A black monitor is a mysterious problem many PC users have experienced over the years. Have you ever experienced a situation where your monitor suddenly goes black while working with your computer? Many of us have, and it can be quite an alarming experience. In this article, we explain this phenomenon and why it happens to your monitor.
Then we will conclude the article by providing solutions to the problem.
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Monitor Going Black?
If your monitor goes black all of a sudden, the first thing that will come to your mind is that it is ruined. But this is not always the case. If your monitor goes black suddenly, it is not only because it has developed a permanent fault, so don't be in a hurry to throw it away for a new one.
A black monitor is called a “screen of death” or black screen of death. This situation is simply a Windows error to show that something has gone terribly wrong with your computer's operating system. This can happen when you are updating your driver or system software.
Why Your Monitor May Keep Going Black
There are many reasons your screen may go black at short notice; system corruption is only one reason, but there are many more. We review some of the reasons why your monitor keeps going black below.
A Failed Windows Update
One reason for a black monitor is a failed Windows update. If you initiated an update of one of your software and the update is not completed, this may lead to monitor failure. In other cases, it may be that the update was not completed for one reason or another.
Faulty Start Up
When starting up your computer, a faulty startup can lead to monitor complications like a black screen. This is common in situations when you failed to shut down the computer previously. Switching it on may cause a faulty booth.
Faulty/Outdated Drivers
Computer drivers are supposed to be updated regularly whenever a new update is available. Failure to do so for a prolonged period may lead to a faulty driver. This is why PC users to advised to always update their drivers when a new update becomes available to forestall any corruption or make the system vulnerable.
Connection Defects
If there are connection issues between the PC and the Monitor by virtue of faulty wires, this can also cause your monitor to underperform.
Software problems
Is any software in your PC defective? This can cause the monitor to underperform.
Graphics Card
Your computer's graphics card is responsible for the picture display on the monitor. If the card is misplaced or faulty, it will cause your monitor to go black.
Hardware Problems
Just like the software, your hardware can also cause a monitor blackness problem. And as you already know, a black monitor screen will make it impossible to operate your PC.
How To Solve A Monitor Blackness Problem?
If you notice that your monitor has gone black, don't be in a hurry to throw it away. There are some quick-fire ways to resolve the problem.
Enable Sleep Mode
You can disable some of the applications in the system to optimize the boot. Putting some of the system applications to sleep for an optimized boot may resolve the problem.
One easy way to do that is to activate sleep mode before shutting down the system and then restarting it. Sleep mode helps to not shut down the system completely, while preserving 90%+ of the energy.
Check Your Cables and GPU
Another way to resolve a black monitor issue is to check your connections to ensure they are in order. If your gaming monitor had been working perfectly but stopped working suddenly, a faulty connection may be responsible for the blackout.
Disconnect all the cables like the HDMI or DP cables depending on the one your PC and monitor use. Use your mouth to blow air into the ports to dislodge dust and particles, then plug it back. If it still doesn't work, try a different cable to be sure that the old one is not faulty.
If it works, you know the old one is no longer working; if the problem persists, then the connection is not responsible.
If the cables are not the problem, it's time to check your GPU – the workhorse of your PC. It's the pathway to connect your monitor(s) to your PC.
The firsat steps here are to check out the HDMI / Displayport inputs, see if there's any apparent damage to them that may cause a signal interference with your monitors. If there are, it's time to get a new GPU.
If you CAN'T see any damage, try switching your GPU to a different PCI-E slot. Sometimes this will resolve the issue right away. Next try re-installing the latest GPU driver – click here to read how to update your NVIDIA drivers.
Initiate A Windows Repair
Another action to take is to initiate a Windows repair. First, consider restarting the computer several times to see if the monitor comes on; if it doesn't work, activate the Windows Startup repair option. Go to the Advanced option and select Restart. Then navigate to the System Restore option to click it to launch a Windows repair.
Check your fuses
Yep, you heard that right. Sometimes there are several electronic devices on the same outlets (fridge, PC, Monitor, etc.) – this can cause a wattage overload. So you can try to move your monitor to a separate outlet to see if that works to reduce some of the watt overload.
Concluding thoughts
These options should correct a black monitor issue.
Other solutions are booting your system ins or updating all your drivers. If nothing works, you should consider asking a system expert for help.
