As of right now, it seems to be working - I've removed the battery while it's
plugged in, and for some mysterious reason that's helped. At some point today
I'll put the battery back in and see if the symptoms return.

If they do, and I can make it flicker, I'll go see someone about reseating
the connectors. If I can't (make it flicker) - well, I'll take it from there.

Thanks for all your help! :-)

"spamme0" wrote:

Lighting up and missing data, even on a dark screen are two different
problems.
The common factor is that both often go thru the same cable.
You should be able to make it flicker by moving the lid while it's on.
If you can't, that's an indication that it's not the cable/connectors.
Not conclusive, but a clue.

If you can make it flicker, the first thing to try is reseating the
connectors. Start with the end that is easiest to disassemble.

This process is trivial the SECOND time you do it. If you've never done it
before, you're likely to bust something in the process. These things
are put together like a chinese jigsaw puzzle. You gotta to each step
exactly right in the right order to get it apart. You may need
to buy tiny torx drivers.

And you can get a nasty shock from the backlight inverter, even when
it's off.

Weigh the cost of professional repair, replacement after you mess it up
and your comfort with working on things you know nothing about using tools
you don't have.