Thank you for being a valued part of the CNET community. As of December 1, 2020, the forums are in read-only format. In early 2021, CNET Forums will no longer be available. We are grateful for the participation and advice you have provided to one another over the years.

Thanks,

CNET Support

Question

Help with laptop

Apr 5, 2020 8:37PM PDT

I have an older laptop that I would like to continue to use and not buy a new one. A while ago the screen stopped working however today I got it working. What I did was I was able to connect the laptop to an external monitor. Then I uninstalled the display adapter from the device manager list, the computer restarted and then the laptop screen turned on and worked normally without the external monitor and I used it. Later when I tried to turn the laptop back on it was having the same black screen problem. I tried to repeat the same process by using the external monitor and uninstalling the display adapter but no luck.

Discussion is locked

- Collapse -
Answer
try
Apr 6, 2020 12:18AM PDT

are you able to enter the bios without the external monitor? what is the full model number of the laptop

Post was last edited on April 6, 2020 12:19 AM PDT

- Collapse -
Type
Apr 6, 2020 2:12AM PDT

It's a d620 fell laptop running windows 7..

- Collapse -
Answer
First thing I think of . . .
Apr 6, 2020 7:16AM PDT

There is a key or combination of keys on the keyboard that switches between the laptop screen and the external monitor. Have you tried that?

- Collapse -
What is it?
Apr 6, 2020 10:45AM PDT

No I haven't what is it? Although no don't think it's that because the screen doesn't turn on when I boot it up

- Collapse -
Re: screen doesn't turn on
Apr 6, 2020 10:50AM PDT

So you don't see anything on the screen? Not even the usual BIOS messages filling the screen before it starts Windows? Then it's not a Windows issue at all, but a hardware issue. In old laptops such hardware issues usually are a reason to bring it to the recycling.

Did you try to replace the CMOS battery? It's unlikely to help, but it's cheap, so worth a try,

- Collapse -
Seems like a tiny issue
Apr 6, 2020 11:53AM PDT

No nothing comes up but when I connected it to the desktop then uninstalled that display adapter the laptop worked amazing until I had to restart it then the screen didn't work again. I saw somewhere that removing the cmos battery and starting up should help where is it normally located so I don't have to dig around risking breaking something?

- Collapse -
The laptop is already broken.
Apr 6, 2020 12:56PM PDT

You can't break what is already broken. As to the "read somewhere" I've never found that to help. Since the CMOS battery is well under 1 dollar in bulk we replace them because of some good old advice which is "If you don't know what part has failed, replace the cheapest part first."

- Collapse -
Thanks guys
Apr 6, 2020 5:50PM PDT

If any of y'all have anymore ideas send em my way! Thanks

- Collapse -
Alternate cmos
Apr 8, 2020 12:33PM PDT

Before I order a cmos battery can I test if that was the issue by plugging in a 3.7 volt lipo battery to the laptop rather than the p-cr2032 battery? I'm also wondering if it would work as a permanent replacement rather than the cmos . It is 125 mAh

- Collapse -
Your choice and risk.
Apr 8, 2020 12:50PM PDT

As an electronics designer I would need the schematic to the CMOS BIOS area of the laptop (no doubt impossible to get that) which means I would never endorse this.

I can't guess what a p-cr2032 battery is. The usual is the plain cr2032 which costs 32 CENTS at https://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/panasonic---bsg/CR2032/P189-ND/31939?utm_adgroup=Battery%20Products&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Dynamic%20Search&utm_term=&utm_content=Battery%20Products&gclid=CjwKCAjw7LX0BRBiEiwA__gNw-gIeMzGM4KlIFUyid8bmNQr_BzYBWi59ZztmL9ta0Q2IG8GjmvS6RoC5XcQAvD_BwE

I can't guess why anyone would use anything else. Is there a shortage there? I see Digikey has over 1.6 million in stock.

- Collapse -
More data.
Apr 8, 2020 1:27PM PDT

A brand new 3 volt battery (say CR2032 for instance) reads about 3.3 Volts open circuit. At 3.7 you are well over that plus I can't measure what your 3.7 Volt battery is right now. The usual CR2032 I read is from 3.0 to 3.3 Volts with most coming closer to 3.0. Anything at exactly 3.0 and lower is replaced as we are talking a 32 cent part and some hundred dollar shop charge so you do not want a PC coming back for a nickel dime part.

Post was last edited on April 8, 2020 2:24 PM PDT