Laptop black white lines

[nothingasis]

Okay when I initially turn on the laptop everything booted up properly or it blinks to a black screen and hangs then it blinks back. Then without even touching it, it starts blinking on and off randomly, after a good amount of continuous random blinking the screen turns black or it blinks into just black and white lines.

I have already tried plugging it into a separate monitor but the monitor just turned black after the screen failed. My guess is that the motherboard is failing?... but could it also be the monitor? maybe it's not the cables aren't receiving enough contact?

[EDIT] Also I'm using an IBM Thinkpad T42 and when the computer is turned on and goes black the tilted Z/N light stayed on with the battery light.

Help please!

 

[Jorsoft]

Sounds to me like either the video is failing or the connection between the lcd and the motherboard is loose or not making good contact. I wouldn't suspect the lcd since you've already tried an external monitor and that stays blank. Actually, you've already done everything I could think to suggest.

Your Thinkpad T42 has the ATI Radeon 9600, correct? As far as I know these aren't replaceable and are part of the motherboard. You should be able to Google up a service manual of some sort and see how to remove the keyboard to check the connections, etc.

If it's not the connection then it looks like you'd need a new motherboard. They seem to be running around $90 on eBay. IBM's are usually relatively easy to service and replace parts but I don't know how comfortable you are working with laptops.

 

[nothingasis]

As I thought, well you're correct about the 9600 radeon and hopefully I'll be able to purchase a new motherboard off of ebay if anything... as for servicing the problem myself I'm more of a desktop guy never actually serviced a laptop hardware wise myself. If it were my own laptop, I wouldn't mind but I'd be putting myself at risk since it's really for my brother.

thankyou for the quick response!

 

[Jorsoft]

You'll have to see how much it costs for a local place to do the work. Around my area they usually run $60 an hour for in-stopre service. And I don't mean Geeksquad, but like a smaller local shop. If you figure in the cost of a motherboard and an hour or two of labor it might be cost prohibitive.