Laptop works but no display

I have a Sony Vaio VGN-SZ61MN laptop which is running windows 7. One of its memory cards is not working and has been removed from the slot.

At startup I can hear 1-long beep and 2-short beeps.

Computer starts normally but the screen is totally black. I mean nothing at all even at the startup. I can login by typing the password and hear loging in sound as well.

I can also connect to this machine from my other laptop using Remote Desktop Connection. I checked the Device Manager and also Dxdiag command they all okay.

What could be the reason for display problem? Graphic card or monitor or anything else?

Your expertise would be much appreciated !

Kaf

Posted 2013-10-13T16:43:29.783

Reputation: 113

Is it dim? Are there lines? IS it BLACK black? Connect your laptop to an external monitor. If the image appear on the external monitor, it’s indicate a faulty LCD screen. – Logman – 2013-10-13T17:07:35.987

@Logman: It's pure black, nothing appears at all. I am looking for a monitor at the moment. Any idea about why Device manager not showing anything when checking via Remote Desktop? – Kaf – 2013-10-13T17:11:33.397

External monitor will most likely work. Probably defective / dead backlight or inverter. – Logman – 2013-10-13T17:18:08.373

@Logman: When I access via Remote Desktop, which graphic card does it use? my local machine or remote (faulty machine in this case)? – Kaf – 2013-10-13T17:24:45.940

When you rdp into a host, that host does not need a monitor. Servers, virtual hosts......etc have no monitors. – Logman – 2013-10-13T17:28:23.737

@Logman: I mean not the monitor, Graphic Card? – Kaf – 2013-10-13T17:29:38.837

Answers

The one-long+2-short beeps mean that there is a problem with the video card on your VAIO. The pattern of beeps that you hear, when you start a computer that has hardware problems, are called "beep codes".

This may be repairable, but it's probably going to cost more than worth doing. It's not the screen, it's the hardware driving it, so you would not get output to an attached monitor either.

You -will- get output in RDP, if the system starts Windows despite the graphics issue, because RDP relies on the graphics on the remote system.

Debra

Posted 2013-10-13T16:43:29.783

Reputation: 4 000

That beep error indicates a video problem. Most likely the GPU is dead. http://www.computerhope.com/beep.htm

Hefewe1zen

Posted 2013-10-13T16:43:29.783

Reputation: 1 316

At least try hooking the laptop up to another monitor directly. As others have said it's probably the graphics card/module on the motherboard in which case that won't work, but it's worth trying just to confirm.

Jool

Posted 2013-10-13T16:43:29.783

Reputation: 236