Battery, display and keyboard issues may all afflict your Dell laptop.
Dell laptops can suffer from a number of potential problems common to modern notebook computers. While it may be tempting to bring a Dell laptop into a repair shop if the screen, keyboard, or battery are acting up, you can troubleshoot these issues yourself and diagnose your Dell’s problem using only a Phillips head screwdriver and a flathead screwdriver. No other tools are necessary, and neither is a working knowledge of computer repair and disassembly.
Instructions
1. Ensure your Dell laptop is plugged in to a power source. The power adapter should be plugged in to the AC adapter jack on the back or side of the laptop, and the other end should plug into a wall outlet or surge protector.
2. Consider battery replacement if your laptop won’t power on even after checking the power adapter. Laptop batteries naturally degrade over time. Flip your Dell over and find the sliding battery release mechanism at the top or bottom of the unit, depending on which way you flipped. Slide it to one side to disengage and replace your battery.
3. Consider troubleshooting for a backlight issue with your laptop monitor if brightness setting adjustments don’t remedy your screen problems. (For Dell Studio models, skip to Step 6.) Remove the screws along the screen’s outer rim, also known as the "bezel". These bezel screws can be removed with a Phillips head screwdriver. On some Dell models, these screws will be covered with a plastic seal or cap for aesthetic purposes and will be harder to discern. The seal can be removed either with your fingertips or with the aid or a flat-edged tool to pry with, such as a flathead screwdriver's tip.
4. Remove the bezel by pulling up on one edge and working around the bezel with your fingertips, gently prying it up and off the screen.
5. Check to ensure the inverter cable hasn’t become disconnected from the inverter board on a non-Studio Dell model. This black cable can be seen at the bottom center of the screen now that the bezel is gone. It plugs in to a socket on the inverter board, which lies directly below it. If the cable has become disconnected from the socket, your monitor’s backlight will fail. Pull up on one edge of the socket to slide the cable back in. Push down on the socket to put it back into its "locked" position.
6. Access the monitor for troubleshooting in an alternate way if your specific Dell model does not have any noticeable or concealed screws along any stretch of the bezel or if it is a member of the Dell Studio family of computers. Ensure the laptop is closed. Turn the computer over so the underside is facing up, then locate the outline of the back center control cover at the very top of the unit. There will be one small screw in the middle of the backside of the control cover, so use your Phillips head screwdriver.
7. Turn the Studio model back over and open the display up. The center control cover lies right above the keyboard and directly below the open display. It is now loose. Gently lift up on it partially to reveal the media control buttons cable that connects it to the system board beneath it.
8. Lift up gently on the media control buttons cable's connector latch to release the cable from its connection point on the board. Pull it out and remove the center control console completely. This will reveal the display cable, which can be seen at the top center of the exposed area below the center control cover. Ensure this cable is not loose from the socket at this center point. If it is, pull up on the socket and slide the cable back in.
9. Download new keyboard drivers for your Dell laptop if the keyboard appears unresponsive. Visit Dell Support (see Resources) to download the drivers. Double click the downloaded file to install the drivers, then restart your laptop.
10. Check your keyboard cable if the drivers don’t rectify the problem. On your Studio model, you will see two small screws where the center control console was before you removed it, one on each side at the bottom of the exposed system board. Remove these with your screwdriver to free up the Studio's top keyboard. On other Dell models, flip over the unit to remove the screws marked with a small keyboard icon, then turn the laptop back over.
11. Turn your Dell laptop right-side up and pull the keyboard partially out of the casing, just far enough to reveal the ribbon that runs from the base of the laptop to the back of the keyboard. This step is the same on all Dell models. This ribbon plugs into a socket at the laptop’s base. If it has become disconnected, you can lift the edge of the socket gently up and slide the ribbon back in.
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