Action 1: Try a Windows Key sequence to wake the screen
Let’s try to wake your device and see it that helps. Press the CapsLock or NumLock key to see if the status light above the key turns on.
If the status light turns on, do the following to try and wake your device:
- If you have a keyboard connected, press the Windows logo key + Ctrl + Shift + B. If you’re in tablet mode, simultaneously press the volume-up and volume-down buttons three times within 2 seconds.
If Windows is responsive, you’ll hear a short beep and the screen will
blink or dim while Windows attempts to refresh the screen.
- If your using a desktop PC, press Ctrl + Alt + Delete, select an account and try to sign in.
If you can’t sign in, select the Power button on the bottom right-hand corner of the screen to restart your device.
If you don’t see the Power button
on your screen, press and hold the power button on your device for 10
seconds to turn it off. Then press and release the power button to turn
your device back on.
If the status light doesn't turn on, press and hold
the power button on your device for 10 seconds to turn it off, and then
unplug your adapter. After 30 seconds, plug your adapter back in and
restart your device.
If you’re still seeing a black or blank screen, try the steps in Action 2 to check your device and display connections.
Action 2: Check your connections
There might be a connection problem with your PC or display. Here are some things to try:
If you’re using a desktop PC:
- Make sure your display is plugged in and turned on.
- Unplug the video cable from both your
display and PC, and then reconnect them firmly. After you reconnect the
video cable, try moving your mouse on your display.
- Depending on which PC you have, try using a keyboard shortcut to increase the brightness level of your display.
- If you have a TV connected to your PC, make sure it's turned on and set to the input for your PC.
- Try connecting to different
video outputs on your PC. Sometimes a change in driver can cause the
video to be sent to a different display adapter or output.
- If you have your own display adapter
installed and connected to your display, try connecting your display to
the built-in video on the motherboard.
If you’re using a laptop or tablet:
- If it’s in a docking station, temporarily remove it. Make sure that the lid of your laptop is completely open after undocking.
- Make sure that the external monitor is turned on and plugged in.
- Depending on which device you have, try using a keyboard shortcut to increase the brightness level of your display.
- Check for damaged cables (DVI, VGA, HDMI,
Thunderbolt, DisplayPort), loose connections, or faulty adapters (such
as DVI-to-VGA).
If you’re using multiple displays, try projecting video to a different monitor. Press the Windows logo key + P, select a display, and then press Enter.
If your connections are good and you’re still seeing a black or blank screen, try the steps in Action 3 to remove third-party antivirus software.
Action 3: Remove third-party antivirus software
Some third-party antivirus software has been known
to cause black or blank screens. You can temporarily uninstall this
software to determine if it is causing your issue, and then reinstall
the software after your device is back up and running.
Removing the software won’t leave your device unprotected because
Windows Defender Antivirus will kick in if no other antivirus software
is running. Get more info about Windows Security.
To remove third-party antivirus software, first you'll need to sign in to Windows using safe mode. For the steps to sign in to Windows using safe mode, see the “From a black or blank screen” section of the Start your PC in safe mode in Windows 10 page.
Once your device is in safe mode, select the Start button, and then select Settings > System > Apps & features.
Open Apps & features setting
Select Sort by name, and change it to Sort by install date. Select the third-party antivirus software you want to remove, and then select Uninstall. After you remove your third-party antivirus software, restart your device.
If you’re still seeing a black or blank screen, try the steps in Action 4 to perform a clean boot.
Action 4: Perform a clean boot
When you start Windows by using a normal startup,
several applications and services start automatically, and then run in
the background. These apps and services include basic system processes,
antivirus software, system utility applications, and other software that
has been previously installed.
A “clean boot” starts Windows with a minimal set of
drivers and startup programs, so that you can determine whether a
background program may be causing the issue. A clean boot is mainly to
troubleshoot software compatibility issues.
First, follow the steps in Perform a clean boot in Windows. It’s important to know that performing a clean boot isn’t going to resolve your black or blank screen issue.
However, if your issue doesn’t occur while your
device is in a clean boot environment, then you can determine if a
startup application or service is causing the problem by systemically
turning them on or off and then restarting your device.
After you start your device in a clean boot
environment, go to the “Troubleshooting steps to install, uninstall, or
run your application” section of the Perform a clean boot in Windows page to find out how you can check if a startup application or service is causing your issue.
When you finish troubleshooting, go to the ”Reset the computer to start normally” section of the same page.
If you’re still seeing a black or blank screen after performing a clean boot, try the steps in Action 5 to determine if your graphics card is supported in Windows 10.
Action 5: Make sure that Windows 10 supports your graphics card
If you’re experiencing a black or blank screen, it may be a compatibility issue with your graphics card and Windows 10.
The best way to do this is to check your graphics card manufacturer website for the latest and most compatible graphics card driver for Windows 10 and to find out about the status of compatibility with Windows 10.
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