Help Needed on Toshiba IS-1522

[LowCacheMemory]

Hello guys, this is my first post here, wohoo! I have a small donation gig set up where I take old shitty pc's and make them good for kids to use at school. Recently I picked up this Toshiba STI which is functional and boots, but its backlight seems to be burned out. It only shines when I open the lid through a specific angle for a split second, and also during startup. My theory is that somehow the laptop thinks the screen is always down, or there is some software/bios catch I'm missing. Any advice on what I can do? Anything is helpful. Until now I've tried:
- Re-seating ram.
- Messing around with bios
- Switching ram
- Switching ram socket
- Booting without HDD

 

[FreedomEclipse]

None of those things you tried.

Either:

- The inverter is completely FUBAR

- The cables to the inverter are damaged/worn out

- You need a new screen/panel
You can follow a few guides on how to remove and replace the screen. The part number you need should be on the back of the panel you remove and its a simple case of either contacting a retailer that stocks that particular panel or try your luck with ebay for a new or used one

Same goes for the inverter if it has one.... I know older laptops used to use a separate inverter while newer laptops have had the inverter integrated into the panel itself.

if its a real old laptop. it may be just the inverter. follow the same instructions above and hit up ebay to see if there are any spares on the market

Otherwise just salvage what you can from the laptop and chuck it away. You are definitely going to jump through a few hoops getting it working again. So you need to ask yourself if its going to be worth the effort.

::EDIT::

For instance if I check on ebay....

That little circuit board is probably what you need. Ignore the price. There are cheaper ones available.

 

[LowCacheMemory]

Damn that was fast! Thanks a lot!

 

[FreedomEclipse]

Damn that was fast! Thanks a lot!

Thats why a lot of businesses in a similiar line of work specifically buy HP Elitebooks, Dells and Thinkpads in bulk. They buy in bulk because parts are widely available on the secondhand market anyway. They'll also probably have a few machines in the batch that are beyond saving but can be used as a donor for other laptops that are in better condition and can be saved.

If you are serious about what you do. Thats probably the best way to do it. Otherwise just make sure there are spare parts available online for you to buy if something is broken/faulty.

 

[Wirko]

It only shines when I open the lid through a specific angle for a split second, and also during startup.

At what stage of startup, and for how long? Can you somehow pause it and keep the backlight on? If you can then it's not the inverter at fault.

 

[Bill_Bright]

Connect an external monitor (or TV that supports computer input) and use the applicable Fn + F-key combination to flip video output to the external monitor.

If it displays properly on the external monitor, then the computer itself is fine, including its graphics solution and the laptop monitor is bad. They can be repaired/replaced but only you can decide if that is economically feasible. My guess it no, considering the laptop's age.

If the external monitor is dark too then probably best to use this laptop for parts (RAM, drive, maybe CPU if socketed).

If it works fine with the external monitor, then maybe you can find someone in need of a computer, but one who does not need a mobile computer - then perhaps donate a full size keyboard and mouse with it too, along with an external monitor. Then they can just use it as a PC.

I am glad you are able to do this - it helps keep electronic/hazardous waste out of landfills.

 

[Wirko]

Even with no backlight, a faint picture is probably visible on the screen. You can improve visibility a little if you shine a strong light on it at an angle. Try different angles.

 

[Bill_Bright]

That is the traditional test for backlight operation but all that really does is prove the backlighting is the problem. It does not make the laptop screen usable, unfortunately.