Laptop & Tablet Screen Repair
If you have broken the screen on your laptop or tablet, you may not realise that it is possible to replace the damaged screen with a new one. Often, this can be far cheaper than buying a new device. In addition, provided the hard disk drive has not been damaged by whatever caused the screen to break, once repaired, your device will behave exactly as it did before, with all your files intact.
'Leaking' or Cracked Screen
Where a laptop screen looks as though there is a 'leak' or is cracked, unfortunately it is not possible to repair this kind of damage without replacing the screen. However, the repair cost can be reduced by replacing the screen itself, rather than the entire lid section. Screens usually crack as the result of an impact, however they can just as easily crack if an object such as a pen is left on top of the keyboard when a laptop lid is closed.
Where a tablet screen is cracked, in some instances it is possible to replace the front glass and digitizer, rather than the whole screen assembly, which can be far more cost effective. If it is necessary to replace the entire screen on a tablet, it may be wiser to just buy a new device, especially if the tablet is a few years old. The cost of tablet devices continues to fall, while the specification only ever improves.
Dark Screen
Laptop screens are usually 'lit' using a backlight. Historically, this 'backlight' was a CCFL - a thin fluorescent tube, powered by AC type voltage. As laptops are powered using DC voltage, a device known as an inverter was required to convert the DC voltage to AC voltage to power the tube. Sometimes the inverter would fail, other times the tube itself would fail.
However, the majority of modern laptop screens are powered using LED technology. LEDs do not require an inverter to operate. They also last far longer and are far less susceptible to damage by impact. If you find that the screen looks dark on your device, and the device is new, it's most likely that you need to check the screen brightness controls.
Alternatively...
If you'd rather buy a new device but the screen is too badly damaged to use, it's usually possible to connect the device to an external screen. Once you have connected an external display to your device, you can backup your files.
In the case of tablet devices, a low cost HDMI 'breakout' cable can usually be found on Amazon that will display the output from the tablet on any television set with an HDMI connector. Similarly, most modern laptops have an HDMI connection which can be used to hook up to a television using an HDMI socket. Alternatively, nearly all laptops have a VGA or HDMI adapter socket which can be used to connect the laptop up to a computer monitor. A lot of new television sets also have a VGA connector into which you can plug a laptop.
While most tablet devices require no additional configuration, laptops sometimes have a keyboard shortcut that needs to be engaged to output the display externally. It's also sometimes possible to direct the display output using the BIOS of the laptop (refer to the user manual for your device).
Alternatively, where the device concerned is a laptop, it is usually possible to remove the hard disk drive (the device on which your files are stored) and install the drive into an external enclosure. This can then be connected to any computer with a USB socket to access the files.