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ScreenTek Laptop LCD Replacement Guide

Date Published:
05-12-2007

Written By:
Sludge

Edited By:
Diceman

Provided By:
ScreenTek Inc

Where to Buy:
ScreenTek Inc

Discuss Article:
VH Forum link

Pages: 1 2

ScreenTek Inc.

Introduction:

You close the screen to your laptop and hear that dreaded sound of glass cracking. Your heart sinks and you get a lump in your throat as you slowly open the laptop back up. Upon opening the laptop, you see on the keyboard the cap to a USB thumb drive. As you open the top further you can see the cracked glass, and start wondering how long and how much the repair will be. Does the time for repair outweigh the cost of just buying a new laptop?

So how many of you have experienced this nightmare of breaking your laptop screen? After looking into getting it replaced by the manufacturer and learning how outrageous it costs to do so, the majority of us pretty much end up biting the bullet and purchasing a new notebook. It really hurts when the notebook is still new. We end up forking out dough now for a second laptop, not to mention the downtime while purchasing and setting up the new one. It probably won't make you feel much better to know that an estimated 3 million notebook users end up breaking their screens every year. But what if you had a cost-effective alternative to this problem? Instead of replacing the whole notebook, you could just replace the screen, and do it yourself.

Who on earth, might you ask, provides this? A new company called ScreenTek does just that. Here, in ScreenTek's own words, is what they can do to help save us klutzy or unfortunate people:

    ScreenTek, a Houston based company, www.screentekinc.com offers customers replacement notebook screens at an affordable price that makes repairing your system much more cost effective than buying a new notebook. In addition, screen replacement is less time consuming than having to transfer all your data files, applications and personal settings to a new notebook. By replacing the screen, a notebook user can save an average of $700 per breakage incident based on the 2006 average cost of a new notebook computer. This cost savings when extended to the more than 3 million notebook users per year that break their screens can represent a $2 billon industry-wide savings opportunity.
    Most notebook makers carry a limited supply of replacement screens for any particular model due to their cost and uncertainty with respect to future screen replacement demand. ScreenTek claims they carry screens for more than 90% of notebooks that are less than 3 years old including both Apple and PC. Furthermore, these screens are the exact same screens you would buy if you purchased a replacement screen direct from the notebook maker, but for significantly less.

    A typical 14.0” wide screen for example direct from one of the large notebook brands could cost between $600 and $900, but from ScreenTek the exact same brand new screen would only cost $295 retail.

    So how do they provide prices lower than the notebook makers? Well, it is a combination of volume purchasing from the screen manufacturers and high pricing maintained by the notebook makers.

    Now you may think that replacing the screen on your notebook is a daunting task, but with ScreenTek’s easy to understand notebook screen removal instructions and a couple of tools, this task took only 30 minutes to be up and running again. But if you feel uncomfortable replacing the screen yourself, ScreenTek will replace the screen for you at no additional charge.

    To begin you just need a few tools to complete the task; a screwdriver and something to pop off the rubber grommets, like an exacto knife. Make sure your notebook is unplugged and the battery has been removed. The instructions below represent the typical removal process, however, each notebook may be different.

Step 1: Removing Rubber and Plastic Grommets	Step 2: Removing Screws from Display Assembly	Step 3: Removing Front Bezel

Step 4: Removing Screen from Internal Brackets	Step 5: Disconnecting Video Data Cable	Step 6: Unplugging Power Inverter Cable

Locate all grommets (screw covers) which may be facing you on the display assembly or on the side of the display assembly. Remove them by picking them off with a pointed object.

Remove all screws from the display assembly that were located under the grommets.

Starting on either side of the display assembly, insert your fingers between the screen and the front bezel and work your way around. The bezel will unsnap. If you are having trouble, work it from side to side until it unsnaps. You may have to slide the latch open to unsnap the bezel.

Lean the screen with its internal metal brackets forward away from the rear plastic bezel enough to access the screws securing the screen to the bracket. Remove the screws and then lay the screen on a piece of soft cloth on the keyboard.

Lift up on the piece of tape (if any) securing the video cable to the rear of the screen. Then using your finger nail, slide the video data cable out of the video data connector port.

Locate the inverter which is a slender device underneath the screen that provides power to the backlight. Using your thumb nail, slide the inverter cable plug out of the inverter.

You have now removed your notebook screen. To install your replacement screen, follow the steps above in reverse order.

And that’s it; your computer is back up and running with a new replacement screen.

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