Maybe it had a stroke

-------------- Original message from Roy Brown <[log in to unmask]>: -------------- 


> In message <[log in to unmask]>, Denys 
> Beauchemin writes 
> >Sounds like a problem I had last summer. The backlight went out on my 
> >notebook. Turns out the inverter (takes DC power and turns it into AC power 
> >for the light) was defective. 
> > 
> >Using a powerful flash light I could see the display on the screen. Since 
> >my notebook is my only system, I could not send it for several days, and 
> >risk having the disk reformatted to fix the inverter, I took it to a local 
> >repair shop and they got the proper parts ordered and gave me back the 
> >notebook while we waited for the parts. Back in my office, I connected a 
> >monitor to the notebook. When the notebook booted, it recognized the 
> >monitor and transferred the output to it. When it was up, using my 
> >flashlight, I was able to log in and make the external monitor the primary 
> >monitor. 
> > 
> >When the parts came in, I took the notebook back to the local shop and they 
> >replaced the parts in about an hour. They replaced the backlight and the 
> >panel itself (2 separate parts) and they also replaced the inverter, so here 
> >parts in all. I do not know why the replaced the panel and the backlight as 
> >the problem was with the inverter, but since it was all under warranty, I 
> >didn't care. 
> > 
> >So get yourself a big flashlight (torch for the Brits) and search your 
> >screen. Good luck. 
> > 
> >Denys 
> 
> You are all cordially invited, then, to wonder what might be wrong with 
> my laptop. Same Toshiba Satellite P30 as Denys', also blank screen 
> issues, but only half of it. 
> 
> The left-hand side of the screen is fine. The right-hand side - from an 
> absolute vertical pixel-perfect cut-off precisely half-way across the 
> screen - is black. And real, nothing-to-see-even-with-a-torch black. 
> 
> Mostly. Sometimes the girl on the sunbed appears for a little while when 
> the machine is first switched on, but then she shimmers, elongates like 
> a Dali watch, and is gone. 
> 
> All is just fine on my TFT monitor, so I don't suspect the video card. 
> 
> I spent a torrid few days downgrading back to my Vaio FX401 (max 256meg 
> RAM, 20gig hard drive, 800 MHz processor), so I could keep computing on 
> the move. About 8 software products to move across, and 20 months of' 
> security updates to catch up on; antivirus, firewall and of course XP 
> itself. 
> 
> Only 50 Windows updates behind though, fortunately; it was already on XP 
> SP2 before I functionally stabilised it (for which read 'tossed it in a 
> closet'). Though I wonder why 42 updates sailed through unattended, and 
> then #43 wanted to talk to me? Ho hum. 
> 
> The Tosh was picked up this afternoon by Topaz, some Tosh specialists in 
> the UK who sound like they know what they are doing; I trust they won't 
> need to reformat the hard drive, but if they do, I have everything *I* 
> ever put on the machine on a single DVD (of which I have 2 copies!), and 
> Bill Gates is looking after the rest of it for me in the meantime, 
> pretty much. 
> 
> I can't imagine what the problem is - you can't get half a lamp burning 
> out (can you?) - unless it's a dead simple thing like a cable coming 
> adrift in there. I'll keep you posted..... 
> 
> -- 
> Roy Brown 'Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be 
> Kelmscott Ltd useful, or believe to be beautiful' William Morris 
> 
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