That Awkward Moment When Your Laptop Screen Has Seizures
Well, that was awkward. I opened up my laptop to edit blogs and YouTube videos. Suddenly the screen goes black, then blue, and begins jumping and jerking images all over the place. In the world of a blogger, this is baaaaaad news. I may have panicked a bit at first, but there is a workaround to this problem. Thanks to the help of a computer-savvy friend, I was able to hop back online and get to work. I thought it may be helpful for some of you to know how to continue using a laptop with a broken screen.
How is the Screen Broken?
In my case, the screen isn’t physically cracked or shattered. This happened to my touch screen computer and it was not salvageable. My current laptop is not touch screen. The screen is intact but the images are almost un-identifiable. The computer itself seems to be booting up and running just fine.
Bypassing the Screen or Monitor
It is helpful to know most computers have a function key to bypass the screen display onto another monitor or even a television screen. You will need to Google your specific computer to find out which combination of keys does the trick. In the spirit of using what I have to make what I want, I am using an hp ProBook 4730s. It is old, but it does the job. To bypass my useless screen I press the function and f4 keys simultaneously.
Using an Alternative Screen or Monitor
I happened to have an old VIZIO flat screen t.v. on our bedroom wall. We hardly ever use it. I commandeered the television and looked to see how I could attach it to the ProBook. There is a handy dandy HDMI outlet (or inlet?) on the back. I simply ran this from the t.v. to the HDMI hook-up on my laptop.
Getting Images from a Broken Laptop Screen Onto Another Monitor or T.V.
Getting the t.v. or monitor to display computer content is simple. Once the HDMI cable is connected to both the laptop and t.v. I power them both on. As soon as the computer fan comes on, I hit the function and f4 keys. Remember, I can’t see anything on my broken laptop screen. Hearing the fan is my queue that it is booting up. This transfers the images to my t.v. screen.
Telling the New Computer Monitor or T.V. to Display Your Computer’s Content
As with most newer televisions, the VIZIO T.V. remote control has an INPUT option. 
I push that and a drop-down menu shows up. 
I select the HDMI1 option and like magic, my t.v. becomes my brand new computer screen. This simple bit of knowledge allowed me to jump back onto my blog and share it with all of you lovely people. 🙂
Learn More Easy Home Fixes
If you are like me, you like to save time and money by making the most of what you have on hand. That is what Sawdust and Cornbread is all about. Be sure to bookmark this blog for helpful ways to create the home and life you want using what you have. Also, be my guest at the Sawdust and Cornbread YouTube Channel. I post weekly DIY videos showcasing how you can take things you have and make them into something new.
Thanks for joining me. See ya real soon!
Lora Lea
