If your Dell laptop screen is black when you try to turn it on, there are a few quick troubleshooting steps you can try to get it working again:
Verify the laptop is turned on
Make sure the laptop is actually powered on. Press and hold the power button for at least 10 seconds to force a hard reboot. Listen for fans spinning, lights turning on, or other signs of activity.
Check connections and brightness
Verify that the AC adapter is plugged into both the laptop and a working electrical outlet. Make sure the battery is installed properly and has enough charge. Try adjusting the screen brightness up using keyboard shortcuts in case the backlight is just dimmed down.
Connect an external monitor
Plug an external monitor or TV into the HDMI or VGA port on your Dell laptop. If the display shows up on the external screen, it could be an issue with the laptop screen itself.
Boot into safe mode
Start your laptop and press F8 as it boots to access the Advanced Boot Options menu. Select “Safe Mode” and see if the display works in this mode. If it does, it may be a driver, software or settings issue in normal mode.
Reset display settings
Boot into Windows Safe Mode then go to Control Panel > Appearance and Personalization > Adjust Screen Resolution. Choose the default resolution for your display and see if that fixes the black screen problem.
Check for hardware issues
If you don’t see anything on the display, even in safe mode, the issue may be caused by a hardware problem. Connect an external monitor again and check for video output. If the external display also shows nothing, the motherboard, CPU or GPU may have failed.
Remove and reseat components
Open up your Dell laptop and remove any removable components such as RAM sticks and hard drives. Then reinsert them firmly to ensure there are no loose connections. A loose RAM module or cable can cause a black screen on startup.
Try a hard reset
If your Dell laptop won’t display anything, even with external monitors, try doing a hard reset by removing the battery and AC adapter, holding down the power button for 20 seconds, then reconnecting everything.
Check for operating system issues
If your Dell can boot into the BIOS setup utility but fails to load Windows, there may be an issue with your operating system installation. Try restoring from a recovery point or resetting Windows to troubleshoot.
Recover or reset Windows
Boot into the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE) and select Advanced > System Restore to revert your system files and settings to an earlier restore point. If that doesn’t work, reset Windows to factory condition by going to Troubleshoot > Reset this PC.
Reinstall or update display drivers
If your Dell works in safe mode but not normal mode, it’s likely a problem with your display drivers. Boot into safe mode, uninstall the current video drivers, then check Dell’s website for updated drivers and install those.
Test with a verified working operating system
If you have another computer, create a bootable USB or DVD with a Linux distribution like Ubuntu. Boot your Dell laptop from the disc and choose “Try Ubuntu” to test if the display works normally in Linux. If it does, it points to a Windows issue.
Replace the screen
If you still can’t get video output on external monitors or TVs connected to your Dell laptop, the laptop screen itself is likely faulty. You’ll need to replace the LCD panel by ordering a replacement part and following disassembly guides for your specific Dell model.
Contact Dell support
If you’ve tried all applicable troubleshooting steps but your Dell laptop screen remains black, the issue is likely due to a hardware problem covered by its warranty. Contact Dell technical support by chat or phone for further assistance with resolving the black screen issue.
Conclusion
Troubleshooting a black screen on a Dell laptop starts with simple steps like checking connections and brightness, verifying the operating system boots properly in safe mode, updating drivers, or connecting to an external display. If hardware tests and component replacements don’t restore video output, contact Dell for repair options under your laptop’s warranty.
| Step | Action |
|---|---|
| 1 | Verify the laptop is powered on and battery is charged |
| 2 | Check display brightness settings and connections |
| 3 | Connect the laptop to an external display |
| 4 | Boot into Windows Safe Mode |
| 5 | Reset display settings to default resolution |
| 6 | Reseat internal hardware components |
| 7 | Perform a hard reset by disconnecting battery and adapter |
| 8 | Restore system from earlier restore point |
| 9 | Roll back, reinstall or update display drivers |
| 10 | Test with external operating system like Ubuntu live disk |
| 11 | Replace faulty laptop LCD display panel |
| 12 | Contact Dell technical support for hardware repair |
Verify the laptop is turned on
The first step when troubleshooting a black screen on a Dell laptop is to ensure the laptop is actually powered on. Press and hold the power button for at least 10-15 seconds to force a hard reboot. Listen closely for the fans to spin, status lights to turn on, or other signs of activity that indicate the laptop is powering back on.
Make sure the AC adapter is firmly plugged into both the wall outlet and laptop DC power port. Wiggle the connectors gently to ensure they are making good contact. Test the outlet with another device to confirm it is providing power if needed.
If your Dell laptop runs only on battery when not connected to the adapter, the battery may be completely discharged. Connect the AC adapter and allow 20-30 minutes of charge time before attempting to turn on again. Test the battery by removing it and holding down the power button for 10 seconds before reinserting.
Check connections and brightness
Before troubleshooting hardware or software issues, check for simple physical connection problems or settings. Inspect the video cable connecting the LCD display panel to the motherboard and reseat both ends. Try adjusting the screen brightness back up using keyboard shortcuts in case it was just dimmed down.
On most Dell laptops, hold the FN key then press F11 or F12 (usually marked with sun/light icons) to raise the brightness back to normal levels. The display cable may have also become unplugged from the motherboard due to impact or a loose screw.
Connect an external monitor
If the built-in display on your Dell laptop remains black, connect an external monitor or TV and check for video output. Use a HDMI, DisplayPort, mini DisplayPort, USB-C, or VGA cable based on available ports. On older Dell models, you may need a VGA or DVI cable and adapter.
Press the display toggle shortcut key (often Fn + F1 or F5) to switch between the laptop panel and external screen. If the image shows normally on the external display, it points to a problem with the laptop’s built-in LCD screen or connections.
Boot into safe mode
If Windows is loading but you simply see a black screen, boot into Safe Mode to narrow down the issue. Press F8 immediately after powering on the Dell laptop to bring up the Advanced Boot Options menu. Select “Safe Mode” then hit Enter to load Windows with just the bare essential drivers and services.
If the display works normally in Safe Mode, the problem is likely related to software, drivers or startup programs loading in normal boot. Use System Restore or the Startup tab of Task Manager to troubleshoot possible culprits.
Reset display settings
Boot into Windows Safe Mode then open the Control Panel > Appearance and Personalization > Adjust Screen Resolution menu. Click the drop down box and choose the default recommended resolution for your display based on the size and aspect ratio.
Click Apply to test the new resolution and see if it fixes the black screen issue. You can also try adjusting brightness through this menu if it wasn’t working using keyboard shortcuts.
Check for hardware issues
If the Dell laptop screen remains black even after booting into Windows Safe Mode, it is likely due to a hardware malfunction. Connect the laptop to an external monitor again, then power it on while cold. If you see nothing on the external display, the motherboard, CPU processor, or discrete video card may have failed.
Listen closely for any beep codes emitted during boot, which signal hardware problems like bad RAM. Dell’s technical support site lists common beep codes for different models. The issue may be fixable by replacing afailed component like the motherboard or GPU.
Remove and reseat components
If your Dell laptop successfully boots but just shows a black screen, it’s worth opening it up to reseat any removable components. Unplug the AC power, remove the battery, then open the access panel on bottom to get inside.
Carefully disconnect and reinsert modules like RAM sticks and SSD drives. Check for dust, debris or loose connections before closing up. You can often find disassembly guides for your specific Dell model on sites like iFixit.
This simple step can fix black screen issues caused by something as minor as a loose cable or dirty connector. Just be gentle when handling delicate components inside a laptop.
Try a hard reset
If your Dell laptop appears completely unresponsive with no video output even on an external display, a hard reset can get it back up and running. Unplug all cables and remove the battery if possible. Press and hold the power button down for at least 20 seconds to discharge residual power.
Reconnect the battery and AC adapter, then press the power button again normally. This reset will clear any crashed processes or corrupt software states that could be preventing boot. Just remember to save any work first and shut down properly going forward.
Check for operating system issues
If your Dell laptop can successfully display the initial BIOS boot screens but fails to load Windows properly, there may be an issue with your operating system files. Connect to an external display if available to check.
Try restoring your system back to an earlier restore point when it was working normally. Boot into the Windows Recovery Environment and select Advanced > System Restore. Choose a restore point created prior to the black screen issue.
Recover or reset Windows
If System Restore does not resolve any operating system issues causing your Dell laptop to display a black screen on boot, the next step is refreshing or resetting Windows.Boot into WinRE then choose Troubleshoot > Reset This PC to start the process.
There are two reset options – keep files to refresh Windows while preserving data, or remove everything for a complete clean install. Backup important files first just in case. Resetting can resolve software issues and corrupted system files.
Reinstall or update display drivers
If your Dell laptop functions normally in Safe Mode but shows a black screen when booting into normal mode, the problem may lie with your display drivers. First, boot into Safe Mode then open Device Manager and uninstall the current video driver completely.
Once deleted, download the latest driver for your specific Dell model from Dell’s support site. Save it to a USB drive accessible after boot. Install the updated video driver in normal mode and restart. Be sure to reinstall the driver matching your exact OS and GPU/integrated graphics model.
Test with a verified working operating system
To test whether the black screen issue lies with your Dell laptop hardware or Windows software, boot the system using an external operating system not installed on the internal drive. Create a Linux live USB or DVD with a distro such as Ubuntu.
Boot your Dell laptop from this disk and choose “Try Ubuntu” to launch the live desktop environment. If the system functions normally, it indicates the black screen problem is isolated to your regular OS install. Back up files and reset Windows to resolve.
Replace the screen
If you still cannot get any video output even when connecting your Dell laptop to an external display via HDMI or VGA cables, the laptop’s LCD panel itself is likely faulty and needs replacement. Screen issues can happen due to cracked glass, damaged cables, or dead pixels.
You will need to order a replacement LCD display assembly specific to your particular Dell model. These can often be found online for $50-250 USD depending on laptop size. Follow along carefully with disassembly instructions when swapping out the screen.
Contact Dell support
If you have attempted all of the applicable troubleshooting steps but your Dell laptop screen remains completely black, your best option is contacting Dell technical support for assistance. They can help diagnose whether the issue is covered under warranty or protection plans.
Dell allows you to chat with a support agent online or call a 24/7 helpline. They will walk you through advanced hardware tests and may send a replacement part. Make sure to have your Service Tag number ready to provide.
