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Acer Netbook

cooperlola
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cooperlola Newbie

cooperlola

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I have had a little Acer netbook for eighteen months now and it has been great in terms of size and weight for travelling around the place/using in hospital etc.  However, it has already got through two batteries and now the screen has gone completely blank.  It is clearly booting up OK and I'm on the mains so it's not a battery problem.  I'm going to send this piece of unreliable junk back to the manufacturer but before I do can any of you techies think of anything I could try to get it working again, given that obviously I cannot see anything I'm inputting?
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tel Newbie

tel

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Hi,

Try starting in safe mode

  • Turn the computer on or Restart the computer

  • Start tapping the F8 key. The Windows Advanced Boot Options Menu appears. If you begin tapping the F8 key too soon, some computers display a   "keyboard error" message. To resolve this, restart the computer and try again.

  • Ensure that the Safe mode option is selected (the top option)

  • Press Enter. The computer then begins to start in Safe mode.

    • Select system restore and restore back to a point before the problem started.  If this doesn't work then I am afraid Acer will need to sort your problem.

    There are many reasons and options that may be causing this problem but all are to complicated to advise via this forum.  Sorry Cooperola.

    Regards

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    pachapapa Newbie

    pachapapa

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    The Safe Mode option in immediately after being selected gives a window for selecting between 1) Entering Safe Mode and alternatively 2) Entering the System Restore. This alternative for selection offers the chance of restoring the system to an earlier date without requiring even the most basic EGA driver for the screen. The fact that your screen remains black already, suggests that it may well do the same even with the limited graphical driver configuration associated with Windows Safe Mode.

    [IMG]http://uploads.askapache.com/2007/08/boot-menu-1.jpg[/IMG]

    Another possibility is to connect an independent monitor to your DVI socket and establish whether the computer is OK but computer screen dud.

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    AnOther Rookie

    AnOther

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    I was thinking much the same as pachapapa so won't repeat it but one question, is the screen completely blank or is the display there but you can barely perceptible ?

    If the latter then the screen backlight inverter will have failed and that should be a fairly cheap and easy repair.

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    cooperlola Newbie

    cooperlola

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    It's Linux not Windows, I should say.  I've tried all the F keys (one after the other, rebooting in between as I couldn't remember which did which!).  Nothing lights up, whatever I do.  I rather suspect AnO that the screen backlight or at any rate something screen related is indeed at the root of the problem.  I will indeed try to rig it up to another monitor.
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    Quillan Newbie

    Quillan

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    I don't know much about Acers but many laptops have a sequence of buttons that flips from built in screen to monitor as well as automatically sensing if a monitor is attached. This is nothing to do with the operating system. You might like to check the manual on this BUT perhaps the quickest way is to plug a monitor directly in to the laptop as already said.
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    cooperlola Newbie

    cooperlola

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    I have tried the combinations of keys suggested.  I have wired it in to another monitor.  Still nothing. Clearly something is going on as the thing is getting warm and the standard "booting up" noises seem to be in evidence.  I think it's back to the makers with this little beastie.  Can't say it was my best ever purchase, computer wise.

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    AnOther Rookie

    AnOther

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    That's pretty conclusive then Coops so it's off to Acer with it. If you have stuff on the HD you want to keep and it is just the screen gone then hopefully you  should still be able to connect it to a network and copy it off to another machine.

     

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    cooperlola Newbie

    cooperlola

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    Happily there is nothing important on it as I only use it as a travelling DVD player and surfer.  Annoyingly I was going to take it to Belgium with me and now I have to take the big Tosh.  More annoyingly I won't have it to go to the UK with as I'm going by train and can't carry the biggie with me.  Grump.  But you learn from your mistakes. 

    Thanks to all of you for your comments and suggestions.  I just like to try any obvious stuff before parting with things in this way, especially as the guarantee has run out.

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    AnOther Rookie

    AnOther

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    If the guarantee has run out and you have been less than happy with it anyway, you might consider replacing it instead. I can unreservely reccommend the Samsung NC10 which is what I have had for travelling for the past 15 months or so and it's a splendid little netbook.

    The fact that it is still on sale some 2 years after it's introduction is testament enough to its virtues but one of its strongest points is the battery life which, when new, was around 8 hours and even now, 15 months later and in daily use, is still 6 or so, and that's playing movies.

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    Salty Sam Newbie

    Salty Sam

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    I had a similar problem with a Dell and it turned out to be the invertor, had it repaired only for it to fail again. This time I put it in the hands of an independant techie who found Dell had misplaced the location of a wire in the hinge unit, causing it to break.

    Must agree with ANOther about Samsung Netbook, I've got an NB30 and it's a brilliant bit of kit.

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    pachapapa Newbie

    pachapapa

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    [quote user="Salty Sam"]

    I had a similar problem with a Dell and it turned out to be the invertor, had it repaired only for it to fail again. This time I put it in the hands of an independant techie who found Dell had misplaced the location of a wire in the hinge unit, causing it to break.

    Must agree with ANOther about Samsung Netbook, I've got an NB30 and it's a brilliant bit of kit.

    [/quote]

    Further information on the function of inverters including the spelling. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inverter_(electrical))

    Idem independent....http://www.independent.co.uk/

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