What to do if your Dell laptop turns on but the screen is black?

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What to do if your Dell laptop turns on but the screen is black

Having your Dell laptop turn on but not display anything on the screen can be frustrating. However, there are several troubleshooting steps you can take to try and resolve this issue on your own before seeking professional repair.

Quick Overview of Solutions

Here is a quick overview of some solutions to try if your Dell laptop is powering on but the screen remains black:

  • Reboot your laptop – Completely power off the laptop, unplug it, remove the battery, hold down the power button for 30 seconds, put the battery back in, plug it in, and turn it on.
  • Connect an external monitor – Plug the laptop into an external monitor or TV using an HDMI or VGA cable to see if the display works.
  • Adjust the screen brightness – Try using the brightness buttons or Fn keys to turn up the screen brightness in case it’s just dimmed all the way down.
  • Check for correct RAM seating – Remove and reseat the RAM modules to ensure they are properly connected.
  • Replace the CMOS battery – The small CMOS battery on the motherboard may need to be replaced if it’s dead.
  • Update BIOS and video drivers – Make sure you have the latest BIOS, graphics drivers, and Windows updates installed.
  • Perform hardware tests – Run Dell diagnostics or get professional repair to test the LCD screen cable, inverter, or LCD panel itself for faults.

Read on for more detailed explanations and steps for each of these potential solutions to get your Dell laptop screen back up and running.

Reboot Your Laptop

The first step any time you encounter an issue with your laptop is to perform a complete reboot. Follow these steps:

  1. Fully power off the laptop – shut down via the Start menu or hold the power button until it switches off.
  2. Unplug the charger from the laptop.
  3. Flip the laptop over and remove the battery (if possible on your model).
  4. Press and hold the laptop’s power button down for at least 30 seconds. This drains any residual power from the system.
  5. Put the battery back in if you removed it.
  6. Plug the AC adapter back into the laptop.
  7. Press the power button to turn the laptop back on.

Rebooting clears out any stuck processes or errors and resets components. If the screen was black due to a temporary glitch, BIOS issue, or software problem, this full reboot sequence often resolves it.

Connect an External Monitor

If rebooting does not restore a visible image on the laptop’s built-in screen, the next step is to connect the laptop to an external monitor or TV. This helps determine if the problem is with the screen itself or with the video output components.

To connect an external display to a Dell laptop:

  1. Make sure the external monitor or TV is powered on.
  2. Plug the monitor into the Dell laptop’s HDMI, VGA, DisplayPort, USB-C, or Thunderbolt port. Newer Dell laptops generally have HDMI, DisplayPort, or USB-C. Older models have VGA.
  3. Press the Windows key + P on your keyboard. Or press the display toggle hotkey on your particular Dell model (for example, FN + F1, FN + F2, etc).
  4. Select the mode to output video to the external display only.

If the image now displays properly on the external monitor, then you know the issue lies with the laptop’s built-in display or associated components. However, if the external monitor also stays black, then the graphics processor, motherboard, or cable leading to the display itself likely has a fault.

Common Display Output Ports on Dell Laptops

Here are some of the common ports Dell laptops have for connecting external displays:

  • HDMI – High Definition Multimedia Interface port, elliptical shaped, compatible with most monitors and TVs using an HDMI cable.
  • Mini HDMI – Smaller HDMI version that requires a Mini HDMI cable or adapter.
  • DisplayPort – Rectangular DisplayPort socket, requires a DisplayPort cable. Supports high resolutions.
  • USB-C – Oval USB Type-C port that accepts a USB-C cable. Capable of video output as well as data transfer.
  • VGA – Older rectangular DE-15 port for VGA cable, found on older Dell models.
  • Thunderbolt – USB-C style port capable of Thunderbolt speeds. Supports display output.

If you do not have the required cable, you can purchase one online or at most electronics stores.

Adjust Screen Brightness

Sometimes the laptop screen is actually powered on and displaying video output, but the brightness level is simply turned down very low. This can happen if you use the Fn + Brightness key combination on the keyboard or adjust it via Windows settings.

Before proceeding with more advanced troubleshooting, try these steps:

  1. Press the Fn + Up Arrow key combination to turn up screen brightness.
  2. Go into the Windows Mobility Center and make sure brightness is turned up.
  3. Check for a screen brightness toggle key on your specific Dell model and press it.
  4. Boot into the BIOS setup menu using the F2 or F12 key and look for brightness options.

If adjusting brightness does not reveal a faint image, then the backlight or display panel likely has an issue or failure.

Reseat the RAM

One simple hardware issue that can cause a black screen on Dell laptops is loose or faulty RAM memory modules. The RAM stores video information necessary for displaying images. Reseating the RAM involves removing it completely and inserting it back into the slots.

To reseat the laptop’s RAM modules:

  1. Power off the laptop and unplug AC power.
  2. Flip the laptop over to access the bottom panel.
  3. Find the panel secured by screws that provides access to the internal components.
  4. Remove the screws with a Phillips head screwdriver and open the panel.
  5. Look for the RAM modules which are small circuit boards inserted into slots.
  6. Carefully pull the retaining clips away from the RAM stick until it releases from the slot.
  7. Remove the RAM stick fully and blow away any dust with compressed air.
  8. Reinsert the RAM stick firmly into the slot until it clicks and locks into place.
  9. If you have multiple sticks, remove and reseat each one.
  10. Replace the access panel and screw it back in.
  11. Reconnect AC power, turn the laptop on, and see if the display is restored.

If reseating the RAM does not help, you can try testing each stick individually in each slot to isolate any faulty modules.

Replace CMOS Battery

The CMOS battery on the laptop’s motherboard provides power to keep BIOS settings saved when the laptop is powered off. If it runs down or dies, it can cause black screen issues on bootup.

To replace the CMOS battery on a Dell laptop:

  1. Power off the laptop fully and unplug AC power.
  2. Follow disassembly steps to remove the bottom panel and access the internal motherboard.
  3. Locate the watch-battery style CMOS battery on the board, often near the RAM slots.
  4. Gently pry or push the clip to release the old CMOS battery from the holder.
  5. Insert the new CR2032 CMOS battery with the positive “+” side facing up.
  6. Reassemble the laptop cover and power it back on.

If the laptop now displays video output, then the CMOS battery was depleted. Make sure to enable the correct date and time in the BIOS menu after replacing it.

Update Software and Drivers

Outdated software and drivers can also sometimes cause a black screen of death issue, especially after a recent Windows update. Make sure to update these on your Dell:

  • BIOS – Check for a newer version of the BIOS for your laptop model and update it.
  • Graphics Drivers – Update to the newest video drivers from AMD or NVIDIA for your specific graphics card.
  • Windows Updates – Install all critical and optional Windows updates in case one fixes incompatibilities.
  • Chipset Drivers – Update your Intel, AMD, or other chipset drivers from the manufacturer.

Updating each of these can help resolve software-related causes of a black screen on system startup or wake from sleep. You can find and download the latest versions from the Dell, AMD, Intel, NVIDIA, or Microsoft websites.

Run Hardware Diagnostics

If no software fixes resolve the Dell laptop screen remaining black, the issue likely stems from a hardware malfunction.

Some components that commonly fail and cause black screens include:

  • LCD backlight burnt out
  • LCD cable damaged or disconnected
  • Screen inverter board faulty
  • Graphics card failure
  • Failed video memory
  • Motherboard video output broken

To properly diagnose and pinpoint the failed hardware, you will need to run diagnostics tests:

  1. Dell Diagnostics – Boot into the built-in Dell Diagnostics tool by pressing F12 on startup and running tests.
  2. ePSA Diagnostics – Run the ePSA Preboot System Assessment tool.
  3. External Monitor – Connect an external screen to help determine if graphics card or video memory has failed.
  4. Boot to Hiren’s Boot CD – Boot from a Hiren’s Boot CD to test components and diagnose hardware issues.

Once you determine the specific hardware that has failed, the fix generally requires replacing that component. For example, replacing the LCD screen and cable, motherboard video chipset, graphics card, or RAM modules.

Conclusion

Troubleshooting a black screen when powering on your Dell laptop requires patience but can help resolve the issue without a costly repair. Work through these steps methodically:

  1. Reboot laptop fully including battery removal.
  2. Connect an external monitor to test video output.
  3. Check if screen brightness needs adjusting.
  4. Reseat the laptop’s RAM modules.
  5. Replace old CMOS battery if needed.
  6. Update BIOS, graphics drivers, Windows, and chipset drivers.
  7. Run Dell diagnostics or bootable CD hardware tests.
  8. Determine faulty hardware such as LCD, cable, motherboard, etc.
  9. Replace damaged components and restore video output.

Using this structured troubleshooting approach can help isolate whether a software issue or hardware problem causes the black screen, and direct you to the proper solution for your Dell laptop.