Compaq Presario Laptop Screen Problem

[Searcher7]

I have a Compaq Presario 1200 laptop that has been gathering dust for
over 5 years.

The laptop works, but the screen image has issues.
(http://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll257/Statenislander/Computer/
CPDesktop_zps9cc08008.jpg).

Putting pressure on the sides of the screen did not change those
horizontal lines. But it is possible to plug my regular desktop
monitor into the laptop's 15 pin monitor port and get a clear picture
that way, so I came to the conclusion that the problem was the
inverter, which I read was a common problem with these laptops.

Unfortunately, Compaq, in an apparent effort to make their PCs non-
user serviceable never gave out the specifics concerning exactly what
inverter this model laptop uses.

(I measured the screen at a tiny bit over 13 inches, but the model
number is 12XL501).

I had picked up an inverter via Ebay 5 years ago. But I came to the
conclusion that it was the incorrect one.
http://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll257/Statenislander/Computer/Inverter2_zps7dcd4d51.jpg
http://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll257/Statenislander/Computer/Inverter1_zps8afa4b22.jpg

So now I figure I'll try again to see if someone has an answer.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks.

Darren Harris
Staten Island, New York.

 

[Mike Tomlinson]

En el artículo <[email protected]

So now I figure I'll try again to see if someone has an answer.

A failed inverter is not going to cause lines on the screen. It will be
either the display cable or the LCD panel itself.

It's 5 years old and not worth spending any time or money on. Bin it.

 

[Flasherly]

En el artículo <[email protected]


A failed inverter is not going to cause lines on the screen. It will be
either the display cable or the LCD panel itself.

It's 5 years old and not worth spending any time or money on. Bin it.

That phrase is starting to take on a new but frightening light. Had a
newer washing machine go out, whereupon a reality check with consensus
readings/ratings, appliance and used repairs, even from the local shop
with a factory brand certification endorsement (at the highest among
them, I might add) ... became a sad, though increasingly truism to
face that reality with some big-purchase price appliances, weighting
washing machines with computer aided circuitry. Last time I looked
that way at 5 years were Russia's failed productivity plans.

5 years with a computer laptop failure, at least when mine failed, was
5 years advancements on exponential factorials equating functionality
-- speed, peripherals, and features -- everything the digital
"revolution" entailed. Cost, hence has therefore is at some
mitigation and one seen for decreasing residuals when going by the
presently change industry state: Portable devices are outselling the
PC market by a factor of .7 (2012's PC sales were 500M, desktop and
laptop grade machines, to 1.2B portable, handheld applications).

Replacing the washing machine ought to have taken on mollification I
personally apply to an extant namesake suggested here, in that I am
able within some abilities to build traditional computers (excluding
laptops). To put it one way, it wasn't exactly pleasant for me to
have to replace that washer, or another, a much less un pleasanter
reaction to my laptop when it effectively melted into a pile of
silicon, if ground, might well resemble Goop(TM) - a mechanic's
handpaste.

 

[Paul]

I have a Compaq Presario 1200 laptop that has been gathering dust for
over 5 years.

The laptop works, but the screen image has issues.
(http://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll257/Statenislander/Computer/
CPDesktop_zps9cc08008.jpg).

Putting pressure on the sides of the screen did not change those
horizontal lines. But it is possible to plug my regular desktop
monitor into the laptop's 15 pin monitor port and get a clear picture
that way, so I came to the conclusion that the problem was the
inverter, which I read was a common problem with these laptops.

Unfortunately, Compaq, in an apparent effort to make their PCs non-
user serviceable never gave out the specifics concerning exactly what
inverter this model laptop uses.

(I measured the screen at a tiny bit over 13 inches, but the model
number is 12XL501).

I had picked up an inverter via Ebay 5 years ago. But I came to the
conclusion that it was the incorrect one.
http://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll257/Statenislander/Computer/Inverter2_zps7dcd4d51.jpg
http://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll257/Statenislander/Computer/Inverter1_zps8afa4b22.jpg

So now I figure I'll try again to see if someone has an answer.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks.

Darren Harris
Staten Island, New York.

I agree. That's not an inverter problem.

The inverter affects whether the screen is lit up or not.
Your screen is lit up, therefore, inverter is OK.

More details in your thread from five years ago.

http://www.motherboardpoint.com/compaq-presario-repair-t178796.html

I tried Googling the model number, but I'm not getting
any hits on "horizontal line" at all.

It might mean finding another LCD panel, or looking at whether
the thing is getting power properly. The panel may be
powered by +12V or something.

Since another Compaq user had a broken cable leading to the panel,
you could inspect that. On their particular model, it was a
six wire ribbon cable. Compaq may try to snake that through the hinge,
to run the signals up to the panel. See if that is damaged.
I'm not thinking of a data signal problem (as then the screen
would be well and truly scrambled), but perhaps the power
connection is ohmic and the panel isn't running at full voltage.

Paul

 

[Mike Tomlinson]

That phrase is starting to take on a new but frightening light.

Machines of that era had a 5 year design lifetime, so the OP has had his
money's worth.

Nowadays it's more like two to three years. With the downward pressure
on prices and therefore build quality, it's surprising some of the kit I
see even makes it out of the warranty period.

Re. your point about mobile devices - the desktop PC market is dying.
14% drop in sales in last 6 months and accelerating. The channel is a
bloodbath, and it's only just starting.

Windows 8 is probably to blame for much of that - people have looked at
it, realised it's a crock of shit and got an iPad or Android tablet
instead.

 

[Flasherly]

Machines of that era had a 5 year design lifetime, so the OP has had his
money's worth.

Nowadays it's more like two to three years. With the downward pressure
on prices and therefore build quality, it's surprising some of the kit I
see even makes it out of the warranty period.

Re. your point about mobile devices - the desktop PC market is dying.
14% drop in sales in last 6 months and accelerating. The channel is a
bloodbath, and it's only just starting.

Windows 8 is probably to blame for much of that - people have looked at
it, realised it's a crock of shit and got an iPad or Android tablet
instead.

Not a pretty picture, but then the PC market never was one easy to
forecast. ...although, giving up Windows for *nix would be like going
back to DOS for a GUI update with 3.11. Be what may. As for your
assessment of quality, that's something I couldn't begin to conceive.
Not even and nowhere near. But, yes, it's been that long since I've
run anything I didn't first build myself.

You know, I got to thinking it over later on. I can, most likely,
build myself a washing maching from a $150 used sale. All I need is a
good motor, bearings, valves and sensors such. As long as it's
mechanically linked to a timer control, I should be able to figure
what I need. Mainly the high-efficiency aspect of these newer water
measures (3-gal useage cycles fills my slop sink once vrs the old
non-HE of filling the slop sink three times). I know there's a water
sensor to adjust or, if need be, disconnect and override. Heh...Tin
snips, screw drivers, throw away the shrouding and 4 2x4s to hold it
all up, while waiting through the hard part for this new one,
delivered yesterday, to break again.

 

[Searcher7]

I agree. That's not an inverter problem.



The inverter affects whether the screen is lit up or not.

Your screen is lit up, therefore, inverter is OK.



More details in your thread from five years ago.



http://www.motherboardpoint.com/compaq-presario-repair-t178796.html



I tried Googling the model number, but I'm not getting

any hits on "horizontal line" at all.



It might mean finding another LCD panel, or looking at whether

the thing is getting power properly. The panel may be

powered by +12V or something.



Since another Compaq user had a broken cable leading to the panel,

you could inspect that. On their particular model, it was a

six wire ribbon cable. Compaq may try to snake that through the hinge,

to run the signals up to the panel. See if that is damaged.

I'm not thinking of a data signal problem (as then the screen

would be well and truly scrambled), but perhaps the power

connection is ohmic and the panel isn't running at full voltage.



Paul

I couldn't even find a manual for this laptop. At least not the exact number(12XL501). The number comes up in Google, but promises of a manual all turn out to be links where you have to sign up for something or they try to mine your e-mail. So I probably won't be able to take it apart to inspect the"data cable" without breaking it further.

I only need a laptop for my programming studies, and I'd actually prefer the IBM T22 I mentioned in the other thread, since it, unlike this Compaq, has a DVD drive.

Thanks.

Darren Harris
Staten Island, New York.

 

[Paul]

I couldn't even find a manual for this laptop. At least not the exact number(12XL501). The number comes up in Google, but promises of a manual all turn out to be links where you have to sign up for something or they try to mine your e-mail. So I probably won't be able to take it apart to inspect the "data cable" without breaking it further.

I only need a laptop for my programming studies, and I'd actually prefer the IBM T22 I mentioned in the other thread, since it, unlike this Compaq, has a DVD drive.

Thanks.

Darren Harris
Staten Island, New York.

The interesting stuff, starts around page 27. It appears there
are some options, such as a wider, parallel LVDS type cable for
the panel. And the other end, looks like it might terminate
in an elastomer connector of some sort. Hard to tell with
the quality of those figures.

http://www.elhvb.com/mobokive/edwin/laptops/Compaq/Compaq Presario/Compaq Presario 1200 Series.pdf

You're probably familiar with the connectors that have pins on them.
Ribbon cables and the like. On an elastomeric connector, there is
a rubber cylinder or rod, with electrical contacts printed on it.
And via compression, surfaces are joined together electrically,
with the elastomer as the "intermediary" or go-between. An
elastomeric connector, uses compression, and needs some sort of
"plates" to bring the assembly sandwich together. The rubber part
is supposed to remain under compression for its lifetime, and
continue to press on the contacts above and below it. If you're
careful, you can take them apart and reassemble them again.

http://www.fujipoly.com/products/zebra-elastomeric-connectors.html

You can find examples of flex cables here. Kapton is the yellow
plastic bit, and the plastic hides copper conductors inside. The
whole assembly can be bent, up to a certain minimum bend radius,
without the thing breaking. Since it may be difficult to fit connectors
on those, sometimes they use an elastomeric connector at the ends.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kapton

I don't think the LVDS contacts, would correspond to the horizontal lines,
but you could disassemble and reassemble the connectors at either end of
the flex, and see if that helps at all.

Have fun,
Paul

 

[SC Tom]

I have a Compaq Presario 1200 laptop that has been gathering dust for
over 5 years.

The laptop works, but the screen image has issues.
(http://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll257/Statenislander/Computer/
CPDesktop_zps9cc08008.jpg).

Putting pressure on the sides of the screen did not change those
horizontal lines. But it is possible to plug my regular desktop
monitor into the laptop's 15 pin monitor port and get a clear picture
that way, so I came to the conclusion that the problem was the
inverter, which I read was a common problem with these laptops.

Unfortunately, Compaq, in an apparent effort to make their PCs non-
user serviceable never gave out the specifics concerning exactly what
inverter this model laptop uses.

(I measured the screen at a tiny bit over 13 inches, but the model
number is 12XL501).

I had picked up an inverter via Ebay 5 years ago. But I came to the
conclusion that it was the incorrect one.
http://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll257/Statenislander/Computer/Inverter2_zps7dcd4d51.jpg
http://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll257/Statenislander/Computer/Inverter1_zps8afa4b22.jpg

So now I figure I'll try again to see if someone has an answer.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks.

Darren Harris
Staten Island, New York.

My reply may be a little late, but my Gateway started doing that a while
ago, and it was the heatsink paste had dried out (the heatsink covers the
CPU, GPU, and north bridge chip on mine). I cleaned it and put new paste on
it and all was good.