Thinkpads Forum

I have a T60, type 1951-4MU with a display problem. The lower one-third is white with narrow horizontal lines from the very beginning at boot. The display is normal on an external monitor. The LCD ribbon cable connections have been cleaned with electronic foam cleaner and visually inspected as well as re-seating the inverter. Is this likely caused by a faulty inverter or is the LCD screen bad? The unit is worth saving with all other aspects in good condition, but I’m not sure I want to stand the expense of a new LCD and still not have the problem solved.
Any guidance would be appreciated.

Most likely caused by defective row drivers in the LCD.

So it needs a new LCD - BUMMER.
Thanks anyway.

I have the same problem with my 15.4 T60, and so I tried cleaning the ribbon cable contacts and it just got worse. If all it takes is a new LCD I can get that for $99, which isn't bad. I guess the "row drivers" are in the LCD panel itself from what "Harryc" says.

Yep, it is the row drivers on the left side of the LCD. This seems to be a problem with T60s and other Thinkpads of that generation. That's why Lenovo added extra structural framing to the left and top side of the T61/R61. It adds extra protection to the row and column drivers albeit with an uncentered non-symmetrical look.

Have a "new" lcd coming; we'll see what happens next.

That's good news because I now know that the problem is in the LCD, which is rather easy to replace and, at $99, is not too expensive.

This sounds similar to my own issue, though I'm experiencing it on a T61..

I am basically seeing this image on boot..
http://img842.imageshack.us/img842/6599 ... 500022.jpg

once I get into windows it's basically all red and split screen/ghosted for the top 2/3 of the screen.. I can still navigate but it looks awful.. checking the resolution its showing my screen as unknown display @ 1024x768..

I have also removed the keyboard and cleaned/reseated the display cable.. reseated memory..

Hooking it up to an external monitor everything displays properly so I do not believe it's the video card..

Would this be a similar issue as the one described above?

Doesn't seem to be the same. My T60 screen is "normal" for the top two-thirds and white with very thin black lines closely spaced running horizontally across the bottom one-third.

RRHODY wrote:Doesn't seem to be the same. My T60 screen is "normal" for the top two-thirds and white with very thin black lines closely spaced running horizontally across the bottom one-third.

Can you provide us with a photo for the benefit of all. Thanks.

@ju1ce:
you are definitely in for a new CCFL in the LCD, yours is 'shot'.
You also most likely have a 'shot' nVidia GPU.

I'd be happy to post a pix but don't know how. Once, in the distant past I was told I could not add any photos - has that changed?

You can post one small picture as long as you put a warning in the subject line. We don't host pictures here, so you'd have to do it elsewhere, .e.g. http://imageshack.us/

I replaced the LCD, but now all I get is a very faint image. Barely legible.

Could it be the video card?

A faint image could be a CCFL not working, or a faulty inverter.
Double-check that all connections have been made properly, incl. on the back of the LCD and the small inverter connector in the 'middle'.

@John H:

A faint image could also be due to a blown fuse on the motherboard.

If the previous screen was one of those "compatible" ones from feebay, and not a genuine Lenovo unit with a FRU number, chances are that you've blown a fuse or two.

Good luck.