cranky 17" g4 powerbook screen

May 31, 2007 10:28 PM

Why does my 17" PowerBook G4 screen suddenly go black?

Last night the screen started going wiggy ... I tried to wake it up from screensaving mode, and the display was VERY dim, such that I could barely make out the login prompt. It brightened up normally after that, but then it happened a couple more times over the course of the evening.

I then tried powering off and on again. When I turned it back on, the screen would get bright just like normal initially, for about two or three seconds, then go black again. Completely black this time, I couldn't make out a login prompt even in an unlit room. (When the problem began I had an external drive that I've used for a couple of months connected, but when I powered down I disconnected it and tried with the notebook alone, then with the power cord plugged in. Same results.)

With the exception of anything screen-related, everything seems to be working fine (as much as I can tell without being able to see, anyway). Keyboard backlighting works and I can increase/decrease brightness, sleep mode seems to work (in that I close the notebook and the indicator light on the locking mechanism lights up), I can hear the hard drive making the usual noises it does when the machine is operating properly. I just can't see anything. I've tried adjusting screen brightness, moving the mouse, striking keys, that sort of thing, to no effect.

Any ideas what this might be? I thought it might be a dying LCD, but the fact that it lights up normally initially seems to disprove this theory.

(Disclaimer: I have a sketchy internet connection here (see previous AskMe re: Ploieşti), so I've tried to include as much information as possible, and will check back at every opportunity, but it won't be as frequently as I'd like.)

posted by the luke parker fiasco to computers & internet (4 comments total)

Your screen is comprised of two major components: the LCD and the light bulb that makes the picture on the LCD visible. This backlight is the component that is failing. The panel is probably OK.
posted by majick at 10:32 PM on May 31, 2007

That would make sense. Any suggestions on how to go about repairing this if there are no reliable Mac shops about (the scant research I've been able to do here suggests that this could have a few different causes, all of which have varying levels of involvement), or am I looking at shipping it back home for service?
posted by the luke parker fiasco at 5:44 AM on June 1, 2007

You can tell if the backlight is failing by shining a flashlight on the screen. If you can see the contents of the screen then the backlighting has failed. If all the backlights have failed then it's probably a lose connection, and you might even venture to fix it yourself if you're technically able. However, notebooks can be bastards to get into and take apart/reassemble.
posted by humblepigeon at 5:46 AM on June 1, 2007

thanks much for the info, everyone. now i'm crossing my fingers that it's something i can get fixed here, instead of sending it back to the states ...
posted by the luke parker fiasco at 10:00 PM on June 3, 2007