This guide will show you why your monitor’s screen keeps going black and how to fix it using common workarounds. So, if you’re one of the many users who’s wondering—“why does my monitor go black for a second?” read this guide to learn more.
“Why Does My Monitor Keep Going Black?” — Most Common Reasons
This issue occurs due to a variety of reasons. Regardless if it’s a hardware or software problem, it can be fixed once you know the culprit to why your monitor goes black randomly. Here are the most common reasons for this monitor problem:
1 “Why Does My Monitor Keep Going Black?” — Most Common Reasons2 How to Fix Monitor Goes Black Randomly2.1 Fix #1: Check All Monitor Cable Connections2.2 Fix #2: Inspect the Display Ports2.3 Fix #3: Check your Computer’s Power Options2.4 Fix #4: Turn Off CPU Overclocking2.5 Fix #5: Update your Computer’s Graphics Drivers3 Final Thoughts
Damaged Display Cable (VGA / HDMI / USB-C) – Your monitor is connected via a display cable that’s responsible for transferring data. Tears near the connector or on the wires can cause your monitor to behave erratically. Overheating – If you’re using your computer for an extended number of hours, there’s a high chance that it can experience overheating and go black randomly.
Unstable Power Supply – Your monitor needs a stable power supply to have optimized performance. If you’re using a monitor that relies on an external power supply, check its AC adapter for tears and damage.
Problems related to the power supply unit of your computer can also affect your monitor and make it go black randomly. In terms of laptops, check if it has a battery problem.
CPU Overclocking – Overclocking is done if you want to increase a component’s clock rate to make it run faster than usual. However, it has side effects on other components such as your monitor going black.
Outdated Graphics Drivers – For your monitor’s graphics to run optimally, you’ll need to download the latest graphics driver updates. Once it’s outdated, it’s possible to encounter bugs such as your monitor going black randomly. They can also cause your monitor flickering on and off.
Graphics-heavy Software – Once you decide to install and run software that’s not fit for your computer’s graphics requirements, your computer’s monitor can turn unstable and go black randomly.
This also affects other main PC components such as the CPU, RAM, GPU, etc. So, it’s necessary to uninstall them in the meantime until you’ve upgraded your PC.
How to Fix Monitor Goes Black Randomly
Before going straight to your computer’s service center and spending money on repair, here are some fixes that you can try. One of the first things that you can do is to let your computer screen rest for a while to cool down. As mentioned earlier, its display can go black once it’s overheating. Then, clean it with a microfiber towel that’s damped with enough distilled water and apply small pressure while wiping. This is to clean any dust buildup that’s on the monitor screen. If you’re still facing the same issue with a clean monitor, proceed to the fixes below. Remember to go over each fix and see which one works for your monitor.
Fix #1: Check All Monitor Cable Connections
The first ideal step to do is to check all cable connections related to your monitor. See if the VGA / HDMI / USB-C display cable is in proper condition and securely connected to their ports. Also, check the AC adapter for hardware damage and see if it’s properly connected. If one of the cables is damaged, immediately replace them and see if the display issue is solved. It’s recommended to avoid tangled wires as this can inflict damage on them over time, which also includes monitor-related cables.
Fix #2: Inspect the Display Ports
If the computer’s display cables are in good condition, the next part to check is the display ports. Some ports on your computer can accumulate dust over time and cause problems. It can also gain rust when the PC is not cleaned for a long time. If the display ports are corroded, try contacting your computer’s authorized repair store for further help.
Fix #3: Check your Computer’s Power Options
On most Windows computers, it’s possible to adjust its power options to avoid turning your screen black randomly. This may be caused by your computer’s Energy Saving Mode or a screensaver. To check your computer’s power options, follow these steps below:
Fix #4: Turn Off CPU Overclocking
When you’ve managed to change your computer‘s overclocking speed, it can cause bugs and glitches to your computer, such as your monitor going black. You can change the overclocking settings by booting to BIOS. To do this, follow these steps:
Fix #5: Update your Computer’s Graphics Drivers
Once your monitor behaves abnormally, there’s a huge chance that its graphics drivers are outdated. Luckily, you can update it through the Device Manager on Windows and solve the monitor going black issue. To update the graphics drivers of your computer, proceed to these steps:
Final Thoughts
A working monitor is a key factor to complete most basic tasks on your computer. It visualizes all commands and information that is produced by your computer’s graphics card. However, it can sometimes have issues such as turning black at random. Hopefully, these fixes can help you to fix your computer monitor when it goes dark randomly. If it has sustained internal hardware damage, it’s best to contact an authorized technician to solve this problem. If the monitor is unsalvageable, consider buying a new one.
