problems with display when entering windows

[rude_NHS]

hi i'm new here and havent been through all the threads to find someone who has had the same problem, but basically, when i turn on my vaio laptop the display works fine when going through bios then goes completely dark when entering windows, but not dark enough to tell that the display is working but far to dark to work with. i have taken it inot a shop and they have treid using it with another monitor and its fine and have treid adjustng the setttings on the laptop itself and in windows but nothing has made any difference. please can someone shed some light on this even if they have only had the same problem. many thanks.

[kee-lo_]

Hi Rude NHS

When you are in Windows does it go back to normal?

Try pressing FN+F4

[rude_NHS]

Hi Rude NHS

When you are in Windows does it go back to normal?

Try pressing FN+F4

when it enters windows is when the display goes dark. during bootup i can see the vaio logo then everything goes dark when windows starts. i have now spoken to sony and they said plug it into another monitor, do a backup then a recovery which i have now done, but still the display goes dark when entering windows. i havent found anyone who has had this problem and what to get to the bottom of it before i pay £500! for a new screen from sony.

also, FN=F4 adjusts the volume on my machine, not the brightness.

thanks for getting back to me, any more thoughts....?

[apierc1]

Hey rude, I am just wondering how old your Vaio is? Obviously if it is still under warranty get it sent off right away and get the problem sorted, if it is only a couple of weeks old you may even be able to get the unit replaced at the retailer you purchasedit from

[Blencogo]

Hi Rude_NHS,

It sounds like it is working OK in the default VGA mode but not in DVI mode.

To confirm this, start up in Safe mode (or VGA mode) and see if Windows displays OK if you force it into VGA mode.

What model Vaio do you have? There may be a driver upgrade.

Reinstalling the Graphics Chip may help but it does sound like a hardware problem with the inverter not working properly in one mode.

[rude_NHS]

Hi Rude_NHS,

It sounds like it is working OK in the default VGA mode but not in DVI mode.

To confirm this, start up in Safe mode (or VGA mode) and see if Windows displays OK if you force it into VGA mode.

What model Vaio do you have?  There may be a driver upgrade.

Reinstalling the Graphics Chip may help but it does sound like a hardware problem with the inverter not working properly in one mode.

hi. the model is a vaio k315s m-p4. its out of warrantly so i cant send it off for repair. i will try what you suggested and let you know what happens. thanks all for the advice.

[rude_NHS]

Hi Rude_NHS,

It sounds like it is working OK in the default VGA mode but not in DVI mode.

To confirm this, start up in Safe mode (or VGA mode) and see if Windows displays OK if you force it into VGA mode.

What model Vaio do you have?  There may be a driver upgrade.

Reinstalling the Graphics Chip may help but it does sound like a hardware problem with the inverter not working properly in one mode.




hi. the model is a vaio k315s m-p4. its out of warrantly so i cant send it off for repair. i will try what you suggested and let you know what happens. thanks all for the advice.

no. niether vga mode or safe mode made any difference. the display is still too dark.

[Blencogo]

I think you will have to see if Sony can come up with a solution.

If a repair is needed it may be worth a quick phone call to a UK repairer like THIS ONE - or you may find one closer to home. This may be more economical than sending it to Vaio-Link.

[schouw]

I have the same problem with my PCG-GRT 916Z, after startup I get a black screen, I think it's the converter of the monitor.
It's again a problem with my notebook within 2.5 year, it looks the notebooks are not stable, robust, etc. I wonder what the price is of that converter and what the partnumber is. I have send a case to the e-support, but untill now I havent heard anything.

[jammold]

Just for informative purposes.

This is what happened to my VAIO, and may not accurately reflect what will happen your machine, as every fault may well be unique.

My inverter module appears to be faulty, and even after Sony "repaired" it (I use the term repaired loosely because it appears they did well naff all), the problem persisted.

What I noted on my VAIO, is that if the screen is tilted sometimes only by a fraction, the backlighting comes back to life. A torch is handy as well, if shone directly onto the screen you can verify if the display is still working - allbeit very dimly.

In other cases, merely going into standby (I press my power button to toggle power states - adjustable from Control Panel in Windows), is enough to make the screen come back to life, in other cases a full system reboot can trigger a working display.

Once the screen is illuminated on my VAIO, I experience no further problems. I've put my fault down to loose cabling, but the problem is far worse when the temperature is cool.

The problem has persisted for two years, so I doubt that unless a cataclysmic chain of events follows, its not likely to worsen much...

Sony hopefully will do a good job, but in my experience they did next to nothing to improve my fault, hopefully they will actually do something to correct yours.

In any event, I hope that this has been at least in part somewhat useful background reading.