You power on your Windows computer, log in, and the screen stays black. Because of power indicator lights or an illuminated keyboard you can determine the device is turned on, yet the screen doesn’t respond no matter the amount of keys you mash. It’s a frustrating experience, but not necessarily a disaster. Although this issue isn’t very common, there are a few simple steps you can try before deciding to throw your computer off the balcony.
Step 1: Boot Into the BIOS
The first thing to try is booting into your device’s BIOS, aka the Basic Input Output System. This can help determine that your hardware is working, even if Windows isn’t showing anything yet. Here’s how to do it:
- Restart your computer
- While it’s booting up, repeatedly press the key that gets you into the BIOS
- The key depends on your device’s motherboard manufacturer, most commonly:
- Function key (F2, F10, F12, Del etc.)
- Escape key
- Spacebar
- The key depends on your device’s motherboard manufacturer, most commonly:
- After pressing the correct key repeatedly during boot, the BIOS screen should appear. This usually looks like a blue or black screen containing system information.
Once you’re in the BIOS, don’t change any settings. You’re only checking to see if the display works. Simply exit the BIOS by selecting Save and Exit. This process can help reinitialize your display output and might resolve the issue when you boot back into Windows.
Step 2: Reset the Graphics Driver
If booting into the BIOS didn’t fix the problem, the next thing to try is resetting the graphics driver from within Windows. Assuming the device is powered on , press:
- Ctrl + Windows + Shift + B
This keyboard shortcut tells Windows to refresh and reset the graphics driver. You might hear a beep or see the screen flicker. If the screen comes back on, then the issue was likely the graphics driver not initializing properly.
Still Having Issues?
If the steps listed above didn’t fix your blank screen, you can follow these additional troubleshooting steps:
- Connect your device to a monitor or TV
- If your device is already plugged into a display, try a different monitor or TV
- Make sure all display cables are secure and undamaged
- Try swapping out HDMI or DisplayPort cables to see if that is the root cause
- Boot into Safe Mode to check for driver issues or recent updates
- Update or reinstall your graphics driver from the manufacturer’s website
If you’re a customer of Canopy IT and are still having display issues, don’t hesitate to reach out to our IT support team! We’re happy to help get your system back up and running smoothly. If your company isn’t yet supported by us, reach out to us through the information listed in our contact page here.