can someone please help???? i have a KDS VALIANT 671XH and for some reason the screen is blank ( you can see the "welcome" if you look REAL hard).I'm not sure if it's the ccfl or if i just need to use the bright/dim key. the only problem with that is i can't find the key that brightens the screen. if anyone can help me it would mean a lot. thanks

Try replacing the inverter first.. Look to E-bay for a cheap one. May also be somthing as simple as the lid switch sticking...

I concur with what icanfixit is saying:
The display backlight is not coming on, which is powered by the inverter. Notebooks also have a lid switch which turns off the power to the inverter when you close the lid and turns off the display, if it gets stuck down the display will not light.
The symptom you describe where you can see a very faint display tells us the computer is sending the display information, but with no backlight it will be gray on gray, almost unreadable. A good observation on your part, and good advice from icanfixit.

CCFL And inverter is nothing more than a smaller version of a Flourescent lamp and ballast.. (Just like in your garage).. These are problems on all brands of laptops. Intermittent backlight failure would be inverter generally, Flashing, Pink or reddish hue on startup followed by the backlight dropping out is a good indication of a failing CCFL. (Bulb). Inverters are easy to change, Backlights can be a pain on some units. Be advised on the output side or two wire side of the inverter there is High voltage present. 1.6KV (or in the neighborhood of) thats 1600 volts. NEVER unplug or try to measure the output side unless you have a meter capable of reading 2k. Input side can be verified theres generally 5 or 6 wires. 2@ 19V, 2@ 3V and a ground. If the lid switch is suspected? Clip one of the 2 wires and retry. These are a normally open switch..

My Valiant 671xh lcd screen went inoperable, after I replaced the hard drive, and removed and replaced some of the plastic covering around the hinge. It works ok, with the external monitor. When I close the lid, the computer hibernates. The Bios is set for both internal and external monitor use. What I really need is the shop manual for this thing. Otherwise, can somebody tell me how the lid detects it is being closed? I suspect that somehow this may be affecting the LCD screen being operational. Or, perhaps, is there a key sequence that can be typed to turn on the screen?

Also, does anybody have the recipe for removing and replacing the cd/dvd drive on this sucker?

Yes! :confused: I have tried the manufacturer.

The screen on my 671xh has gone black too... it happened while I was investigating another problem with the LCD. The other problem was: A line of washed out, garbled info appeared at the bottom of the screen, wiping out the video on the lower 1/4 inch of the screen. This was actually expanding upwards, and i discovered that if you moved the screen or flexed it ever so slightly this would partially dissappear, sugesting a connection problem. To my knowledge i did nothing to cause the screen to stop lighting, but since i can still faintly see the desktop I know that is what has happened. Any suggestions on either problem??

I might add that I have found that MANY KDS users have had similar problems and getting service info on these machines is like pulling teeth. I might have suspected such when I read the owners manual and found it was written by someone who had no grasp of the English language. This will be the LAST KDS ANYTHING I ever buy!

My Compaq Presario V2000 screen went dark 10 days after the 1-year warranty expired. HP tech support suggested I send it in for $300. I did a bit of rooting around and am typing on the thing now for a total fix cost of $75.

First, if you can make out features on the LCD screen with a flashlight, you've probably got an inverter problem. The CCFL bulbs have something like a 30,000-hour life span. My screen went out suddently.

I have a WXGA screen on this thing, Samsung LTN140W1-L01. The inverter is a Sumida PWB-IV13125TXF/C2. There is also another brand that works. I bought the part from an outfit in Singapore, www.pchub.com, which popped up when I entered a few specific search terms in google. It's used; bought for $54 and paid $20 to have DHL ship it. They have a 30-day warranty. Obviously, I'm happy with them so far.

There are also shops if you do a google on LCD inverter repair that will fix your inverter board. I didn't try them, but they seem legit and the price would be comparable.

First, unplug and take the battery off. On this model, the LCD cover pops off if you peel off the rubber pads over the six screws, which unscrew easily with a #0 phillips screwdriver. Then work the junction between the black front cover and silver LCD cover gently with a small standard screwdrive or plastic tool if you've got one. FYI the inverter itself is right behind the word "Compaq" at the base of the screen. Getting the cover off is the trickiest part - particularly on the bottom, where you have to pry a bit at the back. Use precision screwdrivers if you have them and a bit of patience.

There is no need to remove the LCD screen itself. The inverter is connected on either side. Pop off and replace. It goes on a lot easier than it comes off.

I also have this same laptop. I have found that if you open the lid too far the connection on the inverter will break loose. The pins can be reattached by soddering. I have been trying to find the user manual also and have found out that KDS computers is no longer in business. The parent company KDS monitors will not offer tech support any longer either. if anyone can be of any assistance on finding the manual or the computer specs I would be grateful.

I have a KDS Valiant of the same model. Is there a way to narror it down to the CCFL or the inverter from looking at the screen?

Redwine's advice is actually the best I've seen. From looking at the screen, you won't be able to tell if it's the inverter or the bulb; however, inverters go out much more often than bulbs do, so it's pretty likely the inverter that's broken.

At any rate, replacing the inverter is generally pretty cheap, and pretty easy to do with a few instructions. A few searches at eBay (http://search.ebay.com/search/search.dll?from=R40&satitle=KDS+Valiant+inverter) or Google (http://www.google.com/search?q=KDS+Valiant+inverter) should get you on your way.

If it's the screen that's out, there are a few outfits that'll sell you a replacement screen. LCDScreen.com lists the LTN140W1 (http://www.lcdscreen.com/SamsungPart_LTN140W1.htm) for $185. Again, eBay's an option, too.

If it is the bulb, finding a replacement and installing it are much more difficult.

pwb-IV13125TXF replaced and still no backlihgt so tried another inverter still not light but would light sometimes so i had the backlight CCFL replaced
but it refused to power up so i replaced the backlight with a New lamp still it just flashed up bright then the inverter powered of so i fitted a universal inverter from this websites link and it worked great full brightness to my laptop LCD www.lrusa.com/Laptop_Universal_Inverter_replacement.htm

Sorry to bump an old thread, but I just wanted to thank redwine for the great instructions for the replacement. I was able to rescue a 'dead' laptop for the price of the inverter ($15).

Cheers

Hey, sorry also for bumping an old thread, but this was very helpful.

I have a compaq v2000, LTN140W1 started acting funny a few days ago (would only show image when screen at 90 degree angle or less to computer). Starting this morning, when I turn it on it shows the windows startup image then freezes and starts fading white slowly, then goes black, shows next image, slowly gets white from the bottom right corner moving up.

I opened it up and found one of the wires that is part of the CT3B LCD cable was broken. It's the wire that has no housing, so I'm assuming it's the ground, but not sure...
Also based on the assumption that this wire was not supposed to be severed, I soldered it back together and wrapped it all up. Unfortunately, that didn't fix it.

Questions:
Is that wire the ground?
Should it not be in two?
If it was not supposed to be in two, is that what caused above problems?
If so, did it getting pinched in the hinge permanently mess up the LCD?

Maybe the backlight has gone haywire, i.e. shining too much?
Or is this an inverter issue?

Obviously floundering in all the possibilities. Any help would be much appreciated.

Any advice