Black screen one minute, working the next

My apologies if this problem has been raised a million times already.

I've had my Aspire 8920g since '08 and I haven't had many issue with it. Over the past two days when I start my computer the initial Acer screen pops up and while it's transitioning to Windows the screen goes black. I can use a flashlight and see my login box/fingerprint reader, which leads me to believe that it's the inverter. But if I restart my computer 3-4 times I can get it to work normally again (I'm using it right now), it's just a pain in the backside to get it back to that point.

So my question is, is this an inverter issue? Is it a bad video card? Loose connection? I've read a few posts from 8920g owners on other forums who have said that they've had issues with their LCD and LCD cable, but I thought I would see what the folks here have to add.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

If you plug an external monitor into it, does it work fine, also, have you had a chance to open the screen to see if any of the connections have come loose?

 

No, I haven't had a chance to hook it up to an external yet. I'll try and get to that tonight or tomorrow. As far as opening the screen, I'm not really sure how to do it. If there is a step by step process available, I'll gladly give it a go and see what I can find.

 

I'll have a look see if I can find any diagrams or pics to help, TBH, should be a pretty straightforward process, IMO, one of the easier sides of taking laptops apart.

 

It does sound a bit like invertor or backlight trouble.

Might be worth entering the BIOS screen at boot (press F2 when Acer splash screen appears) and just see if the screen stays lit. If it goes out displaying BIOS then it suggests invertor/backlight. Make sure you have a good torch to see the screen and so can exit the BIOS if it does go out.

Also when the laptop is on and working can you get any hint of a problem if you move the lid etc to try and see if it is a connection issue etc.

 

I've seen various step by steps on the net, just wasn't sure if there was anything specific about this model that would make those irrelevant.

Nope, I haven't noticed anything like that. I've adjusted the lid often to check for that and everything is fine in that regard.

And I'll try the bios button the next time I start up and also see if I can connect to an external monitor to give you folks a better idea of what I'm dealing with. I ran into the same issue again when I started up this time, I hit Fn+F6 and the screen turned on, so I'm not sure what that means.

Thanks for the help so far.

 

This is a classic Inverter issue. If you had a backlight that is going out you will get a pink tint to the LCD from the time you turn it on till the time it goes out. change the inverter and it should correct the problem

If you need help getting to the inverter to change it send me a PM or post here and i can type out a quick how to.


Thanks
Mike
LaptopEMT
Laptop Repair Specialist

 

The guy says he has a dim screen. This is an inverter issue.

The backlight Lamp can also the reason, but it is rare and a little bit hard to fix. If you have a good backlight lamp you can test to see if it is the inverter or the lamp easily. Video card?, go to the bios like the poster above suggested. Loose connection? common sense? moving your laptop around and see.

 

Okay, I finally decided to fix the laptop and change out the inverter. I started taking it apart, I took out all 6 screws and started to remove the casing, but it's getting more and more difficult to separate it as I work my way down to the bottom (an inch or so from the bottom corner). I'm afraid of tugging too hard and cracking the surrounding casing. Are there screws that I missed? Is it just being held in place by snaps at this point? Does anything else need to be removed before I can get the surround completely off?

Full-English, if you have a diagram of the process, I'd be really grateful. I just don't break it and have another issue to deal with.

Thanks for your help so far, guys.

 

one search of google you can get the manual.
Acer Aspire 8920 Manuals, Support and Troubleshooting - Laptops

 

You may find there is some very strong double sided tape also holding the bezel in place onto the screen frame behind .

I removed the bezel on my 9301 to lubricate tight hinges and was surprised just how tight a fit it was but it came off and went back absolutely unmarked and undamaged. I was extremely careful though... but tight, yes very much so.