Screen not working after replacement

Hi Makayla,

I'm curious as to what instructions you used, as the screen replacement guide here on iFixit includes explicit instructions (starting on Step 25) for disconnecting the battery. That's done because LCD displays like yours require higher power to run the backlight and even a slight misalignment of the display connector can short out the backlight.

So the first thing I'd check is to see if the backlight is out. You can do this by holding a flashlight at an angle against the screen in a darkened room and see if you can make out an image. If so, that would pretty much confirm the backlight is dead; unfortunately if that's the case you'll need to replace the screen again.

Now, when you say it won't turn on, are you saying it's completely dead, or that there's no picture? Is it recognized when you plug it into a computer? Do you get any kind of chimes or vibration when you power it on or plug in a charger?

Check the backlight theory and let us know what you find. If it is the backlight and your old screen is still functional, try plugging the original back in to verify that it still works normally. Of course, this time you'll unplug the battery first, and plug it back in as the very last thing you do, right?

@makaylaweber So no response when pressing the power button or plugging in a charger? Generally when something like your situation happens, the best thing to do is to double-check your work from start to finish. Follow the iFixit guide and disconnect everything you did previously. Examine both sides of all the connectors you unplugged with a magnifying glass; you're looking for any bent or broken pins on those tiny little connectors. If everything looks good, clean them with 90% or higher concentration isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol, give them a minute to dry then plug everything back in and retest.

Sometimes it just takes one connector that doesn't quite get plugged in fully to make it look like the system is dead, so before you give up on it, that's worth a try. And don't seal the display back down before you check to see if you missed anything or didn't something plugged in fully; that way you can get back to check other things if need be.