Having a laptop with a black screen that won’t turn on can be frustrating. However, there are several troubleshooting steps you can try to get your laptop working again. In many cases, this issue can be fixed yourself without having to take your laptop to a repair shop.
Quick Overview of Solutions
Here is a quick overview of some solutions to try when your laptop screen is black and unresponsive:
- Hard reset – Press and hold the power button for 30 seconds to force shut down the laptop, then restart it.
- Drain flea power – Remove the battery and AC adapter, then hold down the power button for 30 seconds.
- Check display settings – Toggle display mode, brightness, etc. The display settings may have changed.
- Connect to external monitor – Plug the laptop into an external monitor via HDMI or VGA to check if display output is working.
- Check RAM seating – Remove and reseat the RAM modules in case they got dislodged.
- Remove and reseat internal connectors – Unplug and reconnect the display cable and other internal connectors.
- Try safe mode – Boot into Windows safe mode to see if the display works with default settings.
- Operating system recovery – Use recovery media or reset options to reload your operating system from scratch.
- Service center – If all else fails, take your laptop to a repair center for diagnosis and servicing.
Step 1: Perform a Hard Reset
The first thing to try when your laptop screen won’t turn on is a hard reset. This clears any temporary software errors and resets all power systems, which may resolve the issue. Here are the steps:
- Make sure your laptop is powered off fully and not just in sleep mode.
- Disconnect any peripherals, external drives, and remove any discs from optical drives.
- Press and hold the power button for at least 20-30 seconds until the laptop powers off fully.
- Connect the AC adapter if detached and press the power button again to restart the laptop.
This hard reset procedure will force your laptop to fully shut down and discharge any residual power. Upon restarting, the screen may function normally again after the reset. Be sure to reconnect any accessories once you’ve verified the laptop is working again.
Step 2: Drain Flea Power
“Flea power” refers to the residual electricity that remains in a laptop even after it’s been powered off and disconnected. This can sometimes cause issues with the display and other components. To fully drain it:
- Shut down the laptop fully and disconnect AC power.
- Remove the battery from the bottom of the laptop.
- Hold down the power button for 30 seconds to drain any flea power.
- Reconnect the battery and AC adapter.
- Restart the laptop to see if the display works properly now.
Draining residual power forces the laptop to fully discharge. If some component was stuck in a bad state, this may clear the problem. Make sure to reconnect the battery before testing the display.
Step 3: Check Display Settings
Sometimes the display settings can get changed automatically and cause a black screen issue. Try these display troubleshooting steps:
- When booted, try pressing different display toggle keys, like FN + F3, FN + F5, etc. This switches screen output modes.
- Adjust the screen brightness up or down using the appropriate keys.
- If you have an external display connected, toggle between laptop screen and external screen output with the display toggle keys.
- Go into Windows Display Settings and reset the resolution, display mode, orientation, and other settings back to default.
Resetting the display configurations can help restore proper video output and get your laptop screen working again. Test the display before and after changing settings.
Step 4: Connect an External Monitor
Verify that your laptop is displaying video by connecting an external monitor using a VGA, DVI, or HDMI cable. Here are the steps:
- Power off the laptop fully.
- Plug the monitor video cable into the laptop’s display port.
- Connect the monitor to its power source and turn it on.
- Restart the laptop and toggle the display mode if needed (FN + display toggle key).
- The laptop video output should now be redirected to the external monitor if functioning properly.
If you see the laptop display on the external monitor, then your laptop’s screen may have failed or have a loose connection. If the external monitor stays black too, then the problem is with your graphics chip or motherboard.
Step 5: Check RAM Seating
Loose or faulty RAM memory modules can sometimes cause display problems. Try reseating the RAM:
- Power off and unplug the laptop.
- Remove the cover to access the internal RAM slots.
- Gently remove and then reinsert the RAM sticks into the slots.
- Press down firmly on the RAM until it clicks into place properly.
- Replace the cover and restart the laptop.
Check if display functionality has been restored. If not, try testing each RAM stick one at a time in each slot to isolate any bad modules.
Step 6: Reconnect Internal Display Cables
If reseating the RAM does not help, try checking internal display cable connections:
- Power off, unplug laptop, and remove cover.
- Gently disconnect and reconnect the thin display cable going to the motherboard.
- Do the same for any other display-related cables you see disconnected.
- Reassemble laptop and test display again.
Loose display cables are common in laptops after frequent opening/closing of the lid. Press cables firmly into connectors to ensure tight fit.
Step 7: Boot Into Safe Mode
Booting your Windows laptop into safe mode starts your PC with default settings and only the essential drivers. This can isolate software issues causing display problems:
- Repeatedly press F8 during bootup to access the Advanced Boot Options menu.
- Select Safe Mode and press Enter to continue booting.
- Log in to your account once booted into Safe Mode.
- Check if the display now works and you can see the desktop.
- Restart back into normal mode and test display again.
Safe Mode eliminates any third party apps or bad driver settings that may interfere with the display. Use it to narrow down potential software issues.
Step 8: Reset Your Operating System
For persistent black screen problems, restoring your operating system to factory condition may be necessary:
- Windows restore – Access the recovery options by booting from the Windows install media in safe mode. Choose system restore or reset PC options.
- MacOS recovery – Boot into MacOS Recovery by holding Command+R while powering on. Choose to wipe the disk and reinstall MacOS cleanly.
- ChromeOS recovery – Turn off the laptop and hold ESC+Refresh while powering on to start ChromeOS recovery. Select to power wash device.
This will erase any software faults causing display issues and give you a fresh OS install. Be sure to backup any data first.
Step 9: Replace Hardware Components
If software resets and cable reconnections do not resolve the laptop black screen, it is likely a hardware failure. Typical culprits include:
- Display panel – The LCD screen itself has failed and needs replacement.
- Inverter board – Provides power to backlight the display, may need replacement.
- GPU – Graphics/video chip overheating or defective and unable to output video signal.
- Motherboard – Damaged motherboard components like video RAM or connectors.
For hardware faults, take your laptop to a repair center for proper diagnosis and replacement of the non-functional components. This will likely fix the black screen issue.
Conclusion
Laptop display issues where the screen stays black are often frustrating, but solvable using various troubleshooting techniques. First try resets, connections, and software fixes. For hardware failures, replacement of display panel, video chip or other internal components may be needed. Seek professional repair help if you cannot get your laptop screen working again after multiple self-fixes. With persistence and methodically trying different solutions, you should be able to revive your laptop from the dreaded black screen syndrome in most cases.
