Laptop LCD screen problem

[mikehende]

A friend of mine bought an HP Pavilion ZE5000 laptop,

http://www.laptopcloseout.ca/canada/...400_canada.htm

the seller says that the screens shows "white" so you can't see anything on it but it shows perfect on any external monitor, my friend bought this with the intention of getting a new screen for it but I would like to know if this screen problem is repairable? If so, how can I go about it?

[PrntRhd]

Generally the repair is just the replacement of the entire screen.

[mikehende]

The friend was thinking of sending the laptop to Geeksquad to run a Diagnostics test but I told him that it doesn't make sense to pay them $60-something for this test when a new screen cost just around $100, what I'd like to know is, just what is this dagnostics test they run to determine the causes of problems and why can't we have these tools and do the same thing?

[mjc]

what I'd like to know is, just what is this dagnostics test they run to determine the causes of problems and why can't we have these tools and do the same thing?

'cause they cost several hundred dollars...that is if GS is paying for them...this time.

[mikehende]

I had asked this on many forums before and was told that no such thing exists, I will ask here just for the hell of it, if you can take a car and hook it up to a computerized machine and this machine tells you what's wrong with the car then why isn't there something, some sort of diagnostic tool or whatever that you can run on a pc and have it tell you what's wrong whether it's Hardware or Software?

[mjc]

There are several tools...from a simple card that plugs into an open PCI slot that can do many diagnostic tasks to a complex suite of software/hardware (more plugin cards/bench machines) to go a bit more in depth. The problem is, other than the simple POST cards (the first card I mentioned) these things get very expensive very quickly. They aren't really in the realm of the small shop/hobbyist.

[mikehende]

Alright, so these diagnostics tools DO exist if I am understanding you correctly? Thanks! Regarding the laptop, my friend found this laptop repair facilitity whose site does a great job explaining the details

http://laptops.home.att.net/lcd-repair.htm

What I have to decide is whether to send the laptop for repair at their facility or get a used screen, problem is, both options will cost around the same, this is taken from their page, they have the problem and fix covered:

"15 Those with LCD's failures (white LCD screen) normally bad electronics inside the LCD PCB driver we repair for $85
(white LCD screen) check to see if your system board is still sending 3.3 volts to the LCD, if no Volts, I can repair your system board by adding a few transistors and a zenor diode
3.3 volt regulator supply for lcd white with 0 Data"

Since I don't have the tools to see if the system board is sending the 3.3volts and also becuase they list the sympton and repair strategy I am thinking it is best not to buy a used screen but to let them do the repair, would you guys agree or do you think it may be best to get a screen wheter used or new? Just asking your opinions here.