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Kids put the iPad in the microwave and now it has lines across the screen. so how do I know if I need to replace only the iPad screen digitizer or the LCD or both?

To fix this problem, you will need to get a new screen. Follow the guide here to replace the screen. On some iPad models, the screen and digitizer are seperate parts. However, on this iPad model, the LCD and digitizer are fused together, meaning that if one of the parts fails, you need to replace them both.

Hi @adamipad, Microwaves wouldn’t have done the logic board much good either. You may have to start by temporarily replacing the display assembly to find out if the problem is isolated to it or the logic board or both. Here’s the ifixit iPad mini 5 Wi-Fi Screen Replacement guide that may help