Averatec e1200 laptop i think it caught a virus but now when it comes on you cant see the screen can see writing very faint if you shine a light on it...is there a something in the screen that could be replaced or could the hard drive be dead its not going into windows just the brand logo and some writing so dim cant read it

if you shine a light at it can you see the graphics faintly?

If so the florescent tube or inverter has failed. you'll need to get it repaired.

Does anything ever show up on the screen at ANY point? If you shine a bright light at the screen when the computer is turned on can you see a faint image or writing?

1) Laptop on use a flashlight, and shine it at the LCD screen. Shine at various angles.
Do you see faint images?

2) You can also plug in a VGA monitor to the back of the laptop, (Laptop OFF, monitor off), and toggle over.

(It can be a VGA monitor that looks like a small TV {CRT}, or an LCD flat screen that has a VGA cable attached)

Plug the VGA monitor's cable into the blue VGA port on the left side, of the Avertec 3200 Notebook PC.
(Example of VGA connectors,

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VGA_connector

Turn the VGA monitor on. Give it time to 'come to life'.
Turn the laptop on.

Are there graphics on the external monitor? If not press, and hold down on the Fn key, (Blue Fn next to the CTRL key), then tap the F2 key.

(The F2 key is the toggle over key for an external monitor. You can use the laptops LCD screen, or it's screen, and an external monitor)

Graphics show on the external monitor? Your graphics chip is good.

Problem is with the screen Inverter, or the Backlight.

An LCD screen cannot produce enough light by itself. It needs an additional light source.
A Backlight is the additional light source.

A Backlight is a CCFL.
Cold Cathode Fluorescent Lamp.
Similar to Fluorescent lighting used in homes, and businesses, but on a MUCH smaller scale.

A screen Inverter is used to convert the electricity from the laptop, for the LCD screen, and the Backlight.

90 percent of the time the fault is the screen Inverter.

The Display Assembly essentially is;

1) Top cover of the laptop. (Display Cover)
2) LCD screen
3) Display Bezel. (Thin plastic frame in front of the LCD screen, and surrounds the LCD screen)
4) Inverter
5) Backlight
6) LCD screen frame

With the Display Bezel removed, the screen Inverter should be at the bottom/front.

This is an example of a screen Inverter for an Averatec 3200 from a quick search,

http://www.laptopaid.com/averatec-3200-lcd-inverter-board-76-030105-02-tested-1629.html

I haven't worked on an Averatec 3200 Notebook PC before. I have worked on 100's of other laptops.
The sequence for removing the Display Bezel follows a pretty standard approach.

Looking at the Display Bezel I see four screw covers. (I'm looking at a PDF Users Guide)

One at the top Right corner, one at the top Left corner, one at the bottom Left corner, and one at the bottom Right corner.

These screw covers made of a rubber-like material. (Synthetic rubber) They are slightly rounded on the top. They have a type of rubber cement that holds them in place.

I use a computer pick to gently pry them off. If you carefully pry each screw cover off, and set them down sticky side up, (Screw side), you can usually reuse them again.

Screw covers (4) removed, use a Philips head screwdriver, and remove all 4 screws.

The Display Bezel will still be held in place. It has plastic tabs on the outside edges that snap into the Display Cover. (Top cover of laptop)

A fingertip is used on the INSIDE edge of the Display Bezel, next to the LCD screen.
(WATCH your fingernails against the LCD screen)

The fingertip raises the Middle/Inside edge of the Display Bezel, just slightly.
Now use another fingertip on the opposite side. Raise the Middle/Inside edge.

The Display bezel should start 'popping' out. (As the plastic tabs release they make a popping, or snapping sound)

To illustrate this technique further,

http://www.insidemylaptop.com/replace-damaged-lcd-screen-dell-latitude-e5400-e5500-laptop/

http://www.insidemylaptop.com/replace-lcd-screen-inverter-dell-inspiron-1525-laptop/

(One more, to show you where I believe the screen Inverter is for the Averatec 3200 Notebook PC, and what an average screen Inverter circuit board looks like,

http://www.insidemylaptop.com/remove-screen-inverter-dell-studio-1737-1735-laptops/

When the Display Bezel is loose, you slide it to one side a little to ease it around, and off, of the cover latch.

The cable connectors going to the screen Inverter are shaped differently from each other, so that when you go to reinstall them, there is no chance of mixing them up.

With the tools you have available, I would replace the screen Inverter ($7 plus shipping), and see if this repairs the problem.

If not the problem is the Backlight. Most of the time you have to buy the LCD screen, as the Backlight is an integral part of it, and should be replaced by a professional.

[ An LCD screen is composed of layers. The layers are held together in the correct alignment by the LCD screen frame.
This alignment MUST be aligned as it was from the factory.

This gives you an example of replacing a Backlight,

http://www.laptoprepair101.com/laptop/2007/12/09/replace-laptop-backlight-ccfl-lamp/

Make a mistake here, and you can throw your LCD screen in the trash ]

For additional questions please post in a Comment.

Regards,
joecoolvette

Acer aspire are known to have a "black screen of death"
You need to flash the bios to fix the problem.

If you can see a faint image on the screen when you shine a light on it at an angle, the backlight on the screen is not working. Either the inverter has gone out or the fluorescent tubes are bad.

take a flshlight and shine on screen if you can see anything on screen real faint then screen inverter needs replaced also I would recheck all connections also I would switch memory modules around if only one mem module try a different one

use a flash light shine on screen if you can see the desktop real faint your invrter for screen needs replaced also you can hook up external monitor see if screen comes on on it if not then sounds like video card is shot

Shine a flashlight at the screen, if you can faintly see the image then your backlight has failed and you will have to contact acer to have it replaced.

tony,
try to shine a flashlight at the screen while it boots and see if you see anything at all. if you do, your backlight has gone out and you will need to replace the lcd screen. if you get nothing try plugging in an external monitor to the port on the side of the laptop, if you get something on it, then you need the lcd replaced. if you get no beeps indicating failed hardware then there is a good chance that your motherboard has a more serious issue if no screens are coming up.

Sounds like you have a bad backlight, the backlight shines light through the translucent LCD layers to give you your picture in the same way you hold slides up to the light