How to Fix Computer Turns on But No Display - Solutions Are Here!

Jerry updated on Jan 11, 2024 | Home >Computer Instruction

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Workable Solutions Step-by-step Troubleshooting
Fix 1. Force Restart Computer If you see a black screen after you hit the power button, try holding it...Full steps
Fix 2. Check Monitor If your computer starts, but the screen remains blank, you can also...Full steps
Fix 3. Reconnect Monitor to Computer Another potential source of the "PC turns on but no display" issue could be...Full steps
Fix 4. Disconnect Peripherals Sometimes, peripherals, such as a mouse, printer, or scanner, might be to blame...Full steps
Fix 5. Reinstall RAM A bad connection between your motherboard and RAM can also lead...Full steps
Fix 6. Reset BIOS Settings to Default Your computer may boot with a black screen due to incorrect BIOS settings...Full steps
Fix 7. Roll Back or Update Display Adapter Driver An outdated, damaged, or incompatible device driver may also result in...Full steps

Sometimes your computer's screen will be dark after it has been powered up. The laptop turns on, but the monitor is either off or displays nothing. This is becoming an increasingly common issue among Windows users. 

Your PC displays nothing when turning on, primarily due to frayed or damaged cables. Additional causes could be an improperly configured display, a troublesome GPU or RAM, a wrongly configured BIOS, malfunctioning peripheral devices, or a faulty Power Supply Unit.

Do not worry; this article offered by EaseUS will tell you how to fix the computer turns on but no display issue. Let's move on to the details:

How to Fix Computer Turns on But No Display

There are many ways to resolve the "computer starts but no display" issue. You can try any of the methods below to see whether they can help you solve the problem.

Fix 1. Force Restart Computer

If you see a black screen after you hit the power button, try holding it down for about 10 seconds to force your computer to shut down, then turn your PC on. Doing this repeatedly three times, the Windows Startup Repair should run automatically.

startup repair

You May Also Like: Computer Won't Boot? Causes and Fixes.

Fix 2. Check Monitor

If your computer starts, but the screen remains blank, you can also check whether your monitor works properly.

Check the monitor's power light to verify whether it is turned on.

Unplug your monitor's power adapter, then plug it back into the power socket if your monitor won't turn on. If the issue persists, you should take your monitor to a repair shop.

Fix 3. Reconnect Monitor to Computer

Another potential source of the "PC turns on but no display" issue could be a poor connection between your computer and monitor. Reconnecting the two devices is probably the best action in this situation. Here's how to go about it:

Step 1. Hold down the power button until your computer shuts down.

Step 2. Disconnect the video cord that links your computer to your monitor.

Step 3. Check the monitor's and computer's port connectors.

check the monitor's and computer's port connectors

Step 4. Check your video cord for damage. Reconnect your computer to your monitor if the video cable is working properly. Alternatively, if you have another video cable, connect the two devices with the new one.

Step 5. Turn on your PC to check whether it can boot normally.

Fix 4. Disconnect Peripherals

Sometimes, peripherals, such as a mouse, printer, or scanner, might be to blame. Try unplugging all the peripherals to see if it is the cause of "computer starts but no display". Here's how to go about it:

  • Hold down the power button until your computer shuts down.
  • Unplug all peripherals (your printer, scanner, mouse, etc.).
  • Try restarting your computer.

If your computer boots without a hitch, one of the removed peripherals must be the issue's root. You should reinstall each peripheral into your PC and test each time. Then, you can find the device causing the problem.

Fix 5. Reinstall RAM

A bad connection between your motherboard and RAM can also lead to this issue. Fortunately, you can reinstall your RAM to help solve it. The detailed steps are as follows:

Step 1. Hold down the power button until your computer shuts down.

Step 2. Unplug the AC power cord from the power source, and open your PC case.

Step 3. Take your RAM out of the memory slot on your motherboard.

what a ram is look like

Step 4. Put your RAM stick back into the slot.

Step 5. Plug your computer's AC power cord into the power supply and turn on your PC.

Fix 6. Reset BIOS Settings to Default

Your computer may boot with a black screen due to incorrect BIOS settings. You can reset your BIOS to default settings to determine whether it is the cause of your issue. Here's how to go about it:

Step 1. Hold down the power button until your computer shuts down.

Step 2. Unplug the AC power cord from the power source, and open your PC case.

Step 3. Using a non-conductive screwdriver or your fingernail to remove the CMOS battery from your motherboard.

CMOS battery

Step 4. Reinstall your CMOS battery after waiting about 5 minutes.

Step 5. Turn on your computer after connecting the AC power cord to the power supply to see if your issue still exists.

Fix 7. Roll Back or Update Display Adapter Driver

An outdated, damaged, or incompatible device driver may also result in no display when booting a PC. You can fix this problem by rolling back or updating these drivers. For this, you need to boot your computer into Safe Mode.

Step 1. Type Device Manager in your Windows search box and launch it.

type device manager in the Windows search box

Step 2. Expand the Display adapter.

expand display adapters

Step 3. Right-click on the device and select Update driver.

right-click on the device

Step 4. Click Search automatically for updated driver software.

click search automatically for updated driver software

Step 5. Windows will search for an update and download it.

Once done, you can check whether you have fixed the issue.

Bonus Tip: How to Protect your Computer After Fixing the Issue

The computer screen works fine most of the time, but sometimes Windows won't load. Users may tend to lose their data in this situation. After fixing the issue, you can find the best approach to protect your data and files. In fact, you should create a system image of your computer regularly to avoid any data loss risks.

The best way to protect your data on a computer is using professional backup software. EaseUS Todo Backup Home is the one that can meet your needs.

EaseUS Todo Backup Home is a professional backup and recovery tool. It can help you back up your files, systems, disks, and partitions. In addition, you can use it to create different types of backups, such as full, differential and incremental backups, and store them in diverse locations. And it lets you create an image of an SD card and an iso image of your operating system. Most importantly, you can enjoy a free Security Zone and 250G cloud storage.

Here is how to back up your computer:

Step 1. On the main page, click "Select backup contents".

create system backup step1

Step 2. Among the four available categories, click OS.

create system backup step2

Step 3. EaseUS Todo Backup will automatically select your system partition, you only need to select the backup destination.

create system backup step3

Step 4. Both Local Drive and NAS are available for you to save the backup file.

create system backup step5

Step 5. After finishing the backup process, you can check the backup status, recover, open, or delete the backup by right-clicking the backup task on the left.

create system backup step5

The Bottom Line

That is all about how to fix the computer turns on but no display error. When your computer starts but no display, you can try any of the methods above to help you troubleshoot the issue. Hopefully, these methods helped!

After fixing the issue, it would be best to create a computer backup. Thus, no matter what happens, you can easily restore your data to your computer. EaseUS Todo Backup Home is worth trying! It will not let you down.

FAQs

1. Can RAM cause no display?

Yes. Your computer won't start up and will have a blank screen if you don't have RAM. Try replacing the RAM or resetting it if you believe this is the root of your display issue.

2. Why is my PC not turning on but motherboard has power?

The power button on the case or the wiring connecting it to the motherboard may be to blame if your computer won't switch on, but the motherboard light is on. Examine your motherboard to determine if it has an inbuilt power button.

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Updated by Tracy King

Tracy became a member of the EaseUS content team in 2013. Being a technical writer for over 10 years, she is enthusiastic about sharing tips to assist readers in resolving complex issues in disk management, file transfer, PC & Mac performance optimization, etc., like an expert.

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Written by Jerry

"I hope my articles can help solve your technical problems. If you are interested in other articles, you can check the articles at the bottom of this page, and you can also check my Facebook to get additional help."

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