Solved Are there any PC gurus out there?

[koda2000]

I have two identical HP laptops (both running Windows 10). The machines were purchased at the same time. About a week ago the display screen on the laptop my wife uses went out. Sometimes it will illuminate, but it's just a grey, blank screen. Usually it just remains black. Maybe the video card is fried.

Without buying/installing software...

1. Is there anyway to either hook up the broken machine to the one with the working monitor using an HDMI or USB cable so that I can retrieve some data from the broken machine?

- or -

2. Is there a easy way to hook up the laptop with the broken display to my HD TV and use my TV as the display screen using an HDMI cable? I have a spare HDMI cable and my TV has multiple HDMI inputs. I've read where I may need to adjust the laptop's aspect ratio and that I may not get sound, but that's not important.

I'm thinking the second option my be easier to accomplish. My goal is to be able to download some of my wife's photos to CD or flash-drive.

 

[Turdle]

You should be able to hook up the hdmi, and, I think if it works the video section of laptop is ok. Screens do die, but it could also be the backilight power supply.

You may need to do some video adjustments , I hook my laptop to our tv quite often.

edit. it may take a few attempts, since the source screen is blank. When My laptop connects to the tv it goes blank for a second and comes back. This connection has to be made for the tv's source input choices to recognize the hdmi is connected to a source.

 

[BrooklynBay]

This thread was moved into the Exploring Computers section. You could take out the hard drive from the broken laptop, and put it into an external hard drive case or a docking station to transfer the files to another working computer. This is the easiest way to access, copy, and move data from one hard drive to another.

 

[boominXplorer]

Was there any intermittent issues leading up? I had to replace the ribbon cable in my 5 year old hp laptop last year. The screen would only work if I opened it about 1/3 so it was obvious to me it was a short.

 

[koda2000]

You should be able to hook up the hdmi, and, I think if it works the video section of laptop is ok. Screens do die, but it could also be the backilight power supply.

You may need to do some video adjustments , I hook my laptop to our tv quite often.

edit. it may take a few attempts, since the source screen is blank. When My laptop connects to the tv it goes blank for a second and comes back. This connection has to be made for the tv's source input choices to recognize the hdmi is connected to a source.

My wife's gigantic 135 lb rottweiler-mix dog had knocked her laptop off a table several years ago during a thunderstorm and had broken the right side hinge. My wife used to just always leave it open, so as to not stress the broken hinge. More recently, our 4 year old grandson pushed the top down several times and eventually the hinge broke off completely. Shortly thereafter the right side of the display got weird and the display would flicker. Then it went out completely. I didn't know whether trying to use the TV for the display would work, but I figured it was worth a try. It's not worth paying to have the laptop repaired. I'll give it a try when I have the time to fool with it. Thanks.

 

[koda2000]

1. I didn't know there was a computer section.

2. Intermittent issues with display only on the last day of it's life

3. Yes, I know I could swap the hard drive into the working device

4. Attaching an HDMI cable from the broken laptop directly to my HD TV's HDMI 2 port worked. It allows me to use my TV as a monitor, so apparently it's just the display screen on the laptop that's fried. I thought this would work, but I figured I'd ask before searching for my spare HDMI cable, my TV's remote (which I hadn't seen in years) and 2 AA batteries. Now I can transfer the stuff I want to a flash drive or CD. Thanks for the help.

 

[BrooklynBay]

Thanks for the update. Your thread is marked solved.