Re: Sony laptop screen scramble

David Efflandt wrote:
> 
> On Sat, 12 May 2001 13:13:53 -0400, J. Cheung wrote:
> >
> > Don't worry to much if it is the same problem with the display I had
> > and sometimes still have.  I have a Sony F430 (which a bought as a
> > refurb from UBID about 10 months ago) and after about 4 months the
> > screen started to act up.  Well I gave up on that route and just
> > searched this newsgroup and found others with this same problem and
> > they gave me the test and solution.
> >
> > The Reader's Digest version is that a loose flat ribbin cable is the
> > cause of everything.  The cable and the connection is behind the panel,
> > in my case right behind the I in Vaio.  If you press the I just a
> > little, the screen comes back to the great quality when you first got
> > the laptop.
> >
> > My more permanent fix was to open the back panel and put a piece of
> > double back tape to cushion / apply some pressure on the connection.  I
> > did not actually double stick the tape to the connection.  I just took a
> > little off on both ends to make sure the tape does not go anywhere.  I
> > could remove the tape easily if I want to.  Now my screen just acts up
> > once in a while instead of every day or every other day.  I just then
> > just apply a little pressure at the I and the screen comes back.  That
> > does not bother me much, though I should not have to do it in the first
> > place.
> 
> OK, can you give us a clue how to open the screen to do that?  I hate to
> start prying on it if there are hidden screws somewhere.
> 
> --
> David Efflandt  http://www.de-srv.com/


I would only attempt this if you can apply slight pressure to the I in
Vaio and the panel display looks normal.  Then this is just a loose
connector and this should help resolve the "funky and looks like someone
was on LSD" display problem.  Otherwise, the problem maybe a more
serious problem than just a loose connector.  Remember, I make no
warranties and you are using this at your own risk.  It now has make my
laptop very bearable to use, now that I know what is wrong.

1.	Remove the front face plate by removing the rubber screw covers on
the corners of the display.  They are the two square rubber covers on
the bottom and the square rubber bumps on the top corners of the panel.
2.	Underneath the covers will be the 4 screws that help hold the plate
that you can unscrew.
3.	Now this step is where you have to be careful and brave.  If you
follow the line / slot / joint between the back and front of the display
that runs all the way around the panel; you should be able to use a
small flathead screwdriver to carefully separate the back panel and the
front face plate.  You will most likely have to start on either side
until the screwdriver can slip into the joint.  You may hear what I
always hate to hear, a sound like plastic cracking!!!  The front plate
is held on like this.
                             _________________________
                            |    __
            Back panel ---> |___   | 
                                / _|    <---- Front plate 
                               / |
            Screwdriver -->   /  |_________________________

4.	Once you get it separated at one place, just slow work around the
front plate.
5.	The front plate will be lightly tacked town on the bottom center
near the Sony logo.  Just carefully separate it.
6.	Now her comes the delicate part.  Remember, I have a F430.  Just now
unscrew the screws that hold the back plastic panel.  Don't do like what
I did and unscrew all the screws only to have the actual LCD panel come
off the metal LCD supports on the side.  You can unscrew the panel by
unscrewing only the screws that look like they screw into the back
plastic panel via plastic posts.  I unscrewed all the screws on the
sides except for the 1st and 3rd screws from the bottom.  Those screws
attach the panel to the LCD metal supports.
7.	Now the back panel will open up but now come off.  If you open it,
you can see a brown ribbon connector running from the bottom to about
the top 3/4 of the LCD panel.  Check the connector to see if it has
slipped out or does not appear in the connector correctly.
8.	Now I just put a piece of double sided foam tape to act as a cushion
to apply some gentle pressure to the connector.  Do not actually try to
tape the connector down.  Just use a length of tape to cover the
connector.  Just expose a small amount of tape on either side of the
connector to tape down the connection.  Do not expose the other side of
the tape as it will not allow you to open the back panel again, as your
panels will be stuck together.
9.	If the panel is working, just reverse the process and put the panel
back together.

Hopefully this will help you in your situation.  Good luck and be
careful.

Joe Cheung