Laptop - PROBLEM,screen goes off after 5 seconds

[ltunstall]

Hi i wonder if anyone can help.i have a toshiba tecra laptop it was working fine, but now everytime i turn it on after 5 seconds the screen goes back.the laptop itself are working fine.

 

i thought the problem may be the inverter but im not entirely sure does anyone have any idea on what to look for?

 

thanks

[dhicks]

i have a toshiba tecra laptop

 

What model number? Does it have a discreet graphics card?

 

everytime i turn it on after 5 seconds the screen goes back.the laptop itself are working fine.

 

You mean if you plug an external screen in you can use the laptop fine, it boots and you can do stuff with it? Could it be that you've somehow managed to set a higher screen resolution than the laptop can handle? Could be a loose screen connection - wiggle the screen back and forward a few times, see if that does anyrthing. Could also be something drawing too much power - I've had a PCMCIA card do that before, unplugged it and the laptop worked fine. Could be a USB widget instead.

 

--

David Hicks

[ltunstall]

Thanks for the reply. the model of the laptop is a toshiba tecra A2, im not sure about the graphics card if im honest.

 

Ive not tried an external monitor, as when i do i hard reset to thurn the laptop off and turn it back on again you can see the ghosting of where it has got to.

 

ve tried it in safe mode etx but still goes off.

 

if it was the back light then it could constantly be dark, but like i have said the screen work ok for the first few seconds and then just goes dark.

 

hope this helps thanks

[Dom_]

What happens when you boot to a CD? Try puppy linux and see if the screen still goes off.

[ltunstall]

same thing happens when i boot from cd

[dhicks]

Ive not tried an external monitor

 

Try it, see what happens. If Windows boots, check the screen resolution that's set.

 

i hard reset to thurn the laptop off and turn it back on again you can see the ghosting of where it has got to.

 

Do you mean that as you turn off / reset the machine you get a quick burst where the screen comes on?

 

Are there any USB or PCMCIA peripherals plugged in?

 

--

David Hicks

[Dom_]

I doubt its a resolution issue as booting from CD doesn't work. Try external monitor, if that works remove and reseat laptop screen connections, if the external doesn't work your mobo is probably fubar

[Tony_Mc]

Could be that the function/LCD/CRT combo has been pressed, the machine may not be off but looking for an external screen.

 

when the screen goes off check if you can press function/LCD/CRT combo.

 

there should be a button with probably blue writing on it with "Fn" and then one of the function buttons at the top i.e. f1.f2.f3.f4 etc... should have a little picture of a screen.

 

try that.

[ltunstall]

i have just tried the Fn F5 to switch displays, this makes the screen come back on but then after 5 seconds again it goes off, does this help you guys narrow things down?

[Tony_Mc]

Try and do it again, there is normally 3 settings.

 

1. built in screen

2. CRT/LCD external and built in screen

3. External screen

 

this is clutching at straws though.

 

hmm

 

boot in safe mode, f8 from boot.

 

could be a microsoft update that has fubar'd the drivers, happend to my work machine once.

[ltunstall]

ive tried that but still no success, it seems that the screen isnt going off, its the back light that goes off, so if i look closely enough i can see whats on the screen?

 

ive just re formatting the laptop anyway, i know that it wont help, but does anyone know what the problem could be?

[Dom_]

Is the power plugged in? Could be the monitor setting for battery mode.

 

I'd still try reseating the monitor connections, and if you can get to the backlight module i'd reseat that too.

[HodgeHi]

Brightness setting?

[ltunstall]

ive tried to reset the connections and its still the same? could it be the inverter thats causing the problems?

[Dom_]

Did you try the external monitor yet?

 

I suppose it could be the inverter, do you have a spare one? Have you tried it running from battery?

[NikChillin]

I have the exact same problem with a Tecra laptop. We didn't want to spend money on it so just use it with another screen. Try these threads though, I tried most of these solutions and put ours down th the invertor. Funnily enough we have had this issue with three Toshibas!

Display problem with Toshiba Satellite Pro 4600 - Page 8

Display problem with Toshiba Satellite Pro 4600 - Page 11

[ltunstall]

it works fine on an external monitor!! ive not got an iverter that exactly the same, its from a toshiba with the same connections!but very slightly bigger, but it does the same

 

so i dont really know what it could be?

[zezoclo]

may be ambient light sensor:)