Laptop backlight question

I've got a Samsung laptop here that a family member wants me to see if I can get up and running. The computer runs fine, works with an external monitor as well. The screen on the laptop is not lighting up, you can see the icons and windows xp logos and stuff, just no back light coming on.

I took apart the screen and the CCFL bulb is black on both ends, so I'm assuming its just a blown bulb. Before I order parts and find out otherwise, does this sound like just a blown bulb or could it still be the inverter board??

She bought a new laptop to replace this one, and doesn't want to spend a ton to fix it for that reason. I new bulb will run around $20 or so, but the inverter boards are a bit more. This laptop has a 15.1" Sharp LQ150X1LHC3 display in it.

Thanks for anything!

id imagine its just the bulb... ... ccfl bulbs rnt spost to be black at the ends lol.

I knew that, lol

I just wanted to make sure that wasn't a common symptom of an inverter going bad.

I guess the bulbs only $20 so if that doesn't fix it then we aren't out much. If the screens weren't so hard to take apart I would remove the bulb from my laptop and attach it (assuming they have the same connectors and all) and see what happens. I just don't feel like tearing my laptop apart for it.