Gaming I need a creative solution

[VashTS]

I've tried everything I can think of to resolve this. I got a laptop with a broken LCD screen, the replacement will be about $80. Before I replace anything I want to be sure it works the only problem is that the existing installation of Windows 7 on it would not load properly. I have since formatted the hard drive in my desktop so now it is an empty 250gb single partition. I removed the recovery stuff and garbage like that too. Its a Compaq CQ56-219WM.

I've tried installing Windows 7 blindly, it does not respond after the "Setup is starting..." part, the disc does spin up but after that happens I'm lost. The external display does not work at that point. That is mainly what I want to do with this, if I get it running I'm going to hook it to my TV and have a spare PC in my bedroom.

I've looked into booting a live CD and installing Windows from there, but the two I have tried, BartPE and Puppy Linux, do not display on the external display. I hate to give up on this, anyone have any ideas on what I can do to get Windows on here? I have a desktop and two other laptops so I have options open. I am very familiar with using the external display, I use it all the time so I know how it works.

Any help is appreciated. If I can't get it working I'll probably just dump it on ebay.

 

[Originality]

I don't have any direct advice... but you can try talking to an IT techie in a computer shop. They may have an idea.

 

[OutVolt]

Maybe there something in the bios that may help. With all the different kinds, one never knows.

 

[exangel]

I had a similar problem with an old Compaq laptop, about 5-6 years ago. when the internal backlight died, there was NO way to force external display by default. it was only a driver (ATK Hotkey) in windows that switched output to the VGA out.

I wound up having no way to reformat it with no internal display capability (you could only make out vaguely patterns in the screen in direct sunlight, with the backlight dead).
I just wound up giving it away to someone who had a monitor but his PC was stolen. It was a pain in the ass cleaning up the ancient XP install, but we managed. :/