[jcstrandb]

Here’s the deal. I’ve got a Dell inspiron B120 laptop with both Windows XP and Mandriva Linux installed on it. I just replaced the LCD screen since the previous one was periodically blacking out. I got the new one in and everything put back together only to discover a new problem. I get random vertical stripes across the whole display and I can’t see anything else.

Starting the computer up normally the screen works fine up until when the windows desktop appears. I see the Dell splash screen, the bootloader, and the windows loading screen just fine. If I boot into Mandriva instead of windows there are no problems. I can get into the BIOS, Windows Safe Mode, or the Dell Diagnostics utility partition and the screen functions correctly. It only freaks out once I get to the desktop in normal Windows XP. I’ve tried changing the screen resolution back to 800x600 in safe mode and rebooting back into windows and it does me no good.

I’ve performed some tests on the LCD in the Dell Diagnostics and nothing comes up screwy. It tests resolutions up to 1024x780 with no problems but does not try anything higher than that.

There are a few exceptions to this (this is where things get really weird). No matter what I’m doing if I perform a reboot (from Windows or Linux) the LCD immediately displays the vertical bars again (the splash and bootloader screens are no longer visible). Also, if I hook up an external monitor it seems to fix the problem. I will still get the random color stripes, but if I switch the output to the external monitor and then back again suddenly the LCD works. WTF!!!

Does anybody have any idea what kind of craziness is going on here? I’ve already checked three time to make sure that the new LCD was plugged in correctly and completely, so unfortunately its nothing so simple. I should probably mention that the replacement LCD was not bought from DELL, but on ebay. It was specifically marked as a DELL Inspiron B120 LCD Screen and has the matching specs so far as I can tell.

Thanks for any and all help, I appreciate it.

[brinks]

Is it really a lcd screen problem or is it a video card problem.
Try taking a screen shot when this happens, if you can see the vertical lines in the image than it's a video card problem, if not than lcd problem.

[Jorsoft]

I'll do a little more research on this, I haven't come across this in a while. Try hooking it up to an external monitor as well. If you can see the lines it's a vid card problem, if not then it's the lcd. My first impulse is a loose connection between the vid card and the new lcd so you might want to check that out. Like I said I'll try and do a little digging and get back to you with some other ideas.

[jcstrandb]

Is it really a lcd screen problem or is it a video card problem.
Try taking a screen shot when this happens, if you can see the vertical lines in the image than it's a video card problem, if not than lcd problem.

The screenshot idea is clever. I hadn't thought of that. I will try it as soon as I get home from work.

I'll do a little more research on this, I haven't come across this in a while. Try hooking it up to an external monitor as well. If you can see the lines it's a vid card problem, if not then it's the lcd. My first impulse is a loose connection between the vid card and the new lcd so you might want to check that out. Like I said I'll try and do a little digging and get back to you with some other ideas.

I mentioned in my original post that I have checked the connection multiple times. I wish it was something so simple. Also I've tried the external monitor thing. That works, and it actually seems to make the LCD start working again if I switch to the external monitor and then back to the LCD. It's a very odd situation. Any ideas?