I have replaced the Lcd screen on my gateway laptop W350A When first power up , screen will flash on then screen goes dark you can seen a faint outline on screen. Do you know what the problem may be ?

First of all, why did you replace the screen?
This could be bad inverter or backlight lamp problem.

I have a similar problem with a Gateway MA7, when I have the laptop in my lap or on a uneven surface and type the screen glitchs. Likewise when I move the screen it flickers on and off. I know it is not a driver problem. Is it possible that a cable is lose or dirty? I recently had the DC jack replaced by a tech and the screen has glitched since I got it back. I think something might have been pulled lose when the DC jack was replaced.

With mine, I knew the LCD was still working, as I could see the screen under bright light (and in the sun). The pixels were working…the bulb wasn’t. It also worked when hooked to an external monitor.

A much simpler question would have been, “What is the most likely cause of the symptoms I described that would be caused by the moisture/liquid entering that area (”bottom” of the “lid”)?

Although I’m old and somewhat ham-fisted, I pretty sure I can follow those instructions and get things apart and back together somewhat competently if I’m careful and take my time…
…but I don’t have a clue as to how to determine what component needs to be replaced.

I do own a decent digital multimeter… …is there some way to check the bulb or the inverter for proper function?

After perusing much of your excellent site I find that my “symptoms” are fairly common, but the problem was precipitated by a somewhat unique accident, and I’m hoping that you might be able to possibly shortcut the diagnosis and repair and save me some unnecessary expense and repairs…

I have a Gateway MX 6453 that’s been treated with proper respect (at least until a few days ago).

A couple of days ago I was rushing around packing and preparing for a business trip, trying to do a half-dozen things at once…

I had a lot of things laid out on one part of the kitchen table trying to get organized; my wife was using the other part of the table to wrap Christmas presents.

I’ve got a large padded waterproof laptop travel bag with a number of compartments (about the size of a large attache case) that was sitting on the floor under the edge of the table with my laptop secured in the case (”hinge side down) and a couple of compartments open) while I was scurrying around assembling the things I needed to take…

Somewhere near the edge of the table sat a 16oz insulated travel mug filled with hot coffee (you can see this coming)…

Somehow, while I was out of the room for a few minutes, something on the overcrowded table got nudged or bumped (evidently by ghosts)…

I returned, and to my horror, the coffe mug was sitting upside down in the laptop compartment slowly leaking probably 2/3 of the contents into the “bottom” of the compartment…
Being waterproof, there was close to 1/2″ of black coffee across the bottom of the compartment until it had reached the level of the zipper (the rest overflowed to the kitchen floor.

…so, picture the laptop standing vertically on it’s spine, hinge down, latch on top, submerged in maybe 1/4 inch of hot coffee (well below the rearmost usb port… …just a small amount of liquid in the battery compartment)…

…hardly any liquid ran out when I picked it up, but it was damp… …no apparent liquid visible when I opened the cover, just a hint of dampness… …but it was “plenty damp” in the battery compartment.

I had to leave; was already running late, but shook, dried, paper-toweled, and used a portable hair drier for about 15 minutes to try to remove any available moisture and hope for the best.

Ended up being about 24 hours before unpacking it for a presentation…

…boots up, but no light behind the image on the screen; faintly visible in ambient light or with a flashlight; everything appears to be “there” but not enough to really operate anything, and can’t find the cursor on the screen…

I can get it to boot ok using the “enter” key and a couple of years of memory in the sequence, but that’s it… …without being able to see the cursor, I can’t get much farther…

…sound is good; makes all the right sounds… …haven’t plugged in an external monitor, but I’m confident that it would work…

So, is it the bulb? …or is it probably the inverter (which is evidently located at or near the bottom of the screen)? …or might I luck out by letting everything dry for a week or so (that worked for me for two cellphones that my wife has a habit of washing for a full cycle in the washing machine)?

What’s the most logical next step?

I’d sure appreciate any help I can get…

Thanks,

Buz