# PC won't turn on or stays on a black screen: what to do > The safe checks you can do yourself when the computer won't turn on, or turns on but the screen stays black: power, cables, accessories, the keys that wake the screen and the forced restart. Without opening the PC. Source: https://simplebuild.it/tutorial/pc-non-si-accende Author: SimpleBuild, Build simple. Deliver value. Category: Windows PCs Procedure verified on: 2026-09-30 Before assuming the worst, check the simple things: **power** (plug, outlet, battery charge), **the monitor cables** and **the connected accessories**. If the PC turns on but the screen stays black, try the **Windows key + Ctrl + Shift + B** combination, which wakes the screen. As a last attempt, hold down the **power button for 20 seconds** and turn it back on. Everything here is done **from the outside, without opening the computer**. If these checks aren't enough, the right step is to have a technician look at the PC. ## Before you start - **Don't open the computer** and don't remove parts from inside: you risk an electric shock or more damage. - **If you smell burning**, see smoke or the charger is very hot, unplug it and don't try to turn it on again. - **Figure out which case you're in**, because the fixes are different: - the PC **shows no sign of life** (no lights, no fans, no noise); - the PC **turns on** (lights, fans) **but the screen stays black**; - the screen is black but **you can see the mouse pointer**; - a **blinking white dash** appears at the top left. ## If it shows no sign of life ### Check the power 1. **Laptop:** plug in the charger and let it charge for **at least 15 minutes** before trying again. That's the time Microsoft gives for its Surface devices; a completely drained battery may not turn the PC on right away. 2. Check that the cable is **plugged in firmly** at both ends: in the outlet and in the computer. If the charger has a light, see whether it's on: if it's off or blinking, the problem may be the charger itself. 3. Try **another power outlet**. ### Disconnect all accessories A faulty accessory can prevent the PC from turning on. 1. Unplug **USB sticks**, **external drives**, **SD cards**, **printers**, **external monitors** and any **dock** (the base you connect the laptop to). 2. Leave only power, keyboard and mouse connected. 3. Try turning it on. If it starts now, reconnect the accessories **one at a time** to find out which one was causing trouble. ### The manufacturer's "hard reset" Some manufacturers, HP for example, list a **hard reset** as the first step: a complete power-off sequence that drains the remaining energy. The procedure changes from model to model, so follow it **only** as described on your PC brand's support site, searching for the exact model name. ## If it turns on but the screen stays black ### Wake the screen 1. Press **Windows key + Ctrl + Shift + B** together. If it works, you hear a beep or see the screen flicker: Windows has restarted the graphics driver (the program that runs the screen). ![Four keys to press together: the key with the Windows logo, Ctrl, Shift and B.](https://simplebuild.it/assets/img/tutorial/pc-non-si-accende-tasti-en.svg) 2. Press **Windows key + P**, then **P** again, then **Enter**. Repeat a couple of times: this cycles through the display modes (PC screen only, duplicate, extend), in case Windows is using the wrong one. ### Check the monitor and cable (desktop PC) 1. Check that the **monitor is on** and plugged into power. 2. Check that the **video cable** (HDMI, DisplayPort or VGA) is firmly plugged in at both ends. 3. If you can, try **another cable** or **another monitor** (even a TV with an HDMI input). If it works with the other screen, the problem was the monitor or the cable. ### Laptop with an external monitor Unplug the external monitor and the other accessories, and see whether the laptop screen turns on. ## If you see the pointer on a black background Windows has started, but the part that draws the desktop and taskbar has frozen. 1. Press **Ctrl + Shift + Esc** to open **Task Manager**. 2. Find **Windows Explorer** in the list, right-click it and choose **Restart**. 3. If it's not there, open **File** > **Run new task**, type `explorer.exe` and press **Enter**. Alternatively, press **Ctrl + Alt + Del**: if the screen with the security options appears, you can open **Task Manager** from there. ## If a dash blinks at the top left A dash blinking on a black background means the computer **can't find the disk to start from**. Unplug **USB sticks**, **external drives** and **SD cards** and restart. If the problem persists, the disk may be faulty: that's a job for a technician, also so you don't put your files at risk. ## The last attempt: a forced restart If the PC is frozen and doesn't respond to anything: 1. Hold down the **power button** for about **20 seconds**, until it turns off completely. 2. Wait a few seconds and turn it on normally. Unsaved work is lost, so use this only when the other options don't work. ## If it still doesn't work - **Windows starts but shows a recovery screen** or says "Your device ran into a problem"? It's not a hardware fault but a Windows problem. If you can get to the desktop, first of all [make a copy of your files](https://simplebuild.it/tutorial/backup-pc-windows); then you can consider [resetting Windows without losing your files](https://simplebuild.it/tutorial/ripristinare-windows-senza-perdere-file). - **Did the problem start after an update?** The graphics driver is often involved: once the PC starts again, see [how to update or roll back drivers](https://simplebuild.it/tutorial/aggiornare-driver-pc) and the advice on [Windows Update errors](https://simplebuild.it/tutorial/errori-windows-update). - **Is the PC asking for a BitLocker recovery key**, a long string of numbers? Don't guess and don't reinstall anything: get help, because without that key the data on the disk can't be read. - **Is the PC still under warranty?** Check before having any work done: manufacturers have a service for covered faults. - **When to call a technician:** if after these checks the PC shows no sign of life, if the screen stays black even with another monitor, or if you hear strange noises or repeated beeps at startup. These are signs of a fault in the power supply, the disk or an internal component: they're checked with the right tools, and the first thing to make safe is your files. ## Frequently asked questions ### The PC makes its startup sounds but the screen is black: is the screen broken? Not necessarily. Often it's the connection to the monitor or the graphics driver: first try Windows key + Ctrl + Shift + B and check the cable and monitor. If the screen stays black even with another monitor or cable, it needs a check-up. ### Does holding down the power button harm the computer? It's the way Microsoft provides to force a restart when the PC doesn't respond. Use it only when there's no other way, because unsaved work is lost. ### Will I lose my files if the PC won't turn on? Usually the files stay on the disk even if the computer won't start. That's exactly why random attempts aren't a good idea: a technician can often recover them before any repair. ## Sources - [Troubleshooting blank screens in Windows](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/hardware/display-graphics/troubleshooting-blank-screens-in-windows) - [Surface won't turn on or start](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/surface/startup/surface-won-t-turn-on-or-start) - [How to fix HP laptop and computer power on and boot up problems](https://support.hp.com/us-en/help/computer/power-boot-issues)