So i've got this problem with my laptop screen... (1 Viewer)

[The_highwayman]

Now i know the pictures are a bit blurry but notice the bluish swirly sections around the desktop background (i chose that one because it showed the problem the best). It's been like it for about a month but i figured it was a driver problem or something. Only over the last few days have i reformatted the computer thinking it would solve the problem, however, as the pictures below show, it clearly hasn't.

I thought i could take a screenshot and post it, however, when viewed on another computer, the image showed no blemishes.

Therefore, i'm assuming i have a problem with the screen itself.
My questions are:
i) is my assumption right?
ii) What causes this sort of thing to happen?
and
iii) short of replacing the screen (typically, warranty finished in february.) is there anthing i can do to remedy the situation in order to make the computer saleable as something more than a box of spare parts?

 

[sunny]

Cracked LCD, too much pressure on it, dropped it, whatever. Cross your fingers its covered by warranty otherwise its going to cost you about half of what the laptop was worth to replace.

 

[The_highwayman]

hmmm..i've never dropped it...
i have picked it up with one hand on occasion though. don't know it that would do it.

That said, i did have to send it away to have a problem with the motherboard fixed in november. they sent it back and the screen was dodgy on return (not the same symptom, but the image seemed all scrambled and dirty). so i sent it back and it was fine for about a month, then warranty expired and this happened.

 

[jumb]

I thought i could take a screenshot and post it, however, when viewed on another computer, the image showed no blemishes.

lol

reminds me of this: http://bash.org/?291262

 

[The_highwayman]

hahaha.

if only mine was a funny situation

 

[Z66R2V]

It doesn't look like you've cracked or damaged your screen. It just looks like you haven't got your drivers installed correctly and you're running 8 bit colour.

Right click on the desktop and go to properties and then go to display or whatever it is. It should say "colour depth". Try and change it.

 

[The_highwayman]

it's set on 32 bit colour.

I've seen it before on 8 bit colour and it looks much different to what it does not.

The screen is showing all the colours as normal, it just seems to have an extra blue haze that is emphasised in certain areas. It's particularly noticeable in pictures with gradients in them (eg: of a something shiny) or on pages in some shades of grey.

EDIT: the screen certainly doesnt show any visible signs of a crack.

 

[Bacilli]

What brand? Also, have you placed your fingers on the screen lately when you've had some sort of oil, chemical, nail polish, anything you remember? Run your fingers over the screen where the destorted pixels are and tell me whether or not you can feel an un-even surface?

 

[The_highwayman]

the computer is an NEC Versa M540; knowing Nec, though, the brand of the screen could be anything.

The 'distorted pixels' change location depending on what's on the screen.

It's more like another layer is applied on top of the image. it's really difficult to explain :/

EDIT: OK, here are a few different desktop screenshots using different backgrounds:

Notice the blemish is only visible in the blue sky are and not in the red desert area in this next one:

and here's a close-up of the first:

again, the pics are a little dodge.
If they aren't sufficient then i'll try to source a better camera.

 

[Bacilli]

Ok, I've a few ideas. Firstly, connect an external monitor to the laptop, and tell me whether or not you have the same issues on the ex-mon?

 

[The_highwayman]

The external monitor shows no blemishes.

 

[Bacilli]

Ok, then it isn't your GPU, this is a good thing! Next, you should try System Restore, and set it to some time before this occured. If System Restore doesn't work, then the other thing to suggest is checking the cable ribbon. Other then that, I can only assume it's either, the LCD is dying, or the video chip has been bumped and a little of the ball grid array has come loose. I'm thinking about the driver; however if the driver was corrupted, it wouldn't only affect the blue, it would also cause the screen to act erratic.

When the laptop is on, move the screen back and forward and tell me whether the screen acts erratic, or changes in anyway?

 

[Bacilli]

Also, when was the last time you completed a virus scan, temp clean-up...etc?

 

[ogmzergrush]

Don't suppose it could be messed up colour correction/overlay on the graphics card controls? (display properties, advanced, tab featuring the name of your graphics card). Try playing with the settings in there (you should be able to adjust the red, green and blue separately, which is what made me wonder seeing as you said it was much more noticeable with the blue parts of that background), and see if that changes what you're seeing at all.

Wouldn't imagine that'd be maintained through a format though, or anything non-hardware related for that matter, unless the driver package is put together by retarded monkeys...

Do keep us posted, it'll be interesting to see what it is when you get it figured out, hopefully not a screwed up panel. :/

 

[The_highwayman]

i can't do a system restore because i recently formatted and so there aren't any restore points beyond last week.

How do i check the cable ribbon? do it involve pulling the machine apart, because i'm not particularly savvy with that sort of thing.

I can't find anything to adjust the colour settings :/

 

[Bacilli]

So, when the laptop is on, nothing happens when you move the screen back and forward (no glitch, no erratic lines, anything)? This will help us determine whether or not it's the cable ribbon.

 

[Bacilli]

Right click on the destop, click properties --> click settings tab --> make sure the screen resolution is set to 1240x720 --> also make sure Colour Quality is highest. Click the Colour Managment tab and set to default monitor. Also, click the advanced tab --> monitor --> make sure the screen refresh rate is set to 60 Hertz - make certain "Hide Modes That This Monitor Can't Display" is checked then click apply, then ok.

Did it change?

 

[The_highwayman]

So, when the laptop is on, nothing happens when you move the screen back and forward (no glitch, no erratic lines, anything)?

This is correct.

Right click on the destop, click properties --> click settings tab --> make sure the screen resolution is set to 1240x720 --> also make sure Colour Quality is highest. Click the Colour Managment tab and set to default monitor. Also, click the advanced tab --> monitor --> make sure the screen refresh rate is set to 60 Hertz - make certain "Hide Modes That This Monitor Can't Display" is checked then click apply, then ok.

Did it change?

I didnt have the optionof setting the resolution to 1240x720.
I have it set to 1280x800

All other suggestions were already in place.

 

[Serius]

Screens probably fucked, either that or your gfx card, or some sort of connection along the way, whatever it is its going to be too hard for us to find out because its a laptop and you cant just switch parts out. Send it to a profesional. The only things we can really fix here and software related, or telling you which parts are fucked so you can go and replace them. Because its a laptop it doesnt make that much difference which part is fucked, because to replace it will cost nearly as much as you bought it for.

 

[Bacilli]

Fair enough. Take it to a service centre and see what they say. They will take one look at it and either say, "the cable ribbon requires resetting" or, "it requires a new inverter", or "the panel is dying".

Good luck.