Once you have owned a laptop for several years, you will begin to notice that the screen looks a little dull. This is not referring to the screen itself, but rather, the colors of text and graphics you are looking at on the screen will just look off to you. If you are experiencing this problem, the good news is that it is not a problem with your actual laptop, but that you are probably going to need an LCD backlight replacement.
The LCD backlight replacement procedure is really not that expensive, but it can be a tedious task if you attempt it yourself. In fact, if you do not have a little patience, a steady hand and some technical knowledge, you should not even attempt to perform this task on your own because you will become very frustrated. If you are going to attempt this yourself, you should understand a little bit about what LCD backlighting is and how to perform the procedure.
What is LCD Backlighting?
When most people hear about tiny crystals and diodes in their screen that allow pictures and texts to show, they are extremely confused. If you are like most, you probably visualize like several tiny lights that each have different colors floating around on your screen, but this is not the case. Instead, the LCD backlight is used to transmit colors and texts onto your screen. The backlight is kind of like a clear, miniature overhead projector in the back of your screen, and that is the part you need to replace. In order to replace this part, you will need to begin by unplugging your laptop and turning the power off. Now, you will need to open your laptop computer screen and begin looking for a few parts. You will eventually find the backlight, and you will need to disconnect it from the circuit board, which is green in color. Then, you will need to remove the faulty backlight from its frame, but you need to be extremely careful because a lot of laptops may have some mercury in these areas, which can be extremely hazardous if spilled.
Laptop LCD Backlight Replacement
If you wish to take on an LCD backlight replacement project yourself, the first thing you will need to do is find a backlight replacement that will fit your screen. You will likely be able to find a universal replacement, which will save you quite a bit of money. If you do not feel like you have a lot of patience, you will be far better off taking your laptop to a professional computer shop and paying just a little more money.
Now that you know your computer is not completely ruined, you should feel a little relief. Even though you do not have to replace your computer, you will still have some work to do to get your computer back to running condition. This is a task that may take you several hours if you do not know exactly what you are doing, so you need to remain patient.