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Thinkpad T40 display keeps going off (dark)

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by sashimi3

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My office Thinkpad T40 has developed this problem recently. The display would suddenly go dark and only way I can bring it back is either by suspending and waking it up, or by doing the Fn-F3 (which normally darkens or turns off the display) and then hitting some key. It stays on for sometime and then it goes dark again. Can't figure out if it is a software or a hardware issue. Any help is very much appreciated. I am running XP.

thanks
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4 replies

by Former member

Have a look in the "power options" that is in the "control panel", look at the list and select "all ways on" for all that is on the list, if this does not work then your monitor might be on the way out.
I hope this works for you.

by nader.shakir

This may be a much simpler problem. Laptops frequently have problems with their LCD inverter board, this is a small (2") board that connects to your LCD monitor and to your motherboard. Often if the backlight seems to cutout randomly, this is the result of a problem with that LCD inverter board.

You might want to spend $15 on eBay and buy an inverter board for your T40, then see if that fixes the problem. Attaching the board is very simple, but you will need to be able to completely disassemble and reassemble your laptop.

by older mycroft

[i]"Attaching the board is [u]very simple[/u], but you will need to be able to [u]completely disassemble and reassemble your laptop[/u]."[/i]

[b]That's a bit like telling someone they can reach their destination in just a few minutes, but first they've got to be able to slingshot round the moon![/b] :^0

by nader.shakir

Actually, what I meant was that the process of detaching and reattaching the inverter board is relatively simple. It usually involves two plugs and a screw or plastic clips.

The rest of the sentence meant to imply that to actually get to that point might be hard as you need to be able to disassemble your laptop. Actually, even that statement wasn't completely accurate: T40s have their inverter boards (like most average sized laptops) in the casing of the LCD. All you really need to do is figure out how to open up the LCD casing, which is mainly a case of taking out a series of screws and opening plastic clips.

I think its a pretty simple process, but I have some experience in that area. If you want to attempt it, I think its doable for most people, but just be aware exactly what you are doing at each step (so you know how to put things back together), don't force anything (be gentle :)), and if you're too worried about something breaking, maybe you shouldn't even try it.

Good luck, even though this is like years later....

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