HELP!! Pavilion zt1170 display goes black

[John Albright]

Display goes black at any time. When it's black, you can see very faintly
the desktop or whatever I'm working on. I have no screensaver enabled. This
has happened in safe mode as well. I used the system recovery. Didn't help.
I used the 3 HP disks and reinstalled all software to original. I updated
the display driver. Nothing helps.When this problem started, I would have to
reset the machine and let it off for 2 to 3 hours before I got a display
only to lose it again. Only once, the display came back by itself. When the
display is black, the computer continues to function.

Thanks...John

[neoh]

"John Albright" <albright@epix.net> wrote in message news:<7K1Oa.9030$EZ5.3059067@news1.epix.net>... Display goes black at any time. When it's black, you can see very faintly the desktop or whatever I'm working on. I have no screensaver enabled. This has happened in safe mode as well. I used the system recovery. Didn't help. I used the 3 HP disks and reinstalled all software to original. I updated the display driver. Nothing helps.When this problem started, I would have to reset the machine and let it off for 2 to 3 hours before I got a display only to lose it again. Only once, the display came back by itself. When the display is black, the computer continues to function. Thanks...John


Your backlight is going out. Try plugging in an external monitor and
see if it does the same thing, you can also try updating your BIOS.
Doing a hardware reset (push a paperclip in the hole in the back right
of your computer for 1 minute) - and holding down the 'stanby' button.
(That's the little button just beside the power button) - you may need
to replace this little button. You can try fixing it yourself. Here's
how you do it:

-- Remove the AC adapter and battery.

1. Remove the two screws from the back of the hinges (their may be
rubber on them that you need to remove first)

2. Tilt the display all the way back

3. Remove the plastic board that's above the keyboard (that has all
your buttons on it. ie. power button, one touch buttons, etc.)

4. An easy way to do this is by taking a small phillips screwdriver,
putting it under the plastic just above the HOME key and pry up. Then,
take your screwdriver and pry it under the left hindge, and it will
come up. It will be attached to a colored wire. Remove that wire VERY
gently from the board (do not pull from the wire) - Once this comes
out, make sure everything on the bottem of that board are screwed in
tight - as well as the little button - make sure that's in all the
way.

Try again. If this does not fix the problem, the unit will need to be
serviced - and in this case, it would be cheaper for you to buy a new
notebook. HP charges $649 for the LCD to be replaced. If you buy the
LCD by yourself, it will be over $1000.

Hopefully this information helps you out.
If you have any other questions, call the number below.

neoh@resentment.org
PavilionNB SSR
1-(800)-HP-INVENT

[Thomas J Moore]

I have exactly the same problem. I tried plugging an external monitor
in and it does the same thing so I don't think it's the LCD. I also
noticed that the longer the PC is on, the more likely it is to go
blank. Once it goes blank, putting it in standby will bring it back,
but if you do it too quickly, it will just go blank again in a minute
or less.

I suspect something heat related, but I have no way of confirming it.

[ikenfixit]

The inverter is not a part in the LCD and its easily changeable by the
consumer. No need to tear into the bottom half of the laptop. Take the
cosmetic covers off the screen bezel and then the phillips screws
beneath. Then pull the bezel off and the inverter is accessible under
the screen. If the backlight is bad after trying the inverter we can
do these as well for around 129.00 on this model..