I am trying to make sure the problem is a dead screen. I'm fairly certain it is based on the fact that an external monitor works on it and there is no backlight whatsoever. It started last night at 2am. For the first time, it just turned solid black, like the screen had been turned off. I was able to reboot it a few times and, each time, the monitor would stay on a less amount of time. Finally, it's at the point where, as soon as I hit the power button, it'll flash for less than a quarter of a second and then go black. The hard drive boots and everything else is fine. I'm using the laptop to ask this here. I've already found a replacement screen to order but just want to make sure that's what I need and don't just need an inverter or backlight. And just to be clear again, there is no lighting in the screen at all. Solid black. Try chaning the brightness through FN + up and down keys and nothing happens. Try switching the LCD/External switch and the external works but does nothing for the LCD. Thanks.
You should have a button that can switch between different monitors/external monitors, etc., on the top part of your keyboard. it looks like a computer screen icon. Try clicking on that and see if you get functionality back to your monitor.