Inspiron 8600 black screen

My comments about black screen were removed from Dell Forum. There is
a fix.

Black screen popped up just after or doing something. For a while
there it looked like a black screen.
thing is if you look really close there was an image behind screen of
whatever page your were on. Very faint but there.
So I go online and it was suggested I buy a new LCD. Hello. Then
another was I needed a new emulator. What's an emulator? Then
another suggested a backlight. So I ordered a backlight.

Then got to thinking, I wonder where this backlight goes. I checked
some sites and it appears back light is somewhere under a strip of
metal going around LCD. I lift off all rubber bumpers and those 2
plastic covers and remove screws. A suggestion. Don't put screens in
an ash tray. They will after a few days look all alike.
Put them in some folded note paper or a tiny plastic bag and label
from what and where you removed screws.

Anyway, then with a knife you carefully remove frame around LCD. then
more screws and again label them.

LCD comes off. There is one wire clip and another chip you have to
pull up to separate LCD from cover.

Could not tell from looking at LCD which side backlight goes. Was it
top or bottom. I couldn't remember. I removed emulator which was on
bottom of screen and still nothing. I replaced emulator then
reconnected wire clips and with only one screw on top and another on
bottom secured screen.

I turned on computer thinking it would go black screen. It didn't.
That was a little over a week ago. And since then have not seen black
screen. This is turning 8600 on and off at least 5 or 6 times a day.
back light arrived a few days ago. It's small in diameter not much
more than an 1/8" if that.

It made no sense to try and install it since screen is working just
fine. I did paint frame with Rust oleum Textured Plastic black. It
looks good.

So if you have a black screen there might be another way before
running out to purchasing an Inspiron 15 or a new LCD.

Oh and did I say pull battery or disconnect AC before playing around
with above?

Might be a good idea. I did prior to above.

jason wrote:
> My comments about black screen were removed from Dell Forum. There is
> a fix.
>
> Black screen popped up just after or doing something. For a while
> there it looked like a black screen.
> thing is if you look really close there was an image behind screen of
> whatever page your were on. Very faint but there.
> So I go online and it was suggested I buy a new LCD. Hello. Then
> another was I needed a new emulator. What's an emulator? Then
> another suggested a backlight. So I ordered a backlight.
>
> Then got to thinking, I wonder where this backlight goes. I checked
> some sites and it appears back light is somewhere under a strip of
> metal going around LCD. I lift off all rubber bumpers and those 2
> plastic covers and remove screws. A suggestion. Don't put screens in
> an ash tray. They will after a few days look all alike.
> Put them in some folded note paper or a tiny plastic bag and label
> from what and where you removed screws.
>
> Anyway, then with a knife you carefully remove frame around LCD. then
> more screws and again label them.
>
> LCD comes off. There is one wire clip and another chip you have to
> pull up to separate LCD from cover.
>
> Could not tell from looking at LCD which side backlight goes. Was it
> top or bottom. I couldn't remember. I removed emulator which was on
> bottom of screen and still nothing. I replaced emulator then
> reconnected wire clips and with only one screw on top and another on
> bottom secured screen.
>
> I turned on computer thinking it would go black screen. It didn't.
> That was a little over a week ago. And since then have not seen black
> screen. This is turning 8600 on and off at least 5 or 6 times a day.
> back light arrived a few days ago. It's small in diameter not much
> more than an 1/8" if that.
>
> It made no sense to try and install it since screen is working just
> fine. I did paint frame with Rust oleum Textured Plastic black. It
> looks good.
>
> So if you have a black screen there might be another way before
> running out to purchasing an Inspiron 15 or a new LCD.
>
> Oh and did I say pull battery or disconnect AC before playing around
> with above?
>
> Might be a good idea. I did prior to above.

Yes, bad connections to the backlight, can cause it to not light up.
If there is any damage to the connector contacts, you could eventually
see a repetition of the symptoms at a later date.

Paul