For many of us who have owned and used laptops for business or leisure, the above picture is a familiar sight that fills us with dread. The story is always the same, with some degree of variation. Either we accidentally dropped the laptop or pressed too hard on the screen. Next thing we know there is an ugly splotch on the screen and we panic because the last thing we want is to purchase a new on, not to mention the potential of losing your data. Professional repairs can also cost hundreds of dollars if we were to go that way.
However, I want to share a secret with you. Oftentimes, replacing the laptop screen can be done quite easily with no special tools other than a small screwdriver (which some screen sellers include pro bono). There are caveats and some variation across laptop models, but the main process is very similar and often straightforward.
Here, I will chronicle the screen replacement process of a very common laptop model, but please read through the “gotchas and warnings” at the end of the article before attempting the repair.
Remove Bezel
The first step is to remove the plastic Bezel of the laptop. In some models it is held in place by glue as well as plastic “snaps” so try to be gentle but firm. I find that if you keep tugging at it slowly in one of the corners and are patient, it will begin to give. Slowly work your way around the screen. I prefer to use my fingernails only, but if yours are cut short, use a plastic pry tool only. Try to avoid the metal versions.
The bottom portion of the Bezel is often stuck to the tape around the screen’s control board\digitizer. Run your finger along the top of this section of Bezel while unsnapping it so that the sticky adhesive will remain on the bezel for you to reuse.
Once the bezel is fully freed, pry it off completely from underneath.
Disconnect the Screen
The vast majority of screens are held in place by four screws. Simply remove these. There are some other methods that the manufacturers use, so if you do not see the screws or metal tabs, look for a video guide for your laptop for details on how to remove the screen.
NOTE: Disconnect the battery before moving to the next step.
Gently disconnect the video cable from the screen. They are generally taped down. Loosen the tape with your fingernail prior to disconnecting the cable. Many cables also have a metal clasp that you need to unhook (As pictured above).
Order\Install Screen
Once your screen is disconnected, you can get the searchable part number from the lower left corner of the screen. There are many codes here, but in general, the most searchable manufacturer model code will have the screen size as the second or third digit. Common screen sizes are 156 (15.6), 173 (17.3) 14 and 116 (11.6). The first digit is the manufacturer, some common ones are B (AU Optronics), N (ChiMei Innolux), LP (LG Philips). In this example we have a ChiMey 15.6 screen with a part number of NT156WHM-T00. You can find more information about laptop screen part numbers here.
The manufacturer does not matter, but please search for the part number directly wherever you go to purchase your screen so you can ensure compatibility. I prefer to purchase from Amazon but there are some dedicated websites that sell laptop screens. The main things to ensure are that screen size, resolution, pin count and form factor match your screen. you can alternate between Matte and Glossy as this is just a matter of preference.
Mount new Screen
Carefully, unbox the new screen when it arrives and connect the cable firmly. Usually there is a noticeable “click” when it is in place correctly. Tape the cable back down then mount the screen. There is no need to put back all the screws until we can verify that it is working. Also leave the protective film on at this time.
Reconnect the power (either the battery or connect the AC adapter) and power on the laptop. If the screen is fuzzy, power off the laptop and disconnect the power again and then check the cable connection.
If it is working, tighten the remaining screws and slowly remove the protective film. Firmly but gently snap the bezel back into place. Take care on the bottom section where the video cable runs, to ensure that it is securely in the grooved paths intended for it, prior to snapping that section back.
Congratulations! You have successfully replaced your own laptop screen and brought your computer back to life!
Words of Caution
- No amount of reading or video watching will give you the experience to compare with a professional repair. You may find that you are having more difficulty than you expected. If that happens, simply stop and then bring it in to a repair shop. If you are careful, you should not make things worse than they were before but any laptop repair comes with some inherent risk.
- Before attempting a DIY repair, please connect the laptop to another computer monitor so that you can back up your information and also confirm that nothing else was damaged in the incident. For laptops with traditional Hard Drives, they will often fail as the result of a fall. There is no sense in repairing the screen only to find out that your Hard Drive is borked. (We will post another guide on upgrading\replacing a damaged hard drive and salvage data so perhaps it may be worth it to repair after all, but it is always good to know before investing time and money for the part.)
- It is advisable not to order the new screen until you are able to open the screen and get the part number. This also helps you avoid a situation where you order the screen and then cannot continue the repair.
- This is a general guide, each laptop will have its own unique method, but there are plenty of video laptop opening guides to help you find one for a laptop model very close to yours.
- This guide is geared for laptops that have a plastic bezel rim around the screen. For those that have the glass stretch to the rim similar to a phone or tablet (most laptops that flip around like the Lenovo Yoga series), it is advisable to replace the entire display assembly. You can price that against a professional repair to see what makes more sense for you. I plan to post a guide on opening the back of the laptop to help with that.
