How to Replace a Laptop Screen (Step-by-Step Guide)

Learn how to replace a laptop screen yourself with this complete step-by-step guide. Whether your screen is cracked, flickering, or completely broken, this tutorial will show you exactly how to fix it at home using simple tools.

Works for HP, Dell, Lenovo, Acer, ASUS and more.

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Laptop Screen Replacement Guide for All Models

Laptop screen repair via LCD replacement is surprisingly simple. Thousands of customers have successfully replaced their screens using this exact method.

Still worried? Don’t be. Follow the steps below and you’ll have your laptop working again in under 30 minutes.

Tools Required

• Small Phillips screwdriver
• Plastic pry tool / debit card / guitar pick
• Optional: small knife (for screw covers)
• Optional: tape or adhesive strips

Step 1: Identify the Problem

If your screen shows cracks, ink-like blotches, or vertical lines, the LCD panel is damaged and needs replacing.

Before we begin

The battery and the power must be removed from the laptop. If you try to fit the screen with the laptop powered, then you can actually short the connector and you'll damage the motherboard and the screen.

Here's a typical set of tools that you'll need to replace any laptop screen. The most important one is a small screwdriver. Usually this will be a Phillips type head. You can buy a set of small screwdrivers like that from your local hardware store or online.

Some people will need a small sharp knife. I'll come on to that later. And a debit card can be very handy, or a guitar pick.

Examining the laptop and screen

The next thing we need to do is open our laptop and actually have an examination here of how the screen is actually put together. So in this particular one, we can see that there is a plastic frame around it which is called a bezel.

And we've got these small rubber dust covers here. This is where our knife will come in handy to remove those. So I'll show you that in a minute. But we're going to have a look at some other laptops to just get an idea of how the lids are put together on different machines.

Here's another one. This one, it looks the same as the other one. It's got the plastic frame or bezel, but this one actually doesn't have any dust covers here. So we can assume that this particular one doesn't appear to have any screws holding the plastic frame or the bezel on the front.

This next laptop is slightly different to the other two, in that this one doesn't actually have any bezel or plastic frame. We've got just smooth glass all the to the edge of the display area.

Now these kind of laptops, I'm going to say are professional installation only. Usually often we've got screens for this kind of laptops, but we don't actually have this front glass piece, which is actually, usually glued or bonded on with a double sided tape.

A professional would use a heat gun on this glass all the way around the edge to actually separate the glass, from the lid part of the laptop.

Identifying your laptop model

The next thing to do is identify the type of laptop we've got.

Usually the model number will either be around the screen or the top of the keyboard. If you don't see anything, it's usually on the base.

If you can't identify the laptop model or you want to be 100% sure you're getting the right screen or your laptop. For example, model comes with different configurations of screen and you're not sure which one to pick, we always recommend getting the screen model number.

Identifying the display by screen model number

Here we've got a 15.6 inch screen, and if I look on the back, we've got a sticker here.

So this particular screen is an AU Optronics screen. And the model number here is B156XW04 version zero.

We've got another screen here. This is a 14 inch screen, and this one is made by Innolux, and the model number here is N140HCG-EQ1 revision C1.

And finally, we've also got a BoeHydis screen here. This is a 12.5 inch screen and the model number is at the top there. It's HB125WX1-200.

Understanding how to identify the screen model, using the screen size

Did you see what the giveaway on identifying the screen model part number is here?

The first screen was a 15.6" screen with model B156XW04. The “B" is the manufacturer’s identification code, B for AU Optronics and the next 3 digits are the size. 156 for 15.6"

The 2nd screen was a 14" screen with model N140HCG-EQ1. The “N" is the code for manufacturer CHI MEI Innolux, and the 140 following that is the size, or 14.0 inches.

Finally we have a 12.5" screen, HB125WX1-200. The first two letters are the manufacturer’s code, as usual and the next 3 digits the size, 125 or 12.5"

Now you know how to identify the screen model number by the screen size, you can shop by LCD part code, which is a much better way of making sure you get the right screen!

Packaging and delivery

Screens ordered Monday to Friday before 2pm can be delivered the next day before 1pm in the UK!

This is how they come packaged. The boxes have very strong sides so that they don't get crushed in the post. And we just open the box and our screen is well packaged inside. Here it is underneath the bubble wrap and with foam at each side to stop it from moving around in the box.

Installing the new screen.

First, we're going to remove the bezel (plastic frame around the display), from a Lenovo Thinkpad. This is where our debit card or credit card comes in handy. What we want to do is just get that underneath the plastic and just nudge that apart all the way around.

Some laptops will have screws in the corners of the bezel (plastic frame) that need to be removed first before you pry the bezel off. They are often covered with rubber grommets that you can pick off with a sharp knife to reveal a screw underneath. Inspect your laptop display to determine if you have screws, or your bezel is just a pull off type.

Pry the bezel off

Once we've got a piece off, we can then just very carefully pull it and it's like one of these plastic snapping mechanisms that snap back together when we put it back.

Now, sometimes you'll find that the manufacturer has used a bit of double sided tape at the bottom, so in those cases you might feel like it's very stuck and you can't get it away. That's, again, where our debit card is handy, to just kind of separate that tape, if there is any.

And then the bezel literally just comes off. Now, this particular screen is actually just sitting in the lid of the laptop and I can actually just pull it forwards and lay it flat onto the keyboard.

Many laptops have the screen screwed into the lid via brackets in the corners, these are the easiest screens to remove, as you just take out the screws and the screen falls out.

If you are removing screws to disassemble the lid of the laptop and remove the screen, they are likely to be small screws. Very small! Keep them safe as they are easy to lose and very hard to replace. I keep mine in a shot glass!

Some laptops, actually have a double sided tape sticking the screen to the back lid (top) of the display. If the manufacturer used what is called “Stretch release" tape, you should be able to pull the tape out from the top or bottom of the screen lid (left and right hand sides), which will then release the display. You will see usually a black rubber type tape poking out from behind the display, you grab it with tweezers and pull it.

Warning! Make sure you know what you are pulling, don’t pull any cables!

If there is no stretch, pull and release tape and the screen is glued in, this is where our debit card comes in handy, to just try to remove that tape. Sliding the card behind the screen and carefully prying to release the old screen from the lid. I guess it wouldn’t matter if you damage the old screen as I am assuming it’s already broken!

The other trick the professionals use is the heat gun (or hairdryer). Keep the heat gun moving around the display so as not to scorch one part and the display will slowly heat up. After a short time, maybe 1-3 minutes the glue will have loosened and you can pull the screen away.

Most of the time the glue isn’t needed, when you put the display back together, the screen sits securely inside the lid. However if it does not, we recommend purchasing stretch release tape online for LCD screens. Otherwise you could just use a normal double sided tape but be aware it maybe difficult to remove the screen in the future without damaging it.

Cleaning up glue and residue

If there is glue and resudue that you want to clean, petrol works best. We recommend Zippo lighter fluid, or petrol lighter refil fluid. Put a few drops on the glue or tape or residue and it will magically wipe straight off with a piece of tissue.

Removing the cable in the back of the screen

The screen connector is here, as show in the picture (most commonly, bottom right side, or top left when looking at the screen upside down!). You can see that there is a cable actually coming from the base of the laptop here, going into the back of the screen. So this is what we've got to carefully remove.

So here's the connector with the cable plugged into the back of the screen and there's a little bit of tape here that the manufacturer have used and they've just taped this cable here so that it doesn't fall out.

I'm just going to gently peel that off and we can keep that for later to put it back.

So as we can see on this screen, we've got some clips here which actually hold the connector in place, which I'm going to need to just flip up. And as you can see, it's like a kind of bar which comes down and pushes over the connector. And that again is another way to stop the connector falling out. If your connector has got this locking mechanism, then you need to lift this up first.

Not all of laptops do have this locking mechanism you flip up, you’ll see when you examine your laptop.

The connector will then just literally just pull out the bottom, and we can take our screen, our old broken one, away.

Replacing your broken screen

Now we are ready to replace the screen. Take the new screen carefully out of the box. For now we are going to leave any protective film over the glass in place.

So, fitting, the new screen is exactly the reverse of the removal. I'm just going to lay a piece of A4 paper or a piece of plastic that the screen came in, over the top of the keyboard, but anything soft will be fine. This will protect the screen from being damaged by the keyboard. Then I just lay the new screen on top of that. And we can see the cable from the base of the laptop, just where we left it. We just need to plug the cable back in to the new screen.

So here we are, we're going to refit the cable. Now, it's very important that the cable is fitted correctly and straight and not at any angles, you'll know, when it's gone in properly, because it will fit just nicely and make a good connection here. You don't want this to go in lop sided or half in. You want a nice clean connection because if the cable is mis-fitted, or twisted, you can risk damaging the machine and the screen.

Then we can replace the tape that the manufacturer used to just hold that connector in place, if you lost it, any tape will do, sellotape is best.

Next, I just tilt it back and it just sits back in place where it was before. I can take away the plastic bag or paper over the keyboard.

Some screens, as we said before, they will have different fittings. Some of them will have screws in the corners that you have to replace to hold them into the lid. This particular Lenovo machine doesn't.

Newer laptops with thinner “Micro Edge" or “Narrow Border", thin bezels, often don’t use brackets and screws, as this makes the bezel thicker.

Testing the new screen

Now is the time to test your new screen. Do this before you put back any screws. Connect the laptop to the power via it’s AC charging adapter and power it on. If you see the machine startup sequence (e.g. Lenovo or HP or Acer or ASUS logo), you can power it back off. Your new screen is working!

Power the machine back off quickly by removing the power cable before Windows starts loading. If the laptop starts to load Windows, wait for it to load then shut it down and remove the power cable. You don’t want to pull out the power whilst it’s loading Windows in case system files get damaged. This can leave the laptop in an unusable state until Windows is repaired.

Replacing any screws

Replace any screws if you had those in the corners of the display.

Remove the protective cover over the screen

Now you can remove the protective plastic cover from the front of the screen. In addition some screens come with an additional film over the glass that also needs to be peeled off. Some screens don’t. You’ll have to inspect your screen to determine if there is an additional plastic film over the glass or not.

Refitting the bezel

Replace the bezel, back into position over the screen. Make sure it’s in the right place centred, then from the bottom up gently pop it back into place. It snaps together when you apply pressure. Don’t apply so much pressure that you crack the new screen!

Carefully, starting from the bottom, working your way across the bottom and then up the left and right sides, snap it back into place!

20 minutes later your screen replacement is complete!

Congratulations, not only have you acquired a new skill, you’ve also saved yourself a ton of money. Your new screen has been professionally replaced, and you didn’t have to be without your laptop while it is being repaired!

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can I replace a laptop screen myself?

Yes. Most people can replace a laptop screen at home with basic tools in under 30 minutes.

Check out some of the screen installation videos our customers have made over the years.

How much does it cost?

£30–£100 depending on the model.

How do I find the correct screen?

Use the model number on the back of your screen.

Do I need special tools?

No, but it's easier and safer to use a screen replacement tooklit.

Use our diagnostic tool →