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Can you try booting from a bootable CD such as a Windows install CD or a live Linux CD such as Ubuntu <a href="https://help.ubuntu.com/community/LiveCD" rel="ugc">https://help.ubuntu.com/community/LiveCD</a><br />
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All you need to do is boot and NOT install. &nbsp;If the same problem occurs it is a problem with the laptop. &nbsp;If it doesn't it is the software.<br />
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At present it appears to be the hardware that is faulty but it won't hurt to check by using a bootable CD.
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Can you try booting from a bootable CD such as a Windows install CD or a live Linux CD such as Ubuntu https://help.ubuntu.com/community/LiveCD [https://help.ubuntu.com/community/LiveCD]

All you need to do is boot and NOT install.  If the same problem occurs it is a problem with the laptop.  If it doesn't it is the software.

At present it appears to be the hardware that is faulty but it won't hurt to check by using a bootable CD.

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Ah, misread the question. &nbsp;<br />
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If the external display works then follow MASQ's comment above.
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Ah, misread the question.  

If the external display works then follow MASQ's comment above.

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Thanks, guys. &nbsp;I booted from UBCD and ran chkdsk /f using external monitor before posting my question, so, it is likely hardware. &nbsp;Agree that most likely the backlight or inverter.
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Thanks, guys.  I booted from UBCD and ran chkdsk /f using external monitor before posting my question, so, it is likely hardware.  Agree that most likely the backlight or inverter.

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The screen lights up for about a second at the beginning of the boot process, showing the Dell logo, but then goes dark. &nbsp;The screen has the graphic information on it, but it is dark. &nbsp;I can read it if I shine a flashlight on it. &nbsp;Also, I have attached an external monitor that works and displays the same information displayed on the dark laptop display.
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The screen lights up for about a second at the beginning of the boot process, showing the Dell logo, but then goes dark.  The screen has the graphic information on it, but it is dark.  I can read it if I shine a flashlight on it.  Also, I have attached an external monitor that works and displays the same information displayed on the dark laptop display.

Dell Inspiron 1525 display goes dark

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A monitor or a display is an electronic visual display for computers, usually comprised of the display device, circuitry, casing, and power supply. The display device in modern monitors is typically a thin film transistor liquid crystal display (TFT-LCD) thin panel, while older monitors used a cathode ray tube (CRT) about as deep as the screen size. They are connected to the computer via VGA, DVI, DisplayPort, Thunderbolt, LVDS or other proprietary connectors and signals.

Displays / Monitors

Components are those devices that are internal to a computer -- the PC boards, the central processor (CPU), the memory (RAM), disk and video controllers and so on.

Components

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