Member Avatar for john_humphreys

No -- not the old black screen of death. A different one...

Two days ago my laptop had a change of heart and decided to deny me the use of the screen. No battery problem. Not a problem with the screen. The computer starts up just fine... but then after the Windows logo flashes for a moment the screen takes its bat and ball and goes home. Black.

I know that it goes to the password page, because if I type in my password then the computer hums, wurs and whistles (computer speak for "I'm on now"). But I can't see anything. Which is bad.

Strangely, if I start the laptop in safe mode the screen doesn't go on strike and life is peachy. Except that i'm stuck in safe mode.

I'm fairly tech-dumb (at least compared to who I assume frequent these forums). I assume it is some sort of windows xp problem, or something to do with drivers or perhaps some form of ancient black magick spell cast on my computer from the love child of Anton Levay and the Meravigian decendants.

Whatever it is, it has left me somewhat meloncholy and I would be very full of thanks and awe if some bright spark could come to my rescue. If you wanted to tell me directly (or send hate-mail), my e-mail is . Thanks!

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  • Latest Post Latest Post by nizzy1115

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This thread (started by ) shows a laptop that completes POST and the Windows logo but then loses the visible desktop while Safe Mode still shows a usable screen. The immediate symptom was cleared when suggested toggling the active display output. That practical fix is useful, but the underlying causes and a repeatable repair workflow are worth documenting for future readers.

Straightforward diagnostics and repair workflow (use Safe Mode or the Recovery Environment):

  1. Inspect Display adapters in Device Manager (devmgmt.msc). If the driver looks wrong or recently updated, uninstall the adapter and, if offered, check “Delete the driver software for this device.” Reboot to let Windows load the basic VGA driver.
  2. Run sfc /scannow from an elevated command prompt and review Event Viewer (System/Application) for GPU or driver errors.
  3. For systems with switchable graphics, install the integrated GPU driver first (Intel), then the discrete-vendor driver (NVIDIA/AMD) from the vendor site — follow vendor install order to avoid conflicts.
  4. If drivers remain problematic, use System Restore to a known-good point or, after backing up, perform a clean driver install.

If software steps do not resolve the issue, a bootable Linux USB can determine whether the problem is Windows-specific. Intermittent black screens can also stem from LVDS/eDP cable, inverter/backlight problems, or firmware-level graphics handoff; these hardware causes are less likely when Safe Mode displays correctly but should be checked if software fixes fail. BIOS/UEFI updates sometimes help — apply them only with backups and manufacturer guidance.

Preventive measures: keep GPU drivers from vendor sites, create regular restore points and recovery media, and avoid third-party “auto-update” driver tools. For quick recovery, cycle the OS display output (Windows+P) or boot Safe Mode to roll back a recent driver change. Credit to for the hotkey/display fix and to for the levity that kept the thread lively.

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Member Avatar for aniseed

Avada kedavra ;)

Did you install anything recently?

Member Avatar for nizzy1115

Is it possible that your screens resolution got changed to something higher than it can support? In safe mode the resolution is set low to aviod this problem. Also, i dont know if it will work with your laptop, but i know some nvidia graphics cards if you hold the ctrl key while it is booting it resets the resolutions. You could also attach a pc monitor to the laptops video out and change the resolution there for the laptop screen.

Member Avatar for john_humphreys

Thanks for your suggestion!

Sigh. Now I really feel like an idiot. I plugged an alternative monitor in, but the damn thing doesn't work. My computer still tries to use the laptop screen (and fails) and the other monitor just says "no signal".

Member Avatar for nizzy1115

im not sure what keystroke your laptop uses, but most laptops you have to hit the fn key and f6 or something to switch screens. there should be a little icon on the f key that it corresponds to.

Member Avatar for john_humphreys

Nizzy you are a god and I love you -- black screen of unhappiness is now gone, so I'm just back to my usual set of problems now. Thanks heaps.

Member Avatar for nizzy1115

Great to hear that! If you have more computer issues, post they on this site as well. Maybe we can help you with those too. :)

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