Take a look at our
ThinkPads.com HOME PAGE
For those who might want to contribute to the blog, start here: Editors Alley Topic
Then contact Bill with a Private Message

Lenovo T430 Black Screen / Blank Screen but monitor works

T430-T490, T530-T590 Series
Post Reply
Message
Author
lrm1
Posts: 5
Joined: Sat Sep 15, 2018 11:56 pm
Location: Manchester, UK

Lenovo T430 Black Screen / Blank Screen but monitor works

#1 Post by lrm1 » Sun Sep 16, 2018 12:21 am

Hello, I have a Lenovo T430 (running Ubuntu Linux 18 although probably more hardware than O/S issue?), it’s just developed a problem where the LCD shows a Black Screen / Blank Screen (although can just see very faint white glow with rounded corners where display should be) but an external monitor (took a bit of time to do this using Linux terminal to select this) if you select ‘mirror’ display to mirror it to an external monitor the external monitor works absolutely fine.

Is this just an LCD issue? Is the GPU/ MoBo ok if displaying OK to external monitor? Any advice very much appreciated

RealBlackStuff
Admin Emeritus
Admin Emeritus
Posts: 23809
Joined: Mon Sep 18, 2006 5:17 am
Location: Loch Garman, Éire

Re: Lenovo T430 Black Screen / Blank Screen but monitor works

#2 Post by RealBlackStuff » Sun Sep 16, 2018 5:40 am

Welcome to the Forum.

Can you see a vague picture if you point a bright torch at the LCD from an angle?
The backlight fuse may have gone (somewhere on the mobo near the LCD-cable connector).
Lovely day for a Guinness! (The Real Black Stuff)
Lenovo: X240, X250, T440p, T480, M900 Tiny.

PS: the old Boardroom website is still available on the Wayback Machine
.

lrm1
Posts: 5
Joined: Sat Sep 15, 2018 11:56 pm
Location: Manchester, UK

Re: Lenovo T430 Black Screen / Blank Screen but monitor works

#3 Post by lrm1 » Mon Sep 17, 2018 8:14 am

Hi RealBlackStuff,

Thanks for your message. It’s actually more grey screen than black, when I think about it (just all appears black as nothing on there at all) so looks to have a light source, just no images, I can’t see any difference when I put a torch near the screen, I’ll try and upload an image so you can see it..

Might it just be a driver issue maybe? Any other thoughts or help you might have or ways to test/ check components are working to pin down the problem very much appreciated!

Thanks

Thinkpad4by3
Senior ThinkPadder
Senior ThinkPadder
Posts: 2670
Joined: Sun Aug 09, 2015 9:25 am
Location: N. Bellmore, ny

Re: Lenovo T430 Black Screen / Blank Screen but monitor works

#4 Post by Thinkpad4by3 » Mon Sep 17, 2018 9:50 am

So when you turn the the T430, it is lit up but there is no picture?

Is this only in the OS?

Does the Thinkpads splash screen appear on boot?
Thinkpad4by3's Law of the Universe.

The efficiency of two screens equally sized with equal numbers if pixels are equal. The time spent by a 4:3 user complaining about 16:9 is proportional to the inefficiency working with a 16:9 display, therefore the amount of useful work extracted is equal.

lrm1
Posts: 5
Joined: Sat Sep 15, 2018 11:56 pm
Location: Manchester, UK

Re: Lenovo T430 Black Screen / Blank Screen but monitor works

#5 Post by lrm1 » Mon Sep 17, 2018 10:12 am

Hello,
I have hosted an image here: https://image.ibb.co/caO47K/T430_img.jpg

I have resized the screen for the monitor and the grey area is now a grey square (monitor dimensions) with black lines running down it, and black on either side of where imagine display should be. It's mostly grey though on the laptop display

(it's all the time on the laptop display.. external monitor splash screen OK - interestingly for anyone reading this with same problem, if you have to access your laptop with a password, the splash screen on monitor side appears fine up until you need to enter your password, then it just shows a purple screen (assuming it should be displaying correctly on laptop display so you would see it normally) but I know from memory to hit return then type password then hit return and it accepts the password - but I don't think that is part of the issue, it's more a display issue with mirroring the image - I could select 'Just use Monitor' would probably fix that but couldn't then diagnose laptop display! But if anyone reading has same issue, follow those instructions and log in as usual even though cannot see monitor screen until entered password correctly - then set up mirroring via Terminal (Cntrl-Alt-T) and type gnome-control-center navigate to display options)

Any thoughts?

Thank you!

RealBlackStuff
Admin Emeritus
Admin Emeritus
Posts: 23809
Joined: Mon Sep 18, 2006 5:17 am
Location: Loch Garman, Éire

Re: Lenovo T430 Black Screen / Blank Screen but monitor works

#6 Post by RealBlackStuff » Mon Sep 17, 2018 11:54 am

Since you can still get into BIOS, I suggest you remove your password until you have sorted the problem.
Looking at that picture, it's either a loose cable connection (at motherboard or at LCD), or more likely, a screen gone bad.
Does your laptop have Intel/Nvidia/Optimus?
If so, go into BIOS and set it to Integrated/Intel or whatever it has there, then save and switch off.
Reboot, any better?
If not, switch BIOS to Discrete/nVidia or whatever it has there, then save and switch off.
Reboot, any better?
If still no luck, check the cable.
Worst case: replace the LCD (or learn to live with an external monitor).

Thinkpad4by3
Senior ThinkPadder
Senior ThinkPadder
Posts: 2670
Joined: Sun Aug 09, 2015 9:25 am
Location: N. Bellmore, ny

Re: Lenovo T430 Black Screen / Blank Screen but monitor works

#7 Post by Thinkpad4by3 » Mon Sep 17, 2018 12:58 pm

Thats not a cable issue, that is LCD damage...the LCD needs to go in the garbage.

Now while you have the machine open, I would recommend putting in an FHD or WQHD kit.
Thinkpad4by3's Law of the Universe.

The efficiency of two screens equally sized with equal numbers if pixels are equal. The time spent by a 4:3 user complaining about 16:9 is proportional to the inefficiency working with a 16:9 display, therefore the amount of useful work extracted is equal.

lrm1
Posts: 5
Joined: Sat Sep 15, 2018 11:56 pm
Location: Manchester, UK

Re: Lenovo T430 Black Screen / Blank Screen but monitor works

#8 Post by lrm1 » Tue Sep 18, 2018 11:09 am

Hello, could it just be the inverter, or would that be an entirely black screen? Just need to try and diagnose the part correctly! (Screens usually come separately from the inverter so need to decide which..) have you seen inverters go and screens and that looks more likely to be be LCD faulty? Any way to check both for certain? Thanks again

Thinkpad4by3
Senior ThinkPadder
Senior ThinkPadder
Posts: 2670
Joined: Sun Aug 09, 2015 9:25 am
Location: N. Bellmore, ny

Re: Lenovo T430 Black Screen / Blank Screen but monitor works

#9 Post by Thinkpad4by3 » Tue Sep 18, 2018 11:16 am

Inverters haven't been in LCDs since the X200. The T430 has an LED display and its driver is working fine.
Thinkpad4by3's Law of the Universe.

The efficiency of two screens equally sized with equal numbers if pixels are equal. The time spent by a 4:3 user complaining about 16:9 is proportional to the inefficiency working with a 16:9 display, therefore the amount of useful work extracted is equal.

lrm1
Posts: 5
Joined: Sat Sep 15, 2018 11:56 pm
Location: Manchester, UK

Re: Lenovo T430 Black Screen / Blank Screen but monitor works

#10 Post by lrm1 » Sun Sep 23, 2018 1:00 am

Hello,

Just to let you know and for anyone reading with same problem in future, yes a new screen worked perfectly! Thanks for your help much appreciated

dwisri
Posts: 1
Joined: Mon Feb 18, 2019 9:56 pm
Location: Klaten, Indonesia

Re: Lenovo T430 Black Screen / Blank Screen but monitor works

#11 Post by dwisri » Mon Feb 18, 2019 10:35 pm

RealBlackStuff wrote:
Sun Sep 16, 2018 5:40 am
Welcome to the Forum.

Can you see a vague picture if you point a bright torch at the LCD from an angle?
The backlight fuse may have gone (somewhere on the mobo near the LCD-cable connector).
Mine also have the same issue, does anyone knows the LCD cable pin number that suply the backlight LED, also how much the current and voltage supply, thank's before. :wink:

RealBlackStuff
Admin Emeritus
Admin Emeritus
Posts: 23809
Joined: Mon Sep 18, 2006 5:17 am
Location: Loch Garman, Éire

Re: Lenovo T430 Black Screen / Blank Screen but monitor works

#12 Post by RealBlackStuff » Tue Feb 19, 2019 5:27 am

The backlight fuse is F3 (ERBRD3R00X), near the LCD connector.
According to schematics, going to pins 2, 3 and 4 of above connector.
Fuse is 3A, 32V, fast-acting, (P printed on it).

ramagel
Posts: 3
Joined: Sun Oct 02, 2022 11:54 am
Location: medan, Indonesia

Re: Lenovo T430 Black Screen / Blank Screen but monitor works

#13 Post by ramagel » Sun Oct 02, 2022 12:27 pm

RealBlackStuff wrote:
Tue Feb 19, 2019 5:27 am
The backlight fuse is F3 (ERBRD3R00X), near the LCD connector.
According to schematics, going to pins 2, 3 and 4 of above connector.
Fuse is 3A, 32V, fast-acting, (P printed on it).
excuse me, i had the same problem like authors too, instead start new topic , i would like to post on this one,

mine wasnt showing anything while i bright torch it, i suspect some fuse are blown,

could you point me where i can see the schematic for my t430, thanks

ramagel
Posts: 3
Joined: Sun Oct 02, 2022 11:54 am
Location: medan, Indonesia

Re: Lenovo T430 Black Screen / Blank Screen but monitor works

#14 Post by ramagel » Sun Oct 02, 2022 12:38 pm

mine shown like this

i had the photo on this link
https://ibb.co/44vqp1h

the machine was running normal

Post Reply
  • Similar Topics
    Replies
    Views
    Last post

Return to “ThinkPad T430-T490 / T530-T590 Series”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 46 guests