Cracked or glitchy laptop screen? What to do
First: is it really the screen?
Not everything that looks like a broken screen is the screen. Before spending money, do this quick test:
- Connect the laptop to a monitor or TV with an HDMI cable.
- If the picture on the monitor looks fine, the problem really is the screen (or the screen cable).
- If the monitor shows the same faults, the problem is the graphics chip — and that's a different repair.
What each symptom usually means
- Cracked glass but picture still visible: a drop or a knock. The panel gets swapped.
- Vertical or horizontal lines: damaged panel or a loose cable.
- A dark blotch that keeps growing: liquid crystal — the panel is dying.
- All black but the laptop powers on (you hear the fan): could be the cable, the backlight or the panel.
- Very dim picture: often just brightness or the backlight, not the whole panel.
Replacing the screen — what's involved
On most laptops the screen is swapped without touching the rest of the computer. In short: remove the bezel (or, on bezel-less models, carefully lift the panel), undo the side screws, tilt the panel forward, unplug the video cable at the back, and fit the new panel. It sounds simple, but a panel is fragile and the connector snaps easily — if you're not sure, don't risk an expensive panel.
How to choose the right panel
Screens aren't all the same, even on the same model. Three things have to match:
- Size and resolution (for example 15.6" Full HD).
- Connector type — the number of pins (30 or 40) and which side it sits on.
- Touch or non-touch.
The safest way is to read the part number printed on the back of the current panel. With that number, we confirm the compatible screen. Browse our screens:
If it's a phone with a broken screen, see our screen replacement page.
Rather we did it for you?
We do this work every day at our shop in Entrecampos (Rua de Entrecampos 34A, Lisbon — right by the Entrecampos metro and train station). Over 8,000 devices repaired since 2023 and 4.9★ on Google.
New parts come with a 3-year legal guarantee (Portuguese law DL 84/2021). Tell us the model and we'll give you the price on the spot.