No LCD backlight/HDMI output not outputting

Hi @jarertstokes,

Have you tried connecting an external monitor to the laptop's vga port or a TV to the laptop's s-video port and check if there is a display from either?

According to the user manual it should have the 3 video output options. Although it seems that the HDMI port is only used if the laptop also has a discrete Nvidia GPU but the other ports can use the Intel GPU (integrated in CPU)

With the laptop on, try shining a torch at an angle close to the screen and check if you can see any images at all. They will be very faint if they are there so trying this in a darkened room may help to see them.

If you can see images then as you have said it is a backlight problem. It could be an inverter power problem on the motherboard, inverter cable or cable connection problem (either end - motherboard or LCD panel) or perhaps the CCFL lamps (backlights) in the LCD panel have failed. Depending on the the make and model number of the LCD panel ( see table, lower right of image below) there are either 1 or 2 CCFL lamps in the panel.

Here's an image of the inverter circuit taken from the motherboard schematic that may help. This is assuming that the motherboard is an MBX-165-MS91 of course.

(click on image)

If you can't see any images then it may be a both a backlight problem and an LVDS cable or cable connection problem (either end - motherboard or LCD panel) or an LCD panel problem.

Given that the HDMI is not working hopefully the reason for this is that it is not a Nvidia GPU hardware problem