A broken screen doesn't necessarily mean a broken device...
A broken screen is no laughing matter, especially if that screen is embedded into several hundred pounds worth of electronic hardware that might otherwise be in full working order. It's enough to break your heart at the best of times, but If you can't see what's going on in your system then it can be hard to recover the contents stored therein, and that's potentially a more serious issue. If you think junking your iPad's bad, imagine that iPad containing an unfinished novel, a dissertation that's due imminently or a set of family photos that haven't been backed up yet.
Don't cut your losses and chuck that broken hardware in the bin just yet, though. A non-working screen doesn't have to mean the end of a system's lifespan. There are options available to you, and if you want to get a screen repaired or replaced - or indeed, do it yourself - then the right expertise, tools or parts are easy to obtain if you know where to look.
In fact, the hardest part is choosing how to proceed, and that's why we've put together this guide to help you diagnose, replace and repair a faulty screen, no matter what the problem might be.
Testing Your Screen
It may sound obvious, but before you replace a screen or take it for repair, you should probably determine whether or not it has actually broken. There are many ways a screen can break or fail, but sometimes what appears to be a broken screen might be something else.
The most obvious type of breakage is a physical shock which shatters the screen's glass. These are the simplest to diagnose and repair, and have a slight advantage in that you can often still use your system without too much danger. With touchscreens you have to be careful not to cut yourself on the glass edges or disturb any shards that might fall out, but if the device still switches on then you can at least retrieve and back up your files before sending it for repair.
If the screen has simply gone blank and won't respond, or is displaying other visual artifacts like lines or glitched areas then you may have a less obvious fault on your hands. The problem may even lie somewhere in the graphics chipset rather than the monitor. So, before you buy a replacement screen, you need to determine whether the fault is with the screen or some other component.
Software problems are the easiest to rule out, so it makes sense to start with those. If your screen goes blank or isn't responding, the most obvious step to take is to perform a hard reset of your system. Give it a few minutes to cool down and then reboot it. If the problem is due to a broken circuit or connection, it might be that giving it time to cool causes the connection to contract and re-establish its link. A software misconfiguration might correct itself as a result of the reboot. Either way, if the screen is working again, continue to use it and see if the problem recurs.
If the screen still doesn't work (or continues to fail intermittently) then the next thing to rule out is driver or configuration problems. You're unlikely to encounter these on tablets and phones, but it's not impossible, especially if you've tinkered with the device outside of normal usage (for example, by jailbreaking or rooting it).
To check configuration issues on a Windows PC, boot it into Safe Mode. This will revert the graphics driver to a basic universal VGA driver, so your resolution and colour depth will be set at the extreme minimum, but if you get a picture then at least you can reinstall fresh graphics and/ or monitor drivers to try and correct the issue outside of safe mode. On tablets and phones, a similar course of action would be to back up your data and then perform a factory reset on the device. If the screen problem is caused by software, a factory reset should correct it.
If the screen still has issues in safe mode or after a factory reset, you can assume a hardware problem. You now need to figure out whether the problem is with the screen or the graphics chipset. The best way to do this is to attach an external monitor. Again, it's easiest to do this with laptops, but some phones and tablets will allow you to do the same.
If an external monitor picks up a signal, then you know that the system itself is fine and the problem exists between the system and its existing screen. If the external monitor also remains blank, the problem could be any number of things, from a burnt-out GPU to a loose CPU. Whatever is causing it, it's pretty certain that the latter situation hints at a you having more serious problem on your hands - one that means a professional should probably be involved.
Once you've narrowed the problem down to a genuine fault with the screen, the next step is to repair and/or replace it. The procedure varies depending on the device you're using, but in all cases you can either try to do it yourself, or forgo the risk in favour of getting it professionally repaired.
Laptop Screens
Let's assume your laptop screen is definitely broken. You should be able to get it repaired professionally for around £100-£150, and the procedure can take a couple of hours if the shop has the parts, or a few days if they don't.
If your laptop is insured or still under warranty you may be able to arrange a site-to-site replacement, but that will mean an even longer wait in exchange for the possibility of receiving your laptop back in its factory condition. Unfortunately accidental breakages aren't likely to be covered by the warranty - and it's worth noting that opening the system up will likely void any remaining warranty period you may have. If you're accident-prone or have an extended warranty you want to keep intact, contact your supplier or point of sale to see if they'll do a repair for you.
If you want to keep the laptop where you can see it, don't mind potentially voiding a warranty and have a strong stomach, you could replace the screen yourself. Replacement screens aren't universal, so you'll have to determine the exact make and model of your laptop so that you can buy a panel that fits it, but any website selling spare parts should be able to guide you to the appropriate purchase. The cheapest panels will cost about £40, whereas the most expensive - high definition touchscreens, and the like -can run to as much as £100.
If you prefer, you can buy the full assembly rather than individual parts. This is essentially the entire upper half of a laptop, which you simply attach and connect, rather than open your existing one up and replace the screen, but it'll cost significantly more to do this - anything between £100 to £650 wouldn't be abnormal.
Once you have the parts, you have to remove the screen. Doing this normally requires removing some or all of the laptop's case. Under ideal circumstances you'll only have remove the screen's bezel, but some designs will also require you to remove the hinge cover and keyboard to get at the power and data connectors. Keep in mind that the following section is only a general guide which will get you most of the way, but variations in individual systems mean you may have to deviate by differing amounts.
First, locate the grommets near the screen's face that cover up the screws keeping the bezel in place. You may have to prise them out with a flat-head screwdriver, and you'll usually find them in the corners and at the top. Expect to remove between four and eight in total, and be aware that some screws may be hidden beneath rubber bumpers or stickers. Once you've exposed all of the screws, remove them and put them to one side.
Now you have to be a bit delicate as you pop the bezel off the front of the system. It's clipped in at regular intervals all the way around, so start in the bottom left and prise it open until the clips pop out, then work your way around until the face is completely free of the laptop lid. Again, you'll need to use a flathead screwdriver to get a good amount of force on the clips.
Once you've done that, you'll have access to the nonworking or damaged screen panel. It'll be seated into a metal housing, which is then screwed onto the lid of the laptop. Remove the screws and place them to one side. At this point you'll probably be able to remove the laptop's lid entirely, so do that and put it somewhere out of the way.
With the lid casing gone, you should now have access to the rear of the panel. If you were previously unable to locate the panel's part number, you should be able to find it here. Take a moment to identify the data and power connectors to the screen and any other components housed inside the laptop lid, which might include webcams, speakers and wireless antennae (the latter will probably be found at the base, and may even be taped in).
Check that you know how these connections sit before you remove them. It's a good idea to take a photograph so that you've got visual reference for what it looked like before you did anything. Once you've done that, remove the connections and any fixing tape so that the panel is fully disconnected. You can then remove the panel by unscrewing the mounts on the metal frame. At this point the panel should come loosely away. If it doesn't, you've either missed a screw or a connector (or some other kind of mounting) so locate and remove it before you continue.
The new panel can now be inserted. Screw it back into place and reinsert the power and data connectors. Once it's been seated and connected properly, you might want to test it by turning on your laptop as normal. If everything's gone to plan, you should see the laptop boot as normal.
If your system seems to boot but no picture appears, there are three likely problems: either the power connector is loose or disconnected, the data connector is loose or disconnected, or the problem lies elsewhere in the system. The first two matters can be corrected by re-seating the plugs to ensure a firm connection. The latter might require addition diagnosis -maybe the graphics chipset has broken, or the power or data cables are broken or worn. Either way, professional repair might now be necessary.
If the screen works, however, you've effectively finished. Replace the screen's outer case, screw the bezel back on to the front, replace the grommets, and you're done!
Tablet/Phone Screens
Replacing screens on a tablet or phone is similar to replacing the screen in a laptop, in that you simply have to take it apart, replace the damaged component, then reassemble it -but it's worth pointing out that the procedure is often an order of magnitude more complex. Even getting into sealed units can be difficult - you'll often need more than a screwdriver!
Before you proceed, be aware that replacing a tablet or phone screen will certainly invalidate the warranty, and has enormous potential to damage the hardware. It's best to keep a record of the disassembly at all points, because the internals are often very tightly packed so that the system can fit in as little space as possible. You may even want to watch a YouTube video of disassembly first - there are plenty around for most models of phone and tablet!
As with a laptop, the procedure starts with you acquiring a replacement screen for your device. In most cases, the panel itself will be fine -only the glass is likely to need replacing - which means it's normally less than £30 for the replacement parts. Make sure you buy good quality parts from a reputable seller, though -cheap screens may be damaged more easily, or offer poorer input accuracy than official or well-made replacements.
To replace a tablet or phone screen, you usually need screwdrivers, screen-adhering tape, a heat gun (to melt the screen adhesive), glass-proof gloves, compressed air, and plastic tools for prying apart the components - plastic razorblades work well. Before you attempt a repair, it's a good idea to back up the phone's contents and remove the SIM card for safe keeping.
First, you have to remove the device's rear cover. Sometimes you can simply prise this cover off with a fingernail or tool, but it may involve removing a small screw or two before you can remove it from the back off. It's rarely as straightforward as it looks, though - your best bet is to watch a video to determine the correct procedure for your device.
Once the back is off, you'll probably need to remove the battery first (since this is the most frequently-replaced component, it's normally the first you can access and relatively easy to remove) and then unseat any cables from their mounts, brackets or fixtures. Take great care doing this, if any cables snap it will almost certainly render your device permanently unusable!
Once the cables are free, you can unscrew the device's motherboard and remove it. You may need to disconnect it from a bracket too. This is the most complex part, so if you can successfully move get the mainboard detached from the screen, you're halfway to success. Remember to put the electronics down on an antistatic surface so as not to risk damaging them!
Once the screen is free, you need to take the front assembly and use the heat gun to melt the adhesive at the edges. This may cause the glass to shatter, so wear a hardy pair of gloves. If you're worried about glass fragments, try running packing tape over the front of the screen before you try to remove it.
Take care not to touch the LCD face when you take the screen to bits - you don't want to damage the panel and digitiser, otherwise you'll have to replace them too. Take care not to leave the heat gun in the same place for long, as it may discolour the LCD screen. Keep it moving and constantly pull at the glass so that it pops out as soon as it can. Don't use too much force - you don't want to break the bezel!
At this point you can replace the broken screen with the new one. Put screen adhesive in the appropriate areas (i.e. anywhere that adhesive is now missing) but use the original adhesive as much as possible. Don't put the adhesive anywhere that it'll be visible, either - use the original glue as a guide. Warm it up with the heat gun and then press it into place. Take care not to touch the inside of the glass - you can't wipe a fingerprint off once it's reassembled!
Give the digitiser and LCD a quick blast of compressed air to remove any dust, then replace them. You can now replace the mainboard on top of the LCD screen, re-thread and reconnect any cables you moved and replace any screws. Re-affix the back of the device and when you're happy it's ready, power it on. Test that the screen input and output are both working as they should be, and if they are, give yourself a pat on the back. It's done and you can breathe a hearty sigh of relief and vow to be more careful next time.
If that didn't work, though, keep in mind that a professional can replace the screen for you, and they're likely to have much more experience doing it. An official iPhone repair costs up to £106 from Apple, but third-party repair should be significantly cheaper than that. In most cases, if you can afford to risk losing your phone to a botched self-repair job, you can afford to get it repaired for you - but if you just want the challenge... well, good luck!