A cracked laptop screen is pretty much unusable. Regardless of how your laptop screen got broken, whether you dropped the laptop accidentally or someone carelessly winging something heavy around and hit the screen, the bottom-line is your laptop screen needs replacing.

The good thing is replacement is easy to do, and most laptops are built similarly. Thus, the same steps can be done by most people as long as they have two things: a replacement screen and a jeweler’s screwdriver. The task is as simple as removing a screw here and there and a few connectors. You can have your laptop restored in less than 30 minutes.

Here’s what to do when your laptop screen needs replacing:

1. Purchase a replacement screen from your local computer parts supplier. Make sure you get the correct panel.

2. Disassemble: To start, pry off the tiny piece of rubber that covers the screws of the screen bezel and then remove all the screws. Gently pry the bezel away from the frame of the display. You may need to pry out the clips with a small flathead screwdriver. You’ll then see that a metal frame secures the actual screen panel and that this frame is screwed in turn to the plastic display frame. Remove these, and then you can dislodge the back of the display.

3. Now, you will have access to the backside of the old screen panel (which is where the part number is located if you’re trying to determine which panel you need). At this point, take note of how the power and data cables are connected on your existing panel, since you want to replicate this setup on the replacement screen that you are about to install.

4. When you’ve noted where each connector is supposed to go, carefully take out the old connections and remove any piece of fixing tape.

5. Unscrew the broken panel and put it aside. Screw the replacement screen into place. Then, reconnect all the connectors based on the setup you noted earlier.

6. Lastly, turn the system on to test if the screen is working properly.

Need a Computer Repair Professional?

If your laptop screen needs replacing, but you’re not comfortable disassembling the screen yourself, you can always rely on a computer repair professional to help you. With the free service of TalkLocal, you can be matched within minutes with up to three qualified computer repair professionals in your area, so you can get your laptop screen back to the way it should be in no time.