It sounds like the issue with your Dell Inspiron 1750 laptop could be due to a loose or faulty connection between the display cable and the screen. Over time, the repeated opening and closing of the lid might have caused this connection to weaken, or become intermittent. It's recommended to have a technician check and possibly reseat or replace the display cable to resolve the flickering or blank screen issue you're experiencing. This maintenance should help alleviate the frustration caused by having to adjust the lid position constantly.

Yes, They don't have them. I've also checked at a very good woodworking store. They have them but they are not skid-proof. I want something that grabs the surface pretty well.

Update: 1. I took my laptop drive to Staples and they offered to resurrect my data for $289, which I seemed not worth it, and I probably will give up on that drive - at least, for now. 2. I also brought with me a hard drive from a WinXP-era desktop to the same Staples store with the same cable and they couldn't read the drive, but with another adapter they had, they could read that file and could copy it to a flash drive for $89. The reason for the difference in price is that the first case was a "data recovery" service, for which they had to a per-use fee to the software company they used, while the second case would have worked without that service. Being a cheapskate, I would rather buy a different interface cable than spend $89 for a one-time service. One hint from the Staples guy was that with their cable, they could feel the drive start up and could see data; with my cable, the drive never started up. I brought that drive home and, using my cable, plugged it in to my newer laptop and it recognized the drive, but thought it was a removable disk because it asked me to insert a disk. So, for me to purchase the proper interface cable, what features should I look for?

Thank you Patricia, clt3 and Lyn. Patricia - I could and probably should change my habits and do as you do, but I prefer to have my laptop next to me and be able to keep it plugged in (bad habit and not good for the laptop). clt3 - thanks as I hadn't come accross these options yet. Lyn - I love the look of these, would look nice with my floor, I'm hoping to find a piece where the plugs are inside and hidden and one of the challenges is that the back needs to be finished also as it's not resting against the wall. I need to look more at what you shared to see the back. I do love the look!