# Gateway laptop screen won't turn on



## simianrelative (Aug 11, 2008)

Dear friends,
I'm a US citizen living in Russia and the screen on my Gateway laptop (model ML3109) has broken down. When I turn on the computer, I hear it booting up, but the screen remains dark. This has happened twice already, but each time before the problem corrected itself after a few reboots and closings of the lid.
I'm wondering if it's a problem with the lid closing mechanism, since the toggle that clasps the lid to the body has been hard to move for some time now. Maybe the computer thinks the screen is closed?
Any tips would be appreciated, since there's no Gateway service on this continent.
EDIT: I plugged a regular monitor into the video port and it works. The laptop is functioning normally, it's just the screen that is not working. This means a physical problem with the screen and a repair center fix, I'm guessing. Is it possible to fix these kind of problems, usually?


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## dai (Jul 2, 2004)

shine a torch on the screen and see if you can see anything

it sounds like the inverter/backlight has gone


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## simianrelative (Aug 11, 2008)

I should make clear that there is NO image on the screen, not even a dim one. I believe this rules out the possibility of inverter or backlight failure. But given that it works perfectly on an external display, how can the video card be at fault?


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## simianrelative (Aug 11, 2008)

*Need to replace video card or check connections*

Hello all,
I'm an American living in Russia with a ML3109 Gateway laptop which is having problems with the screen, which won't display even the faintest image. Since it works fine through an external monitor, I'm thinking it's something with the connection between the video card and the motherboard or the display connector to the LCD screen. How can I open up my computer to check these connections?
Also, if the problem is with the video card (an ATM Radeon Xpress 200M), how can I replace it? Where can I figure out what video cards will work? I don't really want to buy the same video card again, if this is indeed the problem ...


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## Snoopdogie187 (Jun 27, 2002)

*Re: Need to replace video card or check connections*

It is not your video card. If it was the video card, you wouldn't have any picture on the external also. It may be the lcd screen or the conections to it or an iventer (And possibly the backlights).

Take a flash light or any type of light and sine it onto the lcd screen with the laptop on. If you see what should be on the screen then, the lcd screen is fine (even if there is no picture, the lcd may still be good).

Here is what I don't know. I can't tell you if it is the backlights or the inverter. 

As far as taking apart the laptop, I think it is fairly common the keyboard comes out and then you work down into the laptop and like that. I would try googling how to do this, a lot of times you can find a video or a whole guide with pictures on on how to take it apart.


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## TriggerFinger (Jan 30, 2008)

*Re: Need to replace video card or check connections*

Here's a way on how to know if it is a busted inverter.. http://www.fonerbooks.com/test.htm


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## dai (Jul 2, 2004)

see if you can get your manual here

http://repair4laptop.org/disassembly_gateway.html


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## sissonsk (Sep 29, 2009)

My Gateway screen went blank after I sent it in for waranty repairs. I noticed that the image was still there when a light was shining on the screen so I figured that it was the backlight. I wasn't aware of an "inverter" until I read this thread. I took the screen apart and pulled the inverter out to see what I needed to replace. I replaced everything after I gathered the inverter info and now my screen works. I left the laptop on for a few hours and the screen continued to work. Thgis may be a fix, of sorts. You need to be gentle, of course, with the bezzle as it is taped down at the bottom. but the rest is a breeze. 
I'm not sure why my screen stopped working or why it works now after I disassembled/re-assembled the display.

hope this helps
BTW-I got XP to work on my Vista laptop after I loaded SP2


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## Snoopdogie187 (Jun 27, 2002)

If you disassemble and re-assemble something and it works then probably means it was alose or dirty conection some where and it was improved when you put it back together.


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