and the display on the external monitor was fine so I can conclude it has something to do with the internal screen or cable.

Not really sure what to do at this very moment. I don't really feel like opening it up because I've fixed a few laptops before and actually broken latches and screw joints in the fixing process and I don't really want to do that to this expensive laptop.

What does everyone else think?

Thanks.

[PCBONEZ]

Re: Why is it doing this??

Loose cable.

[kc8adu]

Re: Why is it doing this??

Loose cable.

or bad edge tab on the panel.

[stevo1210]

Re: Why is it doing this??

or bad edge tab on the panel.

What's the edge tab? Sorry about my crap understanding of notebooks.

Thanks.

[kc8adu]

Re: Why is it doing this??

its the connection from the ribbon to the edge of the glass.

[PCBONEZ]

Re: Why is it doing this??

Bad edge tab on the panel would cause same problem but probably not be affected by tapping above keyboard unless you tap real hard.
That's why I think problem is at the other end of the ribbon cable in the chassis.

Ribbon cable itself might also be bad.

.

[stevo1210]

Re: Why is it doing this??

Ok then, let's just say, for example if the edge tab was the issue. What would need to be done to fix the issue? I'm just drawing some extra conclusions so I have a fair idea of what I may be faces with, but I doubt the edge tab issue because I'm not banging on the thing to get it to work normally.... just 1 or 2 light taps with the finger in the area above the keyboard and it's all fine.

I was looking around on the net about the screen cable for the model and in various pictures, the screen cable connection to the chassis is located directly above the keyboard, in the exact same area that I have to tap to get the thing to function properly again.

Thanks.

[PCBONEZ]

Re: Why is it doing this??

Usually they just pull out or work loose and all you need to do is put it back and tape it down better. (In the screen.)

The other end (in chassis) can either be another edge tab that fits into a **connector or an actual plug with wires.
In the second case there will usually be a small PCB that converts the ribbon to wires or to the plug directly. It may be in the chassis or the screen.
Same thing happens on that end. They can work loose.

**These connectors usually have some form of a locking device to hold the ribbon in. It's basically just a piece of plastic that acts as a wedge. Most I've seen have tabs on the ends to pull up to release them but some flip sideways. - I use two paperclips with bent ends to pull them up or push them over. Best to keep the same pressure on both sides so you don't snap it in two.

.

[zandrax]

Re: Why is it doing this??

Open your Toshiba and check under the keyboard: I suspect you'll find the graphic card or the video cable with worn connectors.

A friend of mine bought an used HP ZT3000 for a few bucks: at first it seemed a bargain, unfortunately it showed a similar defect to your: the screen showed green vertical lines or was completely black until you tapped on the 6-7-Y keys. I opened the notebook only to found that HP connected the graphic card to the motherboard with only cheap and fragile plastic connectors and no screws (!) and that the video cable, apart being screwless too, was completely worn and didn't fit into the card's female connector anymore. The triple keypress simply reseated all connectors temporary, but if you moved the computer they plopped out again. The Compaq X1000 forum, which covers the X1000-ZT3000-NX7000 twin models, states that the only last longing repair is a new card or a new cable, which can be hardly found new.
Epilogue: he bought another used notebook after my unsuccessful attempt to repair it.

Zandrax

[stevo1210]

Re: Why is it doing this??

Anyway, I took the upper section of the laptop apart (palm rest assembly and keyboard) so I could access that darn screen cable connector on the motherboard. Anyway I found it and it didn't seem loose. So I just reseat it into its socket again and blew away some dust around the connector and put the thing back together again. So far I haven't seen any fuzzy or changing display just yet. I'll just have to wait and see.

Thanks.

[stevo1210]

Re: Why is it doing this??

I have a small problem with this laptop again... and it's not the screen cable.
The hinge area on the right hand side makes a small "cough"/ "creaking" noise when I close the screen. Doesn't happen when I open it though. It only happens in the first few mm of movement, but after that it's quiet until I close it completely.
I think it's the hinge that's making this noise. I opened it up and oiled the right hand side hinge but the noise is still there. There are no cracks in the plastic from what I can see and everything seems pristine.
I dunno what that short creaking noise is, but should I be worried?

Thanks.