Black (Blank) screen on Laptop (Backlight Inverter)

Issue: Have a problem with a laptop when screen went blank.

Quick check: If you shine a strong torch at the screen is there an image?

Possible problem: Backlight inverter

Apparently a common problem is a faulty backlight inverter. One quick test is to shine a torch onto the screen to see if the image is actually still there. On ours we used a Big dolphin torch and the image was still there. So have sourced a backlight inverter from trademe ( bwl http://www.trademe.co.nz/Members/Listings.aspx?member=512606 ) will update blog to show progress.

For Compaq there is a fix-it video "Replacing the laptop backlight inverter" on http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ucaJA324hbg

Well that didnt work so back to Dr Google

Possible problem: CCFL lamp

Possible problem is the CCFL lamp. This is much trickier to repair... we may give this a go to.. who knows and we'll learn heaps as well.

http://www.laptoprepair101.com/laptop/2007/12/09/replace-laptop-backlight-ccfl-lamp/

Possible problem: Cables

Other resources:

• In DrGoogle type "?laptop name? service manual"


• Compaq repair manual (pdf)  http://www.hp.com/ctg/Manual/c00246219.pdf


• How to Upgrade, Repair, Disassemble a COMPAQ Laptop or Notebook http://repair4laptop.org/disassembly_compaq.html

zotero standalone version

From JJ

"An alpha release of standalone Zotero has been announced, part of the larger Zotero Everywhere project. Standalone Zotero Alpha does not require Firefox to run and is available for Mac OS X, Windows, and Linux. Alpha plugins to connect standalone Zotero to the Google Chrome and Safari browsers are already available (a plugin for Internet Explorer is planned).

And I didn't know there was a chrome plugin either !!

XP Antivirus (Malware)

This is a real pain.. while surfing for content on a Security class XP Antivirus installed itself. If continuously nags to say you have virus's (which are false) and asks for money. It has a believable interface and looks like an actual Microsoft program.

To remove http://www.myantispyware.com/2010/11/11/how-to-remove-xp-antispyware-2011-virus/

This needs you to create a  registry patch file, then we ran

spybot http://download.cnet.com/Spybot-Search-amp-Destroy/3000-8022_4-10122137.html

Which finally removed the damn thing!

Future (and present) uses of Glass

A Day Made of Glass... Made possible by Corning

Miku 39 on youtube. Computer performer using #Vocaloid s/ware in a live concert. http://trunc.it/f1yst

 

2011 (some interesting numbers)

From one of my students

This year we will experience 4 unusual dates.... 1/1/11, 1/11/11, 11/1/11, 11/11/11 .........

NOW go figure this out.... take the last 2 digits of the year you were born plus the age you will be this year and it WILL EQUAL .... 111 !!!!!

Application stacks for Open Source Software

http://bitnami.org

Run your favorite apps ...  Joomla!, Drupal, Redmine,Mediawiki, Wordpress,... on your favorite platform. BitNami Stacks include an open source application and all of the other software necessary to run it, such as Apache, MySQL, PHP or Ruby..

(Also from JJ)

Web page Colour scheme designer

Another link from JJ to help you with the colours in your web site.

http://colorschemedesigner.com/