PLS HELP: Laptop has no video display when boot up.

[QTPie]

Gateway Solo 9100 (old one) has no video display upon boot up.
I could see the LEDs blinking and HDD spinning and beeping but no video at all even though when I connected to the CRT monitor. (there's a FUNC key + F2 to toggle the display)
Is there anyway that I can figure out what's wrong with it? btw, it has S-video out too.

 

[prosaic]

Your description doesn't make it clear (to me at least) just exactly what happens when you connect an external monitor and toggle the display. Do you, or do you not, get a proper video display on the monitor. If not, then the problem is probably the display subsystem itself. I don't know whether this particular notebook has the video integrated into the MB or whether it uses a daughter card. If it's a daughter card, then a replacement might be economically feasible.

If you DO see a proper video display when connected to the external display, then something is wrong with the LCD itself. Try booting the system up and looking at the screen from various angles under low light and bright light conditions. If you can discern that a display is being formed, but that the image is just too dark to be seen easily, then the problem is the backlight which is one of the most likely points of failure, and also one of the cheapest possible. They'll only charge you an arm-and-a-leg for replacing it. (With labor included it will probably cost somewhere in the same neighborhood as a new daughter card, depending upon the type of graphics subsystem.) Replacing the backlight might sound like a simple thing to do, but it isn't on most notebooks of my acquaintance. They don't build these babies for ease of maintenance. If there is no patterning on the darkened screen to indicate that an image is forming, then the failure could be as simple as the ribbon cable (or one of its connectors) that carries the video signal to the screen. It could also be a catastrophic failure of the screen itself. The cable / connectors might not cost much at all to get replaced. A total screen replacement will certainly cost more than the computer is worth, from a strict cost effectiveness standpoint.

I hope you get it sorted out.

- prosaic

PS: Did you check the manual (or just check out the keyboard / controls) to see if there's a brightness adjustment on this thing? No, it's not likely that it can be set so low that you wouldn't be able to discern the desktop image at all, but adjusting it to the extremes might get you some differential diagnostic information if there is a partial failure of the backlight system.

 

[QTPie]

Prosaic, thank you very much for your lengthy response.

I don't get any video signal at all, either using its LCD or connecting to an external CRT monitor.
To toggle the display output, just press Function key and F3 (LCD/CRT printed just right below F3). There is also a shortcut for adjusting the LCD brightness (FN + Up/Down arrow key). I tried them both, but it didn't work either.
It's an old Gateway Solo 9100 which my friend got it from somewhere. No document comes with it.

Could the problem be the video or BIOS? When I boot up, the LEDs are blinking and HHD is spinning up, though.

 

[prosaic]

Given that information I'd have to say that the failure is in the video display subsystem. If it's on a separate daughter card you may be able to return the system to full function. But there could also be other problems. Why not go to the Gateway site to see if they have a tech manual posted for the system. At least you'll know whether or not daughter card replacement is an option. If the only way to fix the system is a motherboard replacement you're talking about a serious expense.

- prosaic

 

[QTPie]

thank you very much for your helpful info.

 

[hans007]

there are tons of reasons that could be happening. a misflashed bios, dead mobo, anything.

 

[prosaic]

Originally posted by: QTPie
thank you very much for your helpful info.

You're welcome.

One other note. If Gateway has any sort of repair depot arrangement where you can drop off (or send in) a unit for an evaluation for a reasonable price that might be the best way to go about seeing if the system can be restored to proper operation at reasonable cost. Since there's always the possibility that more than one thing could be wrong with the unit, simply sending for parts and replacing them one-by-one could get pretty expensive. But, if the system is very old, then even getting the system evaluated may not be worthwhile. The charges some companies make just for evaluating systems for repair can be pretty high.

Good luck!

- prosaic

 

[holden j caufield]

bunch of things could be the problem. Have you done anything different with the laptop lately? Updated anything? Like someone said maybe a bad flash, memory problem, cpu might not be properly seated, cmos battery? The list goes one.