A computer that powers on — fans spinning, lights on — but shows nothing on screen is very different from one that's totally dead. If yours won't power on at all, start with our won't-turn-on checklist. This is for "it's on, but the screen stays black."
1. Rule out the monitor first
Check the cable at both ends, try a different cable or port (HDMI vs DisplayPort), and make sure the monitor is on the right input. A surprising number of "dead computers" are a loose cable or the wrong input selected.
2. Plug into the motherboard, not the card
On a desktop with a graphics card, try the video port on the motherboard itself. If it displays there but not from the card, the graphics card — or how it's seated — is the issue.
3. Drain the power
Shut down, unplug it, hold the power button for 30 seconds, then plug back in. This clears a stuck power state that causes a lot of no-display starts.
4. Listen and look closely
Beeps, or fans running full-speed with no picture, often point to RAM or the graphics card — reseat the RAM (pull it out and push it firmly back). On a laptop, a faint image you can only see at an angle means the backlight, not the whole screen.
5. If it's still black
A black screen that survives all of the above usually means a hardware fault — graphics, RAM, or a drive that's failing to hand off to Windows. That's a diagnostic job, and we'll tell you exactly which part and what it takes.
Black screen that won’t budge? Let us look.
We're based in Dawsonville and fix computers for people across North Georgia — Gainesville, Canton, and beyond — plus remote help anywhere. Our diagnostic is a flat $24.99, credited toward the repair if we fix it, and you don't pay if we can't. Call (706) 203-2563 or start a repair request.