If you find that your laptop screen has gone black suddenly, you must know that there are a number of possible reasons for this. It would be impossible to accurately ascertain the exact cause by mere speculation, as there are many wires, connectors, and devices, that need to function properly, to keep the screens of laptop computers working properly. If the screen turns black randomly then you must not panic, and should follow a systematic troubleshooting procedure. Computer Crash One of the most complicated reasons the screen goes black is a crash. This could occur for a variety of reasons, and is often difficult to fix. You will have to take the machine to a computer repair shop, and they will open up the laptop there to find the cause. Needless to say, this could set you back by a few hundred dollars as well. The crash could be caused by overheating, or maybe even a loose power supply cable. One solution for you is to play an audio file if the laptop goes black. If it does not play at all, then something is wrong with the entire system, but if the audio file plays, then it is just the laptop screen that is troubled. Virus Attack There are a few computer viruses that can cause this problem, but most antivirus programs can effectively deal with such a virus. Update the antivirus software regularly, and make sure you download all possible firmwares, and this sort of virus will be successfully thwarted. If your machine is infected with such a virus then your video drivers will most certainly be affected, and even your video card could get contaminated. All these results in the computer screen going black, and in some instances, the screen may even go blue. Outdated Drivers and Programs The video drivers are crucial for making the computer monitor function properly. On some occasions though, these programs can stop functioning due to various reasons. If your screen turns black after startup on a consistent basis, then maybe it is your video drivers that are malfunctioning. To avoid this situation, you should constantly upgrade your video drivers, and should also refrain from using pirated ones. Spend those extra bucks on getting licensed drivers, and you will save a lot of unnecessary expenditure in the future. Also, update your video drivers, as and when the new updates roll out. These updates are usually meant to iron out the little issues that may pop up now and then. Faulty Data Connections At times a simple loose connection may cause your screen to black out. The data ribbons that connect the hard drive to the screen may get loose, or wear out over time. A simple way to test this would be to attach your laptop to an external screen. If the display comes up on this screen, then it could be the data ribbon that needs to be checked. Replacing these, should ideally solve the problem. It is best to let a computer technician handle the screen. FL Inverter If the screen dims out gradually, or just goes out altogether, there could be a problem with the FL inverter of the laptop. This little device controls the backlight of the laptop screen. To check for this problem, connect your laptop to an external screen. If you get a normal display on the external screen, there could be a problem with the inverter. First check to see if the data connections are in place. If the problem still persists, you might want to take your laptop to a technician. Once you have the inverter repaired or replaced (a new one costs about $50), your laptop should work just fine. Overheating Problems Your laptop, like any other electronic device, tends to heat up when used excessively at a stretch. This may cause your machine's hardware to malfunction. The best option would be, not to 'abusively' use the laptop for long hours. You could also get external laptop fan cases for better cooling. If this is the cause for the laptop screen to black out, switching off the device for a while, and then switching it on after it has cooled down, should solve the problem. Issues with Vista This problem may also arise if you have Windows Vista as your operating system. You can try following this path to fix the problem, once you have the screen working again. > Windows > Control Panel > Classic View > Power Options > Balanced > Change plan settings > Change advanced power settings > Processor power management > Minimum processor state > Setting (should be 5% by default) > change to 100% > Maximum processor state > Setting (should be 5% by default) > change to 100% > Apply > OK This should ideally get your screen working normally, if the problem is software-related. The screen runs on a complex mechanism, and many devices and wires enable it to work properly. If your laptop screen goes black, it could be due to any one of the reasons mentioned above, apart from some other technical failures as well.