T42 screen goes blank instead of screensaver wont come back

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pej2000 · #1 Post by **pej2000** » Tue Sep 30, 2008 10:45 pm

Hello
This is a new behavior. If I leave my computer and it goes to screensaver, the screen goes blank and I can't get it to wake up again. I have to power down and reboot.

Thanks for any suggestions.

Tim M · #2 Post by **Tim M** » Wed Oct 01, 2008 12:13 am

Which screensaver? I had this issue with the default IBM Rebus screensaver. Removing it and switching to another fixed the problem.

pej2000 · #3 Post by **pej2000** » Wed Oct 01, 2008 8:00 am

Actually, I tried turning off the screensaver last night and it still happened when I got up this morning the screen was black. I used the keyboard controls to put it into sleep mode and when I woke it up the screen came back to life.

Also it happened once when I pulled the power cord out of the back of the machine (batteries were fully charged).

pej2000 · #4 Post by **pej2000** » Wed Oct 01, 2008 9:20 am

One more note:
Sometimes instead of the screen being totally black it's actually ultra dim. I can barely see an open window.

Tim M · #5 Post by **Tim M** » Wed Oct 01, 2008 11:37 am

You may have a backlight (CFL or inverter) issue.

Do you notice a reddish hue to the screen after awakening from sleep mode?

#6 Post by **Johan** » Wed Oct 01, 2008 12:14 pm

Two suggestions:

1) Try connect an external VGA monitor to your T42 (you know, at the VGA-output... see Index 4 at Right side view - ThinkPad T42/p), and see how the image behaves on that external monitor... before/after the screen saver "goes to sleep"/"waves up".

2) Try go back to a recent System Restore point, and see if some automatic update perhaps has caused this behaviour? I see that you are running Windows XP, so go to Start --> All Programs --> Accessories --> System Tools --> System Restore first make a new restore point (corresponding to your present, erroneous condition) and then restore to an earlier date where you believe this problem didn't exist.

Johan

pej2000 · #7 Post by **pej2000** » Wed Oct 01, 2008 2:02 pm

I'll try a system restore, but it actually happens in safe modealso, so I'm starting to think its a HW issue.

pej2000 · #8 Post by **pej2000** » Wed Oct 01, 2008 2:42 pm

I plugged into a VGA monitor. After working for about 5 minutes, the laptop screen went dark, but the VGA kept going fine.

Definitely a HW issue.

Can anyone point me in the direction of getting this fixed?? Or is this the point to get a new laptop?

I live in New Mexico, so closest big towns are Santa Fe and Albuquerque. THough I guess if I have to ship it, that's OK too.

T42 screen goes blank instead of screensaver wont come back

T42 screen goes blank instead of screensaver wont come back

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