Moderate Damage to LCD Display Screen on Laptop

[[email protected]]

I have a Toshiba Satellite 1135 which recently sustained damage to the
LCD screen. The screen is not badly cracked; a hair-thin crack runs
diaganol across the screen, and there is a black circle about 3 inches
in diametre in the upper left-hand quadrant of the screen. It does
not greatly impair my ability to type or watch DVDs. However, I am
concerned that there is a possiblity of the crack widening or getting
worse--is this possible? I don't want to replace it if I don't have
to, because at $600US I can buy a whole new laptop these days. What's
the verdict?

 

[Mike Berger]

Yes, any stress or pressure will probably make it worse over time.
You might find an identical unit on Ebay with a good screen and
bad motherboard.

 

[Dave D]

I have a Toshiba Satellite 1135 which recently sustained damage to the
LCD screen. The screen is not badly cracked; a hair-thin crack runs
diaganol across the screen, and there is a black circle about 3 inches
in diametre in the upper left-hand quadrant of the screen. It does
not greatly impair my ability to type or watch DVDs. However, I am
concerned that there is a possiblity of the crack widening or getting
worse--is this possible? I don't want to replace it if I don't have
to, because at $600US I can buy a whole new laptop these days. What's
the verdict?

It could well get worse. That black circle you see often happens around the
periphery of the crack on an LCD, and chances are it may start to happen
right across the screen. If I were you I'd look out on eBay for a
replacement, possibly from a dead laptop.

Also, as it's cracked right across, it may be a matter of time before the
conductors which carry the signals to the pixels are compromised. When that
happens, only the screen on one side of the crack will work, the other will
be blank, at least partially.

Dave

 

[James Sweet]

I have a Toshiba Satellite 1135 which recently sustained damage to the
LCD screen. The screen is not badly cracked; a hair-thin crack runs
diaganol across the screen, and there is a black circle about 3 inches
in diametre in the upper left-hand quadrant of the screen. It does
not greatly impair my ability to type or watch DVDs. However, I am
concerned that there is a possiblity of the crack widening or getting
worse--is this possible? I don't want to replace it if I don't have
to, because at $600US I can buy a whole new laptop these days. What's
the verdict?

Of course it's possible, whether or not it's likely depends on too many
different things.

You might be able to find a similar machine with a dead motherboard to
swap the screen out with.