Computer Repair in Ithaca and Binghamton NY

In order to obtain computer repair in Ithaca and Binghamton, NY, you should bring your computer, laptop, or ipod to the highest quality service around: pcXmedics.

Diagnosing popular LCD problems

If you own a laptop or an external flatpanel screen, then probably you’ve run into several problems with the LCD. LCD problems are definitely the most common laptop complaints besides hard drive crashes and loose power connectors. Cracked screens, lines on LCDs, a strange plasma effect, weak LCDs, dark pixels, backlight problems, and trembling LCDs are rather standard.

Here are several simple tests to find out what is broken with your display and to appraise the cost and trouble required in repairing the screen. As a disclaimer, this is not repair advice, so do not try to service your computer if you don’t know what you’re doing, as you may produce more severe damage than there already was. Do not take apart your computer if the battery is in or it is secured to a power supply. Instead, for computer repair in Ithaca NY bring your laptop to pcXmedics.

Broken LCD

Not much to test here; you will have to replace your LCD. Either that, or buy an external flatpanel.

Markings on LCD

This problem is more often than not due to a broken LCD or internal LCD video cable. Sometimes if you drop your laptop hard, it can impair the LCD and the hard disk if it’s running. Plug the laptop computer into an external monitor or LCD television. Does the picture have lines? If not, you either have an LCD cable or LCD problem. If you can find lines on the external monitor (if the external works fine), you most likely have a graphics card problem.

Plasma, oozing, octopus ink, turning plume

It is likely that your LCD is broken and needs to be replaced. This problem is normally induced by a physical malfunction of the glass sandwich on the LCD. As with the above test, see if you experience a clean picture on an external monitor. If you do, then time for a new LCD.

Dead, stuck, hot, or otherwise abnormal pixels

These can be produced by manufacturing faults which produce transistors to break or stop reacting inside your LCD. Often you can repair a dead pixel, but also you can make the problem worse if you’re not careful. A sound attempt is to attempt to fix the problem with computer software. Programs such as UDPixel and JScreenFix can diagnose dark, hot, or stuck pixels and even attempt to fix them. If these programs don’t work, as a last attempt, you can try to gently press the affected area with an eraser to coax oil into or out of the pixel layers. Again, this attempt is not assured to work, and can possibly make the problem worse, so be careful here. For computer repair in Ithaca, pcXmedics can help fix this problem.

Dim display

This could be caused by two standard problems: inverter failure or backlight failure. An inverter circulates power for the LCD, and mostly sits close to the laptop joints under the LCD case. Inverters are dangerous because they generally work between 4-7 amps of current. One amp can effortlessly kill you, so don’t mess with these if you don’t know what you’re doing. If the monitor is ever bright, it's likely that your inverter is fine. Backlights are challenging and dangerous to replace, so don’t try unless you know how. Most backlights are fragile and contain mercury, which is a carcinogen.

Absolutely zero display

If you get no display entirely, check it with a flashlight. Hold the flashlight at several angles to the screen. If you truly can’t see anything, attempt to plug it into an external monitor. If you get a clean picture, many things could be wrong. You could have a loose cable if you drop your laptop often. The cable could be pinched in the hinges and split. Rarely do you get a complete failure of the LCD, but it’s possible.

Display works whilst booting, but stops running at some point

You probably have a software matter. Time to check the drivers and check for viruses.

Display scrambles over time

This is generally caused by memory problems or an overheated video chip. If memory is the problem, you can attempt to remove one or two sticks of RAM from the bottom of the computer, ordinarily behind a panel. If this fixes the problem, time for a new stick of RAM. If heat is the problem, there are normally two reasons. Either the video processor is overheating, or the entire laptop is overheating. You will need to have the laptop taken apart to clear out dust, examine all the fans, and examine the thermal compound under the heat sinks.

Finally, if you do not know how to do something yourself, you risk further damaging the laptop and hurting yourself. Instead, for computer repair in Ithaca bring it to pcXmedics.