Laptop - no display on screen?

I've got a laptop that's just decided to stop showing me anything on the screen. Boots just fine...all I see though is a completely black screen that turns just slightly brighter (very faint white shadow) when I power it up. So at least it's trying.
I've already checked brightness and contrast and it's not that. Someone said something about a LCD inverter?

Anybody have any suggestions on what to check internally?

 

First thing to do is to plug your laptop into a monitor. 99% of laptops i have seen have a monitor connection on the rear or somewhere on the laptop.

Then if you are certain the machine is working ok, you can look closer at the screen being the problem. It may not be the problem. For laptops with dead screens out of warranty, making it an IMmobile computer by adding a monitor is often a good solution. Turn it into a PC. Most laptops will also have somewhere to plug a mouse and keyboard.

 

Thanks for the replies, but I did check FN before posting and I am not in the situation where I can hook an external monitor up to it and be done...

Asking anyone with the similar problem...what was discovered to be the cause? (inverter like I mentioned, or something else?)

 

You need to hook an external monitor up to it at least once to isolate the problem. So you can find out if it is the on-board video or some other internal component in the laptop playing up, or if the screen is simply shot.

 

I thought I had mentioned this...guess not.
The laptop will put a display on an external monitor, no problem.
There's 3 modes...laptop only (no display) laptop and external monitor (no laptop display, display is on external) and external only (works)
I can't, however, lug around an external monitor around.