Depending on your preferences, you have a few options here. First, if the screen comes on normally and then goes black, you likely have a bad fluorescent backlight. The key there is the laptop is probably fine otherwise and it should be fairly easy to view it. Just buy or borrow a standard monitor and plug it into the laptop as an extra monitor. (If the laptop is older, it will likely have a 15-pin VGA connector for most monitors. If it's newer it probably has an HDMI connector that will work in most new flat-panel TVs.). Connect the ext monitor/TV and power on the laptop. If it doesn't work, look on the keyboard for a square or "monitor" type icon. It's usually on one of the F keys at the top and may work with the blue or orange FN key at the bottom. It's usually a toggle so pressing those keys should cycle through turning the ext monitor connection on/off. If you can't find it, Google the make/model of your laptop and "connect external monitor". If that works, then you'll have a working PC, just without the convenience of the built-in screen.
As for fixing the screen, options vary. You can take it to a repair center and depending on the model, you could pay $75-150 for labor plus the cost of the screen. If you're handy and not afraid, then you could potentially fix it yourself. In either case, Google the make/model of your laptop and replacement screen. Used to, they would be hundreds of dollars, but lately and depending on the brand, it could be fairly cheap.
Worst-case, if the problem is actually with the laptop, it sounds more like a mainboard/video problem which would probably require a more expensive, professional repair. The good side though is it doesn't sound like a hard drive issue. If you want/need to replace the laptop, you can buy an external hard drive connector on Amazon (usually for $10-$20), pull the hard drive from the bad laptop (often just 2 screws - usually indicated by a square or HD icon on the bottom of the laptop), connect it via USB and the adapter to your 2nd laptop, and copy the important contents to the other or new laptop.
My laptop got a black screen and was wondering if it is costly to repair or should I just forget it. I do have some information and programs that I would like to retrieve from it. I have 2 laptops, one was for pictures and the other was for information and records. I have it set up like this as pictures and picture programs usually take a lot of space. I also like keeping the 2 separated. The laptop seems to come on and run as all the lights light up and it sounds like it is running. I did try disconnecting all power for a couple of days and when I plugged it back in, the screen came on but it was short-lived. Any suggestions or advice would be appreciated. I should mention that I have an HP Pavilion Entertainment PC, SD-MS/Pro-MMC-XD. Thank you!
--Submitted by Edward D.

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