Black screen on laptop, barely visible, ok on external monitor

[MAS-SP]

Hi, my laptop is old, hp pavilion dv6 2090 (product VJ721EA#ABE), but was working fine till now.

After trying several alternatives, looking on the internet, I couldn’t solve it (bios, graphics controller, operating system is the same than that before issue), but at the end I discovered that in fact the screen is not completely black  as with a lantern and in a dark room I can see it is showing the same than on the external monitor. But another issue is that this is working this way with normal start of windows, but on safe mode, or initial settings I cannot see anything either on the external monitor.

Any idea of what is happening? (from simpler to more complex alternatives to try)

Thanks for your help

[A_Gayathri]

Hi @MAS-SP,

Welcome to The HP Support Community.  

Thank you for posting your query, I will be glad to help you.

I understand your HP Pavilion dv6-2090es notebook is experiencing a backlight issue on the internal display. This is a common problem in older laptops where the backlight (which illuminates the screen) stops functioning properly, making the display very dim but still visible under certain lighting conditions (like with a flashlight). The fact that the external monitor works fine indicates that the laptop's graphics card is functioning normally. 

Here are some potential causes and solutions to try, from simpler to more complex:

1. Check Brightness Settings

• Brightness Controls: Ensure the brightness isn't turned all the way down by using the function key (usually Fn + a function key, like F2 or F3) to adjust brightness. This is the simplest step, though it may not be the issue if you’ve already tried it.
• Power Settings: Go to Control Panel > Power Options and check if the brightness setting is adjusted too low for different power plans (e.g., while on battery vs. plugged in).

2. Test the Display in BIOS

• Reboot your laptop and enter the BIOS by pressing Esc or F10 (depending on the model) during startup. If the display is also dim in the BIOS, the issue is hardware-related (likely the backlight or inverter). If it's bright in BIOS, it could be a driver or software issue.

3. Update or Rollback Graphics Drivers

• Since the display works on the external monitor but not in Safe Mode, there could be an issue with the graphics driver. Try updating or rolling back the graphics driver:
  1. Press Windows + X, select Device Manager.
  2. Expand Display Adapters.
  3. Right-click on your graphics card, and choose Update driver.
  4. If you recently updated the driver, choose Rollback driver instead.

Alternatively, visit HP’s support site or the graphics card manufacturer’s site (Intel, NVIDIA, etc.) to download the latest driver.

4. Check the Inverter or Backlight (Hardware)

• Inverter: The inverter provides power to the backlight, and if it’s failing, the screen may be dim. Inverters are relatively inexpensive and easy to replace, but this will require opening the laptop.
• Backlight: If the backlight is failing, the screen will be hard to see, like in your case. This would require replacing the screen itself or just the backlight, which can be tricky.

5. Test the Laptop Display Cable

• The display cable that connects the motherboard to the screen could be loose or damaged, especially in older laptops. This requires opening the laptop and checking the cable connection or replacing the cable if it's damaged.

6. External Display Behavior

• You mentioned that the external monitor works fine in normal mode but not in Safe Mode. This suggests that Safe Mode might be using a basic display driver that doesn’t support multiple displays or is causing issues. Try reinstalling the default display drivers in Safe Mode:
  1. Boot into Safe Mode.
  2. Open Device Manager.
  3. Uninstall the display adapter and restart your laptop, which should reinstall the basic driver.

Refer to this document: HP Pavilion dv6-6000 Entertainment Notebook PC series User manual 
HP PCs - The computer starts but the screen remains blank (Windows 11, 10)

I hope this helps. 

Take care and have a good day.

Please click “Accepted Solution” if you feel my post solved your issue, it will help others find the solution. 

[MAS-SP]

Many thanks for your help,

and sorry for the delay answering, I didnt come back to the laptop (luckely I had backup and I can work with other laptop temporary). Your hints are good, it must be a hw issue, but I have to find time to work on it carefully.

I' ll try these steps in this order:

6. External Display Behavior --> at begining I did something like that and I lost connection too with external monitor, it is like if only the NVDIA driver is available and if I uninstall it nothign works. Besides this have to be done with a lantern ... or memorizing keyboard clicks for all the options until complete operations ....uffff

5. Test the Laptop Display Cable --> seems easier than identify and change inverter o backlight

4. Check the Inverter or Backlight (Hardware) --> last option, 

after this I would update here what the exact solution could be ... or just the laptop will have definitly die

[Raj_05]

Hi @MAS-SP,

Thank you for your response, 

Your plan for troubleshooting is solid, and it’s good to hear that you have a backup laptop to work with in the meantime. Here are a few additional suggestions and clarifications for each step.

Brightness Settings:

• Since the external monitor works fine, it’s less likely that this is the main issue. However, it’s worth double-checking brightness settings and any ambient light settings that might be affecting the display.

Test the Display in BIOS:

• If you see the display clearly in BIOS, it indicates that the hardware is likely functioning properly. If it's still dim, then you should look at hardware components like the inverter or backlight.

Update or Rollback Graphics Drivers:

• When updating drivers, ensure you're doing this in normal mode. If you can get into Safe Mode and the external display works, you might want to try a clean uninstall of the NVIDIA drivers using a tool like DDU (Display Driver Uninstaller) before reinstalling the latest driver. This will help eliminate any driver conflicts.

Check the Inverter or Backlight (Hardware):

• If you decide to replace the inverter or backlight, consider looking for a tutorial specific to your model online. This will guide you through the disassembly process, which can be tricky. You can also find parts on sites like eBay or Amazon.

Test the Laptop Display Cable:

• Make sure to handle the display cable carefully. If it’s loose, reseating it may resolve the issue. If it looks damaged, replacing it might be the best option.

External Display Behavior:

• If you can't see anything on the laptop screen in Safe Mode, but it works on the external monitor, it could still point to driver issues. Uninstalling the display adapter in Device Manager is a good approach. Ensure you have a plan to connect to an external monitor to guide you if the internal display is still unresponsive.

Note:

• Reset the BIOS: Sometimes resetting the BIOS to its default settings can help resolve display issues.
• Check for Windows Updates: Ensure your operating system is up to date, as updates can sometimes resolve driver-related issues.
• External Monitor Settings: Sometimes, toggling between display modes (using the Fn key plus the appropriate function key, usually F4 or F5) can reset the display settings and help the laptop recognize the internal display again. 

I hope this helps.

Take care and have a good day.

Please click “Accepted Solution” if you feel my post solved your issue, it will help others find the solution. Click the “Kudos/Thumbs Up" on the bottom right to say “Thanks” for helping!

Alden4

HP Support

[MAS-SP]

Thanks for your hitnts,

* Brightness Settings: yes, I had already verified, still dim

* BIOS: same that with windows, not seen either on laptop nor on external monitor. That's why it has to be a hw problem as you say. Same result with safe mode.

Bios is updated up to last version for this laptop.

* Graphics drivers: after serveral tries and study of differents drivers I'm almost sure it has the last compatible driver from NVDIA. When I noticed the issue for first time, black on laptop screen and ok on externat monitor, I tried to do the clean uninstall of the NVDIA driver to restart and that system could reinstall the generic driver. But the result was that no driver was installed and I lost connection also with external monitor. Finally when I realized the the black screen was only 'dim' screem I could reinstall compatible NVDIA driver and I got again connection with external montitor.

But may be I still could do somethin about this .... I'll see with DDU

* Inverter or backlight: well, here I'll have to look for help, at leas some video guide ... if this means to desassambly the screen I would try first the display cable

* Display cable: If you means the external cable I have used differnt cables. If you means the internal cable connecting vga port with screen, this is the firs action I want to take.

Many thanks, I will update, but may be i takes me some days

[Raj_05]

Hi @MAS-SP,

Thank you for your response, 

Is there anything else that I can help you with today?

Please click “Accepted Solution” if you feel my post solved your issue, it will help others find the solution. Click the “Kudos/Thumbs Up" on the bottom right to say “Thanks” for helping!

Take care and have a great day ahead!

Alden4

HP Support