G60 Backlight Flakey

[lm022]

HP G60-441US one month out of warranty.  Trying to fix it for my dad.

Boots and runs normally (considering the amount of bloatware installed) on external monitor.

Usually will run for 20 or 30 seconds before the backlight switches off. (still can see faint image, external monitor normal)

Repeatedly opening and closing the lid switch will sometimes bring it back on.   Or just waiting 5 minutes doing nothing will sometimes bring it back on.  If you do have a normal display, closing and opening the lid will almost always make it go away.   Thought this was a simply a bad inverter.

HOWEVER.  The thing runs just fine in safe mode.    Booting to safe mode makes the display pretty much rock solid.

You can open and close the lid 10 times in 10 seconds, and the backlight will go on an off as reliabley as any light switch in your house.

So hardware or software?  Does safe mode result in less processor and graphics chip overhead, and things are running cooler?  Or is there some bug or corruption in the drivers which monitor the lid switch and sleep mode?

I'm sort of at a loss as to whether I should waste an evening trying to flash the bios (if it's even possible) and reload graphics drivers, or I'd be better off trying to clean the dirt out of the fan, (it's pretty clean though).  Or I should just bite the bullet and buy a new motherboard (or computer)

Is this a known problem with this model?

Thanks.

lm

[JonLink]

I also have a G60 230CA with the same problem.

Starts up, and will be extremely dim...can barely see the logon screen. Opening and closing the lid sometimes helps. Usually it will flicker then go back to being dim. HP wanted 400 dollars to have it sent in which is outrageous since it is also barely out of warranty. Most forums have directed the problem at the backlight or inverter. These are expensive repairs in Toronto. I am usually quoted between 160-220 for local repair shops to fix it. Does anyone know if HP has recognized this issue and has a solution? If it is a common problem than perhaps there is a definitive answer to it? I just don't want to spend money for a diagnostic, then have someone replace the inverter and/or backlight and not have the problem solved.

Any others with this problem who have had it solved?

[elanni405]

Nearly a year since the last post here, but my G60 has recently begun doing the exact same thing. Bump in the hope of getting a response!

[jaded6914]

I'm having a similar problem and through my research I've been told its my inverter also. Mine is fine on start up and what not. I have a small black spot on the bottom right hand corner of my screen. Its super hot to the touch. When I plug my laptop into the power cord, the backlight flickers and goes out after aout 3 minutes. So I can't use it for extended periods of time anymore which tends to take away the convenience of it. Any help at all would be greatly appreciated.