PowerBook Screen randomly goes black

[livingfortoday]

Ok, I'm having a really weird problem with my PowerBook. About a week ago the screen started going black for no apparent reason when it was on battery power. I could still kind of see stuff on the screen, and it was still barely useable, but it was incredibly dark. The equivalent of turning down the contrast all the way, where you can still kind of see stuff on screen, but it's really impossible to get any real work done that way.

I have no idea what is causing this, it just happens when I'm on battery power, not when any particular program is running or anything. It happens completely randomly, too, sometimes it'll be five minutes, sometimes half an hour between occurrences. If I put it to sleep and wake it up the screen is back to normal.

Again, I have no clue what is causing this, and haven't found anyone with a similar problem yet. Any suggestions?

Oh, the PowerBook is a 667Mhz PowerBook Ti.

 

[GTJ]

Me too!

This happens to me too with my ibook!!? I dont know what causes it and i normally just put it to sleep and wake it again. Doesnt happen as often as it use to, but still every once in a while.

 

[JupiterTwo]

yeah - I get this with my iBook. A few taps to the back base of the screen usually brings it back, or some movement of the lid.
I guess it's something is lose/trapped, but I haven't gotten round to taking it apart yet.

I did wonder whether it was linked to some logic board problems (my iBook has been back twice), but I couldn't be bothered to send it back this time.

 

[sandercox]

On an iBook it is a cable in the hinge that breaks. Very frustrating problem and quite expensive to have it repaired ~125 euro's and the people at my local store also broke the airport cable while replacing... and a few months later the normal display cable started to act up. So actually my iBook has al of its cables replaced that go through the hinge.

 

[iGav]

Ok, I'm having a really weird problem with my PowerBook. About a week ago the screen started going black for no apparent reason when it was on battery power. I could still kind of see stuff on the screen, and it was still barely useable, but it was incredibly dark. The equivalent of turning down the contrast all the way, where you can still kind of see stuff on screen, but it's really impossible to get any real work done that way.

I have no idea what is causing this, it just happens when I'm on battery power, not when any particular program is running or anything. It happens completely randomly, too, sometimes it'll be five minutes, sometimes half an hour between occurrences. If I put it to sleep and wake it up the screen is back to normal.

Again, I have no clue what is causing this, and haven't found anyone with a similar problem yet. Any suggestions?

Oh, the PowerBook is a 667Mhz PowerBook Ti.

Sounds like what happens when your computer puts the display to sleep, (not the computer, just the display) it dims but doesn't darken completely allowing you to still (just about) see what on the screen.

The screen should 'wake' back up as soon as you use the track pad, click a key or move a mouse.

Have you checked your 'Engery Saver' settings? As a test... set you machine to highest performance for both Power and Battery, and make sure that you set you computer to NEVER go to sleep, and do the same with the display setting directly underneath, and see if that has any affects.

G

 

[Rincewind42]

Sounds like what happens when your computer puts the display to sleep, (not the computer, just the display) it dims but doesn't darken completely allowing you to still (just about) see what on the screen.

The screen should 'wake' back up as soon as you use the track pad, click a key or move a mouse.

Have you checked your 'Engery Saver' settings? As a test... set you machine to highest performance for both Power and Battery, and make sure that you set you computer to NEVER go to sleep, and do the same with the display setting directly underneath, and see if that has any affects.

G

Nah, it sounds like his backlight is unhappy. Mine is currently doing the same thing, and has been worse (the screen was a uniform gray for a couple of days before this). I hope it's just a broken cable, last time something bad happened to my display it cost me over US$1300

 

[0098386]

my windows laptop does something similar, the screen flickers quite fast at some screen angles. my guess is its a faulty connection, most likely in the hinge.

but im no computer doctor, just a puzzled fellow myself

 

[Sutekidane]

Most of the time, this problem is caused by a damage power cable to the backlight. The problem is that power and video have to go through a delicate cable and through the hinge, which you know is a moving part. Well, heat in that area, which is stupidly where the exhaust vents are and the repetition of opening and closing the screen caused the cable to wear our and eventually stop working.

 

[livingfortoday]

Most of the time, this problem is caused by a damage power cable to the backlight. The problem is that power and video have to go through a delicate cable and through the hinge, which you know is a moving part. Well, heat in that area, which is stupidly where the exhaust vents are and the repetition of opening and closing the screen caused the cable to wear our and eventually stop working.

I'm just wondering why it does this only when on battery power, though. If it was the cable connecting the screen, wouldn't it always be doing this? Not just when it's on battery?

 

[Sutekidane]

I'm just wondering why it does this only when on battery power, though. If it was the cable connecting the screen, wouldn't it always be doing this? Not just when it's on battery?

In this case it sounds like a very different issue relating to the logic board.. can't help you much further.