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Thread: Dell inspiron Screen problem... Justin.. help

  1. Aug 12th, 2002, 07:16 PM #1
    DragonFly
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    Dell inspiron Screen problem... Justin.. help

    We have a 4 month old Dell portable which periodically and for no apparent reason has a screen so dark you can not use it.. it will be fine one time you use it.. and the next it will be unusable..

    Anyone have any idea what could cause this.. and more importantly what can fix it???

    The techo on the help desk at Dell suggested it might be the brightness option in the Bios..

    Any thoughts ????
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  2. Aug 12th, 2002, 07:36 PM #2
    markman
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    maybe the buttons on the monitor?
    retired member. Thanks for everything
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  3. Aug 12th, 2002, 07:45 PM #3
    chrisjk
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    If nothing they suggest works, they will eventually be happy to take it back and fix or replace the screen. One of our 3 year old CD drives had broken, they picked it up, replaced it and sent the new one back for nothing. And threw a new ribbon cable into the bargain.
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  4. Aug 12th, 2002, 08:06 PM #4
    jritchie
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    Originally posted by markman
    maybe the buttons on the monitor?
    Dell Inspirions don't have screen birghtness buttons or whatever.


    Okay reboot the laptop, keep hitting F2 till the setup screen appears, you can't miss it looks like an old dos app, (it's your BIOS btw). If it gets into windows you have gone passed the BIOS stage...

    Ok now once you have the setup screen. Use Alt-P to go to screen number 6. The first option on this screen is brightness. Note there are two brightness settings, 1 for battery and 1 for AC. Use the left and right arrows to reset the brightness. It should be defaulted to minimum for battery and maximum for AC.

    If this don't fix it, ring Dell back their support is second to none.

    P.S this is from a Dell Inspirion 4100...


    Cheers, hope it works Honey Bunny .

    P.P.S I am not back....
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  6. Aug 12th, 2002, 08:56 PM #5
    DragonFly
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    Thanks Honey will give that a go :thumbsup:


    read my PM for the funniest bit about this problem hehehe
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  7. Aug 12th, 2002, 09:04 PM #6
    JungleMan
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    Heh heh heh Jello...you said Dell

    DF: Jello's solution looks like it might work...
    I'm bringing geeky back...
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  8. Aug 12th, 2002, 09:23 PM #7
    DragonFly
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    Yeah it does .. and as soon as I get my hands on the machine I will try it hehe
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  9. Aug 12th, 2002, 10:08 PM #8
    jritchie
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    What's the bet the screen doesn't work correctly in battery mode but is perfectly fine when on mains power. Remember Dell's have two brightness settings one for battery (or as l'm now calling it Gus mode) and one for AC... just unplugged the 4100 l'm using from the mains, and yeah pretty bleeding awful to use.


    Pump up the brightness in battery setting.

    Justin

    Have three Dells sitting around me at the moment, feel like l'm in the land of the Stephens
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  11. Aug 13th, 2002, 01:58 AM #9
    Behemoth
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    all monitors eventually succumb to wear and tear. Usually one of the electron guns breaks down, causing unusual colours and brightness. If the colours look wierd, then this could well be the case - in which case the monitor needs replacing.

    If you're only doing monochrome work though, you've still got 2 more guns to burn out yet
    If tomorrow never shows
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    and my life has passed me by...

    http://www20.brinkster.com/behemoth

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  12. Aug 13th, 2002, 02:41 AM #10
    jritchie
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    Originally posted by Behemoth
    all monitors eventually succumb to wear and tear. Usually one of the electron guns breaks down, causing unusual colours and brightness. If the colours look wierd, then this could well be the case - in which case the monitor needs replacing.

    If you're only doing monochrome work though, you've still got 2 more guns to burn out yet
    Give some blokes a nude chick avatar and they are immediatly talking guns which we all know is very Freudian...

    Dude the rig's only four months old... so kind of argee with ya there, if it's not the brightness setting then it's fooked and Dell will no doubt replace the unit
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  13. Aug 13th, 2002, 04:48 AM #11
    DragonFly
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    It is very odd... the problem fixed it's self later in the day... so I suspect it is not the Bios option.. more likely it is just fooked


    Thanks everyone for your imput anyway
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  14. Aug 13th, 2002, 05:42 AM #12
    Behemoth
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    Originally posted by DragonFly
    It is very odd... the problem fixed it's self later in the day... so I suspect it is not the Bios option.. more likely it is just fooked


    Thanks everyone for your imput anyway
    Aaaah...a loose gun then

    give it a whack, *ahem* a touch of percussive maintenance from time to time. Should work a treat, although probably invalidating your warranty too.
    If tomorrow never shows
    I want you all to know
    that I loved you all
    You're beautiful
    And I had myself a ball
    I've wasted so much precious time
    I've been skating along these fine lines
    Now these weeds have grown where the sun once shown
    and my life has passed me by...

    http://www20.brinkster.com/behemoth

    http://www.galah.net/
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  15. Aug 13th, 2002, 07:22 AM #13
    DragonFly
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    It would help if I had the machine in front of me ... instead of trying to do it when it is out on site with someone else
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  16. Aug 13th, 2002, 05:10 PM #14
    JungleMan
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    Originally posted by Behemoth
    Aaaah...a loose gun then

    give it a whack, *ahem* a touch of percussive maintenance from time to time. Should work a treat, although probably invalidating your warranty too.
    Or a better idea would be to send it in for warranty service
    I'm bringing geeky back...
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  17. Aug 14th, 2002, 02:29 AM #15
    Behemoth
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    Originally posted by Jungle-Man


    Or a better idea would be to send it in for warranty service
    and get laughed at by your friends? noooo...!
    If tomorrow never shows
    I want you all to know
    that I loved you all
    You're beautiful
    And I had myself a ball
    I've wasted so much precious time
    I've been skating along these fine lines
    Now these weeds have grown where the sun once shown
    and my life has passed me by...

    http://www20.brinkster.com/behemoth

    http://www.galah.net/
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  18. Aug 14th, 2002, 09:54 PM #16
    DragonFly
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    Well it is a business machine.. and it would appear that the screen is shot.. so we are having an engineer come out to look at it tomorrow


    Thanks guys
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