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the Crimson Tide on my Powerbook screen

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x86isslow

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Aug 10, 2003
889
11
USA
A few weeks ago, I thought my 12" Powerbook was haunted. It turned out my hard drive had died. I just replaced my hard drive tonight. It involved basically taking the whole thing apart. The only problem now is that my screen has a really reallly bad red-tint.

Anyone have any idea what might have caused my screen to tinge red? When I took apart the laptop, I didn't touch the logic board or the screen, it simply required me to take off the keyboard. I'm really stumped as to why its all red-tinged.


And all this after just a few weeks ago, my computer seemed "Haunted" :eek:
 
Y

yenko

macrumors 6502a
Aug 29, 2005
522
0
SouthWest-USA
x86isslow said:
A few weeks ago, I thought my 12" Powerbook was haunted. It turned out my hard drive had died. I just replaced my hard drive tonight. It involved basically taking the whole thing apart. The only problem now is that my screen has a really reallly bad red-tint.

Anyone have any idea what might have caused my screen to tinge red? When I took apart the laptop, I didn't touch the logic board or the screen, it simply required me to take off the keyboard. I'm really stumped as to why its all red-tinged.


And all this after just a few weeks ago, my computer seemed "Haunted" :eek:
Click to expand...

Make sure your assembly is correct. Check that the ribbon is firmly seated and no wires are pinched. In other words, recheck your work or have some else take a look. Sometimes we can't see the obvious and another set of eyes can spot it right away. :)
 
X

x86isslow

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Aug 10, 2003
889
11
USA
I have tried Supercal, but even when I was calibrating it, the color Green remained absent from the screen. :confused:
 
Sedulous

Sedulous

macrumors 68030
Dec 10, 2002
2,530
2,577
It sounds like one of the wires to the screen has become loose. As someone else has already suggested, you should verify that nothing cable-ish is wiggling around. There is no way the screen should ever be bright pink. The only other thing I can think of is that the screen backlight may be going bad but that would be less likely.
 
Y

yenko

macrumors 6502a
Aug 29, 2005
522
0
SouthWest-USA
x86isslow said:
I have tried Supercal, but even when I was calibrating it, the color Green remained absent from the screen. :confused:
Click to expand...

That's not he problem. Your connections are bad somewhere. The problem wasn't there until you got inside of it. Am I correct? :eek:
 
matticus008

matticus008

macrumors 68040
Jan 16, 2005
3,330
1
Bay Area, CA
Sedulous said:
It sounds like one of the wires to the screen has become loose. As someone else has already suggested, you should verify that nothing cable-ish is wiggling around. There is no way the screen should ever be bright pink. The only other thing I can think of is that the screen backlight may be going bad but that would be less likely.
Click to expand...

Yeah, connection for sure. A failing backlight wouldn't produce problems with color shades, only color intensity. The backlight is a blue-white fluorescent tube.
 
X

x86isslow

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Aug 10, 2003
889
11
USA
An Update!

So I took apart the computer again. We began booting it every time we removed a set of screws to see how the screen was doing. Then, we got annoyed about how long that was taking, so I started removing screws while the thing was on.

Believe it or not, I managed to not kill myself or damage the computer.

But we were able to find the culprit. It was one of the screws directly under the keyboard. It was touching something on the mainboard below it, and messing everything up. I simply removed the screw and tossed it. So now, my screen is normal again!

My Dad's credit card company says that if I can get a repair estimate from someone, they'll think about paying for all the little repairs. Maybe then I'll have a real, functioning laptop.
 
Sedulous

Sedulous

macrumors 68030
Dec 10, 2002
2,530
2,577
Actually, screens will progress to a pink/orange tinge as they age. Obviously it shouldn't ever get to the point described in the original post.

matticus008 said:
Yeah, connection for sure. A failing backlight wouldn't produce problems with color shades, only color intensity. The backlight is a blue-white fluorescent tube.
Click to expand...
 
Sedulous

Sedulous

macrumors 68030
Dec 10, 2002
2,530
2,577
x86isslow said:
So I took apart the computer again. We began booting it every time we removed a set of screws to see how the screen was doing. Then, we got annoyed about how long that was taking, so I started removing screws while the thing was on.

Believe it or not, I managed to not kill myself or damage the computer.

But we were able to find the culprit. It was one of the screws directly under the keyboard. It was touching something on the mainboard below it, and messing everything up. I simply removed the screw and tossed it. So now, my screen is normal again!

My Dad's credit card company says that if I can get a repair estimate from someone, they'll think about paying for all the little repairs. Maybe then I'll have a real, functioning laptop.
Click to expand...

Great work! It is surprising shorting the motherboard with a screw "only" caused a glitch in the display.
 
iSaint

iSaint

macrumors 603
May 26, 2004
5,225
2
South Mississippi y'all, near the water!
Since you brought it up...how 'bout them Bulldogs!!!
 

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X

x86isslow

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Aug 10, 2003
889
11
USA
ThePaparazzi said:
Hi! could you please specify that "screw", 'cause I also have a powerbook with a red tint ;)
Click to expand...

Wow, never thought I'd see this thread again. I'm sorry to hear that your powerbook has a red tint. What led up to the screen turning red? Did you take apart your powerbook?

The only way I can describe the screw without removing my keyboard again is that it is beneath the er/sdf set of keys (on the US English keyboard. not sure if that helps given where you are from), and its a long screw from what i remember.

As for the other folks? Go UMass Minutemen!
 
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