# Dell Inspiron Laptop Screen Flickering



## Armeleon (Nov 27, 2010)

Here is what happens:

If my laptop screen is bumped in the wrong way the screen goes dark. It doesn't turn off, just loses is luminosity. Well, most of it. There is still enough to make out large basic shapes. Sort of like what happens when it tries to conserve battery.

I can fix this one of three ways:

1. Turn off the computer, shut everything up, and wait 24 hours

2. Grab the black edge of the screen with the base of my palm and push while my fingers curl around to the back of the screen and push the opposite direction. This connects something or other (I don't know what)

3. Move the screen back and forth and up and down until something happens or I give up.

This has been happening more and more frequently and I was wondering if there is anything I can easily do to fix it.

Also, occasionally instead of going dark it flickers between the two states and emits a high-pitched sound like a kettle putting off steam. I don't get it, and would usually get a new screen but its not worth it on this piece of junk. 

Is there a quick fix?


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## GZ (Jan 31, 2010)

Hello Armelion and welcome to TSF,

It sounds like your inverter is failing. The inverter is like a ballast for your backlight. It takes the DC power and converts it into a high frequency high voltage AC power to make the CCFL glow. The way to fix this is to purchase a new inverter and install it in your notebook PC.

If you can give me the model of Inspiron, I could help you find what you need.

-GZ


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## Armeleon (Nov 27, 2010)

That sounds just about right. My battery won't charge either. Think this will solve the problem?

I have a Dell Inspiron 1545.

And also, do you know how much they run for? If its too much I think it may not be worth it for my motherboard is also cracked (I think this is right. Every time I nudge it the sound beeps out and I can't install any OS on my harddrive and have to run Ubuntu off a disk, but that's not the question here).


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## GZ (Jan 31, 2010)

You can probably purchase one for less than $20 used from eBay. It sounds like your computer is near the end of it's life. With all the problems you state it has, it would be more expensive to fix it than it is worth.


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## Armeleon (Nov 27, 2010)

Great. Thanks. I will start looking for a new computer then. Next time, I won't get Dell


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