Toshiba laptop display problem

[dkryan]

I have a Toshiba Satellite A105-xxxx that I've had for two years. I don't use it as much as I thought I would (surprise!) so it's not as though I've worn it out.

I booted it up this evening and found that only 60% of the display is there, i.e., there is a black space on the right 40% side of the screen. I hit "function and F5" simultaneously (per Toshiba's written instructions) and all that I got out of that was vertical "test pattern" lines like the TV sets of the 60s.

I tried to go into the control panel and "display" to work with the settings, but the laptop locks up each time I do that.

Is it my settings or did the screen take a dive? Fortunately, it's one of the very fews times I've purchased an extended warranty on anything.

Thanks in advance for the constructive advice.

 

[OVERKILL]

Sounds like the video controller may have died. Especially if it's locking up.

If the LCD were in fact half-fried, the computer itself would not misbehave.

An easy way to check would be to hook it up to an external monitor.

 

[ToyotaNSaturn]

+1 on video controller = bad.

 

[dkryan]

What's a video controller cost (warranty covers that, right) and standby while I hook the laptop up to my Viewsonic.

 

[XS650]

Originally Posted By: dkryan
What's a video controller cost (warranty covers that, right) and standby while I hook the laptop up to my Viewsonic.


If it's an onboard integrated video controller, it costs exactly the same as the motherboard. I'm glad you have the warranty.

 

[dkryan]

Never mind on hooking the Toshiba to my Viewsonic. My HP and Viewsonic sync P/S2 to P/S2. If I'm stopping by MicroCenter for a P/S2 to USB connection, I might as well take the laptop in for a new video controller.

Thanks for the advice.

 

[dkryan]

XS650:

Video controller equals video card, right? If so, I believe you are correct in that they are integrated on the A105-4104 Satellite Toshiba. Something about the mfr. saving space and $$.

 

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted By: dkryan
XS650:

Video controller equals video card, right? If so, I believe you are correct in that they are integrated on the A105-4104 Satellite Toshiba. Something about the mfr. saving space and $$.


Yup, very dependant upon the manufacturer of the notebook and even then, deviations of different trim levels of a certain model can change this.

I had two Inspiron notebooks apart recently. Same model. But one was a "higher trim" version of the same model and had an ATI X1400 video card in it.

Same motherboard. BUT, on the lower-end model, the board had the DVI header for the LCD on the physical board and there was no socket soldered on for the PCI-Express connector. The spot to solder it on was there, it just wasn't.

On the other board, the socket for the on-board DVI connector wasn't soldered on, but the PCI-Express connector WAS. And it had a removable video card, manufactured by Foxcon, which was the ATI card.

So, two notebooks of the same model, but different trims and one had a replaceable video card the other didn't