Thinkpads Forum

We're all too familiar with the "dust specs behind the screen" situation, but I wanted to know whether anyone has actually tried to remove the dust specs without replacing the whole screen?

Taking the following link into consideration (http://www.laptoprepair101.com/laptop/2 ... cd-screen/) and sticking close to the HMM, shouldn't it be possible to use a can of compressed air or the like to blast the dust off the screen?

Any advice, warnings or horror stories are appreciated.

EDIT: Bah, in retrospect, this should have gone in General Hardware/Software.

One word of advice, don't even think about pulling the LCD apart unless you have a completely dust-free room, and I mean hospital grade.

Good luck.

ajkula66 wrote:One word of advice, don't even think about pulling the LCD apart unless you have a completely dust-free room, and I mean hospital grade.

Good luck.

This is not filling me with confidence.

Please tell me that you've tried and succeeded, lest I be stuck with dust in my otherwise pristine T42p forever.

I've tried and failed, many moons ago, when my eyes and hands were still useful to an almost full extent...

What you have proposed with compressed air etc. would do little apart from damaging the layers within the LCD.

Put some money aside and replace your LCD.

My $0.02 only...

shouldn't it be possible to use a can of compressed air or the like to blast the dust off the screen?

I wouldn't recommend that, I tried before and the dust got deeper into the screen.

There is the following thread...
http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?t=7089

Personally, I would never attempt it except perhaps on a spare display. I have had mine open, and the backlight is easily broken. Been there, done that.

EDIT for clarification: When I said I had mine open, that was to replace the backlight. I never got as far as separating the glass panels. I was unsuccessful with the backlight replacement and ended up installing a used display lid (complete) from ebay instead.

ajkula66 wrote:One word of advice, don't even think about pulling the LCD apart unless you have a completely dust-free room, and I mean hospital grade.

Good luck.

Having worked in hospitals for 12.5 years I can vouch that "hospital grade" is not equal to "dust free".

If you ever undertake an attempt to clean optics in a camera never blow compressed air - it only will displace the dust into another location.

The only way to get close to a "dust free" room in your own house is to use the bathroom after running the shower for a while. The shower will clean the air. But then you'll have to take other precautions: what to do about the dampness, what to do with clothing, how to cover up your hair, how to use a face mask that does not let any particles through etc.

Personally - with experience in optics - I would not get near attempting to fix an LCD. A backlight might just be possible but I would only attempt it as a last resort. (i.e. when I cannot buy a new screen)

If I would have to,
I would try it in a painting cabin of a nearby car garage.
Around here they have quite modern filters and dried air.