What To Do If PC Turns On But No Display

Has it ever happened that out of the blue, you encountered an issue where your PC turns on but there is no display? Or, your computer’s working fine, and suddenly you run into a blank screen. If yes, you are not alone. In this post, we’ll dive into the common reasons why you might be facing this issue and more importantly, what is it that you can do to fix the issue.

Why Does My Computer Turn On But There Is No Display?

• Faulty monitor, loose connections (damaged HDMI/ VGA port, or, damaged sockets).
• Faulty RAM or GPU.
• Outdated graphics driver.
• Corrupt system files.
• Misconfigured BIOS.

In light of the above reasons, let’s discuss some of the best ways to fix the issue –

Best Fixes For “Computer Turns On But No Display”

Solution No. 1 – Test Out Your Monitor

Before jumping to advanced troubleshooting, we’d urge you to disconnect your monitor from the rest of your PC and turn it on. If the diagnostic information appears, the display is powered correctly and can display content.

Next, connect your monitor to your PC again. This time, connect it carefully while ensuring all cables and adapters are properly attached and that there are no loose connections.

Solution No. 2 – Remove RAM and Insert it back in lace

Did you assemble your PC yourself? There are chances that you are unable to see anything on the display because one of your hardware components is not properly configured.

‘Removing and resetting RAM’ i.e. removing RAM and putting it back in the same slot can help resolve any poor connections and help get rid of any hardware-related glitches. Many users have reported that by doing this, they saw content on display after powering it up. Additionally, you should also check for other components such as CPU, motherboard, or even graphics card.

Solution No. 3 – Restart the Graphics Driver or Wake The Device

Now, if you see that the power light of your monitor is on, reboot your computer and press the Windows key sequence Windows key + Ctrl + Shift + B. What this will do is that, it will wake the screen and restart your computer’s graphics driver. In case this doesn’t work, try connecting some other monitor to your PC.

If You Are Using A Laptop

In case your laptop powers on but there is no display, connect an external monitor. Here too, ensure that there are no loose connections and that all cables and attachments are plugged correctly. Turn On the external monitor and see if it is displaying content.

Solution No. 4 – Reset BIOS

If your PC turns on but there is no display, resetting BIOS may help. These steps can be useful if your RAM is faulty. To reset the BIOS it is important that at least the power is going to your monitor. If your monitor is receiving power you may be able to access the BIOS interface even if the screen is black initially. To reset BIOS –

Step 1 – Turn on your PC.

Step 2 – Press the F2 key until you see the “Entering Setup” screen. In case the F2 key doesn’t work, a different key might be assigned to your laptop model. You can search for the phrase “How to boot into the BIOS of” followed by the name of your PC’s manufacturer and model.

Step 3 – Using the arrow keys, navigate down to the Enter Setup option.

Step 4 – On the next screen, using your right arrow key, scroll to the Exit tab.

Step 5 – Under the Exit tab, select the Load Setup Defaults or press the F9 key and click on the Yes option when the Setup Confirmation option appears.

Step 6 – Next, under the Exit tab, click on Exit Saving Changes and again click on the Yes option.

Using the steps above you will be able to reset your BIOS settings successfully. However, there might be instances when you may have to reset the BIOS settings by removing the CMOS battery. To be on the safer side, always have technical assistance ready. .

Solution No. 5 – Run Startup Repair

If it has become a common occurrence that you are unable to see the display even after powering it on, you can try and run Startup Repair. And, just like it helps with issues such as Windows not able to boot, it might help you fix the issue at hand.  To know more about how to get into the “Startup Repair” feature, check out method no. 1 of this post.

Solution No. 6 – Check For System Related Issues, Or, Update Drivers

In case your computer powers on but there is no display on the monitor, here are some reasons that we are going to talk about now –

• There are system-related issues; corrupt system files.
• Your graphics card has become outdated.

We’d urge you to keep an external working monitor ready and connect it to your PC. Now, let’s discuss each of these one by one –

Check PC for system-related issues; Corrupt System Files

If vital system files are damaged, your operating system may fail to load properly resulting in a blank screen. So, if you are able to operate the external display, open the administrative Command Prompt by typing cmd in the Windows search bar. Once the command prompt pops up type sfc /scannow and press Enter. If this step is successful, you should be able to turn on your display. If not, corrupt or outdated display drivers are to be blamed.

Update Drivers and Check for Other Issues

An outdated display driver can be the reason why your PC turns on but there is no display. You can take the help of a driver updater tool like Advanced Driver Updater and update your outdated display drivers.

What is Advanced Driver Updater?

Advanced Driver Updater is an easy-to-use software that can scan your computer for outdated drivers and update them. 

Step 1 –  Download, install, and run Advanced Driver Updater. 

Step 2 – Click on the Start Scan Now button. The utility will now scan for outdated drivers. 

Step 3 – From the list of drivers, locate the outdated display driver, click on the checkbox next to it, and click on the Update driver button.

Step 4 – Once your display driver is updated, your issue will be resolved. 

Other Notable Features of Advanced Driver Updater:

• You can back drivers up before updating them. 
• Restore older versions of drivers if the update is not as you desired. 
• include/ exclude drivers from scanning. 
• Schedule driver scans. 

No More Facing The Blank Display

We know, it’s immensely frustrating when you power on your computer only to run into a blank screen but, now that you are armed with solutions to fix the issue, try the above fixes and let us know the ones that have worked out for you. You could test out your monitor, reset BIOS and run startup repair, and workout other things mentioned in this post. For more such content, keep reading WeTheGeek. Follow us on social media – Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.