I just bought three Panasonic CF-M34 Toughbooks off EBAY. Unfortunately, all three have similar problems with video on the LCD panels. None of these have an operating system yet, so I am limited to booting to SETUP. All three have a RED TINT to the screen, and may have random flickers in the video display, or go to BLACK = dead screen.

1.] Displays the PANASONIC LOGO [ tinted red ] , then the first few lines of POST display, then says it is entering setup, then goes BLACK = DEAD VIDEO. Restart as many times as you want, the pattern stays the same.

2.] Displays the PANASONIC LOGO [ tinted red ], goes all the way into the setup screen, then flickers randomly, may stay on for a few minutes before going BLACK = DEAD VIDEO.

3.] Displays the PANASONIC LOGO [ tinted red ], goes into setup screen, flickers lightly, then gradually stabilises and clears red tinted video to proper white.

I was told replacing the LCD "INVERTER" or the complete LCD panel would cure these problems, but before ordering any replacement PARTS, I tried a little experiment. I swapped the screens around with the laptop lower bodies, and THE SYMPTOMS FOLLOWED THE BODIES, NOT THE SCREENS. Which seems to imply the problems lie with a motherboard component rather than a Video component?

Can any body experienced with LCD panels point me in the right direction?? I really like these little Toughbooks, and I thought I could fix the Video issue with a simple inverter or screen replacement, but ?

thanks
LAZIf they have no OS on them it's not a sure bet that the video is SHOT. It mifght just be that the splash screen only stays active for a certain time at which point you would get a black screen...

patio. 8-)

Before i would invest in inverters or anything else i would at least load an OS on there and TAKE it around the block for a few days.I am hitting "F2" to access the BIOS setup screens, which DOES stay on with one of the units. The second one gets in, and stays on for a few minuts. The third one doesn't even make it in to the setup screens. A bad CMOS battery would at least give me a POST error message [ eg: message stuck at ""entering Setup" ], but with the one, I don't even get that.
[;{(
LAZContact the seller. I suspect you got no bargains.