How to fix black screen on Windows 10

How to fix the black screen? This problem is common in different operating systems – you turn on the computer or laptop, but the screen is empty. Sometimes the display glows, sometimes it stays dark.

What do you do when this happens to your Windows 10 computer? Let’s start with learning the most common reasons that may cause this issue.

• Screen malfunction or problems with the connection. An unlit screen may indicate a screen malfunction or a poor connection between the computer and the monitor. For desktops, testing another monitor or cable is the first thing to do.
• Problems with hardware parts. There can be a problem with a damaged video card or other hardware, so some disassembly may be required.
• Corrupted system files. Windows users may encounter corrupted system files. In the case of a pitch-black screen, you may see a flashing notification and nothing more on the screen.
• Problems with display detection. In general, if the computer cannot detect a display, the screen will remain black. In this case, you may need to restart your computer and put it into recovery mode, even if you can't start your computer. To do this, press the F8 key several times immediately after starting the computer.

Another way is to use an external drive, such as a DVD or flash drive. If you can log in, a black screen can be as simple as a program that hangs at startup. In this case, you can close the destructive program through Task Manager. One option is to find the LockAppHost.exe file on the Details tab and complete the task.

We have described just some common reasons and solutions to the black home screen problem. But let's discuss them and some others in more detail.

What Causes Black Screen of Death?

The main possible reasons for this problem are:

• Mechanical damage to the device.
• Liquid spillage on internal elements and contacts.
• Improper cooling results in overheating.
• Problems with RAM.
• Incorrect component settings.
• Battery failure.
• Damage to the display and related parts (matrix, cable).
• Graphics accelerator problems cause a black screen on a laptop.

Many of these problems can be fixed at home with your own hands, but if you are a non-technical person and all you can do is keep crying, “Why does my screen go black?”, you’d better leave it to professionals.

So, What to Do with a Black Home Screen? 3 Simple Steps

Step 1. Check connection

The “computer screen is black” problem can be caused by a connection issue between your device and your monitor.

• In this case, you will need to double-check the physical connections to make sure that both ends of the video cable are properly connected to the input and output ports.
• Disconnecting and reconnecting the video cable and shaking the mouse also help to wake up the screen.
• Although this is obvious, double-check the monitor to make sure it is turned on.
• If your video card has multiple outputs, try using a different port and wake up the monitor by shaking the mouse or pressing any key on the keyboard. Although rare, driver updates may change the video signal to another port.
• If your computer has both discrete and integrated graphics, you can try switching to integrated graphics to determine if there is a problem with discrete graphics.
• When connecting an external monitor, you can remove the totally black screen by opening the control panel on the device to increase brightness. It is also useful to check that the monitor is using the correct input. If the problem occurs on the laptop, use the keyboard shortcut to increase the brightness of the screen.
• You can also try connecting the monitor to another computer or using a different video cable to determine if you are dealing with a damaged monitor, video card, or cable. If you have detected that something is wrong with the hardware parts, take your computer to the service center.

Step 2. Fix display issues

Sometimes a black screen appears because Windows 10 loses communication with the monitor. Restart the video driver and use Windows + Ctrl + SHIFT + B to update the monitor connection.

On some devices, such as Surface Pro 7, you can wake up the screen by pressing the magnification button and decreasing the volume three times simultaneously. During awakening, you will hear sound signals and actions on the screen, indicating that Windows 10 can respond to the command and try to install a new connection.

In addition, assuming that Windows 10 corresponds to, you can use Windows + P to open the project pop-up menu. Then press the P key again, then press the ENTER key to go between different display modes and view whether the dead computer screen will disappear. If the screen remains black, press and hold the power button for about 10 seconds to turn off the device. Then press the power button again to restart.

Step 3. Check other devices connected

Blank screens with rotating dots can be triggered during startup by peripherals connected to the device.

Typically, rotating dots indicate that points have been set, you may need to wait a few minutes, but if the waiting time is too long, this may be a hardware compatibility issue. If you have such situations, disconnect all peripherals and computers, including printers, cameras, removable disks, and other USB devices.

Restart the device, if it returns to normal, the problem may be one of the surrounding devices. You can determine which component is caused by the reconnection to the conflict. Once you find out about the peripherals that are causing the problem, turn it off, restart your computer, search online to find a solution, or contact the manufacturer for more help.

3 Working Guides on How to Fix Black Screen of Death

The way to solve the problem depends on its cause. Below we will present several solutions in the form of a guide that can help you step by step.

Guide 1. How to fix the black screen of death with the explorer.exe?

You may need to restart the disconnect issue by following these steps:

• Ctrl + Alt + Delete – open Task Manager.
• More details button.
• Windows Explorer service.
• Choose End task.
• File menu.
• Run the new task option.
• Type the command and click OK.

Guide 2. Resolving the Windows explorer process for the dead computer screen issue

Click step by step:

• Ctrl + Shift + Esc.
• Open Task Manager.
• More details button.
• Processes tab.
• Windows Explorer service.
• Restart button from the bottom-right corner.

Guide 3. How to fix the black screen after booting on Windows 10?

Run Windows 10 for an hour and run services, drivers, and programs to continue running in the background. You can have a black screen on the computer because one or more components are not working properly. Quite interestingly, Windows 10 can be run with a minimal set of services, drivers, and applications, which can help you understand what causes the background mode to darken the screen again.

• Press the Stop button.
• Start tab.
• Job Manager setting.
• Start tab.
• Click the Off button in the lower right corner.
• Task manager.
• Restart the computer.

Still asking, “Why is my computer screen black”? Do you know that Windows 10 also allows you to re-enter services individually to determine which component is causing the problem? That’s how you can do it:

• Open the start.
• Open System Configuration program.
• Services tab.
• Set ensign to add all Microsoft services.
• Click the Disable button.

Use System Restore

System Restore in Windows 10 can help undo system changes that can cause a monitor blackout screen. With this feature, you will not lose any files, but you may lose some settings, programs, and updates depending on your current configuration. Activate advanced launch with the media download method. Additionally, you can use a USB flash drive to access your recovery media settings by following these steps:

Important! If your computer does not boot from USB, you need to configure the motherboard BIOS settings to allow booting from USB. For example, you can enter the BIOS by turning on the device and pressing one of the Delete or Esc functions. Click Next – Restore Computer.

When It’s Better to Turn to Support Service

If you doubt that you will be able to cope with the problem with the help of our instructions, you can always contact the support service. For example, Howly assists its customers around the world. Some of the simplest things you can do to better describe your problem and make sure black screen of death requires professional attention are:

• Battery performance. Connect power to the laptop. The indicator should light up to indicate that the battery is charging. If it does not light up, then remove the battery and, using an eraser, clean the contacts on the laptop and the battery if they show a semblance of plaque or oxidation.

Warning! If you have no experience in cleaning contacts, skip this step!

After cleaning the contacts, use up the remaining charge by holding down the power button. Insert the battery and try turning on the device. If it doesn't turn on, then the battery is probably dead.

• Elimination of overheating. The device cannot work fully if the temperature of one or more elements exceeds that which the developers have established as safe. The most common cause is overheating of the CPU (Central Processing Unit). And the primary source of the problem may be ordinary dust. It covers the cooler blades and radiator tubes and thus interferes with cooling. Remove the bottom cover of the laptop and remove dust using a can of compressed air. After that, put the cover back and turn on your device.
• You need to check the video system. Check that the cable that connects the video card or motherboard to the graphics matrix is ​​working. To do this, you can connect a TV or a regular monitor to your laptop via HDMI or older VGA, or DVI. If the image appears on another output device, then the problem is definitely in the backlight of the laptop display. Only a specialist can replace it, as this is a difficult task.

Tips & tricks for tech-savvy users

Note that we strongly do not recommend using the following methods on your own without clear instructions or the help of professionals.

• If there is no POST card available, but there are spare computer elements, then try replacing the ones installed in the laptop with equivalent ones.

Attention: do this only if you have a clear idea of ​​how the laptop works. Otherwise, you can completely break it.

Change one element at a time and try to turn on the device. For example, RAM, hard drive, and so on.

• Connect an additional monitor to see what is happening on the screen, and do the following:Boot Windows in safe mode.
  Press Win+R keys.
  Type devmgmt. msc and click OK.
  

In Device Manager, look for any components marked with an exclamation or question mark.

There is a chance that after a reboot, the system will download and install the correct and fresh driver options, after which the screen will work.