Laptop LCD replacement

[usedcarguy]

My cracked LCD on my laptop (fractured at the end of the Colorado game) finally got to the point of total failure last week so I went to Best Buy to the Geek Squad desk to get an idea if anything was available and for what cost. After getting a $700-$800 quote and saying that most people just replace them (along with a pitch whether I purchased the "insurance," I stomped out all ticked off and figured it had to be complete BS.

Long story short, after googling my toshiba model number and $80 later, I had a replacement in 4 days. It was kind of a pain to tear apart, but the screen itself was quite easy to swap.

I'm back in business for very little. I'm seriously contemplating taking the old display back to Best Buy to cram it up the little weasel's ***, but I'm pretty sure no one there would either get it or care.

So to my fellow CF friends, should you ever end up in a similar perdiciment or have the chance to buy a broken LCD laptop cheap, there is a cheap way out.

 

[Spam]

what website did you buy your replacement screen from. i am looking for one too

 

[ISUCyclones]

Been there done that, wrote the same story. Only time can cure the anger.

 

[Cardinal&Gold11]

Don't get me started on Best Buy..........

 

[isuforlife]

E-BAY

 

[Cyclonepride]

Yeah, I'm glad I wasn't near anything expensive at the end of the Colorado game too!

 

[tzjung]

I had a similar predicament as well on my wife's Dell Laptop. I was able to get a replacement Lid to the laptop including screen, speakers, & internal wifi antennae (which were both broken on my wifes laptop), and was able to swap it out in less than an hour.

I never went to geek squad though...as a computer IT guy those guys are a joke and I knew that online message boards were probably going to be the most help.

 

[CyGuy33]

I did this with my two gateways, one had a working monitor but not a working hard drive the other was the opposite I thought. I switched the screens only to find out that it didn't change anything. It was still very dark, you can kind of make out the background if you hold a flash light to the screen.

As far as the Geek Squad goes they give Best Buy a worse name then they already have. I've used them three times. Twice they have charged me the $250 diagnosing fee so they could also get the $100 back up fee just to tell me what I already knew. Why won't they take the customers word for what the problem is? Both times after they diagnosed the problem it was something they couldn't and or wouldn't fix.

They third time they fixed the wireless internet card but while doing so deleted my harddrive completely. They said that it was in the fine print of the contract that that was a possibility. I "kindly" explained to the young man that maybe telling the customer that would be a good way to sell their $100 back up plan instead of burying it on the back of their paperwork.

 

[cstrunk]

I don't trust Best Buy.

 

[cytech]

The Geek squad is the biggest rip off known to man.

I am suprised you found a screen so cheap. Generally they are closer to $150 depending on the computer.

As for Cyguy, your laptop has a burt out back light. These can be a little harder to find replacement parts for depending on the laptop.

 

[CyGuy33]

The Geek squad is the biggest rip off known to man.

I am suprised you found a screen so cheap. Generally they are closer to $150 depending on the computer.

As for Cyguy, your laptop has a burt out back light. These can be a little harder to find replacement parts for depending on the laptop.

I have two of the same laptops, can I just take the back light out of one and put it in the other?

 

[cytech]

that should not be a problem, but didn't you say you tried switching them out already?

Another thing it could be is there is a wiring harness that connects the screen, back light and wireless card. And I have seen wires in that break near the hinge. Problem being is I could never find a replacement wiring harness in stock somewhere to replace it.

 

[CyGuy33]

that should not be a problem, but didn't you say you tried switching them out already?

Another thing it could be is there is a wiring harness that connects the screen, back light and wireless card. And I have seen wires in that break near the hinge. Problem being is I could never find a replacement wiring harness in stock somewhere to replace it.

I replaced the whole LCD Monitor, I assumed the backlight was in there? That's what I thought the problem was.

It maybe the wiring Harness because that' wasn't replaced.

 

[cytech]

Did you just take the top portion of one laptop and switch it out with the other? Or did you actually take the screen out of the cover assembly and replace just that part?

 

[Juggercy]

Yeah, I'm glad I wasn't near anything expensive at the end of the Colorado game too!

Indeed I just turned the tv off and walked away.

 

[CyGuy33]

Did you just take the top portion of one laptop and switch it out with the other? Or did you actually take the screen out of the cover assembly and replace just that part?

I took the screen out

 

[CYdTracked]

Geek squad is the biggest rip off. You might as well replace something than have them work on it. Any more PCs are running under $500 and you can even get decent laptops for around $500. Just to back up your data in store they charge $100. I'll charge you $100 and kick you in the nuts and you basically will get the same service. They also charge up to $50 for hardware installs. I know technology for some can be scary but some of these things are really simple to do and chances are you probably know someone that knows a little something about computers that will tell you how to do it or even do it for free or a minimal charge. Why pay Geek Squad $40 to install RAM when all they'll do is snap a chip into a slot that only takes a few seconds to do yourself?

 

[cytech]

I took the screen out

Ok than that would not of fixed the back light problem try just taking the entire lid assembly and switching them between the laptops that would be alot easier then trying to just change out the back lights.

 

[HOTDON]

Of course they are going to give you a $700 quote. Then it seems stupid not to just buy a new laptop, which they would be happy to sell you.

Best Buy is and always has been bad news.

 

[cloneluke80]

Geek Squad are sad excuses for geeks. They are near worthless.