# Laptop Screen Split into four identical parts



## ColumboCigar (Jul 13, 2013)

This technical issue is driving me insane. 
After installing a new laptop screen (due to dropping it from the kitchen worktop whilst attempting to cook Jamie Oliver’s 30min meals...epic fail), I am getting issue where the screen split into four identical parts. Below is additional detail on the issue:

- The screen does not split during the DOS and Windows Loading stage
- The screen does not split on external monitor/tv 
- I ran a Dell diagnostic tool which states that there some kind of hard disk issue….However, I don’t see/experience any performance issue…it runs perfectly fine (I don’t think this as anything to do with the screen issue but I thought I mention it incase I am wrong)
- I have re-opened the laptop again and checked that the screen cable within the laptop is secure.

I really appreciate your help. I need this laptop for college and I really don’t have the money to buy a new one.

Thanks.


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## BIGBEARJEDI (Aug 8, 2012)

That's certainly an annoying problem alright! 

Here's a couple of things to try:

#1: Have you uninstalled your video card driver and reinstalled latest downloaded from Manufacturer's website; such as nVidia or ATI?

#2: Hi the next steps would involve opening the laptop to check the lvds cable from the screen to the motherboard to determine if it is loose damaged or stretched. (this one is courtesy of one of the TSF Moderators who responded with this step for someone else having a similar problem on a Fujitsu laptop).

#3: If neither of these work, I would suggest you download the Dell service manual and see if your Model (you didn't tell us which you have?) has a separate GPU/GPX graphics chip which is removable or not. If it is, disassemble your laptop, remove the GPU/GPX graphics chip and replace ensuring that you use fresh thermal paste to reattach new GPU/GPX graphics chip.

[if you don't know what Thermal Paste is, or have never replaced either a CPU or GPU/GPX chip on a laptop Motherboard, I strongly suggest you take it to a Computer Professional who is A+ Certified, otherwise you run the risk of frying your Motherboard if done incorrectly!] :hide: 
#4: If your Motherboard does not have a removable GPU/GPX graphics chip, and most of the Dell laptops I have worked on do not you have another step to try. Borrow a laptop hard drive of similar capacity to what you are using, remove yours, install the borrowed hard drive into your laptop, and run your Dell recovery discs or install the same version of windows that came with your laptop. For example, XP, Vista, Win7, etc. 

Now..if you have done all of those things (except #3, which may not be applicable to your laptop model); you've eliminated most of the common, least expensive remedies that can be applied. So, if you eliminate a corrupted video driver, motherboard-to-screen-display cable connection, faulty GPU/GPX graphics chip, and the Motherboard, at this point you have pretty much narrowed it down to the Motherboard and the Display Screen. Both of these items are the 2 most expensive to replace, and the 2 most difficult for a non-professional repair person to attempt to replace. 

New display screens can be $100 or more, and new Motherboards for Dell laptops are typically in the $100-$200 range but can be more on rare models (the old supply and demand!) 

My suggestion is take Steps #1 - #4, which may only cost you $50 or less depending on whether your laptop has a removable Graphics chip or not as stated above. If none of those work, and you attempt to replace your Display Screen and/or your Motherboard, you are looking at risking $200-$300 of parts that may not work due to your inexperience of performing the procedure. Since you are a College Student, I'd hate for you to spend that much money and fry either of those very expensive components, so you really need to leave that to a professional.

Let's put it this way, leaving the money factor out, would you consider going to a Surgeon to have your Liver transplanted knowing that yours would be the first transplant surgery he'd ever performed right out of Medical School? The analogy here is if this is the first time you are going to attempt to repair the Motherboard and Display Screen or either one the first time, your chances of success are very low, and the chances of destroying your parts (in my Analogy the Patient) are high, so by saving a few dollars you risk killing your Patient (in this case, your laptop!). :ermm:

You also can figure that if you take that $200-$300 you would spend on parts (Display Screen & Motherboard) and buy a brand new Google Chromebook for $249 on the Internet and not have to worry about the problem anymore or taking the risk of killing your very expensive dell laptop.

By the way, I repair Computers for a living, and I've had a few laptops over the years, that I messed up and could never get back together again. If that should happen to you, you'd kill your Patient, and get the bill from the Hospital to boot! :facepalm:

Hope my suggestions help.

Let us know how it turns out and Good Luck! :thumb:

BIGBEARJEDI


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