Who cares about the blue screen of death or even the rotated screen problem, when the black screen of death is truly deadly. Rarely do I come across a computer problem that I cannot diagnose, however when a computer has a black screen in Windows it can stump me. Does your computer have a black (blank) screen in Windows and won’t boot or start up? There is hardly any problem more troubling than a black dead screen in front of you with absolutely no clue as to how and why it happened. Reason for a Black Screen Error could either be absolutely stupid (like a loose wire) or something wrong with hardware component (that’s where you need to worry).
Basically there are two types of Black Screen Errors. In one case your computer doesn’t boot up, but you hear beep sequences there is hope and we can troubleshoot further to identify the problem. The other case is when there is absolute lull. No cursors, no beeps, no choice to boot in safe mode, no logo on screen, simply nothing. These beeping noise could work as a clue for what problem your computer might be going through. You can search on Google about the beep code error message and get to know what’s wrong with your computer.
Some Common Causes of Black Screen Error
Honestly speaking, there are over hundred reasons for this error, but here is a list of few common reasons that cause Black Screen of Death (in case you are lagging behind on this one, “Black Screen of Death” is the formal name). Sometimes, you have this problem but the fans and the CPU seems to be running. Sometimes none of them seems to be functional. Whatever be the case here are the top 5 most common reasons of a typical “Black Screen of Death” issue.
Monitor Not Plugged In or is Switched Off
It is one of the most common (or silly I should say) reasons of panic for most black screen victims. It’s a common practice of many users to turn off the monitor switch and when you turn to your computer on later, you wonder what on earth you did that caused a black screen error. Other related problem could be a loose wire. Just plug it in firmly to see if it works. If the wiring is your problem, then most certainly this will work. 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. This is the simplest computer black screen you can get.
Failing Video Card or Display Adapter
You can actually see if your video card is degrading. Lines will appear or the screen would flash while watching videos. If the problem persists for long, this may lead to a black screen. Replacing video card should work for you. Black Screen Error also occurs when your computer is plugged into a monitor which does not have a compatible screen resolution.
Missing or Non-functional RAM
A major reason for most black screen error is RAM. If RAM is not seated properly or is simply missing, then your computer will end up with a black screen. Now missing RAM is something you must be aware of (unless someone stole it from your PC) so you can simply put it back in to make your computer go. Or, if you have recently moved your computer from one place to another, there is a huge possibility that RAM might have got dislocated from its slot. Fix it back and your black screen will most probably disappear.
Black Screen after Installing New Hardware
If you have recently installed a new hardware component or a web cam and you got stuck with a black screen then the culprit is the new component. If the hardware component is not compatible with other components (hardware or software), then it is most likely to through black screen error. Get that component replaced to fix the problem. 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. The hardware must be compatible together and also must be installed correctly.
Left a Bootable USB Flash Drive Connected to Computer?
Though this may appear pretty harmless, this can confuse your computer and it won’t know where to boot up. When your computer has a black screen on start-up, simply remove the USB and the computer will continue to boot normally. This often happens because some computers sometimes recognize a USB as a CD drive and try to boot to it. This is the one of the easiest cause of a black screen in Windows as you can simply just take it out and restart your computer.