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Black Screen On Your Dell Laptop? Here’s How To Fix It

Although there are several issues that tend to appear with any laptop, there’s nothing worse than an unexpected black screen. A black screen can be an indication of a whole host of issues with your laptop, and it’s important to troubleshoot the issues to find out exactly what’s gone wrong — and how to solve it.

Possible reasons for a black screen on a Dell laptop include overheating, hardware issues, damage, viruses, software issues, and user error. Try to fix the screen by ensuring the laptop is turned on correctly, forcing a restart, booting it into recovery mode, or seeing a repair professional.

Let’s take a closer look at the possible causes behind a black screen on your Dell laptop, some of the potential fixes you can try, and when it’s time to get professional help.

What Causes a Dell Laptop Screen to Go Black?

Dell Laptop

A Dell laptop screen can go black for a whole host of reasons. Let’s take a look at each of them in depth, so that you can determine what’s going on with your computer.

Overheating

Laptops come equipped with fans because the inside — and even outside — of the laptop can get very hot from all of the electrical components operating within.

Although overheating is most common with laptops that are running multiple heavy programs that they aren’t necessarily built to handle, it can also happen more easily as the laptop ages.

If a laptop overheats to the point that the fans can’t cool it down, the laptop may shut down. In this case, you should put the laptop aside and allow it to cool down before you turn it back on. Laptops also have air vents that you should make sure aren’t covered.

While it’s normal for a laptop to feel slightly warm to the touch, it should never be so hot that it burns.

You can also take some preventative measures, including only using the laptop on a cool hard surface (and not your lap), purchasing a cooling mat (on Amazon), cleaning the vents, and actively checking the temperature.

If you’re still struggling, you may be running too many big programs at once. Games and photo/video editing software are particularly common causes of overheating.

Hardware Issues

It’s also very possible that a hardware issue has caused the laptop to freeze or shut down, and that’s why it won’t turn back on. Hardware issues can range in cause and symptoms, because it could be anything from the age of the laptop and parts wearing down to accidental damage.

It’s also difficult for the average user to troubleshoot where the hardware problem lies. If the screen is black but the keyboard is lit up, for example, it’s likely an issue with the screen itself. If the laptop won’t turn on at all, the problem may lie far deeper within the laptop.

It can be helpful to keep a protective case on your laptop and keep liquids away from it. That way, you won’t accidentally drop the laptop, or drop something on it that could damage it.

Virus or Malware

Malware and viruses are terms that are used interchangeably, since they’re almost the same thing. Malware is any malicious software that’s uninvited on a computer but manages to get there anyway, whereas virus is a specific type of malware.

Either way, you don’t want these things on your computer, as they’re there to steal information and can also do damage — like forcing the screen to go black and not allowing the laptop to turn on.

Viruses can find their way onto your computer in a variety of ways, but the most common are when the user opens an unfamiliar email or clicks on a suspicious link. It’s best practice to only open emails from official businesses or people you recognize, and always double-check the address before clicking any links.

If you do discover the cause of your black screen is a virus, consider changing all of your passwords and protecting any financial information on your computer. Viruses are usually there to steal information, so being proactive is the best thing you can do, as a black screen may end up being the least of your worries.

Software Issues

While hardware issues can be the cause of your black screen, it’s also possible that it’s software issues. Software can cause bugs, especially if you recently downloaded a new operating program, or there could be a large new program on your computer that’s causing a conflict.

Consider if you downloaded anything new recently, as that could be the issue. You should also check official websites to ensure there’s no bug that’s been announced from Dell or Windows. If it’s a bug affecting many users, they should have a fix available on their website.

Age

While it would be great if laptops could last forever, manufacturers haven’t found a way to make that a reality (and nor will they, as it would cost them money). So, there will come a time when any laptop simply can’t perform anymore, as the hardware is so old that it’s broken down and any new software isn’t supported by the older machine.

If your laptop is only two or three years old, then it’s unlikely this is the case. However, if your laptop is three or four years old or more, then you might need to consider the option that it’s reached the end of its lifespan and needs to be replaced.

User Error

Lastly, there’s always the possibility of user error. If you’re not familiar with your laptop, you may not have turned the laptop on properly. Hold the power button and ensure the laptop is actually powered up before you go troubleshooting anything else, as you may discover that the fix is quite easy.

You should also make sure you don’t have any programs running full-screen that may have glitched and caused the black screen. If that’s the case, you can fix ot using the Ctrl + Alt + Del keyboard shortcut to open the task manager.

How to Fix It

Dell

Now that you know the possible reasons you’re seeing a blank screen, it’s time to take a look at how to fix these issues.

Restart Graphics Driver

It’s very possible that the graphics driver could be causing issues with your display, which would fall under a software glitch. Fortunately, if it’s the graphics driver, it’s easy to restore.

Use the keyboard shortcut Windows key + Ctrl + Shift + B to restart the driver and wait a few minutes to see if anything happens (ensuring the computer is turned on first).

This is one of the first things you should try, as it’s one of the quickest solutions.

Boot Into Safe Mode

Safe mode involves starting up the computer using a very limited amount of files and drivers. This gives you access to very little on your computer but, if there is a software problem, safe mode can help eliminate it.

You can boot into safe mode to restore your computer to an earlier version if you’ve been backing it up, or at least to narrow down the problem.

To boot into safe mode in Windows 10 or 11, follow these steps:

  1. Select ‘Startup Settings.’
  2. Select ‘Restart.’
  3. Press F4 to start the computer in Safe Mode

For older models of Dell laptop that may not run the latest Windows software, you can check the Dell official website for specific instructions regarding your model.

Update the BIOS

BIOS stands for Basic Input/Output System, and it’s a chip in your computer that controls the core components. You can do a variety of things with the BIOS, including changing the boot order of your computer, controlling the CPU performance, and accessing system information like the memory, serial number, etc.

Sometimes, the BIOS needs to be updated. You can check your current BIOS version by pressing Windows + R and typing ‘msinfo32’. 

Your current BIOS version will be listed. You can then check the Dell website to see if there’s another more current BIOS version. If there is, the website will have instructions for downloading it on your specific model.

Force a Restart

One important thing to do if you’re experiencing issues with a black screen is to force a restart. This is especially handy if the black screen isn’t indicative of the computer being turned off, but rather seems to be a glitch with the software itself. You can usually tell if the computer isn’t actually off because the keyboard will be lit up and you can still hear sounds.

On a Dell laptop, you can force a restart by holding down the power button for around 15-20 seconds. Once everything is powered off, wait a few seconds and press the power button again. You’ll hear the startup sound.

If your screen is still black, you may need to move onto more serious steps like resetting. However, for some people, this does the trick. If you need to reset your Dell laptop, click here.

See a Repair Professional

Unfortunately, if none of these fixes work, you’ll need to see a repair professional. In such cases, it’s likely that there’s a hardware issue or malware in the computer. The professional can advise you as to whether they can solve the problem or if your laptop needs to be replaced.

If the computer is still under warranty, you may have it covered. Otherwise, you can pay Dell or a third-party technician to fix the computer. Always be careful when using unofficial repair sources, and make sure they have good reviews and a legitimate company.

The Final Word

Dell Laptop

All in all, a black screen may feel like the end of the world, but it doesn’t have to be. Many of the issues that cause a black screen are very solvable at home, and if they’re not, a technician should be able to do the job for you.