I have done it before and it can be very tricky depending on the make and model of the laptop. As Drumanee said it can be cheaper to replace the laptop. However an option that alot of people aren't aware of is to purchase a flat screen monitor and attach the cable to the vga output of your laptop. You can then attach the laptop to the back of the screen. Of course the laptop is no longer portable but at least you would still have a workable computer and with a wireless keyboard and mouse it can be a more affordable and tidy solution.