How to Fix Broken Laptop Screen at Home

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  • Post last modified:March 3, 2021
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  • Reading time:10 mins read

If you have a broken or cracked laptop screen and want to fix it by yourself, then this post is for you. In this post, we will show you how to replace a Lenovo 510s laptop screen at home with very minimal tools. Doing this DIY will save you quite a lot of money, moreover, replacing your laptop screen at home does not require any advanced technical skills either for most laptops.

Lenovo-laptop-broken-screen-fix-before-and-after
Broken laptop scree – before and after repair

My niece recently dropped her Lenovo laptop on the wooden floor and the screen cracked instantly. She has her exams coming up soon so needed this replaced pretty quickly.

So I first started off by ordering the LED panel online. After the LED panel arrived, it took me under 10 mins to remove the broken panel and fit the new panel.

Below is a step by step guide. If you would rather watch a video of the screen replacement process instead then here’s the link to the video.

Finding the right replacement screen

I carried out a quick search on eBay and found that there were quite a few suppliers selling replacement screens for Lenovo laptops. I also searched for the exact laptop model number – Lenovo 510s – 14ISK and this narrowed down my search a bit further. After I found the exact screen I needed, I messaged the seller to be 100% sure. The replacement screen was listed at £53 at the time. 

Lenovo-510s-14ISK-replacement-screen-listing-ebay
I found the LED panel I needed on eBay

The eBay seller got back to me and advised that it’s best if I send them the exact model/part number of the LED panel itself. 

According to the eBay seller, depending on the manufacturers of the panel, the model numbers are usually constructed as follows:

LTN156AT22 – for a 15.6” screen manufactured by Samsung.

The first 3 letters refer to the manufacturer of the panel. LTN being the code for Samsung.

Samsung = LTN_
LG Philips = LP_
Toshiba = LT_ or LTD_
AU Optronics = B_
ChungHwa = CLAA_
HannStar = HSD_
CHI MEI = N_

“156” refers to the screen size which will be different for each laptop.

And the last part, “AT22” is the part number which can be different for each screen as well.

part-number-N140HCE-lenovo-laptop-led-panel

So from the above picture, you can see that the model number of my laptop screen or LED panel was N140HCE-EAA and from the name of it, it looks like it was manufactured by Chimei Innolux Corporation. 

140 refers to the screen size
HCE refers to the screen being full hd (1920 x 1080)
EAA refers to the connector type (30-pin LED connector)

Change broken laptop screen step by step video

Here’s a step by step video recording of laptop screen replacement if you prefer watching a video instead of a text based guide.

Removing the cracked laptop screen or LED panel

Removing the broken laptop screen or LED panel (to be more precise) from Lenovo laptop is fairly straightforward. 

Make sure you shut your laptop down first. If your screen is completely cracked, and you can’t make out if the laptop is on or not, then hold down the power button for a few seconds until you hear the fan and hard drive stop running completely.

removing-lenovo-laptop-screen-plastic-trim
Remove the plastic trim carefully

Once you are sure that the laptop is switched off, lift off the plastic trim around the edges of the screen itself. This can be done simply using your fingernails or with a plastic pry tool if you have one handy.

removing-led-panel-screws-lenovo-laptop
Remove the screws that hold the LED panel in place on the laptop lid/casing

Once the plastic trim is off, you will need to unscrew four screws that hold the screen in place on the laptop lid or casing. For this, you will need a small screwdriver. 

disconnect-led-panel-connector-pin-lenovo-laptop

Once all the screws are off, you can gently pull the screen off the laptop lid and place it on the laptop keyboard face down. 

You can then go ahead and disconnect the LED panel connector pin. Please take extra care when removing the connector pin as they can be very fragile. 

Fitting the new laptop screen

Once the old screen is off, place the new screen face down on your laptop keyboard with the side that has the connector pin closest to the laptop hinge.

connect-led-panel-back-lenovo-laptop
Also replace any films/sticker back on the connector for extra protection

Connect the LED panel connector pin with the laptop and replace any films/stickers back on the LED connector for extra protection.

You can then go ahead and lift the screen into position on the laptop lid/casing and reattach the four screws.

Before you reattach the plastic trim back on, you will want to carry out a quick test. Now that the LED panel is securely placed and connect to the laptop, you can press the power button. The screen shout work instantly.

peel-protective-film-off-laptop-led-panel
Remove any protective film from the new LED panel

The final step in this process is to reattach the plastic trim by gently clicking/locking it back in place. Watch out for any protective film that the new LED panel may have come with. You will need to remove that film before reattaching the plastic trim.

reattach-plastic-trim-back-on-laptop-screen

Please take care when you do this by making sure the plastic trim is positioned exactly where it is meant to be, otherwise, you will run the risk of breaking the tiny push fit locking arms.

And this is it! Go ahead and switch your laptop back on.

Lenovo-laptop-broken-screen-fix-before-and-after

So if you are reading this because your laptop screen has broken, and you are not sure if you can replace your laptop screen by yourself, then we hope that you found this post useful. Please feel free to watch our step by step guided video above which will give you a slightly better idea of the process of replacing your laptop screen. 

As always, feel free to reach out if you have any questions. Thanks and speak soon!

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