LCD Screen - Frustrated

[Midnight Dream]

Ok, I have no idea what I am doing wrong. I got a 20x4 LCD screen, and followed instructions to make a printer port for it. I set it all up, and plugged in. All I got was a backlit screen, no 1st and 3rd black lines. Ok, so I unsoldered and resoldered it. Several hours later, same thing. I am really confused, I dont know what to do.

[ghettocomp]

of course, the first question is always: Did you install the drivers?

[sunrunner20]

Some require an external power supply, does yours have one hooked up if its needed?

[Midnight Dream]

I have the molex connector hooked up, and no, I did not install drivers ghettocomp, because the initial bit of the 1st and 3rd lines were not working. From what I understand, before the drivers are even installed, as soon as you turn on the computer, the 1st and 3rd lines should be filled with just black lines, as sort of a test screen. I will be incredibly ****ed if the drivers have to be installed first, because I just unsoldered it again last night, to make another attempt tommorow.

[Captain Slug]

You won't know if it working properly or not until you try to send data to it from software.

[Niku-Sama]

both sides have points...it should come up for blocks and you may not know if it works untill send data to it...

you 100% sure its a Hatachi HD 44780 controlled display to?

how you hookin it up?

and make sure if you had to solder it so much that the pathways didnt come off like mine did

[Midnight Dream]

Im sure, as I bought it from a member here @ OC forums, and I trust the members, plus I did some research on the model itself, for general details, and it also stated it is an HD44780. But now, its time to go cry, as I have unsoldered it all, and to test, I will have to resolder it all, for a *thinks* 4th time? 5th?

[Niku-Sama]

try hooking up just the power, so that you dont solder things you dont need to

[Midnight Dream]

As far as I know, are not all the lines required for a proper test?

[Niku-Sama]

every other line...so if it were 2 line display it would be the first....4 line 1 and 3rd and so on