Wait 15 seconds and press the button to restart. Press power button once, Press 'S' (the sleep hotkey), and then hold the power button to perform a hard shut down. This isn't official from Apple, but years of MacBook lore claim that a particular key sequence can sometimes revive a non-reacting blank MacBook Pro screen. If it finds no errors, Apple recommends reinstalling macOS. If Disk Utility finds errors and repair them, restart your MacBook again afterwards. In both cases, if this recovers your screen, it's worth running Disk Utility to check for errors. If you still see a blank screen after about 20 seconds, it's time to move on. On an older Intel-chipped MacBook Pro, press and hold the power button for about 10 seconds, then press and release the power button and immediately press and hold Command + R until you see an Apple logo or other image. If the startup options window doesn't appear, release the power button and try again. If the options window doesn't appeal, release the power button, and press and hold it again for another 10 seconds. You should see the startup options window, which includes a gear icon labelled Options. On an Apple-chipped MacBook Pro (from the M1 MacBook Pro 13 to the new 2023 M2 Pro and M2 Max models), press and hold the power button for about 10 seconds. Sometimes a good old-fashioned hard restart is all it takes to fix all kinds of MacBook issues. Still no luck? Then try a forced reset and then start up from macOS Recovery. Once you're screen is back, it's worth running Disk Utility to repair any errors (Image credit: Apple / Future) If you definitely have power, but your MacBook isn't starting up, make sure it's disconnected from anything other than your charging cable and adapter. Peripheral devices like printers, keyboards, external drives, mice and trackpads can all cause potential start up problems. Hit F2 or use the control bar to try increasing the brightness on your MacBook Pro.
It’s also possible that you (or your cat) might have unintentionally hit the brightness keys on the keyboard at some point at that you screen is simply dimmed. Check the power indicator light shows so you can rule out a faulty power cable. If you're running on battery, connect your laptop to its charger just in case the battery has run down.
It can be a massive relief to discover the issue is something as simple as this. To uninstall your display driver, right-click on Start and select "Device Manager.This might seem obvious and you've probably already done it, but just to be sure, do check the power and brightness controls. To fix the problem, uninstall and then reinstall the display adapter using Device Manager. Reinstall the Display Adapter and DriverĪ bad display driver can cause your system to show a black screen. You may notice your screen flash a few times, but it's a normal behavior and should help you eliminate the black screen.Ģ. If the issue persists, press Win+Ctrl+Shift+B.Press Ctrl+Alt +Delete to open the Security Options screen, then press Esc to view your desktop.Also, press it multiple times, pausing between each press, to cycle through the projection options (PC screen only, duplicate, extend, and second screen only). The Win+P shortcut opens the Display Projection settings in Windows, but it should also work to wake up your screen. Often, the black screen problem is a temporary issue that can be fixed using a keyboard shortcut to wake your screen: Wake Your Screen Using Keyboard Shortcuts Next, check the monitor is set to the right video source (like HDMI or DisplayPort) and ensure the cable is firmly connected to the monitor and your computer.ġ. Make sure your monitor is turned on and connected to a power source. Check Your Display/Monitor and Connectionsīegin with the most basic aspect of black screen troubleshooting: check your monitor and cables for issues. If the black screen appears before you sign in to your computer, run through these fixes. How to Fix a Black Screen That Appears Before You Log In As a result, troubleshooting steps can vary depending on whether the issue occurs before or after logging in.Ĭommon contributing factors to a black screen include a loose HDMI connection, a buggy Windows update, or issues with the graphics driver. Additionally, perform a system restore if a newly installed software or driver is the cause.Ī black or blank screen often occurs suddenly without an error, making it difficult to diagnose and fix. Access the Windows Recovery Environment to run Startup Repair or uninstall recent updates that may be causing the black screen issue.If you have a multi-monitor setup, disconnect the additional monitors and make sure your monitor is set as the main display.Test the monitor on another computer to rule out any issues. Ensure that your monitor is turned on, connected properly, and set to the correct video source.