The computer turns on but the screen is black. The screen turned black, what should I do?

PC users are sometimes taken by surprise by an unpleasant situation when the computer does not start after turning on, but looks at the user indifferently black screen with text or blinking cursor. Why did this happen and what to do now?

If, when you turn on your computer, you suddenly don’t see the familiar Windows 7 splash screen (XP, 8,9,10), but only black screen without signs of life - don’t panic and don’t rush to reinstall Windows! It is quite possible that you can cope with the problem on your own.

Let's take a step-by-step look at the possible options for what happened.

1. Let's consider situations when, when you press the computer's power button, it refuses to work and start loading Windows. Perhaps there is a very simple explanation for this - the lack of electricity supply.

What to do to check this

2. If, when you turn on the computer, you hear the rustling of the hard drive starting up, but the display remains black, then you need to find out where exactly the problem happened and what specifically does not work.

How can I check this?

Carefully disconnect the monitor cable from the system unit. If the message “No signal” appears on the screen, this means that the monitor itself is fine, and the problem is somewhere in another part.
If, after turning on the computer, you see the monitor on indicator light, but the image itself is missing, try bringing the flashlight close and shining it - the image may be visible, but it is very faint. If you can see it, this indicates a malfunction of the backlight lamps or the monitor inverter. This problem can only be resolved by an experienced technician at a service center.

3. If you have completed all the steps described above, investigating the causes of possible mechanical external inconsistencies, but still have not established the cause of the appearance black screen, it is possible that the problem lies within the system hardware.

How to check what happened

4. If you have done all the steps described above, but when you turn on the computer still refuses to work and load Windows, demonstrating black screen with a cursor flickering on it, and maybe some text. This means that a glitch occurred somewhere in the software.

What to do in this case

In conclusion, I want to reveal simple secrets on how to prevent yourself from seeing a black screen:

shut down your computer correctly, this will protect it from malfunctions and allow the system to boot without errors;
regularly defragment your hard drive and check it for errors;
install an antivirus program and make sure it scans your computer daily for malware;
If possible, try to prevent overheating of the computer components; if necessary, take care of an additional fan;
Regularly clean the system from dust, this will ensure reliable contact between the connections.

I hope that thanks to this article you were able to find the answer to the question: “what should I do if, when I turn on the computer, it refuses to work and I don’t see the usual Windows boot?”

Sometimes, when starting a computer, the user is greeted with an unpleasant surprise in the form of a black screen. This device behavior occurs caused by:

pirated software;
malware;
incorrect operation of the discrete video card driver;
unfinished installation of updates;
damage to system unit components.

Such a malfunction can occur due to a number of reasons, so finding it is the key to solving the problem.

Starting Safe Mode

To restore correct operation, you will need to start safe mode. You will have to act by touch, which means you need to be careful. After several key presses Backspace or F8 you need to click on the button 5 times tabs and then press Enter. Next press again Up, after which again Enter, while holding Shift. These actions will lead to the mode opening recovery. The screen will still remain black, so you won't be able to verify this with your own eyes. Here you need to make the appropriate settings:

three button transitions Down, further Enter;
two button transitions Down, again Enter;
then you need to press the key twice Left;
after that, another transition with the button Down And Enter.

If the display display worked correctly, you would see the following picture:

After the above manipulations, the OS will start with the settings marked with arrows in the image. Low resolution may help to see the image.

Trouble-shooting

Windows is not activated

This situation is often encountered by users who have a machine with unlicensed software installed.

In order to no longer encounter annoying notifications and the resulting inconveniences, you must get rid of from the corresponding utility. She included in the package one of the updates. To do this you will need a separate software solution such as RemoveWAT.

After downloads And launch Just press one button and the problem will be solved.

The computer is infected with a virus

The malware modifies deep Windows settings configurations, resulting in changing the appearance of the interface. If no changes have occurred after removing the malicious program, this does not mean that the destruction of the virus was unsuccessful. The issue may be that the settings were not set before the initial version.

To troubleshoot necessary:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon

There are two options here, Shell And Userinit, whose default values explorer.exe And c:\windows\system32\userinit.exe respectively. If this is not true it is necessary reinstall parameters and restart system for them to take effect.

It's also worth checking out the thread HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\WindowsNT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon, where such variables should not be located. Otherwise, they are subject to destruction.

Non-working video card drivers

They must be removed and new ones must be installed in their place. For this necessary:

However, this method is unsafe because some components may remain in the system even after removal, which can lead to conflicts during subsequent updates. Therefore, a more competent approach would be to use specialized utility Display Driver Uninstaller, which is publicly available.

The final stage is from the official website of the manufacturer and its subsequent installation.

Black desktop without shortcuts

Microsoft works to optimize the software and updates it regularly. During the installation process, the system asks the user not to turn off the computer, but there is not always time or opportunity to do just that.

Terminating updates may result in a black screen upon subsequent boot. This process sometimes lasts up to 30 minutes, which is due to large updates or low hardware performance. When the process is completed, the computer will work properly again.

Computer problems

The first step is to turn off the device. After this it's worth inspect wires and make sure they are not damaged. You also need to check the cables, as well as their interfaces, for mechanical damage.

The motherboard must also be in integrity and safety. But even in this case, it can cause a black screen due to a large accumulation of dust.

The board also has batteryCMOS, which is responsible for the safety of BIOS settings. It may run out of power, preventing the system from booting. In this case, replacing it will solve the problem of the black screen. But most often the solution lies in operating system malfunctions.

If all else fails

There is a procedure for rolling back the OS to the latest working update. To save all files, you need to go to " Control Panel» → « System» → « System protection"and in the protection settings enable all logical drives. Otherwise, during subsequent recovery, only the system disk will be restored.

This is where it happens recovery by pressing the appropriate button.

I don’t want to be trivial, but the so-called “black screen problem” when loading the operating system after turning on the computer is one of the most common problems faced by owners of both desktop computers and . An operating system that won't boot or a hard drive model doesn't really matter when diagnosing the problem. We will tell you further about how to remove the black screen when loading Windows 7, 10 on a computer and laptop and the reasons for the failure.

This guide will be updated, so do not hesitate to ask questions, I will clarify technical points as best I can and solve your problems with the black screen.

The most likely causes of a black screen on boot

First, you need to list the most common problems that cause a black screen, after which the operating system does not load (in other words, a black screen when you turn on the computer). In rare cases, after loading the user sees not only a black screen, but also a cursor. Causes:

There is a conflict in the operating system, due to which it cannot load the graphical environment normally.
Video driver problem (incompatibility with the current operating system: for example, Windows 10 or Windows 7, up to XP)
The hard drive on your computer or laptop has failed
Windows OS has crashed and does not boot correctly (not in safe mode)
Other hardware problems or system conflicts
Windows can't wake up from sleep state

Start Windows in Safe Mode on your computer

One of the most likely reasons why Windows or another operating system does not boot is a system conflict due to which the OS cannot work correctly after turning on the PC. This may be caused, for example, by the fact that the user installs an incompatible program or drivers that conflict with Windows, and when turning on the laptop/PC, the conflict will make itself known in an unpleasant way - in the form of a black screen. How can I remove it?

Fortunately, Windows developers have provided the ability to log into the operating system in a safe mode, which is designed specifically to eliminate various compatibility issues. By entering safe mode, you can fix all problems on your computer, resolve conflicts, and then boot Windows into normal mode.

So, to enter safe mode on your computer:

Remove from the computer all media and devices that may affect Windows boot (flash drives, disks, etc.)
Restart or turn on your computer, depending on its current state.
To enter Safe Mode, hold down the F8 key while booting. If your PC (laptop or desktop version) has several operating systems, then select the appropriate one from the list and then press F8 again to enter Windows Safe Boot Mode.

Problems with the monitor or components

The reason for the black screen may be obvious: the monitor is not working. This may be due to the fact that the contact between the monitor and the video card is lost or the power cable is damaged/not plugged into the outlet. So be sure to check your connection.

As for the laptop, it is unlikely that the matrix “fell off” from the motherboard. To disable it, you need good reasons: for example, mechanical impact on the display. In this case, you will see that there is obvious damage on the screen: scratches, dead pixels, etc.

In addition to the monitor, we recommend examining the system unit. Check whether the video card is secured in the corresponding socket on the motherboard and whether voltage is supplied to all PC components. This should only be done if you have the skills to assemble/disassemble a computer/laptop.

Resolving conflicts with the video driver, if the computer does not start, a black screen is displayed

An example of a similar problem:

Installed Windows 7, 10, restored to factory settings (native Windows image). But nothing helps. Simply put, when you turn on Windows 10 for the first time, everything is good and everything is fine, but when the drivers are installed on the video card (intel hd3000 and radeon 7600), flickering and a black screen occur, after which recovery and safe mode do not work. That is, Windows 10 dies, after installing the drivers there is a black screen.

If you think that the black screen problem may be due to a conflict of video card drivers on your computer or laptop, then:

In the Secure Boot menu, select "Enable low-resolution video mode."
After successfully logging into your operating system account through Device Manager or Control Panel, remove the conflicting ATI/NVIDIA video driver.
Restart your computer
There may be a conflict between the drivers of the motherboard and video card. You need to try different driver combinations. To avoid reinstalling Windows each time when experimenting, create a restore point and when a black screen appears, roll back to the previous restore point.
If the OS loads correctly in normal mode (the Desktop and Windows cursor appears), then the black screen problem is really related to incorrect behavior after installing the drivers. Go to the video card manufacturer's website and download the latest version to your hard drive, try updating the drivers again.
If the black screen continues to appear, try other solutions to the problem outlined in this guide - for example, uninstalling harmful programs.

We remove programs that conflict and block the OS from loading when turned on

Windows 7 does not start for me. When I turn on the computer, after the words “start Windows,” a black screen appears and the computer does not boot. There is no cursor. I restart the computer, I am given a choice of how to boot Windows, I select normal mode - and everything turns on, sometimes I need to restart several times. Normally it doesn’t turn on at all, I have CCleaner, I use it, the antivirus is Avast, I don’t update any drivers. What could be the problem?

In this case, the sequence of actions to fix the problem will be approximately the same as in the above case. The only thing is that in Windows Safe Mode you need to select the “Enable Safe Mode” option. Next, in this download mode, you need to go to the control panel and in the “Programs and Features” window, sort by application installation date. Analyze what you have installed recently: perhaps conflicting applications are the cause of the black screen and inadequate loading of Windows from the system drive on your computer. One of the best programs for uninstalling applications is the free CCleaner utility.

Disable unnecessary programs and services from Windows startup

There is a wonderful utility called msconfig, with its help you can speed up Windows boot. Although modern computers load the OS quickly, boot optimization can eliminate the black screen for a few seconds.

Start - Run. Enter msconfig in the window.
Services tab - here you can disable unnecessary services.
Startup tab - to enable/disable programs during startup.

In Windows 10, startup items can be disabled through the task manager (Startup tab). The status column displays the status of the application.

We use a restore point to perform a system rollback on the computer and fix problems on the computer

It happens that the cause of the OS failure cannot be identified; removing drivers and programs that cause conflicts does not help: a black screen still appears when the computer boots.

If the computer does not start, use the previous Windows restore point

We use a boot disk (Live CD) to fix errors and diagnose a black screen

When a black screen appears, it is advisable to check your computer and operating system for viruses. This can be done using a "live CD". We recommend using this to enter system recovery mode. In addition to the virus scan itself, livecd 4MRescueKit includes modules for data recovery, file backup, and a disk manager like PartitionMagic. Even if this does not help get rid of the black screen of death, you can at least prepare to reinstall the operating system or diagnose the performance of the hard drive in this mode. Live CD fixes problems regardless of the version: it can be both Windows and Linux.

4MRescueKit boot kit helps fix software errors on the disk

Black screen during Windows reinstallation

I get a black screen and a cursor, I reinstalled Windows and I still can’t completely reinstall it. After the first reboot, during the installation process, when loading Windows there is a black screen and cursor.

Solution to the problem.

Try using a different installation disk or version of Windows OS.
The reason for the appearance of a black screen and interrupted loading can be either software or hardware. For example, the hard drive contains bad sectors or the USB flash drive or the disk from which Windows is installed is damaged.
Try installing the operating system on a different partition of your hard drive.

Viruses have damaged Windows system files

Many computer viruses can delete or damage important system files. As a result, after loading Windows OS, a black screen appears, although the cursor can still be displayed and respond to your movements. Removing viruses does not always help solve the problem, but you can try.

How to check your hard drive for viruses if? You need a working computer to which you can attach a hard drive. After booting into Windows, install the free Dr Web CureIt antivirus. The CureIt utility contains current virus databases.

Video instruction:

Select the hard drive to scan and launch the scanner.

If, after detecting viruses, a black screen still appears when loading Windows, then you need to look for other reasons.

Burn a recovery flash drive and reinstall Windows

After updating Windows 7 - black screen in any mode: normal, safe - no difference. I tried restoring Windows via the installation disk - to no avail.

Answer. Install Windows 7 from scratch or immediately install Windows 10, thereby killing two birds with one stone: update and solve the problem with the black screen when loading Windows 7.

One of the best programs for burning Windows to a USB flash drive is Rufus. The utility is available in Russian, it is free and, as a rule, burns trouble-free USB flash drives for installing Windows.

The worst thing that can happen: the hard drive fails

Finally, one of the most pessimistic outcomes. If you see a black screen and the cursor is still visible, then the hard drive is working. If there is nothing but a black screen and the OS does not load, then it is quite possible that the computer does not see the hard drive and, accordingly, Windows does not boot. By following the link you can read the manuals that will allow you to diagnose your hard drive and find out whether it is possible to make repairs, restore data by loading the operating system, or is it better to immediately go to the store and purchase a new HDD for your computer or laptop.

Summary. In this guide, I tried to remember and collect from the Internet the most complete list of problems that cause a black screen to appear on a PC. The OS version doesn't really matter, whether it's Windows 8, Windows 10, or the outdated XP. If none of the methods helped, something is unclear, or you have your own ways to solve this problem, please ask questions and add your ideas in the comments.

Answers to readers' questions

I have a black screen after loading Windows, I tried everything, but nothing helps: I turn on the computer - a black screen, and nothing can be done about it. The bottom line is that the black screen appears only after I update the drivers for the video card. If you install standard VGA, then everything starts and works fine.

Before this, I completely reinstalled Windows and it all started somehow unexpectedly with “nothing”. How to fix black screen when loading windows?

Answer. One of the surest ways to resolve OS and driver conflicts on your computer is to go to the website of the manufacturer of your video card and download the latest drivers or stable ones, not in beta, to disk. When downloading, make sure to specify your operating system in the same bit depth (32- or 64-bit). It is also possible that your video card is outdated and not supported by modern operating systems, in particular Windows 10.

If your laptop has a black screen, try updating the drivers

I have Windows 10 installed. An attempt to restore the OS from a system image failed. Now there is a black screen with a cursor flickering in the upper left corner when turned on. All I can do is turn on the computer and enter Bios.

Answer. If you only see a black screen and a cursor, this is a sure sign that the operating system cannot boot (you already understood the problem).

If the Recovery Console or Windows 10 installation disc does not help to roll back the OS to its original state or restore point, create or a new disk for restoring or installing the operating system from scratch.

Not a single folder opened, so I decided to run . A black screen with a cursor appeared on the laptop when turning on / starting Windows OS. I did everything according to your article, but the screen is still black. Help me please.

Answer. If a black screen appears when you start Windows even after recovery, it makes sense to reinstall the operating system on your laptop in another way - for example, in boot mode from a flash drive or disk. Since, according to your description of the problem, the cursor still appears on boot, this is a software error, not a hardware error.

An external box was connected via USB to format ext3 using PartitionMagic. After formatting was completed, the laptop restarted and there was no reboot, and a message appeared on the black screen: error loading operating system... The laptop no longer boots, does not respond to any keys... OS XP... what to do, it’s practically That's it, there is a 2nd PC with Windows 10. In other words, the laptop works - but the screen is black.

Answer. Luckily, your laptop is dealing with a software glitch and not a hardware failure. All you need is to reinstall the Windows operating system. After this, the black screen of death will no longer appear. If your laptop has a disk drive, use a boot disk to restore the OS. Otherwise, it will help you, it’s not difficult to write it down, read the instructions at the link.

I get a black screen when I turn on my computer. Nothing appears on the monitor when I turn on the computer and the system unit is running. I did one trick: pulled out the power, held down the power button for 5 seconds, released it, inserted the power cord, turned on the PC - everything worked fine. After 3 days the same thing happens, but this trick doesn't work. I think this is an incorrect shutdown. I turned it off the last time when some programs were still running (Windows 7 for me) and the Desktop did not appear after loading. What to do if your computer has a black screen?

Answer. You need to approach the problem comprehensively: figure out whether the motherboard and power supply are working correctly in general, whether all the wires are connected to exactly the right power connectors, whether the PC components are tightly connected to the sockets (for example, very often the “black screen of death” is associated with an incorrect connection video cards). Perhaps the problem is not hardware, but software (it’s just not clear from your question whether Windows boots). In this case, reinstalling from a boot disk or restoring in LiveCD mode will help.

Help me understand what's wrong with the PC. I have Windows 7. After the startup starts, a black screen and a cursor appear, then you are asked to select Windows 7 OS and the recommended boot or the normal one. After clicking them, the download starts and throws you back into the same settings. The same problem occurs with loading in safe mode. It does not offer anything further, there is no window for entering explorer.exe.

Answer. If, when you try to boot Windows 7, a black screen and the cursor continues to appear, no matter which mode you selected, most likely the Windows system files have been deleted or changed. A clean reinstallation of the OS or recovery from a Windows 7 boot disk will help. In the boot menu, select “System Restore” and then use the Bootrec.exe utility. Further actions are described.

I have an AMD Radeon video card with 512 MB of memory, it did not support new toys, and I found on the Internet how to increase the memory of the integrated video card via bios. I changed some settings in the BIOS and installed 1 GB of memory, my PC rebooted and I looked at the characteristics of the video card and yes, in fact, the memory has increased. Then I started playing games, about an hour passed and my mouse began to freeze, turn on and off, and then stopped working altogether, I decided to restart the PC and then on my monitor I saw just a black picture with some number in the corner. The computer refused to turn on, after probably half an hour of clicking on the mouse and keyboard, “welcome” appeared on the screen. The PC turned on, but the mouse still did not work, I rebooted again - and again there was a black screen for a very long time when the computer booted. What could this be and how can I get rid of it?

Answer. This is what overclocking a video card leads to. You need to go into the BIOS and reset the settings to factory (default) settings. Perhaps it is because of the BIOS settings that Windows does not start.

You're in luck: with such overclocking of a video card, problems with the temperature of the video card may arise, up to the failure of one of the components (for example, the processor).

In general, you can’t always trust such overclocking instructions. Even if it contains correct information, if you do not have the proper skills, you can get not only a black screen, but also black smoke from the system unit :).

I don’t know why it started, maybe after defragmenting the hard drive, after updating drivers, etc. Every time, before Windows boots, a black screen is displayed for 10 minutes and only after that the welcome window appears. The BIOS definitely loads first, I pressed F2 to check the boot device priority in the BIOS. Also, during a black screen, the console carriage (lower slash) sometimes appears. What can cause a black screen when loading Windows?

Answer. In the BIOS, you can not only set boot priority, but also disable unnecessary devices (for example, a disk drive). However, this will not save the situation.

Perhaps the reason is that when Windows boots, it tries to find the required library or load a non-existent component. Go to the startup menu and disable all unnecessary items. You can also disable unused Windows services via msconfig and remove unnecessary applications on your computer. In general, it is desirable to optimize the operation of the operating system and eliminate conflicts.

You can also analyze the stages of Windows boot using the built-in Event Log Viewer tool. This utility will show how long it takes to load each process when the OS starts.

If time permits, reinstall the OS. On modern computers, reinstallation takes no more than half an hour, and this is a more rational way to solve the black screen problem than spending hours troubleshooting. Sooner or later, any Windows OS develops problems.

Black screen when loading Windows 10. This happened after installing drivers from driverpack. After the system starts, a black screen is displayed, with a cursor visible, and sounds from programs that were opened in the browser (VK). Doesn't respond to anything, rebooting didn't help, and won't enter safe mode either.

Answer. You can use a Windows 10 boot disk or flash drive, select recovery mode and select a rollback point before installing the drivers. The black screen will disappear after loading Windows 10. You can enter Windows safe mode through the Windows installation disk; other OS boot modes are also available there.

If you can insert another video card into the system board, you can try it in the system and remove the drivers manually. Then change the video card to the old one - it should work.

I have Windows 7 on my computer. Everything was fine, but one day after entering the bios password there was no Windows boot icon, and the monitor turned off (went into power-saving mode), the f8 key does not work. I can’t enter bios because the monitor doesn’t work.

Answer. Try resetting the BIOS by removing the battery from the motherboard.

Let's move on. The energy saving mode will not work immediately after the computer starts; rather, the problem is related to one of the components. Check the connection between the video card and the motherboard, the video card and the monitor, etc.

If everything is fine with the BIOS and Windows 7 does not boot, reinstall the OS. Apparently, this is the easiest method to get rid of the black screen.

Windows 7 32bit OS was installed. After changing to Windows 7 64bit, a black screen began to appear. When connected to the TV, everything works, everything is shown, everything is fine. But it doesn’t see through the VGA monitor and the screen is still black.

Answer. Perhaps the 64-bit version did not install drivers for the monitor or video card. Check on the manufacturer's website whether the monitor supports this OS. There is a suspicion that your specific VGA monitor is not supported by this edition of Windows. Try booting Windows in Safe Mode or with the "Enable low resolution video mode (640×480)" option.

I'm using VirtualBox. I installed Linux, worked on it, then turned off the virtual machine. When I tried to start it, after loading there was a black screen with an underscore at the top left. The laptop itself works, the virtual machine does not.

Answer. If you save the state (Suspend) on the virtual machine, in principle, no problems should arise. If you turn off the virtual machine, then Linux tries to boot when you turn it on. Why a black screen with an underline appears after rebooting Linux is a separate question. Check the key settings of the virtual machine. If the error persists, try installing Linux on Vmware Player.

I have this problem. It's Windows 8.1, I installed a third-party theme, I decided to delete it, I deleted the entire themes folder from Windows, although not all the files could be deleted, that's okay, I rebooted the computer and after selecting the OS I got a black screen and, no, no, the cursor appears and disappears and bottom toolbar, tell me how to get rid of the black screen? There is no restore point, no image, and no disk with the OS.

Answer. If possible, find a bootable image of USB Boot or the like on the Internet, write it to a flash drive. Find the Themes folder on the Internet or on a disk and, with administrator rights, copy it to the previous location from which you deleted the files.

Without an installation disk, it is unlikely that you will be able to get rid of the black screen in any other way.

When I turned on the computer, nothing appeared. The light shows that the camera is working and the computer is turned on, but the screen shows zero. What is the problem - RAM or hard drive? How to check?

Answer. To diagnose the problem, it is advisable to recall previous events. Did your computer show any symptoms of failure (hard drive noise), did you delete system files on the drive, etc. This will help narrow down the list of possible causes. Next, watch at what stage the black screen appears. If the hardware initialization is successful, then the problem is in the operating system - that is, Windows does not start. In this case, we recommend reinstalling the OS from a bootable USB flash drive or disk.

If you came to this article, then you had to face a problem when the laptop does not turn on and a black screen appears. This is the most common problem associated with laptop hardware, or, to be more precise, with hardware settings.

We thank the laptop repair service FIXIT.BY (Minsk, Belarus) for their help in preparing this material.

Below we will look at how to reset hardware settings. This method helps when the hardware settings are lost, but it will not help if your laptop was flooded with water.

Resetting BIOS Settings

If the problem “the laptop does not turn on and a black screen appears” appeared after changing the BIOS settings, then you just need to reset and roll back to factory settings. This action is performed in several steps.

You can read more about the information “how to enter the BIOS on Windows 10” or “How to enter the BIOS on Windows 7” in our articles.

If these steps don't help, see the next step.

Reinstalling the RAM module

The image may also not be displayed due to incorrect installation of the memory module or problems with contacts (very often this method helps to get rid of the problem “the laptop does not turn on and a black screen appears” after water or moisture gets on it, but before that, make sure that your laptop completely dry and under no circumstances do not perform any actions if it is not dry).

To do this, you need to remove the RAM module and blow out the connectors.

— If you have one stick of RAM installed, and there are 2 slots available for it, just swap them.

Now let’s figure out how to remove RAM.

What should I do if, when I turn on the computer, the monitor does not show an image and there is no reaction?

These computer symptoms are very common. The reason for this computer behavior can be anything, from RAM to the monitor or even the cable from the monitor to the system unit.

There is a similar situation when, when you turn on the computer, the screen is black, but the coolers are working.

In this article, we will look at the sequence of actions that need to be performed to diagnose a problem with a black screen and no response when turning on the computer and fix it.

Step 1 - check the computer's RAM

From many years of experience in computer repair, we can say that it is the RAM that is often the culprit of the black monitor screen when the computer is turned on. Plus, this fact is easy to verify.

One of the possible reasons for the black screen when turned on is poor RAM contact

You just need to remove the memory modules from their slots on the motherboard and insert them back, preferably changing the installation slot. For example, if the RAM module was in the first slot, then move it to the second, etc.

To 100 percent exclude the option of RAM, it would be ideal to borrow a known working RAM stick from friends/acquaintances and try to put it in different slots on the motherboard.

This is due to the fact that, although rare, there are still cases when the memory module fails so much that even after reinstallation, the motherboard simply does not see it.

Step 2 - inspect the motherboard for swollen capacitors.

If your computer is more than 4 years old, then you should pay special attention to at least the external condition of the capacitors in the upper left part of the motherboard.

Swollen capacitors on the motherboard as a reason when the monitor does not show an image, but the computer is working

Very often, in older motherboards, the cause of a black screen when turned on is swollen capacitors.

Step 3 - Check the Monitor and Monitor Cable

Another important reason for a black monitor when turning on the system unit is a faulty monitor or a cable running from the system unit. In this case, the fans will also work, but naturally no reaction will occur on the monitor.

Disconnecting the monitor cable from the system unit

Therefore, in order to check the monitor, it is not at all necessary to replace it with another one that is obviously working. You just need to pull out the cable going from the monitor to the system unit from the video card connector. In this case, at least some kind of inscription should appear on the monitor indicating that the cable is disconnected and the monitor goes into standby mode.

Operational monitor message when cable is disconnected

If there is a similar message on the monitor, it means it is working. It remains to check the cable, but the likelihood that it is broken is small. Therefore, if you have somewhere to get another cable from the monitor to the system unit to check, then it’s worth checking it. If there is nowhere to get the cable, then move on to the next point.

If there is no image, then try unplugging the monitor from the outlet and try turning it on again. If it still does not display anything when the cable is disconnected from the system unit, then in your case the cause of the black screen and lack of response when you turn on the computer is a broken monitor.

Step 4 - check the 4-pin power supply connector that goes to power the processor and the power supply itself

The next easily verifiable reason for a missing image on the computer monitor when turned on is a burnt processor power supply. It is usually located in the upper left part of the motherboard near the processor.

4 pin processor power connector

You just need to pull it out and see if the contacts on it are charred.

Also, if possible, we borrow a known working power supply from friends/acquaintances and try to turn on the computer with it.

Step 5 - check the video card

So we have reached a point that, in the opinion of many inexperienced professionals, is considered almost the most obvious in a situation where the monitor does not show an image, but the computer seems to be working. The word “works” is more likely to mean “hums.” The fans are spinning!

Actually this is not true. The fans spin because they are simply supplied with voltage from the power supply. The video card is rarely the culprit. but it's still worth checking.

Installing/removing a video card

We try to get the video card out by unscrewing the bolt on the left that secures it to the case and pressing the special lever to the right near the connector into which it is connected.

We wipe the contacts of the video card thoroughly with a soft cloth or eraser and try to insert it back. Ideally, try running it on another computer that is known to work. If your motherboard has it, then try running from it. If it still doesn’t exist, then you can try to borrow a video card from friends to check.

Step 6 - Disconnect everything from the motherboard except the processor, power supply, video card and RAM

If there is a short circuit on the front USB ports or the cable going from to the motherboard is frayed, the latter may not start and you will observe the well-known lack of image and response to button presses.

Therefore, we disconnect everything from the motherboard: the optical disk drive cables and the cables of all hard drives, the front USB cables and the front sound panel. Leave it only. Also disable all additional expansion cards, such as modems, network and sound cards.

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