# [SOLVED] Dell Inspiron 9400 Blank Screen



## Dannodotcom (Mar 9, 2008)

Hi, there is a problem with my relatively new (7 months old) laptop. I have read through all posts on this site related to blank screens and have not found any resembling my particular problem. So here is my best effort to explain it. When I turn on the computer (with power button) I hear it startup and see the power and hard drive lights working, then I hear the sound when the windows vista login screen comes up. While all this is happening there is no picture on the screen, nothing, not even the bios screen, if I dim the lights in the room I can see that the LCD backlight is working as the screen glows and pressing fn+up arrow/down arrow changes the brightness of the backlight. I can enter my login password and then hear windows loading. If I shine a bright light onto the screen I do NOT see any icons or anything on the screen.

Now I have taken the plastic cover off the power button and led's and am able to UNPLUG the screen. So with the computer shut down, I unplug the screen and attach an external monitor to the VGA port, now I power on the computer and am able to see everything including the POST screen and the login screen and finally the completely loaded windows Vista on the external monitor.

I have also tried powering on the computer with the laptop screen connected and an external monitor connected, and then I do not see the POST screen on either monitor, and only start getting a picture on the external monitor when the windows login screen comes up.

Another strange thing that happens is when I have the laptop screen connected and also the external screen connected, and then shutdown the computer, the laptop screen will flash white for 1/10 second just before it turns off.

My conclusion is that the video card is working ok, the laptop screen's backlight and inverter are working ok. But I'm not sure about the laptop LCD screen itself, if it flashes white before shutdown does that mean anything? Is it possible that the video cards external outputs can be working ok but the output to the laptop screen could be bad? Could video drivers be the problem? I don't think so as the external monitor works fine.

I tried the Dell diagnostic and it got through 3 CPU tests (Pass) and then a fourth test on the video controller which it stopped at, the result was this:
Incompatible Video Controller
VESA Function 0X4F02
Returned AX = 14F

I have no idea what this means, tried googling it and no results. Any help would be appreciated, thanks. :smile:


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## TriggerFinger (Jan 30, 2008)

*Re: Dell Inspiron 9400 Blank Screen*

Hi...

Is this still under warranty? If so, do not attempt anything. I suggest you return it first and claim warranty before you try anything out that might void the whole thing.


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## Dannodotcom (Mar 9, 2008)

*Re: Dell Inspiron 9400 Blank Screen*

Is it still under warranty? Yes it is, I bought it with an extended warranty which is good till sometime in 2010. Obviously if this is indeed a hardware problem I will have to send it back to Dell and get it fixed under warranty. But what if it's just a software/driver or bios problem? I guess the best thing to do would be to give Dell a call and see what they have to say. Maybe they have come across this problem before who knows? Just thought some bright minds here may have an idea what might be wrong.

Thanks :wavey:


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## TriggerFinger (Jan 30, 2008)

*Re: Dell Inspiron 9400 Blank Screen*

Well to know if it is drivers or not... boot into BIOS. If you still cannot still anything then it is not drivers. From your post, I believe it is the LCD or the cable.


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## Dannodotcom (Mar 9, 2008)

*Re: Dell Inspiron 9400 Blank Screen*

I booted into the BIOS using external monitor, then plugged in the laptop screen, nothing, nada, not even backlight, shine bright light onto screen and all I see is black. And as before, when I boot up with laptop screen plugged in, backlight works, but screen stays blank, hit F2 at guessed time and sound and lights indicate it has gone into BIOS, but screen is blank. So I guess there is quite likely a problem with the LCD screen.

Thanks for your assistance.


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## TriggerFinger (Jan 30, 2008)

*Re: Dell Inspiron 9400 Blank Screen*

hmmm, let me get this correctly.. you plugged in the LCD but you used external monitor too.. and you plugged it while the laptop is already ON? :4-thatsba

i suggest not try that again to prevent any untoward damage to your motherboard or worse an accident on your part.

you tried with external monitor and it is working meaning your video card is working but definitely this is something out of the 'drivers or BIOS' league. 

well it is up to DELL now. good luck and let us hope they get it fixed soon.


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## mohaammeds (Mar 8, 2008)

*Re: Dell Inspiron 9400 Blank Screen*

ok not to worry you call dell tech support and explain same to them and they may pull the system to workshop and have the LCD kit replaced need not to panic its all easy with dell if your system is in warranty.


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## Dannodotcom (Mar 9, 2008)

*Problem solved, new LCD installed*

Well after being away for awhile (on vacation), came home and finally phoned Dell (my laptop is still under warranty). I was connected without delay to a real person that could speak english (he was in Utah) and was on the phone with him for about an hour. He had me do some tests and even take the cover off the power switch and hinges to check for proper connection of the LCD cable to the video card. After all that, he concluded that the LCD panel had to be replaced and said that they could do it two ways, A. Send me the LCD screen and have me do the replacement myself, or B. Have a tech come out to my house and do the replacement (the warranty covers this). I chose B. This call was made on Good Friday, (I was amazed they were available on the holiday) and was told to expect a call from a tech next week. The tech called this afternoon at 12:45PM and was here (I live 20 mins outside of the city) by 1:15PM and had the screen replaced and the whole thing put back together by 1:45PM and was gone at 1:50PM. My laptop is now working again, I am elated! And I have nothing but praise for Dell, so glad I have this extended waranty! The tech didn't know why the screen failed, just that sometimes it happens. He said sometimes it is simply a bad connection to the LCD panel (inside the back) but in my case that was not the problem. I asked him what they will do with the bad screen and he said they will try to repair it, and if they can't then they will "recycle" it. It sure would be nice to know why it failed, as I don't want it to happen again, but it sounds like it was just a random failure, and not something that I caused.



Sign me,

Happy Dell customer :smile:


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## TriggerFinger (Jan 30, 2008)

*Re: Problem solved, new LCD installed*



Dannodotcom said:


> Well after being away for awhile (on vacation), came home and finally phoned Dell (my laptop is still under warranty). I was connected without delay to a real person that could speak english (he was in Utah) and was on the phone with him for about an hour. He had me do some tests and even take the cover off the power switch and hinges to check for proper connection of the LCD cable to the video card. After all that, he concluded that the LCD panel had to be replaced and said that they could do it two ways, A. Send me the LCD screen and have me do the replacement myself, or B. Have a tech come out to my house and do the replacement (the warranty covers this). I chose B. This call was made on Good Friday, (I was amazed they were available on the holiday) and was told to expect a call from a tech next week. The tech called this afternoon at 12:45PM and was here (I live 20 mins outside of the city) by 1:15PM and had the screen replaced and the whole thing put back together by 1:45PM and was gone at 1:50PM. My laptop is now working again, I am elated! And I have nothing but praise for Dell, so glad I have this extended waranty! The tech didn't know why the screen failed, just that sometimes it happens. He said sometimes it is simply a bad connection to the LCD panel (inside the back) but in my case that was not the problem. I asked him what they will do with the bad screen and he said they will try to repair it, and if they can't then they will "recycle" it. It sure would be nice to know why it failed, as I don't want it to happen again, but it sounds like it was just a random failure, and not something that I caused.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Hey.. that's great news... so it was the LCD after all... :grin:

Good thing it is still under warranty.


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## heckpiano (Dec 4, 2008)

Your lucky you were still under warranty when this happened. My Dell Inspiron 1501 LCD went out a few months after my year warranty was up. Had I known or had any remote concept that the product was defective, I would have purchased the extended warranty. First the LCD went out and so I made my laptop a desktop (hooked to a monitor) upon recommendation by a computer tech after finding out what it would cost to get it fixed. It was a desktop for about a month, and then the video output (a part of the motherboard) started producing black streaks across the monitor) started acting up so bad that I could barely see words across the monitor. So after calling Dell and complaining again that the product was defective and asked them to stand by their product, they did not.

I found out that it would now cost me well over $500. to get a new motherboard and LCD display. My only recourse now is to write a letter to the complain department. I will ask for any old computer they might have in a warehouse somewhere . . . ANYTHING I can use for my business. Maybe they will feel sorry for me because I REALLY feel sorry for myself. Because of their attitude and not standing by a their defective product that was really fairly new (I babied this laptop and it never left my home), I will never again buy a Dell product.


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