75ZT Community

I have a had a Samsung R700 laptop for a few years now and although it may not be the latest model and no longer under guarantee it is fine for what i use it for and complements my dektop nicely.( the desktop upstairs and laptop down )

However for the past 12 months or so I have put up with an issue which I would now like fixed if at all possible without being ripped off and blinded by science at the same time!

The issue is a flickering screen and often no screen at all, it works fine when first switched on but when left for any length of time I occasionally return to find the screen black.

At first I thought it may have been a display setting so into control panel I went to make sure the screen will never turn off but it still happens.

The laptop doesnt like being moved either so I tend to leave it where it is but it would be nice to use it as a laptop now and again, whereas at the moment opening and closing the lid accelerates the black screen.

Off to Google to find that other users of the R700 have similar problems and there are different opinions on the fix so was wondering what advice anyone out there could give me.

There are some pictures below and I have discovered myself that the lead going into the inverter when tweaked will bring the screen back on and the lead is very tight and allows for no extra play so it appears to me that when i tweak the lead and squeeze the connectors together the screen is fine for a while and then I have to do it all over again. Although the screen goes black you can see the desktop very faintly behind it if you look closely enough.

Picture 1 of the laptop up and running as normal





Picture 2 shows the inverter to which the connectors are attached.




Picture 3 shows the white connector on the inverter, the computer was on when i did this and notice by just turning the inverter around to see the plug the screen went straight off



Picture 4 shows the wires going into the back of the inverter connector which you can just see at the back on the left hand side just to the left of the barcode



It is a straightforward job to get at the inverter just take off the outer plastic seal via a few small screws and i could buy and replace this myself but it seems to me that the lead and /or connectors are at fault and maybe i should start there first, although one connector is attached to the inverter and the other to the lead.

Any advice appreciated even if it is only a recommendation to a decent computer spares place

OK. First take care with the inverter while powered on, it produces a high enough voltage to make you jump at the very least.

It's usually the inverters themselves that give problems, though I believe they just die. It may be worth having a good look at any soldered joint, using a magnifying glass.

Duncan wrote:OK. First take care with the inverter while powered on, it produces a high enough voltage to make you jump at the very least.

That is nonsense Rob, the REV 1.0 means it is only 1.0v, and you do not need a magnifying glass, just squeeze the joints between your fingertips, then wiggle it to see if the screen goes off. Can I come and watch to make sure you do it right.

Devilish wrote:

Duncan wrote:OK. First take care with the inverter while powered on, it produces a high enough voltage to make you jump at the very least.

That is nonsense Rob, the REV 1.0 means it is only 1.0v, and you do not need a magnifying glass, just squeeze the joints between your fingertips, then wiggle it to see if the screen goes off. Can I come and watch to make sure you do it right.

It isn't nonsense, Steve. REV 1.0 means revision one point zero, nothing to do with the voltage. I would like to see you drive a cold cathode with just 1.0v. It's called an inverter precisely because it steps up the voltage by converting it fro DC to AC.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cold_cathode

Some manufacturers even put warning labels on:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/New-Dell-Lati ... 1470772905


Oh, including Samsung, who on that very board put a warning about high voltage. You can't see it in Rob's photo, but you can see it on this one of a replacement part:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NEW-LCD-INVER ... 3a956fb91d

OOer sorry .... rather Duff gen ..... I wouldn't put my fingys near an invertor output.. even if possibly a duff one ,its a low volts input but its many hundreds of volts coming out to power the CCFL's

Rev ? means the PCB (Printed Circuit Board) revison/issue number ..as Dunc says.

BTW Just recently mended a Dell lappy from T4 (Testbook version 4.Computer Diagnostic System) for just this problem. ended up repalcing the invertor , cheaper than faffing/repairing.


C.

Devilish wrote:

Duncan wrote:OK. First take care with the inverter while powered on, it produces a high enough voltage to make you jump at the very least.

That is nonsense Rob, the REV 1.0 means it is only 1.0v, and you do not need a magnifying glass, just squeeze the joints between your fingertips, then wiggle it to see if the screen goes off. Can I come and watch to make sure you do it right.

Devilish wrote:

Duncan wrote:OK. First take care with the inverter while powered on, it produces a high enough voltage to make you jump at the very least.

That is nonsense Rob, the REV 1.0 means it is only 1.0v, and you do not need a magnifying glass, just squeeze the joints between your fingertips, then wiggle it to see if the screen goes off. Can I come and watch to make sure you do it right.

I got your joke, very dry witted is our mister Devilish now you know why he as that forum name and had to retire early poor patients

Thanks for the input guys, and the link Duncan

Have just ordered an inverter as at that price it's a no brainer really and easy to change

I do normally have the laptop switched off before I start messing with the internal plug to give it a squeeze and when switched back on its fine for a while and then I have to do it all over. I left it on this time for the pictures to demonstrate how the screen suddenly goes off.

Doh, got me. If he'd also said you need to wet your fingers, I would probably still have fallen for it.

i have bought an inverter but it appears i also need the connecting ribbon for it as mine has a couple of very fine broken wires on the plug that goes into the inverter.

I have searched via Google and E Bay without any luck does anyone know of any specialist laptop spares companies out there that i might try ?

Duncan wrote:Doh, got me. If he'd also said you need to wet your fingers, I would probably still have fallen for it.

Damn didn't think about that Duncan, he takes no notice of my sound advice anyway, would not touch it once. Would have been sweet if you could have backed me up, I could have recorded it with my phone and uploaded it onto Youtube.

We spent a few hours on it at mi casa, one of the six wires had detached from the 8 pin inverter plug, and another wire was hanging on by a bare strand or two. I snipped the wire that was just about hanging on, I extended this wire and the detached wire, and soldered them to the legs at the rear of the socket on the new inverter (bypassing the plug)

Dead screen, not dark but dead.

As it was loose wires that were the problem, after Rob took of and left me to do it all on my own as usual, I fitted the old inverter just in case (double checked the 2 wires were soldered to the correct legs at least 4 times and no solder bridging of the legs).

Dead screen still.

It appears to me that the detached wire and/or the wire that was hanging on by a bare strand or two must have touched something it should not have while the laptop was powered up, causing something to throw a fit, otherwise the screen should have lit up.
Not sure if this has anything to do with it or not, but someone (mentioning no names, but there was only us two and it was not me) accidentally pressed the power micro switch, and the laptop started to boot up before the inverter was plugged in at both ends. If so it serves him right.

Cannot think of any other reason why the screen is dead.

Arctic wrote:I got your joke, very dry witted is our mister Devilish now you know why he as that forum name and had to retire early poor patients

I resemble that remark, and I think it would have made a neat You tube video

Well after taking my laptop to the Devilish repair shop, he's broke it good and proper now and he's not covered by Insurance either !

But every cloud and all that as I have now completely removed the screen and lid and attached an external monitor so back up and running and it looks ok to me, so sod the inverter and loose wires

Trebor wrote:Well after taking my laptop to the Devilish repair shop, he's broke it good and proper now

I would taunt you some more for such a remark, if it weren't for the sound of silence

You should try plugging them in and then see what you get !