Hey everyone! I'm trying to rescue my 13-year-old Dell Inspiron 15R 5520 from ending up as e-waste. The laptop had some issues:
1. **Screen Problems**: Initially, the laptop booted up fine, but the screen was completely blank, and the external display showed nothing as well. I managed to fix that by replacing the RAM and force restarting it a few times. The internal screen had some red spots, indicating it was on its way out.
2. **Overheating Fix**: Next, the laptop was overheating like crazy. I opened it up, cleaned it thoroughly, removed the malfunctioning speakers, and replaced the thermal paste, leading to a significant drop in temperature and fan noise.
3. **Upgrades**: I upgraded the RAM to 16GB (2x8GB DDR3L) and swapped the HDD with a 500GB Crucial SSD.
However, I decided to remove the broken screen for a 3D printed case I was planning. Now, the laptop won't display anything on external monitors, even though they recognize a signal. I've tried multiple displays, but there's still nothing showing up. What am I missing? Any insights would be greatly appreciated, as I want to save this machine from the landfill!
3 Answers
I know it's frustrating! Even with a bad display plugged in, it sounds like your external display is still showing blank. You might be on the right track by trying to boot from a USB with Linux or removing the CMOS. Looks like the BIOS could be struggling with the missing screen signaling.
It might be a security feature in Dell laptops that prevents them from booting without the screen attached. This can vary by model, but it's worth checking. Even if the screen is non-functional, leaving it connected might help. For the display issues, it could also be a problem with the screen cable.
Have you tried reconnecting the internal screen? Sometimes laptops check if the display is connected before they output to an external monitor. Also, make sure the BIOS settings allow for an external display. Just a thought!