What to Do When Laptop Screen Goes Black

Laptops are substantially complex systems compared to desktop computers because of the need for miniaturization and the complexity of the internal circuitry. Among the range of problems which may befall a laptop, screen problems can be the most irksome, to deal with. I often get queries from friends about what to do when laptop screen goes black suddenly. So for the record, in this Buzzle article, I shall identify the prime software and hardware issues that may lead to a situation where laptop screen goes black randomly. I shall only identify the prime causes here, that may lead to such a problem. Fixing laptop hardware problems is best left to service center experts. If it’s a software issue, you can easily fix it on your own.
What to Do When Laptop Screen Goes Black Suddenly?
Figuring out laptop problems and especially laptop screen problems is not an easy task. There are more than one reasons, which may lead to a laptop screen going black. There are several software and hardware issues which may do this. I shall identify the most likely ones, among them, for your perusal in the following lines. Here is what you need to do when you find the screen of your laptop going blank suddenly. We will start with software issues, followed by hardware related ones.
Check the Sleep/Hibernate Mode Timer
Your laptop computer can be programmed to go into sleep mode or hibernate on its own, if it’s let unattended for a period of time. There is a timer which you can set for the sleep mode or hibernate mode, which temporarily switches off the laptop, which leads to the screen going black. It may have happened that you may have set this sleep timer to have a very short duration of a few seconds, which is causing the blank screen condition. So check out the power and sleep mode settings of your laptop and lengthen the sleep mode interval if you find that to be the source of the problem.
Look Out For Driver Problems
Every one of the hardware parts of the computer, needs a software driver for its smooth operation. If the graphic driver of your laptop has been corrupted, it may lead to problems like the screen going black randomly. If this is the source of the problem, updating the graphics driver should take care of the issue.
Check Out For FL Inverter Problems
A hardware component which controls the back lighting of the laptop is the FL inverter. If you connect your laptop with an external monitor and it’s working smoothly, but your laptop screen stays blank, then you can isolate the FL inverter as the root cause of the problem. Ask your laptop manufacturer’s service center team to replace the part, to solve the problem.
Look out For a Bad Data Ribbon
There is another crucial part of the machinery which relays graphic data to the screen, in the form of the data ribbon, which may cause a problem. A bad data ribbon or loose connection of the ribbon may be causing the screen blackness. Get it checked with the service center. Sometimes, the problem may also be caused by overheating problems and a low battery. Letting your laptop cool down and ensuring sufficient charge on the battery may restore normal functionality.
Now that you know what to do when laptop screen goes black after startup, check out one possibility at a time, to narrow down to the right diagnosis. If you still find it difficult to figure out what’s wrong with your laptop screen, it’s best to hand over the job to an expert technician. Unless the warranty is void already, don’t attempt to repair the laptop on your own. The laptop warranty will cover all the repair expenses involved. Diagnose the problem if you can and send the machine to the laptop manufacturer’s service center for repair.  (Source)

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