Display Bug

[Muscovy]

I installed Ubuntu alongside Windows XP on an Asus laptop, and in both OSs there's been a string of problems with the display going dark.
Is this a common problem?

[upchucky]

if the display is going dark with either windows or ubuntu then the backlight is failing, google the machine and the screen specs new backlights are cheap and easy to change.

boot the machine with only the live cd, let it run and see if the screen is going dark if yes then definitely the backlight is failing.