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display - Laptop Screen Blackout / Flicker issue; Works fine on External Monitor

Specs of machine at the bottom (Alienware m15x)


Short Version: non-functioning WLED screen on laptop



Problem history:


Screen had been ever-so-slightly flickering (very sporadically) for the past 1-2 weeks. I barely noticed, though in retrospect it was lazy of me not to check that out or be concerned earlier.


Then last night (6/18), with multiple programs open and while on Skype, the screen flickered, went black, and would not come back. I could still alt-tab and hear ambient sounds of various programs, and my Skype chat was still live.


Eventually I gave up and turned the machine off. Upon turning it back on, it seemed to start as normal, I could hear Windows noises signifying I'm on the password screen, nothing sounded weird with the hardware.


But nothing shows up on the screen.


I tried removing battery and doing a few basic things to no avail.


Eventually I tried using a VGA plug into an external monitor, which works perfectly.


As I was checking my email and typing, I noticed suddenly my laptop screen flickered back on.


Furthermore, I can flicker it on and off whenever the middle section of keys are hit at a normal typing strength (T, Y, U on that row, then F, G, H, J, K, L next row, and similar on the bottom row, plus the spacebar).


If I type ever so soft and careful, the screen will stay on and not flicker. But it appears to be a tossup (if I type at normal strength) whether the screen just flickers or goes out completely (until a few button mashes bring it flickering back once again).



For now, I am using the external monitor and I have turned off the dual display so I don't have constant blackout / flickering on the laptop screen itself.


I am not sure how to remedy the problem and gain back the normal use of my laptop screen, though I appear to have at least a short term solution in the external monitor.



I have little knowledge in hardware. It seems something inside under the keyboard, a connector or cable, maybe has a problem. I could open it up ...


But I don't want to break anything.


My warranty on this laptop finished as of two months ago, so I've got no help there.


Thanks in advance for any advice.



System specs:


Alienware M15x Genuine Windows® 7 Home Premium, 64bit, English 15.6-inch WideHD+ 1600x900 (900p) WLED


Intel® Core™ i7-720QM Quad Core Processor 1.6GHz (2.8GHz Turbo Mode, 6MB Cache)


250GB SATAII 7,200RPM 3GB DDR3 at 1333MHz


1GB NVIDIA GeForce GT 240M


Slot-Load Dual Layer DVD Burner (DVD+-RW, CD-RW) Intel WiFi Link 5300 802.11AGN Half Mini Card

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