Black Screen on Acer Computer (PC or Laptop) – How to Resolve It

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If your Acer computer shows a black screen on startup or while in use, it could be caused by hardware issues, corrupted system files, or display settings. Here are the best solutions to fix the black screen on your Acer laptop or desktop.

1. Perform a Hard Reset

A hard reset can resolve black screen issues caused by temporary glitches.

How to Hard Reset an Acer Computer:
  1. Turn off the computer completely.
  2. Disconnect the power adapter and remove the battery (if applicable).
  3. Press and hold the power button for 30 seconds to drain residual power.
  4. Reconnect the power adapter (or insert the battery) and turn the computer on.

2. Check for Display Connection Issues

For desktops, the black screen may be caused by a loose or faulty monitor connection.

How to Check Monitor Connections:
  1. Ensure the monitor cable is securely plugged into the GPU (graphics card) or motherboard.
  2. Try a different HDMI, VGA, or DisplayPort cable.
  3. Connect the monitor to another device to verify if the display is working.

If using a laptop, try connecting an external monitor via HDMI or VGA to check if the display is functional.

3. Adjust Brightness or Display Settings

On some Acer laptops, display brightness may be turned all the way down or the system may be set to output video to another screen.

How to Adjust Display Output:
  • Press Fn + F5 or Fn + F6 to adjust brightness.
  • Press Windows + P and select PC screen only to restore the main display.

4. Boot into Safe Mode

If the black screen appears after logging in, booting into Safe Mode may help resolve driver or software issues.

How to Boot into Safe Mode:
  1. Turn off the computer and power it on.
  2. As soon as the Acer logo appears, press F8 (for older versions) or hold the power button three times until the Windows Recovery screen appears.
  3. Select Advanced options > Startup Settings > Enable Safe Mode.

Once in Safe Mode, uninstall recent drivers or updates that may be causing the issue.

5. Update or Roll Back Graphics Drivers

A corrupted or outdated graphics driver can cause a black screen.

How to Update Graphics Drivers:
  1. Boot into Safe Mode (see steps above).
  2. Press Windows + X and select Device Manager.
  3. Expand Display adapters and right-click your graphics card.
  4. Select Update driver > Search automatically for drivers.

If updating doesn’t work, roll back the driver:

  1. In Device Manager, right-click the graphics card.
  2. Select Properties > Driver tab > Roll Back Driver.

6. Check RAM and Internal Components

A black screen may be caused by loose or faulty hardware.

How to Reseat RAM and Other Components:
  1. Turn off the computer and unplug it.
  2. Open the back panel (for laptops) or the case (for desktops).
  3. Remove the RAM sticks and reinsert them securely.
  4. Check the hard drive, SSD, and graphics card for loose connections.

If possible, test the system with one RAM stick at a time to identify a faulty module.

7. Perform a System Restore

If the black screen started after a recent update or software installation, a System Restore may fix the issue.

How to Perform a System Restore:
  1. Boot into Windows Recovery Mode (hold the power button three times until it appears).
  2. Select Advanced options > System Restore.
  3. Choose a restore point before the black screen issue started and follow the on-screen instructions.

8. Disable Fast Startup

Fast Startup can sometimes cause boot issues, leading to a black screen.

How to Disable Fast Startup:
  1. Boot into Safe Mode (see steps above).
  2. Open Control Panel > Power Options.
  3. Click Choose what the power buttons do > Change settings that are currently unavailable.
  4. Uncheck Turn on fast startup and save changes.

9. Reset BIOS Settings

A misconfigured BIOS can prevent the display from working.

How to Reset BIOS:
  1. Turn off the computer and press F2 (or Del) while turning it on to enter BIOS.
  2. Locate the Load Default Settings option.
  3. Save and exit BIOS, then restart the computer.

10. Reinstall or Reset Windows

If none of the above solutions work, reinstalling or resetting Windows may be necessary.

How to Reset Windows:
  1. Boot into Windows Recovery Mode.
  2. Select Troubleshoot > Reset this PC.
  3. Choose Keep my files or Remove everything, then follow the instructions.

These steps should help fix the black screen issue on your Acer laptop or PC.