Laptop screen damage repair cost
A dying or cracked display doesnt mean your laptop is a paperweight. For most laptops, a screen replacement takes $80 and an hour of your time at most. If youre a DIYer, replacing a broken laptop screen yourself is a great way to save cash, as most computer repair shops will quote you $150 to $300 for the job. Show Here are step-by-step instructions on how to replace your broken laptops LCD. Before you replace your laptop screenBefore doing anything, give your laptop a full look-over and inspection to ensure the screen really needs replacement. If the graphics card on the motherboard is dead, for instance, you may be wasting your time and effort on replacing a perfectly good screen. Additionally, if the laptop has been recently dropped or otherwise possibly physically harmed, youll want to double-check for other damage as well. To ensure the graphics card is functioning, you can plug a desktop monitor or TV into the laptop, as most have a standard blue VGA monitor and/or a HDMI output. If the picture looks good on an external display, your graphics card is likely good and the screen is at fault. If you dont get any picture, keep in mind some laptops require you to press certain function keys on the laptop to activate external display output. If you do that and video still doesnt display, your graphics card and/or motherboard is likely broken, rather than your screen. Connecting your laptop to a TV or external monitor can help you confirm whether the root problem is a broken screen or something deeper. If the laptop outputs to another display successfully, use the computer for a while to ensure the keyboard and other laptop components appear to be functioning normally. Before you replace your laptops LCD, here are the caveats to the general steps that follow. This is not meant to be a guide for ultrabooks, two-in-ones, tablets, Macbooks, or other, more specialized notebooks, however. Its more for average, run-of-the-mill laptops. But even then the general steps I discuss do not work for all such laptops. Some will require a different process and/or more work to replace the screen, such as accessing the motherboard by opening the main case of the laptop. Finding a replacement laptop screenBecause of that crucial caveat, before buying a new LCD, it may be a good idea to try to remove the damaged screen first, to ensure you can perform the replacement. If, after following the first few steps the process looks different for your laptop, I recommend scouring Google and YouTube or finding a repair professional for further help on your exact laptop brand and model. Finding a replacement LCD is typically easyand you dont have to pay the crazy prices the manufacturer usually wants. Just search eBay, Amazon, or Google with your laptop model number and the words LCD screen. Youll find most regular screens can be had for as low as $50 to $80. If you arent finding anything, try other identification numbers from the laptop label or documentation. Some vendors have one or two different sets of identification numbers that could serve as your model number. Performing a simple search for your laptops model number plus LCD screen should reveal sources for replacement panels. When shopping for the LCD, most sellers will alert you to compare the specs and placement of the video cable on the back of their screen to your current screen. This is another reason to crack open the laptop bezel before ordering a replacement. However from my own experience, if the seller says the screen is compatible with your exact laptop model, it usually works. How to fix your broken laptop screenBefore starting, ensure you have the proper tools. Heres what works for most laptops:
These general steps work for most laptops:
You can see the screw covers in the very bottom right and left corners on the bezel of this Acer Aspire One. (Click any image in this article to enlarge it.)
After you remove the sticker covers, youll find screws.
In process of prying and unsnapping the bezel of the screen from the back case.
After removing the bezel youll find the screen is secured to metal frame pieces on each side.
Here is where most laptops will have screws securing the LCD screen to the metal trim frame pieces.
The LCD has been freed from the trim frame pieces and carefully sat down on the keyboard.
Unlike most laptops, this cable connector is on the very bottom of the LCD screen.
If all went well, you now should have a shiny new working laptop screen. Put the battery back in and test it out! Note: When you purchase something after clicking links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. Read our affiliate link policy for more details. |