Black Screen On Windows Laptops and Notebooks

A black screen on Windows laptops or notebooks can be caused by a number of issues. We will go into various scenarios and troubleshooting to find solutions to a black screen on Windows Laptop or Notebook. Some may work for you and some may not. Go down the list and try each one in turn.

1. It may have turned itself off so touching the power button for a second or two could wake it up or boot it up depending on settings. Also moving the mouse or tapping the touchpad may work.
2. With newer computers running Windows 10, a black screen on a Windows 10 machine could be caused by a Windows 10 update. You have probably left it on and come back sometime later to find the black screen issue. Again, try moving the mouse or touchpad, if that does not work try touching the power button for a second or two. Sometimes this can take 15 plus minutes to come good so patience is a virtue.
3. If you still have a black screen then try unplugging the power cable and removing the battery if that is possible with your laptop/notebook. After removing the battery and power cable hold your finger on the power button for at least 60 seconds. Then leaving the battery out, plug the power cable in and press the power button as normal. It should boot up. Allow it to boot then shut down again and put the battery back in. This is a reset of the computer and all should be well again.
4. Newer laptops do not have a removable battery but some have a small hole in the base cover. You will need to check your make and model to see if that is applicable to yours. If so, then remove the power cable and with a paper clip gently press the paper clip into the hole and keep gently pressing for 60 seconds. Remove paper clip and try and start the computer.
5. If your laptop/notebook does not have a reset hole, and many don’t, then removing the battery is the next option. This can be difficult and fairly technical so I would advise seeking professional IT help or if you want to do it yourself, then find a youtube video for your exact make and model of computer and follow the instructions on that. Leave the battery out for 60 seconds or more as above, then reconnect and reassemble your computer. This is sometimes a solution to a black screen on Windows-based laptops.
6. An alternative to option 5 above is to leave your computer on and with the power cable unplugged for several hours or maybe a day plus so that the battery flattens completely. After you are confident that the laptop battery is exhausted plug the power cable in and try switching on again.
7. Another possibility is that the screen on the laptop has died so plugging an external monitor in could be the answer. Don’t forget to do the keyboard combination to allow the computer to connect to the external monitor. This varies with laptops but generally, it involves a Function key and possibly another key. A Google search on your make and model should give you the correct key or key combination.
8. The video chip on the motherboard could have died, so if that is the case then the laptop is as good as past it and the only thing to do is recover your data.

Please note, some of the advice provided above should really only be followed if you are experienced in repairing laptops and notebooks.  If you need more help, please call our Brisbane Computer Repairs Team on 3397 1215 or 0409 974 707.