Toshiba Satellite a215 blank screen

[p_trice]

I have a toshiba satellite a215 laptop. When i turn it on, it boots up normally, but the screen is blank. No picture, no backlight, nothing. I know it isn't a hardware problem cuz i have seen the screen work, it actually turned on one day about a month ago and i watched it boot up successfully. I left it on for a couple hours with know problems, turned it back off. I went to turn it back on and the screen was right back where it was before, blank. Some help with this would be appreciated.

[ZappedAgain]

Re: Toshiba Satellite a215 blank screen

Sounds Like the LCD may have gone out on you. Try plugging the laptop into an external Monitor and see what you get. You might also have to hold down the FN key and one of the Function keys. The one with the picture of an external monitor on it.

If the LCD is bad they can be had on ebay for a reasonable price in most cases.

[p_trice]

Re: Toshiba Satellite a215 blank screen

i've tried doing the f5 thing, it doesn't work

[abo0badr]

Re: Toshiba Satellite a215 blank screen

if you have done connecting it to an external LCD/Monitor and it is not working, then it might be possible that it is a damaged GPU (Graphics Processing Unit).

[PCBONEZ]

Re: Toshiba Satellite a215 blank screen

Is usually not the LCD itself but the CCFL tubes or the Inverter.

If an external monitor doesn't work you have other problems.
Maybe a bad GPU or the switch that cuts out the monitor out when you close the lid is stuck.
.

[p_trice]

Re: Toshiba Satellite a215 blank screen

i have narrowed it down to the gpu. Could it just be that the solder is not connecting right anymore? Is it possible to fix it? How do i test if gpu is still good? I really just want this laptop to work. It is too nice to just throw away.

[p_trice]

Re: Toshiba Satellite a215 blank screen

so, is there no way to test or fix the gpu?

[PCBONEZ]

Re: Toshiba Satellite a215 blank screen

I don't know on that model.
If it's removable you can replace it.
If it's not you can try a reflow but you'll probably end up needing a new mobo because that's hard, tricky, and often doesn't work.
.

[p_trice]

Re: Toshiba Satellite a215 blank screen

it's not remobable, it appears to be soldered to the motherboard and then it some kind of red glue around the edges. I guess that's it then.

[p_trice]

Re: Toshiba Satellite a215 blank screen

i just performed a successful motherboard re flow. I put the laptop motherboard in the oven at 300 degrees F for 20 minutes. laptop works perfectly now.

[PCBONEZ]

Re: Toshiba Satellite a215 blank screen

Congrats.
.
If you are lucky it will last a while, doesn't always.
.