Given the environment and issue, sometimes a solid way to process of eliminate, is to add a display to the laptop. Laptop videocards are embedded/integrated in the motherboard/logic board. So, your Mac has not been specified. This provides for many variables. I'll keep this simple but thorough.
First, monitors. Unless you have a great hook up from the next level, you will most likely have a:
- VGA monitor. if the monitor has the cable attached to it, and not via connectors, but actually runs into the back of the monitor, odds are it's VGA.
- DVI monitor. Most DVI monitors do have atleast a VGA input.
DVI is digital and far more robust, but the cables and connectors might not outweight what you gain from it if you're not using it to, watch movies, edit video and or edit high resolution photo. If you already own a DVI monitor, then I feel the cable ( if 3-6 ft) and the "possible adapter"
($20) is well worth enjoying what you've paid for.
The "possible adapter" is a white (made by Apple for Apple) proprietary adapter that is required to connect any Macintosh laptop that IS NOT of the ALUMINUM POWERBOOK or MAC BOOK or MACBOOK PRO series, to a monitor. All recent Macintosh laptops ship with 1 form or another of a video adapter.
- Mini VGA to VGA
- Mini DVI to DVI
If you need to cross over VGA to DVI and DVI to VGA adapters are available, but you will then have to make note of the gender of the connecting port or cable end.
So, if you own:
- A white G3/G4 IBook, the video output connection is MINI VGA.
- Older Titanium Powerbooks, pre 667Mhz have a standard VGA on the rear.
- 667Mhz-1Ghz Titanium Powerbook, all Aluminum Powerbooks, and ALL Macbook Pros have an on-board DVI female ports. In the rear for TIbooks and Rear right side on Aluminumbooks and MBPs.
- All Macbooks utilize mini DVI.
SO, ON WITH THE QUESTION PLEASE!!
Connect a display to your laptop. If you get a picture, than more than likely, any component from the cable that runs from the motherboard, up into the display panel, to the inside of the display, is faulty.
If you do not get a picture, than its highly possible the video card or GPU has failed.
If you could specify your model, I can further assist you.
Have you tried going back to your original DVI/VGA cable? What does the MacBook have? Both DVI and VGA? Same question for the monitor...
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