[jimmymac]

My HP Pavilion screen is blank. It barely shows the HP logo when first turned on and then nothing. When I hookup my desktop monitor and turn the laptop on it initially shows about one or two seconds of the booting sequence and then it too goes blank. Any suggestions?

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Is it plugged in? It might be the laptop doesn't have enough power to boot. Could also be that the battery isn't holding a charge.

Could you give us anymore info?

[Dryfter]

Is it plugged in? It might be the laptop doesn't have enough power to boot. Could also be that the battery isn't holding a charge.

Could you give us anymore info?

[w0lverine]

no, he would have to not be plugged into the power supply for the battery to be doing that. probably the video card is dying or has a short in it. laptops will still be powered fine with a dead battery when its still plugged into its power supply. I know, two of our dell laptops here at work do not even have their batterys right now, and they work fine... when plugged in. also i have a toshiba lt at home with a dead battery.

the video card controls both the vga/dvi port in back, as well as the laptop screen itself. if it was just the laptop screen then i would say the backlight burned out, but since its doing it to a seperate monitor as well, i would say its the video card.

Edited by w0lverine, 02 April 2007 - 10:13 AM.

[jimmymac]

Yes the laptop is plugged in while having these problems. My initial thought also is the video card since both the laptop monitor and the external one both go blank. I assume that video cards are not easily replaced in laptops. Is there a someplace that will service laptops for this problem or am I better off getting a new computer? Do anyone take trades ins?

[w0lverine]

depending on whether or not it is still under warranty i would send it back to HP. if it is no longer under warranty, a local computer shop should be able to help you. i would suggest not Geek Squad, as they just tend to ruin things or tell you that they have to send it into their "main shop" or whatever it is, and charge you a fortune. A local shop should have a person on staff that can safely replace a laptop video card for you.

The last computer shop i worked at we had a person on staff that fixed all the really really technical laptop problems, like soldering on busted ports to laptop mobos, and the real internal problems.

hope that helps.

[jimmymac]

It's no longer under warrenty so I'll find a local service shop. Thank you very much for your help.