What to Do When Your Laptop Gives You the Black Screen of Death

What to Do When Your Laptop Gives You the Black Screen of Death

When you purchase your brand-new laptop, typically the absolute furthest thing from your mind is thinking about the day it no longer works. Unfortunately, as good as the technology has gotten, there will come a time when your laptop either no longer provides you with the efficiency you need, or it just stops working.

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So, let’s say that day happens sooner rather than later, and you go to turn on your laptop and nothing happens – absolutely nothing. While it’s normal for panic to set in and that sinking feeling in your stomach to begin as you come to the realization you have lost everything you stored on your device, it’s important to take a breather and realize that there are some steps you can take. Here’s a look at what you can do if your laptop suddenly stops working.

Visit a Data Recovery Service

Before you even start to play around with the laptop and trying to get it to work, you may want to pack it up and get it to a data recovery specialist ASAP. Secure Data Recovery is an example of a company that offers laptop data recovery and repair services from certified professionals. They will do everything in their power to try and retrieve your files, fix any software or hardware issues that led to the problem, and get your laptop back to working condition. If the laptop is repairable and the data can be retrieved, they will find a way to make it happen.

Check the Power Supply

If you are determined to troubleshoot the problem yourself, experts recommend starting with the power supply. Sometimes it is a matter of the wrong power cord, a blown fuse where it is plugged in, or the power supply has become faulty and no longer works. Your laptop may not be turning on because the battery has died thanks to issues with charging it.

The Screen May Have Stopped Working

Another issue could be that the screen has stopped working, rather than the entire laptop. A good way to check this is to turn the laptop on in a dark quiet room. If you hear the fan going and the hard drive humming, but only see the faintest of images on the screen - chances are the inverter on the screen is no longer working. This is actually something you can replace on your own; just look up a how-to video online. Keep in mind that inverters are quite pricey, so this isn't something you want to mess around with if you can't do it right.

Is There a Card Left in the Laptop?

Another potential issue is leaving a memory card or USB drive plugged in. Often this can mess with the laptop being able to load when you first turn it on. Remove any storage drives you have plugged in, and then try turning it on. Be sure to also check your Blu-ray or DVD drive to remove any discs from there.

It May Not Be a Total Loss

By following these steps, your laptop may not be the total loss you were dreading it was. At the very least, you may be able to retrieve your data.