Computer Black Screen Of Death can be frustrating Sometimes
There
are two types of computer black screens that can appear in Windows.
- One where the computer will not
boot up but you have a beep sequence sounding to let you know what the
problem could be,
- The other has nothing at all. No
beeps, no cursor, no logo screen, and no choice to boot to safe mode or
access the bios.
- If your computer will not boot up
and you get a beep sequence, that doesn't mean you are good to go however,
it is a step in the right direction towards solving this problem.
This is a message
from your computer that can be understood by looking up your BIOS(the
brand) beep code.
For example you
may have an Award Bios, Ami Bios, Phoenix BIOS, Compaq, Dell, or Acer Bios.
This list goes on and on. You can search for Bios beep codes in Google.
Here is an
example of results in Google search Search results for “bios beep codes”
If you heard a single
beep, then the computer posted, and the CPU is OK. POST= Power On Self
Test is procedure the computer goes through on starting to ensure
all is well.
When your computer
has a black screen in windows, and absolutely nothing else, this is where the
challenge begins. Sometimes the fans and the CPU seems to be running.
It would be good to
have a replacement part for basically any computer component at your
fingertips. If you do not have these tools then you will need to try and
find the errors manually.
Common things that
can happen when your computer has a black screen in Windows:
(1). When the computer
is booting up, it sound like it is booting as the CPU fan is running and the
lights are on.
It also finds the CD
ROM but it won’t boot from a CD either.
(2). Sometimes when
you have a computer black screen on startup and the power switch light will be
green and then turns to orange or amber.
Everything seems to
be running but you can’t see anything on the screen, not even a flashing
cursor. Your black screen in Windows has occurred before the Windows logo
screen.
Some common causes of
a computer black screen in Windows:
HERE ARE SOME BASIC CAUSE AND SOLUTION
(1). Starting Windows Without Taking note of the displayed
error:
If you see the screen
that tells you your computer had an error, do not choose to start normally,
choose to start in safe mode now. See what is safe mode. This is your chance to
go the safe way. Many people rush and press to start Windows normally and
sometimes this causes a serious problem.
(2). Where is your Monitor plugged in? “My PC screen is black”
The first and most
obvious reason for a computer appearing to run but you cannot see the video is
the monitor. A common mistake is to plug the monitor into the on-board video
plug when you actually have a PCI or AGP video card installed.
Trust me I have
done this myself. Simply move the plug to the correct position. If you see two
blue monitor plugs at the back of the computer or even a blue plug and a HDMI
port then try using a different plug.
Obviously you should
also check to see if the monitor plugged is actually in firmly. It could have
been knocked out if it was not correctly positioned in the first place.
(3). Failing Display adapter or video card can cause a black
screen in windows:
Most of the time you
can tell if your computer video card is deteriorating by seeing little tell
tale signs. Lines appearing or flashing can sometimes occur, however sometimes
nothing happens at all. You might turn your computer on and have the dreaded
black screen. You can try removing your video card and using onboard video, or
replacing the video card to see if that is the problem.
(4). Plugged PC into a different monitor or even a TV:
When the screen resolution is not compatible
which actually gives the computer are serious black screen.
Restart and
press F8. This will take me to the the menu where you will choose enable VGA
mode or something similar.
(5).The next reason the computer will not boot up is RAM…or
memory:
This can be the cause
when your computer has a black screen in Windows.
If your memory is not
seated properly, is damaged, or even absent altogether, this can cause a black
screen.
If you have no memory
installed at all, some computers make no sounds and just show a black screen on
startup.
When your computer
gets a black screen only sometimes, it usually means your ram is on the way out
For example if you boot your computer and it doesn’t work, then go back an hour
later, and it does work, your memory is playing up.
You can try taking
the ram out, gently cleaning it with an antistatic cloth, and replacing it.
This may solve your problem. If it does not, then you should try running your
computer with another compatible stick of ram installed.
(6). Black screen on startup with an
amber flashing light
A flashing amber light along with your
black screen on startup can be a few things.
- Not enough power getting to the
motherboard.
- A dead power supply.
- A bent pin or shorted out USB port
causing a problem.
- Computer black screen after
installing new hardware
Often when computer
users install hardware in order to upgrade their own computers they run into
problems. If you have just performed an upgrade and then get a black screen,
the answer is obvious.
Some hardware
components may not be compatible with the others in your system. And of course
there is always the risk of static electricity damaging your components when
you are not an experienced computer repair person.
You might just be
installing a new piece of RAM but the best way to troubleshoot this is to go
back to where you started from. Always start from the beginning. If your
computer was working and you installed something, then take it back out. Think
about what you are doing and try again.
This has nothing to
with getting a black screen in Windows, as sometimes you have not even
installed Windows yet. The hardware must be compatible together and also must
be installed correctly.
(7). Leaving a bootable usb flash drive connected to your
computer
Yes this can confuse
your computer and it won’t know where to boot up. When your computer has a
black screen on startup from doing this and you realize this is the problem and
remove the USB, the computer just continues to boot normally..this sometimes
happens because a computer sometimes recognizes a USB as a CD drive and tries
to boot to it. This is the easiest cause of a black screen in Windows as you
can simply just take it out and restart your computer.
keyboard. This is why having a black
screen in Windows as a crazy amount of causes and solutions. I really did not
expect this one to come out of the woodwork.
Corrupted User Account
If you have logged into Windows, so you
actually saw the login screen, then logged into Windows, this can mean a few
different things. One is that it can be a corrupted user account. In this case
it would be handy to have another user account to login to. Then you would be
able to tell straight away if that was the problem or not. If you can log into
another account you will be able to access the corrupted user account through
the main hard drive which is usually called C: drive. You will see a folder
called “users” and then there will be another folder for the actual username.
If your computer has black screen but
you can see one small flashing cursor, I see this as a good sign! It usually
means your computer is ok to be formatted. It can also mean that you should try
to repair the boot sector first.
How to repair a damaged boot sector.
Simply Insert your Bootable disc or
drive then boot from that disc / drive once it load the interface simply choose
the "Repair option"
There are many other reason you can
have a Black Screen Of Death on Your PC, above are the common cause. “Happy DIY”
(8). Corrupting the Boot Sector:
A black screen on
startup can be of so many things! I have learned this lesson the hard way. Never turn off the computer when it is
half way through the boot procedure. Even when it is taking forever, or
having a major problem you must let it run through if possible. Interrupting it
once may be ok, but twice or three times is a no no. After you have carelessly
restarted and shutdown a few times the black screen may appear. But this time
it may be beyond repair for the average computer user.
Here are some other cause:
Your CPU is not correctly seated
If your computer has a black screen
after transporting one place to another, this is the first place I look.
Transporting a working computer, and then not working with a black screen =
dislodging the CPU. You can fix this easily by removing the CPU fan and
carefully replacing it back in its spot. You may also have to replace some
thermal paste between the cpu and heat sink as it stops the cpu from
overheating. Be very careful not to bend any pins when dealing with your
computer CPU.
Keyboard Faulty
This
one surprised me because when there is a problem with the keyboard the computer
still boots and says that there is no keyboard detected on the screen. Well
this didn’t happen for me. I had a keyboard with a bent pin on the cable, so
when it was plugged into the computer, it just plugged in normally. Then the
computer black screen on startup appeared, you could here it starting up but no
posting beeps, no display, nothing. I even swapped monitors around until finally
I tested the keyboard and found the bent pin. I never thought to look there
because of the usual default message that appears on the screen when there is
something wrong with your
keyboard. This is why having a black
screen in Windows as a crazy amount of causes and solutions. I really did not
expect this one to come out of the woodwork.
Corrupted User Account
If you have logged into Windows, so you
actually saw the login screen, then logged into Windows, this can mean a few
different things. One is that it can be a corrupted user account. In this case
it would be handy to have another user account to login to. Then you would be
able to tell straight away if that was the problem or not. If you can log into
another account you will be able to access the corrupted user account through
the main hard drive which is usually called C: drive. You will see a folder
called “users” and then there will be another folder for the actual username.
If your computer has black screen but
you can see one small flashing cursor, I see this as a good sign! It usually
means your computer is ok to be formatted. It can also mean that you should try
to repair the boot sector first.
How to repair a damaged boot sector.
Simply Insert your Bootable disc or
drive then boot from that disc / drive once it load the interface simply choose
the "Repair option"
There are many other reason you can
have a Black Screen Of Death on Your PC, above are the common cause. “Happy DIY”
