Samsung PC has a blank or black screen

There are many reasons the screen on your PC could go blank or black, but it's quick to run through all the possible reasons and either rule them out or resolve your issues.

Samsung PC has a blank or black screen

Move the mouse or press a key.

Depending on the screen saver settings, the screen may be black from inactivity.

Make sure the PC is plugged in and turned on.

Plug in the charger and press the Power button.

If your PC does not turn on at all, see our guide for proper troubleshooting.

Disconnect external display devices or docks.

Depending on your settings, any external devices or docks may be configured to make the main screen blank when in use. Disconnect them to confirm if this is the case.

Note

In some cases, the screen will go black if the computer is overheating. You may also hear a loud fan noise. If this occurs, force a shutdown, move the PC to a cooler place, and then leave it off for 15 minutes before turning it back on. If the computer overheats even when it has proper airflow around it and is in a cool environment, and you let it cool off once but it overheats again, then visit our Support Center to request service.

Force a shutdown.

Press and hold the Power button until all the power and activity lights are off. Keep holding the button until the PC starts to boot. You may have to hold in the button for 30 seconds or more.

Reset the video driver.

If you see the self-test or Samsung logo when booting, but then the screen goes blank, press Ctrl + Win + Shift + B to reset the video driver. The screen may flicker as the video driver is reset.

Check for updates.

Check for updates on both Samsung Update and Windows Update.

If you have an external display (like a TV with HDMI), and you've proved that the external display or dock is not causing the main screen to go blank, it's okay to plug it back in. Then, if the external display works, use it to check for any updates available for the PC.

Important

If you do not have an external display (like a TV with HDMI) to connect to, further troubleshooting cannot be done. Visit our Support Center to request service.

Remove recent updates.

Windows Recovery can be accessed by failing to boot into Windows three times in a row. As Windows is booting, press and hold the Power button until the PC turns off, and then turn it back on again. If it does not go into Windows Recovery, repeat the process (up to three times) until it does.

Once in Windows Recovery, select Troubleshoot, then select Advanced Options, then select Advanced Startup Options, then select Startup Settings, and then select Restart. After restarting, select 5 or press F5 for Safe Mode with Networking.

Once in Safe Mode, remove any recent updates or programs that may have caused the issue, and then restart to attempt to boot normally.

Reset Windows.

If a single step back did not correct the issue, the next step to try before service is to reset Windows.

Important

If the screen works at any point, such as when booting up or in Safe mode, then the issue is with Windows and not with the laptop. Additional troubleshooting is beyond the scope of this guide.

Request service.

If you perform a reset and the issue continues, visit our Support Center to request service.

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