Upgrading & Fixing Laptops DUMmIES

I Can’t See You in This Light .........................................................................

Can’t see text or graphics on your LCD screen? Before you start considering

the difficulty and expense of replacing the display (they’re not often repaired),

look for some simpler and easier solutions.

First of all, ask yourself that very important and most basic question: What

has changed since the last time I used the computer? Then consider any or

all of the following:

Have you changed any settings for the LCD screen available directly

from the keyboard?

Have you changed the video settings available from the Control Panel?

Have you added any software programs or device drivers?

Has your antivirus program reported any problems? (You do have one

up and running and are keeping it completely current, right? If you don’t,

stop right now, go get one, and install it. Or update the one you have. Do

it right now; I’ll wait.)

Has your computer experienced any sudden crashes recently?

If the answer to any of these questions is Yes, consider whether you can undo

the changes or change settings back to previous ones. As a last resort, use

System Restore to undo changes to the System Registry.

Many laptop computers include facilities to adjust the brightness, and

sometimes the contrast, of the LCD screen from the keyboard. Look for a

sunburst or similar symbol on a key. You may have to hold down a special

Fn or Function key to shift the key from its alphanumeric assignment to a

command purpose; consult the instruction manual for details. Check also to

Figure 3-1:

This Realtek

AC97 Audio

volume

control lets

you tweak

many

settings.

Chapter 3: Things That Go Bump In the Night (or Day) 43