5 Fixes for Laptop Screen Black but Still Running

Do not panic if your HP, Acer, Dell, Lenovo, or Asus laptop turns on but no display or laptop screen black but still running. Here are tried-and-true solutions to solve laptop screen black problem. Being afraid of losing data? EaseUS data recovery software shall be an ideal choice to recover and export data to another location and allows you to solve my laptop screen is black issue without data loss.

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The laptop screenВ blackВ occurs when there is a corrupted graphics driver or a problem with the LCD display back light. To test the display, you can attach an external monitor and restart the computer. If an image displays on the external monitor, there might be a graphics driver conflict with the notebook LCD display that leads to laptop screen black but still running.

Fix Laptop Screen Black but Still Running Lenovo, HP, Asus, and DellВ

There are five practical ways to fix laptop screen blackВ or laptop turns on but no display issue. The following table shows you theВ quick navigation to these solutions.В Click on each fix for detailed guides.

Workable Solutions	Step-by-step Troubleshooting
Fix 1. Recover Laptop Data	On EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard, select the drive where you lose your data and click «Scan». Full steps
Fix 2. Hard Reset the PC	Turn off the laptop. Remove the laptop from any port replicator or docking station. Full steps
Fix 3. Test The Display	Connect an external monitor to the laptop. If the computer screen does not display. Full steps
Fix 4. Reseat Memory Modules	Turn off the laptop, and then disconnect the power cord. Before beginning any procedure. Full steps
Fix 5. Reset Your Laptop	Press the Windows logo key and L on your keyboard. This will take you to the Windows 10 sign-in. Full steps

My Laptop Screen Is BlackВ

«I’ve been experiencing problems with my HP Pavilion laptop. The power button light turns on but nothing appears on the screen. How to solve the laptop turns on but no display issue without affecting data inside.»

It’s common to see a laptop black screen of death after login with a cursor, no display, no options, just nothing. For years of experience in the IT field, the laptop with «LED light on, hard drive spinning, but no display» issue frequently happens to users, especially when Microsoft pushes a Windows operating system update.

And the corresponding troubleshooting for laptop screen black can be found anywhere on the internet, most will be related to a Windows reset or component reset, which wipes hard drive data.В Press and hold the power button on your device for 10 seconds to turn it off, then unplug your adapter. After 30 seconds, plug your adapter back in and restart your device. If you still see a black screen, you can read on.

5 Effective Fixes forВ Laptop Screen Black But Still RunningВ

To resolve the laptop screen black issue, try the following practical methods in order.В

Fix 1. Recover Data When Screen Remains Blank or Black

So, if you care about your data, try to access your hard drive at the very first. Among the multiple approaches, we recommend you the easiest one. You can easily copy the data to another drive or using data recovery software. EaseUSВ bootable disk data recovery software is designed to serve people who have trouble in data recovery or accessing the hard drive.

EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard

• Recover lost or deleted files, documents, photos, audio, music, emails effectively
• Recover files from formatted hard drive, emptied recycle bin, memory card, flash drive, digital camera, and camcorders
• Support data recovery for sudden deletion, formatting, hard drive corruption, virus attack, system crash under different situations

Tip: Remember to take out the hard drive and recover data from it. Connect the hard drive to another computer and then using the data recovery software that doesn’t need any technical know-how and minimizes data risks

Step 1. Select and scan hard drive.

On EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard, select the drive where you lose your data and clickВ «Scan». Wait patiently until this program finishes the scanning, it will find all your lost data on the drive.

Step 2. Find and preview found files on the selected drive.

Check «Deleted Files», «Lost Files» or use «Filter», «Search» to find the lost files on the selected hard drive. You can double-click to open and check the found files.

Step 3. Recover and save lost hard drive data.

Select all found lost hard drive files, click «Recover» and browse another secure location to save them. Click «OK» to confirm and finish the recovery process.

If your hard drive contains the system, you can refer to this guide:В Migrate OS to SSD/HDD.

With data safely transferred, now you can begin the repair procedure by carefully follow the solutions below, which are proven to be useful in fixing most laptops turning on but displaying nothing on the screen issue.

Fix 2. Hard Reset the Laptop to Resolve Laptop Blank Screen

Your laptop manufacturers should allow you to hard reset or factory reset your machine when it has trouble starting up or malfunctioning in other ways. If you have no idea about how to do the hard reset, try to contact the manufacturer or seek help on the official support forum. This manner removes data and apps, still, it deserves an initial trial since it resolves the display blank or black issue mostly. Here, we take HP laptop as an example:

Step 1. Turn off the laptop. Remove the laptop from any port replicator or docking station.

Step 2. Disconnect all external connected peripheral devices such as USB storage devices, external displays, and printers. Unplug the AC adapter from the laptop.

Step 3. Remove the battery from the battery compartment.

With the battery and power cord unplugged, press and hold the «Power button» for about 15 seconds to drain any residual electrical charge from the capacitors.

Step 4. Insert the battery and plug the AC adapter back into the laptop, but do not connect any of the peripheral devices.

Step 5. Press the «Power button» to turn on the laptop. The laptop starts normally or a startup menu opens.

Step 6. If a startup menu opens, use the arrow keys to select Start Windows Normally, and then press «Enter».

After Windows opens, reconnect each peripheral device that was disconnected, one device at a time, until all devices are reconnected.

Fix 3. Connecting an External Monitor to Test the Display

The screen might remain black when there is a corrupted graphics driver or a problem with the LCD display backlight. To test the display, attach an external monitor, and restart the computer. This test is helpful if the display is black but you can hear that the computer is operating. You can connect most monitors and other display devices like projectors using the VGA, DVI, HDMI or DisplayPort cables.В

Step 1. Connect an external monitor to the laptop.

• Know the video connectors on your computer and display devices to avoid problems and get the best possible picture quality.
• An HDMI connection can also carry audio. HDMI audio is lost when using a DVI to HDMI adapter or cable solution. You cannot connect DVI-D to VGA.

Step 2. If the computer screen does not display on the external monitor, press «F4» until the screen image displays.

Step 3. If an image displays on the external monitor, there might be a graphics driver conflict with the laptop LCD display. Download and install the latest graphics and chipset drivers for your specific computer.

Step 4. If you can hear sounds of operation but no image is visible on either display, you can change a monitor or send the laptop for service.

Fix 4. Reseating the Memory Modules to Fix Laptop Screen Black

If a memory module is loose, it usually causes a laptop not displaying an image. So, reseating the memory modules might resolve either a blank or black screen issue on a laptop. By removing the AC adapter from the laptop, removing and reseating the memory module, and then reconnecting the AC adapter to the laptop, you can finally make it.

Step 1. Turn off the laptop, and then disconnect the power cord. Before beginning any procedure, touch a grounded metal object to discharge static electricity.

Step 2. Remove the cover to access the memory.

Step 3. Remove memory modules on the laptop.

Step 4. Reinsert all memory modules.

Step 5. Perform any tests to verify that the laptop can start up and run in the Windows operating system.

Fix 5. Reset Your PC to Fix Laptop Black Screen

If your turns on but no display, you can refresh or reset your PC or laptopВ to reinstall Windows without affecting your personal files, apps, or any of your settings.

Step 1. Press the Windows logo key and L on your keyboard. This will take you to the Windows 10 sign-in screen. Don’t log in.

Step 2. Reset your PC by holding the «Shift» key while you click the «Power» button > «Restart» in the lower-right corner of the screen. Your PC will restart in Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE) environment.

Step 3. From the options screen, choose «Troubleshoot > Reset this PC». Click «Next».

Then, select the quick option without removing your personal files. Wait for Windows to open. Follow any on-screen instructions.

Conclusion onВ Laptop Screen Black But Still Running Issue

If your PC turns on but no display, don’t worry and try the methods we have listed above to effectively fix your issue. If you have any better solution for this issue, let us know. If you have any questions about data recovery or other problems while using EaseUS data recovery software, send an email to our support team. We will solve it as soon as possible.

If you still have ‘my laptop screen is black’ problem, you can watch this video:

1. 1 — check charger
2. 2 — check battery
3. 3 — check over the charged problem
4. 4 — check RAM
5. 5 — check ribbon.

How to Fix Advanced Display Settings Missing in Windows 10?

We came across numerous complaints from users where they complained that they were unable to locate the Advanced Display Settings on their computers after a potential Windows 10 update. This issue was reported globally and occurred to almost everyone who updated to 1703 or Fall Creators update.

Advanced Display Settings Missing in Windows 10

The most common feature which the users used was the ‘Text Size Setting’. Using the Advanced Display Settings, users were able to easily change their text sizes without going through much hassle. However, this was changed with the updated Windows. In this article, we will go through all the reasons as to why this issue might occur on your computer and what the workarounds are to solve the issue.

What causes ‘Advanced display Settings’ to Disappear?

After analyzing all the user reports, statements from Microsoft and our research, we concluded that the issue occurred due to several different reasons. Some of the reasons why you might find the ‘Advanced Display Settings’ missing are but not limited to:

• Feature Removed in Update: Reportedly, Microsoft officially removed the option available on Windows. This was met with a lot of backlash from the community. At the time of writing this article, Microsoft is still considering to bring it back.
• Bad Graphics Drivers: Another surprising issue which we came across was where bad graphics drivers installed caused the display settings to vanish. Updating or Rolling back the drivers usually solve the problem.
• Clash with on-board graphics: There are also instances where the onboard graphics might conflict with the third-party graphics drivers. Disabling the onboard graphics might help in this.
• Windows corrupt installation files: There might also be instances where the installation files of Windows might be corrupt. Here, restoring a previous version or doing a clean installation might help.

Before starting the solution, make sure that you are logged in as an administrator on your computer. Furthermore, save all your work as we might be restarting your computer again and again.

Solution 1: Using Alternate Options

If your computer was indeed updated and you found the option missing, it is probably because it was removed by Microsoft. They replaced the options present inside the Advanced Display settings to another location in Windows. We will navigate there and access the text formatting/size settings from there.

1. Press Windows + I to launch your Settings. Now, click on the sub-category of System. System – Windows settings
2. Once in the System tab, click on Display from the left-hand side of the screen.
3. Now on the right-hand side, scroll down until you find the option of Display adapter properties. Click it. Here, you can also change other settings of your display such as Scale and layout and Multiple displaysDisplay adapter properties
4. Now, navigate to Intel HD Graphics Control Panel and then click on Properties
5. Now, click on Graphics properties and then go to the Display setting to make changes as required.

Also, if you don’t find your required setting here, you can always navigate to the color management.

1. Press Windows + S, type “color management” in the dialogue box and open the application.
2. Once in color management, click on Advanced
3. Now if you wish to calibrate the display, click on Calibrate Display. Calibrate Display
4. After calibrating your display, click Finish and go to the ClearType Text Tuner. ClearType Text Tuner
5. From here, you will be able to change the text type without any issues.

Solution 2: Using Third-party Software

If the above method doesn’t work for you and you still having difficulty in changing your settings, we will try downloading a third-party software and see if we can get it to work. This is a workaround given if your computer was indeed updated. If it wasn’t and you see the option missing, proceed to the other solutions listed down below.

System Font Size Changer

Download System Font Size Changer from WinTools page and install it on your computer. When you launch the application, you will see various options the ability to change their settings. You can also create a shortcut and access the tool whenever required.

Solution 3: Running Hardware and Device Troubleshooter

Every Windows OS has a hardware troubleshooter which helps users in detecting issues with your current operating system and resolve them after a series of steps. This solution applies if you haven’t updated Windows and the display settings option automatically vanished from your screen.

1. Right-click on the Windows icon present at the bottom left side of the screen or press Windows + X button and select Control panel. If this doesn’t work, press Windows + S and in the dialogue box, type “control panel” and hit enter.
2. Now on the top right side of the screen, click on View By and select Large Icons from the list of options available.
3. Now select the option of Troubleshooting from the control panel.

Troubleshooting – Control panel

1. Now on the left side of the window, select “View all” option to list all the troubleshooting packs available on your computer.
2. Now select “Hardware and Devices” or Display from the list of options available and click it.

Hardware and Devices Troubleshooting

1. Now select Next in the new window that pops up in front of you.
2. Now Windows will start searching for hardware problems and fix them if it finds any. This process can take some time as all of your hardware is being checked. Be patient and let the process complete successfully.
3. Windows might prompt you to restart your PC to fix problems. Don’t delay the request, save your work and press “Apply this Fix”.

Solution 4: Disabling onboard graphics (if dedicated graphics installed)

Another issue which we noticed that plagued users was where dedicated graphics on your computer were causing several issues with the OS. This is very unlikely but usually occurs if there is a conflict of the drivers with the system. In this solution, we will disable the onboard graphics. This will help us determine and troubleshoot whether they are clashing with your dedicated graphics and causing the problem.

1. Press Windows + R, type “devmgmt.msc” in the dialogue box and press Enter.
2. Once in the Device Manager, navigate to the entry “Display adapters”, right-click on the on-board graphics and select Disable device. Disabling onboard graphics
3. Restart your computer. Now, only your dedicated graphics will be active. Check if the issue is resolved.

Solution 5: Changing Registry Entries

If you indeed want to change the text size of your computer (or some parts of it), you can perform the actions using registry files. Registries are instructions and a type of manual for your computer which informs it what it needs to do when certain actions occur. Here, we will make changes to your Registry by downloading an external one and installing it. When we install it, the computer automatically merges the new and the existing one.

Note: Making changes to the Registry is a risky job so make sure that you proceed at your request and don’t make any changes to any other entries.

1. Download the required Registry file from the links down below:

1. After downloading the registry file, right-click on it and select Run as administrator.
2. If you are prompted with User Access Control, press Yes.
3. Now, restart your computer completely. After restarting, check if the issue is resolved indeed. You can always run the opposite registry entry for reverting the entry.

Solution 6: Updating Graphics Drivers

Graphics drivers are the main components in play when you are playing games on your computer. They have the job of relaying the information from the motherboard to your graphics hardware. If the graphics drivers themselves are having issues, it is recommended that you update them as soon as possible and see where things go.

In this solution, we will first try installing default drivers and see if this fixes the problem.

1. Download and install DDU (Display driver uninstaller) from its official website.
2. After installing Display Driver Uninstaller (DDU), launch your computer in safe mode. You can check our article on how to boot your computer into safe mode.
3. After launching the DDU, select the first option “Clean and restart”. This will uninstall the current drivers completely from your computer.

DDU Clean and Restart

1. Now after the uninstallation, boot your computer normally without safe mode. Press Windows + R, type “devmgmt.msc” in the dialogue box and press Enter. Right-click on any space and select “Search for hardware changes”. The default drivers will be installed. Try launching the game and check if this solves the problem.
2. In the majority of the cases, the default drivers will not work for you so you can either install the latest drivers through Windows update or navigate to your manufacturer’s website and download the latest ones.

Search for hardware changes

1. After you have installed the drivers, restart your computer and check if the problem is solved.

Solution 7: Performing a System Restore

If all the above methods are not working and you still cannot get any response out of Ctrl + Alt + Del, you can perform a system restore after backing up your data.

System restore rollbacks your Windows to the last time it was working correctly. The restore mechanism automatically creates backups either periodically or in-time whenever you install a new update.

1. Press Windows + S to launch the start menu’s search bar. Type “restore” in the dialogue box and select the first program which comes in the result.
2. One in the restore settings, press System Restore present at the beginning of the window under the tab of System Protection. System Restore – Windows
3. Now a wizard will open navigating you through all the steps to restore your system. You can either select the recommended restore point or choose a different restore point. Press Next and proceed with all the further instructions.
4. Now select the restore point from the list of options available. If you have more than one system restore points, they will be listed here. Selecting the restore point
5. Now windows will confirm your actions for the last time before it starts the system restore process. Save all your work and backup important files just in case and proceed with the process.

Note: You can also get your hard drive checked if the problem is persisting.

Solution 8: Clean installing Windows

If all the above methods don’t work out and you are still unable to the problem at hand, we can try installer a fresh version of Windows on your computer. This fixes any issues with the installation files (if any) and solves the problem instantly. Make sure that backup all of your data before proceeding as all your information as well as installed applications will be removed.

Clean installing Windows

You check out our article on how to install Windows 10 on your computer. You can easily make a Windows bootable by either Rufus or by Windows media creation tool. Do note that you would have to manually install the update by updating the version of Windows installed (or if you clean install Windows directly into update 1903, the problem will go away automatically).