While no expert on Dell per se, I have plenty of laptop experience, and you are describing the worst possible scenario.

My first guess is that the LCD itself is dead, the Drawing on the LCD is done with the electronics in the screen and its unlikely to be repaired. IF flexing the screen makes it come and go a repair may be possible. But normally the cost of the parts makes repair uneconomic and replacement is cheaper. UNLESS you can find one for spares on trademe with a working screen.

second option, the motherboard needs replacing . don't even go there, but see above outcome .

Trademe for parts - not likely based on age, or a new laptop. with a new better replacement in the $800-$1200 range. repair is not likely to be economic. Of course with an external monitor the laptop can still be used as a desktop, or survive with the screen.

if flexing, opening or closing the screen makes the fault come and go it might be repairable as this tends to indicate the cable between the LCD and the MB is at fault, or a dry joint has occurred on the LCD driver - But reading the screen description, It doesn't seem right

My Ibook did this some time back, and I had to get a replacement screen on trademe. This did fix the fault and I again have a working laptop. But normally, its not worth doing as the machines age so quickly anyway.

Good luck with that

Chris O'Halloran wrote:

Hello people,

A friend has a Dell Inspiron Laptop that is now out if its warranty period.

The screen has become slightly distorted in the sense that there are now two vertical bars about 2 inchs wide each spaced apart by about 1 inch from the centre. There "bars" are simply the screen image overexposed, ie noticably whiter than the rest of the screen but you still legible.

I was wondering if anyone might care to comment on the prognosis. Can it be repaired and is that likely to be economical?

Thanks for any comments.

Chris

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Seems like you are not the only one :-)

http://pressf1.pcworld.co.nz/showthread.php?p=590802

Chris O'Halloran wrote:

Hello people,

A friend has a Dell Inspiron Laptop that is now out if its warranty period.

The screen has become slightly distorted in the sense that there are now two vertical bars about 2 inchs wide each spaced apart by about 1 inch from the centre. There "bars" are simply the screen image overexposed, ie noticably whiter than the rest of the screen but you still legible.

I was wondering if anyone might care to comment on the prognosis. Can it be repaired and is that likely to be economical?

Thanks for any comments.

Chris