HowTo: Guide to replacing your laptop LCD
February 20, 2007
This is a general guide on how to replace an LCD on a laptop. Replacing an LCD is second to the most costly repair next to replacing the motherboard. I hope this guide will help you in repairing an LCD that has been damaged/destroyed.
This is by no means an official super user manual. This write up is a check list and a general guide to help you replace a laptop LCD without having to purchase a new laptop.
Disclaimer: I claim NO RESPONSIBILITY for anyone who fails in their attempt to replace a a laptop LCD or any damage laptops can receive following this guide. I am just trying to inform others from the steps I have taken and the problems I have come across.
Alright. You just ran over your laptop and you are ready to replace that cracked LSD’d LCD display. Let’s see what we can do.
Tools Needed:
- Small Phillips Screw Driver
- Paper and pencil for documentation
- A little bit if tape to keep the screws together
- Fingernails on your fingers (i’ll explain later)
I advise those who want to replace an LCD on a laptop to read the artcle “How to Replace a DC Jack”. It will help give disassembly steps that you will help you replace a laptop LCD. The process in replacing a laptop LCD is much easier than a DC Jack replacement.
1) Do your research. Find out what type of LCD you have in your laptop. This is really important. It becomes costly, considering LCD replacements can range between $100-$300. I have ordered wrong LCD for laptops before. I once ordered an SXGA laptop screen for a Dell when the laptop took only a normal XGA. The screen looked like poop. There may be different screens for the exact same model laptop. Make sure you find the correct display type for what you have.
2) Preparing for surgery. So your replacement screen from ebay came in and it has to be installed. The next step is to decide if you are going to remove the laptop frame or not. Personally, I like to remove the frame so I don’t risk any funny business with the laptop itself. Removing the frame to the laptop also allows more freedom in movement and more visual cues. It’s purely up to you. This is a picture showing the most common place to remove the screws for the hinges to the laptop.
If you decide to remove the frame from the laptop, the front panel has to be removed. When the front panel is removed, you will see the hinges and the cable connecting the LCD to the motherboard. You can remove the cable, and unscrew the hinges to remove the frame from the laptop. Any time you remove screws, document the steps you take with the paper and pencil so you can reassemble the frame with ease.
3) Look at the frame of the laptop LCD Frame. You will see cover stickers or cushion tabs. These are the places where the screws will hide. Using a very thin flat head screwdriver or a knife, carefully dig underneath these stickers and cushions and remove them. You want to be careful because you will need to cover up the screws again using these cushions.
When you remove the screws. make sure you place these screws and covers in an easy place to find. Personally, I place the cover stickers and cushions right next to the hole where I removed them. I use tape to keep the screws together and in a safe place.
4) Next comes the tricky part. The frame from the LCD screen will not fall off. It will appear latched to the frame. That is because it is latched to the frame. This is where your fingernails will come in handy. Using your nails, you must dig into the frame and snap it off. Try not to press onto the LCD too much. When you unsnap the frame in any given area, it will become easier to snap it off around the whole frame. Just be really careful not to break the frame itself.
5) So you removed the frame. You can see the edge of the LCD and maybe the inverter. If you look on the right and left edges of the frame, you will see screws holding in the LCD screen. At this point, you will have to be extra careful on removing the LCD. Remove the screws that you see on the edges.
Be careful when you removing the last screw. You don’t want to damage the cable if there is no cushioning. Avoid touching the edges of the LCD. You will see the connector cable at the back of the LCD. Carefully remove this cable. Most of the time you have to pinch the cable to remove it. Make sure you don’t damage the cable, otherwise the new LCD won’t work.
6) The old LCD is out and you are ready to put in the new one. Once again, be very careful not to touch the edge and components of the LCD. The edge is where the all the magic happens. It’s where the interface between the circuits and the LCD goodness happens and disturbing the edge can make your new LCD look like poop.
Place the cable onto the new LCD and CAREFULLY place it into the frame. Once again…DO NOT TOUCH THE EDGES! When the LCD is back in the frame, put the screws that you removed and screw them into the frame. When the screws are tied down, now is the time to plug in the cable to the motherboard and test the laptop. We need to see if the LCD works. Turn on the laptop with the cables plugged in. If the screen works, turn off the laptop and put the rest of the frame together, and reattach the frame to the laptop (if you took it off). You are done.
Problems:
When the new LCD is installed, if the LCD powers on and it has colorful lines going through it or it looks bad, turn off the laptop, remove the LCD again and reseat the cable plugged into the back of the LCD. If it still does not look correct, then you might have a bad cable. It is also possible you may have a bad interface between the motherboard and the component that plugs into the cable. In that case, it’s time for a new laptop (unless anyone has any better solutions).
Some of the problems I have run across are…
– Screen does not have a backlight. (This usually is a problem with the inverter and it needs to be replaced.)
– Screen has lines through it. That indicates
a) damage
b) bad cabling
c) bad interface in which you unplug the cable and replug it back in or…
d) other
I hope this mini-guide helps you replace an LCD. Make sure when you replace the LCD to properly dispose the old LCD at a recycling center.
February 21, 2007 at 12:48 pm
HowTo: Guide to replacing your laptop LCD
Nice little article about how to fix your broken laptop screen.
February 21, 2007 at 12:51 pm
Actually, DocWho, There really is no need for the comma in between “digg” and “suxx!!!”
February 21, 2007 at 12:52 pm
I removed the “digg” “suxx” post. Really annoying.
February 21, 2007 at 12:52 pm
Not bad! I always wondered but never really wanted to open my laptop’s screen part.
Petar
http://www.VistaJuice.com
February 21, 2007 at 1:00 pm
I flipped out when I replaced the fan in my gf’s laptop and the screen looked all funky.
After ten minutes of freaking out, I reseated the LCD cable and it worked.
LCD cables are too simple to not seat well
February 21, 2007 at 1:17 pm
Glad the reseating the cables helped out.
February 21, 2007 at 1:38 pm
[...] the motherboard. This will help you in repairing an LCD that has been damaged or destroyed.read more | digg story Posted by Alex on February 21st, 2007 Filed in [...]
February 21, 2007 at 3:03 pm
[...] the motherboard. This will help you in repairing an LCD that has been damaged or destroyed.read more | digg [...]
February 21, 2007 at 4:10 pm
[...] Syndicated via RSS from del.icio.us/tag/diy Broadcast your SELF! Fun [...]
February 21, 2007 at 4:29 pm
This is good. I have a couple of old thinkpads lying around, one with a broken LCD and another which wont power up. Thanks.
February 21, 2007 at 5:05 pm
No problem. Hope things turnout!
February 21, 2007 at 6:07 pm
[...] read more | digg story [...]
February 22, 2007 at 12:02 am
good article. My friend’s lcd light went out, she was ready to buy a whole new screen but I’m happy to see it’s just the inverter, my guess is that it’s cheaper to replace than the whole screen.
Nonetheless, enjoyed the article, thanks!
February 22, 2007 at 1:03 am
It always amazees me the facination women have for laptops becusae “they are cute”.
And yet another reason to get a desktop as your main computer if you do not need portability or smallness in the case of students who have limited space or on the move.
Gettinga laptop as a first computer just because it ” is cute or trendy” is a downright poor and stupid idea.
Laptops
1) are expensive
2) are propietary
3) are not easy to repair, parts are very expensive, if something breaks one can not simply open up the case and swap a card
and slow
Big box stores push laptops now as idiot women and nubes are enamoured by them and it is easier to sell extended warranties with laptops.
If you need the portability they are great – if not laptops are a stupid idea.
Should be fun to watch all of these nubes who did not need to but bought laptops now try to install vista on the computers.
February 22, 2007 at 1:28 am
Good tutorial
February 22, 2007 at 5:41 am
If the screen is gone, just be gone. Buy a new laptop, and avoid these cumbersome jobs.
February 22, 2007 at 9:26 am
In some cases, people would buy a new laptop. However if you are not made of money and it’s a $3000 laptop, then maybe a $150-$300 fix might be a good idea.
February 22, 2007 at 12:35 pm
real nice guide mate,
I was lucky I still had my sony vaio warranty when my lcd showed a nice red vertical line over the screen… ;o
February 22, 2007 at 12:40 pm
[...] HowTo: Guide to replacing your laptop LCD [this is my defective kit] [...]
February 22, 2007 at 1:38 pm
Here are two more related disassembly guides here: http://www.laptoprepairguy.com
How I took apart and repaired my notebook LCD screen with water damage. This guide shows how to open up and remove the LCD screen on a Dell notebook. It also explains how to open up the LCD screen itself.
Screen inverter replacement. Fixing laptop backlight problem. This guide shows how to replace the inverter board on an IBM machine.
February 22, 2007 at 2:12 pm
Good tutorial but in my case, I had a problem with the cable that’s going to the LCD screen, the screen itself is ok but I have no clue where to find that cable so my laptop’s just sitting on my desk, out of service =\
February 22, 2007 at 3:08 pm
I found that ScreenTek has a lot of screens that are hard to find and whatnot. They also have some removal instructions..
http://www.screentekinc.com/
February 22, 2007 at 7:41 pm
[...] HowTo: Guide to replacing your laptop LCD [...]
February 22, 2007 at 9:05 pm
This is pretty cool.. but if I “ran over” my laptop, I’d be worried about more than just the LCD. hehe
February 23, 2007 at 5:27 am
[...] this episode, Doc discusses the DefectiveKit.com how-to on replacing your laptop LCD panel, in case yours dies, or if the backlight or inverter [...]
February 23, 2007 at 4:12 pm
[...] write-up: Guide to replacing a laptop LCD Share and Enjoy:These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover [...]
February 25, 2007 at 3:21 pm
[...] HowTo: Guide to replacing your laptop LCD This is a general guide on how to replace an LCD on a laptop. (tags: laptop howto lcd screen repair diy hardware how-to) [...]
February 25, 2007 at 3:51 pm
A few things from a former Dell Field Tech:
First: PLEASE invest 5 dollars in a brand-name #0 Phillips screwdriver. If you strip the screws holding the LCD in its frame you’re going to have a really ugly time removing them.
Think twice before you use a screwdriver to pull up plastics. A non-conductive probe or blackstick won’t leave a mark. If you’re not a regular purchaser from JAMECO or Grainger, the pointy sticks sold at beauty supply stores for some frightening beauty ritual involving women’s toenails have worked well for me.
Remove the sticky rubber bits carefully with a razor knife or small flathead screwdriver. These are impossible to find elsewhere, and actually have a function besides covering up screw heads (they prevent the keyboard from rubbing against the LCD and leaving grid marks). If they lose their tack, use rubber cement to re-fix them, NOT GLUE.
Frequently several different manufacturers make ‘compatible’ LCDs for a notebook. This is *NOT* a guarantee that the part really is compatible. Bitter experience taught me to specify ‘no substitutions’ on a part, particularly between Samsung and Sanyo LCDs.
If the video connector on the board looks damaged or you had a misadventure all may not be lost. Some notebooks have seperate video assemblies that can be removed. Some Dell examples from my tenure were the Lattitude D800/Inspiron800/Precision M-60 (same machine, different price tags).
If you’re working on a Dell laptop and you’re less than perfectly confident about what you’re doing get some instructions. http://dcse.dell.com has breakdown manuals for every model being supported. Registration is free, but you need to know a Dell purchase order number, its printed at the top of your bill.
Good luck and DON’T PANIC.
February 25, 2007 at 6:07 pm
[...] -HowTo: Guide to replacing your laptop LCD This is a general guide on how to replace an LCD on a laptop. Replacing an LCD is second to the most costly repair next to replacing the motherboard. I hope this guide will help you in repairing an LCD that has been damaged/destroyed. [...]
February 26, 2007 at 9:25 am
[...] HowTo: Guide to replacing your laptop LCD (tags: laptop lcd repair fix diy lifehacker) [...]
February 26, 2007 at 3:21 pm
[...] to replace broken laptop LCD detectivekit.com has an excellent tutorial on how to replace a broken LCD, with some helpful photos and important caveats if you decide to [...]
February 28, 2007 at 11:46 am
[...] One of the most horrific accidents that can befall your laptop is a busted screen. Opening up to a cracked, smashed, or otherwise dead LCD will not only ruin your day, it usually results in the spending of much money to correct the situation. However, if you’re feeling a bit brave and have the stomach for some open case surgery check out the following tutorial and dive right in. It is important to note, though, that the tutorial is not an official guide and the writers of this article would like it if you don’t sue them in the event that you somehow screw your laptop up even more than it already is. If you’re still game feel free to enter at your own risk. [...]
March 2, 2007 at 12:24 am
[...] 2, 2007 at 8:22 am · Filed under Uncategorized HowTo: Guide to replacing your laptop LCD Alright. You just ran over your laptop and you are ready to replace that cracked LSD ’d LCD [...]
March 11, 2007 at 7:06 am
[...] es tu caso lo mismo te interesa saber como puedes cambiar tu mismo la pantalla LCD de tu portatil, siempre y cuando ya no esté en [...]
March 12, 2007 at 11:45 am
The cheapest LCD screen supplier that I found was http://www.lcdscreen.com
May 22, 2007 at 2:38 pm
[...] the motherboard. This will help you in repairing an LCD that has been damaged or destroyed.read more | digg [...]
June 7, 2007 at 4:18 pm
thats was a great one dude , but you i found this after i replaced my dell lcd and when my backlight control was not working , so you mean that i shud buy a new inverter now for my increasing and decreasing of my brightness to work?
June 21, 2007 at 5:46 am
hi,
anybody know how to disassembly nec versa p440?
June 24, 2007 at 7:48 pm
I have not yet replaced my LCD, I am wondering if I have to. I have color lines on the left side of my screen (red, green, yellow, blue, and white. Would this be a connection problem or a bad LCD? The computer is 2 years old and I really need it for school. Can someone give me advise here?
June 27, 2007 at 11:20 am
This is a VERY good guide. Thanks a lot for sharing how to do this along with pictures.
August 1, 2007 at 1:12 pm
i’ve just replaced an LCD on a toshiba laptop (wont be buying another one!) it was working fine, but someone bumped the back of the casing (where the circuit board is on the back of the new LCD panel) and it makes the screen go crazy, shuffles things round and displays lines/etc. Normally rebooting the laptop will fix this, however I dont know what is the cause of the problem – is the new LCD faulty? have i done something wrong putting it together (cant really go wrong doing it though?)..
August 10, 2007 at 8:51 am
Can you please advise me, where can I get compaq presario v2565us laptop lcd replacement for a low price .
Thank U.
August 24, 2007 at 7:28 am
Hi, just want to know if putting a bad memory damages the lcd. I have upgraded my gateway to 512mb from 256mb and had been using it for a long time when the lcd started to have lines all over the screen. I sent it for repair and even though it’s still under warranty, they said the bad memory that i put in there damages the lcd. I will be calling them but first I want to make sure if I have an argument. thanks
August 30, 2007 at 1:48 am
Hi, I think that’s what I call a hard geek. Any documentation about fixing any laptop. Please to share in this forum. Btw, I had a Toshiba Tecra 9100 laptop who have a problem with blue BSOD when I try to install windows xp on my Tecra. Any solution for this problem? Any documentation, website, or pdf thank’s.
September 28, 2007 at 9:55 am
In 15 years of working on computers for a living I haven’t seen bad memory physically damage other components on a motherboard. Usually the system is just unstable or wont boot till you pull the memory. Not saying it can’t but I’ve never seen it.
October 2, 2007 at 9:25 am
thanks a million for this article – I was given a Dell Inspiron E1505 because of a broken LCD. $210 later on ebay I have a working Dell less than a year old
October 16, 2007 at 7:11 am
[...] read more | digg story [...]
October 29, 2007 at 12:45 am
so what happens if i just replace my 15.4 wxga laptop lcd with any other 15.4 wxga? noone leaves answer for what happens, just perpetuates the “dont do it!” stuff. i like how this guy said he did it, and it just looked crappy. is that the only ill possible side effect??
October 29, 2007 at 10:55 am
It’s definetely not recommended for these reasons..
1) the pins won’t fit
2) If the pins do fit, then it may not be wired correctly. An input connector pin on one LCD may hold the power pin from the other. Definetely not good.
3) It could work
I have seen almost identical LCDs installed and if you install an XGA LCD into a connector that only supports SVGA (Vesa), the Screen looks like crap and almost distorted.
You want to match the LCD as close as possible. Failure to do so can result in a non-working LCD or possibly a blown Video Card (in extreme cases)
- Charlie
October 29, 2007 at 3:25 pm
Have a laptop screen (LM-JK63-22NTR) and a all in one computer board (PCA-6751-MAX) and i am struggling to connect the inverter in the LCD (4 pins) to the one on the motherboard (5 pins) i have a datasheet for the motherboard but not the inverter, any clues?
November 16, 2007 at 10:02 am
Hello, this is a great find…I HATE paying someone to do things I know I am intelligent enough to do, if the right info is avail. BUT…Dell only seems to stock “refurbised” screens for my model and they are really really CHEAP !! Is that a red flag not to buy? I slammed the top on my sons laptop, (that I had just bought for his 22nd birthday) and there was a pen inside. It made a big splotch on the screen. But, I can still see the display underneath, like the screen still works but the overlaid screen is squished. Do you think I need a whole new screen?
If I get crazed trying this, do you take repair orders? Keep up the great site. Thanks again. Arthur & Edwards Antiques, the antiquelady.
November 16, 2007 at 10:04 am
ps: your readers blogs are very helpful as well.
November 21, 2007 at 6:53 pm
i could understand the non-compatibility’s for the lcd’s but what if i just want to use a keyboard? with the same dimensions on a newer laptop that is perfect but, the keyboard only displays ‘jkl89′ and i have a obsolete lappy i grabbed from work today that works fine; bad lsd but, perfect keyboard….im going to try it either way because two broken laptops aren’t getting me anywhere so i have to try but im still curious if anyone has had a successful headache with trying this…any feedback is greatly appreciated thanks in advance!!!!…and just for a lil humor for people who do research more like me
picture 2night….dumb but i learn the hard way… on thanks giving eve that means i am sleeping at around 0 o’clock with turkey and liquor tomorrow SUPER FUN full family affair! and energizing! plus all my friends are at the bar i am at home trying to fix a laptop, network it just for a printing station by sunrise!!!! and for free just personal satisfaction now that i just re-read this post i just realized i ramble because it is depressing maybe 
i am a dork but bill gates is proud to be one…..i just need to stop typing thanks again specially if u just read this post and aren’t a geek,….sorry 
.
-Nice
November 28, 2007 at 7:23 am
Hi.
Good design, who make it?
December 7, 2007 at 2:52 pm
Hi,
I just found out my LCD went out on my laptop (only had it for a year and a half) I was curious how normal something like that is. The geek squad told me it was because my usage was too much… is at most 5 hours a day of using a laptop too much? I was just curious with a few questions. They are telling me it would be $400 to fix, which probably isn’t worth doing done by them at least. Any suggestions?
Thanks!
-Abbey.
December 22, 2007 at 1:41 am
@ max rubin
Misogynistic much?
Sometimes women get laptops because they’re functional for the work the particular woman does, not just because they’re “cute”. (My phone is “cute”; my laptop is a tool.) And many women who own laptops are perfectly capable of figuring out how to repair one, even though we all know desktops are easier to work on. Hell, I bet even men have read this instruction set and used the information to accomplish something useful with a sketchy laptop.
December 29, 2007 at 8:44 am
[...] to replace a broken laptop LCD with new one by yourself, you can read a very good guide written by defectivekit.com. for doing, you don’t need any special [...]
January 11, 2008 at 3:24 am
sorry and hi everybody
does anyone ver buy from http://www.lcdscreen.com ???
I found the panel I need but I’m scared could be a scam-site
thanks
February 25, 2008 at 8:25 pm
OHH MY GOSH!!! this was very easy to put in and fix. THANK YOU THANK YOU!!…if i wouldn’t of found your site, i would have, had to spend 200 dollars to get my lcd screen replaced. YOU ARE A LIFE SAVER!!
March 27, 2008 at 7:05 am
Your website is very, very hard to read; especially with the black background and small font. I didn’t even check it out and it’s the info I need to replace my cracked screen. I didn’t even bother to put on my reading glasses to see if I have typos, here. Who cares w/a website like this!
March 27, 2008 at 7:07 am
Horriable website to read. Font too small.
May 26, 2008 at 1:03 am
Is any LCD replaceable with any LCD?
June 3, 2008 at 6:11 pm
[...] laptop screen. …. to replace a broken LCD, with some helpful photos and important caveats …http://defectivekit.com/2007/02/20/howto-guide-to-replacing-your-laptop-lcd/LCD Backlight Installation Guide-MoniServ, Inc. … are made of lead glass, which is easily broken [...]
July 15, 2008 at 8:55 am
Hey thanks for the info as it came in handy today. I appreciate your efforts.
Thanks
Scott
December 26, 2008 at 10:22 am
Saved me $$$$$! I had to replace a keyboard a couple of months ago, then thought the whole thing was shot when the display went “stripy.” This made the whole enterprise “do-able.” Thank you, thank you, thank you. The manufacturer (Acer)was less than worthless.
January 13, 2009 at 6:15 pm
I’m experiencing lcd line problem with my old compaq, but with the price for a replacement I don’t intend to replace it unless a friend give a surplus, but I’m glad there’s guy like you who shares his knowledge.Now I won’t be scared to replace one in caseI Ineed to.bless you .And oh somebody was right very hard to read your web, too dark and small letters.
January 30, 2009 at 4:46 pm
Hello, i need some guide to how repair my notebook. I have a HP pavilion dv5 1118 and i dont have any idea about how repair this.
February 1, 2009 at 4:55 am
Hey just wanted to say thanks..I was able to save my self about $400 in labor in parts because of this tutorial and my old notebook LCD which I used to replace my girls month old computer she dropped..Thanks for the knowledge
February 12, 2009 at 5:52 pm
When you say the backlight is out does that just mean that the screen is black? I turn on my laptop and for a second I see like a redish flash and then all black. If it is only the inverter that would be cool, Just dont want to buy the whole LCD screen if it is only the inverter.
Thanks
February 12, 2009 at 8:55 pm
One way to find out if it’s the inverter is to boot up the laptop and look at the display under a bright light (the sun works great). If you can see everyone on the screen, but there’s no light in it… then it’s the inverter. If you can’t see anything on the screen..even in a bright light.. then it’s something more.
February 16, 2009 at 2:55 pm
Great article , cracked my lcd , purchased one from http://www.nylaptopparts.com/lcd-screens-c-2.html , followed the instructions and wallah ! Back in business. Thanks a ton!!!!!!!
June 11, 2009 at 8:03 am
Hi! My laptop fell from table to the floor. Is there still hope? I think system is working – just heard the sounds and i can hear it loading. However the screen is bad showing some lines – cant get to original windows screen. Any suggestions or is it doomed?? Thanks much! Will appreciate any help or ideas…
June 26, 2009 at 2:00 pm
[...] it is possible and it would work. http://www.screentekinc.com/lcd-remo…ructions.shtml http://defectivekit.com/2007/02/20/h…ur-laptop-lcd/ __________________ official post your school [...]
July 13, 2009 at 11:28 am
Your website is great, its informative & a great help to those who people whos has problems with thier pc’s. Here is my problem, I just purchased from Ebay & replaced my broken lcd screen 17″ (toshiba satellite L355D), I fallow the instruction guide on how to replace it, but the thing is, it dont work after, i was thinking that it maybe because that I touched the edge of the lcd, What do u think is it busted already? The screen is black but when we used flashlight we can see images, & if we use another monitor it work. I dont know what to do now. Pls help me, I need quick response, before the 7 days replacement expires. Thank You & More Power.
this is Mitchell.
August 1, 2009 at 8:21 am
[...] 3. Replace a busted laptop LCD [...]
August 1, 2009 at 8:49 am
[...] 3. Replace a busted laptop LCD [...]
August 1, 2009 at 9:36 am
[...] 3. Replace a busted laptop LCD [...]
August 1, 2009 at 10:07 am
[...] 3. Replace a busted laptop LCD [...]
August 1, 2009 at 11:22 am
[...] 3. Replace a busted laptop LCD [...]
August 1, 2009 at 3:22 pm
[...] 3. Replace a busted laptop LCD [...]
August 1, 2009 at 3:57 pm
[...] 3. Replace a busted laptop LCD [...]
November 20, 2009 at 1:28 am
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