Monitor Not Turning On - Ready To DIY

The joy of acquiring a new monitor can be short-lived if it doesn’t turn on when you plug it in.

Here are some of the more common issues you can have with a monitor that won’t work and what you can do about them.

If the monitor is not turning on when your PC is operating, check that it is switched on both at the wall plug and the monitor. If the light is off, your monitor is not receiving power. Check if the connections are loose or disconnected. Check that the VGA, HDMI, or DVI cable is connected.

Some monitors have a power switch on the rear panel as well as on the front. Check that the rear power switch is on before turning your attention to other causes.

If your monitor is not receiving power, then a loose connection or an unconnected cable is the first thing you should check. Ensure that the power cord is fully inserted into the power adapter.

Once you’ve confirmed that the monitor is receiving power, then move on to the display cable. Make sure that you have the correct cable for your setup. Firmly insert both ends into their respective sockets on the PC and the monitor.

If the monitor plugs into the onboard power supply, check that it is providing power. If not, then the power supply may be faulty.

Try exchanging monitor cables as the cable may be faulty. If you’ve recently added a graphics card or video controller, then they may be the cause of your monitor not working.

Sometimes, your motherboard may be at fault or the RAM is not working. This is often the cause of monitors failing to turn on after adding or changing RAM.

Monitor Not Turning On No Signal

There are numerous reasons why your monitor won’t turn on and there’s no signal.

If your monitor is not receiving a signal, then it can be the result of a faulty cable. To check the cable, swap it out for another identical cable. Make sure that the cables are inserted all the way and screwed tight. You can also try a different cable type if your monitor supports it.

If your monitor still does not turn on after trying different cables, then it is likely that your monitor is at fault. But before you purchase a new one, try it out on another computer.

If the monitor works when attached to another computer, you can assume that the problem lies with the graphics card.

To test the graphics card, open your PC case and remove the graphics card. If there is an alternative PCI-e slot, then try the card in that slot. Connect the monitor and test to see if it turns on.

If, after re-inserting the graphics card, it still does not work, then you can assume that the graphics card is faulty or that you have a problem with the motherboard.

Try removing the RAM modules and re-inserting them. If this does not resolve the monitor not turning on, then you may need to send the PC to a repair shop.

Monitor Not Turning On Light Blinking

There are a variety of reasons why your monitor may not turn on while the light is blinking. Some are easy to fix and others are more serious.

A blank screen and monitor light blinking usually indicate that your monitor has entered its power-saving mode. Moving your mouse or tapping a key on your keyboard will bring the monitor back to life. If not, you may have changed the refresh rate or resolution of the monitor by accident.

Your monitor may have an auto-adjust button. By pressing it, your monitor will revert to the regular mode and allow you to make changes to the resolution. You’ll need to consult your manual for the optimum resolution and refresh rate for your size monitor.

If you have an old monitor and it goes blank with the light flashing, then it could indicate that the monitor is failing. This is due to blown capacitors and you’ll have to replace them or buy a new monitor.

Monitor Not Turning On With PC

There are a variety of reasons that your monitor does not turn on when you switch on your PC.

If the monitor does not turn on with the PC, check that the power switches are on. Don’t forget the switch on the rear of your monitor. Then check that the power cables are properly plugged in. Check that the wall plug is on if your monitor has a power adapter. Check if the power light comes on.

If your monitor is receiving power and the light is on, then you should check that the video cables are properly connected. Swapping out cables or trying a different cable type may help solve the problem.

If that doesn’t work, then you may have a graphics card or motherboard failure.

Monitor Not Turning On With New PC

Buying a new PC or building one from scratch can bring up monitor problems due to incompatible parts.

If your monitor does not turn on with a new PC, then the monitor, power cables, or video cables may be faulty. You may need to update your BIOS or the motherboard may not provide onboard graphics functionality. Some motherboards require you to install a graphics card before your monitor works.

Swap out your cables to see if that resolves the problem. If the monitor still refuses to work, then check that your monitor works with the BIOS version you have. This is best done by a professional as making a mistake during the process can stop your motherboard from working completely.

A common mistake is to plug your monitor into the motherboard when you have a graphics card installed. The motherboard graphics output will not work if you have a graphics card installed.

Monitor Not Turning On With Laptop

It is convenient to have a monitor attached to your laptop. But you may find that the screen remains blank when you switch the screen on.

To turn your monitor on when using a laptop, you must enable the correct display functionality. Press the Windows key + P to bring up the display settings screen. You will see the option to enable the monitor as a duplicate of your laptop screen or as an extension of the display.

If you wish, you can set the monitor to be the only screen.

You may have inadvertently switched off your screen and need to re-enable it. Use the FN key together with the F1, F2, or F4 keys. Consult your laptop manual for the correct combination.

If the monitor still won’t turn on, then you may have to update the device drivers. To update your drivers:

Type settings into the Windows search bar.
Scroll down to the Update & Security tab.
Select Windows update.
Select the Check for updates option.
Select the View optional updates and click the Driver updates tab.
Select the monitor driver you wish to update.

Monitor Not Turning On After Power Outage

It is important that you switch your PC or laptop off properly to avoid potential errors or faults when you boot up again later.

If a PC or laptop shuts down due to a power failure, the video settings could be reset. The display output may then be routed to a different device. To resolve the issue, disconnect the cables and then press and hold the power button for 60 seconds. Restart the computer and check the display.

It is unlikely that a power outage will damage the monitor. However, when the power comes back on, it’s possible that a power surge may damage some of the components.

Monitor Not Turning On After Sleep

It is common for a monitor to fail to turn on after it has entered sleep mode.

If your monitor does not turn on after it has entered sleep mode, then you can disable sleep mode as a permanent fix. Windows power management features can also prevent your monitor from turning back on. You may also turn the monitor auto-detect setting off as this can cause problems in sleep mode.

To disable sleep mode, go to your Control Panel and select power options. Click “Change Plan Settings” and select the “Never” option.

To turn auto-detect off, click the Start button and select the Control Panel. Double click “Power” and then select “Power Schemes”. Under the “Turn off monitor” option, select “Never”.

Monitor Not Turning On After Unplugging

Troubleshooting a monitor can be a tiresome job. Problems usually occur after an unusual event such as unplugging the monitor while the PC is on.

If your monitor does not turn on after unplugging it, you may need to switch off your PC and then reconnect the monitor. Push the power button and check that the power light is illuminated on the monitor. The PC may go into sleep mode, so restarting it usually solves the problem.

If the power light does not come on, then your monitor is not receiving power. Unplug the monitor and hold the power button down for 30 seconds. Plug the monitor back into the power and switch it on.

This usually resets the monitor and it should operate normally.

Monitor Not Turning On After Restart

It can be frustrating when the monitor will not switch on after a restart.

Check to see if the power light is on. If not, you have no power to the monitor and you should unplug the cables and wait for a minute before reconnecting the monitor. Try switching the monitor on again. If that does not work, Windows has a troubleshooting option that can isolate the problem.

To use the Windows troubleshooting option, press the Windows key +W. Type “Troubleshooter” into the search box and press the Enter key. Under Hardware and Sound, select Hardware devices and then select Devices. Follow the instructions to test the monitor devices.

Copyright protected content owner: ReadyToDIY.com and was initially posted on April 14, 2022.

Failing that, you can try reinstalling the display adapter. You access this option by selecting the device manager and navigating to the display option. Right-click on the display device and select the option to uninstall the device.

When you restart the computer after the uninstall, Windows will reinstall the display adapter driver.

Monitor Not Turning On After Installing Graphics Card

Installing a new graphics card opens up many possibilities for your PC. However, it’s not unusual to encounter problems after the installation.

If your monitor’s not working after installing a new graphics card, remove the card and reinstall it. Make sure that it is seated fully in the slot. If the computer boots up with a beeping sound, the fans turn on and the motherboard lights up, then the monitor should work.

You should also ensure that any power cable connections are correctly connected. You may also have to configure the device drivers to complete the installation.

Copyright article owner is ReadyToDiy.com for this article. This post was first published on April 14, 2022.

Should the monitor still not work, then you should consider the possibility that the card is faulty.

Monitor Not Turning On After Installing RAM Upgrade

Upgrading RAM often provides a much-needed boost to computer performance. However, the new RAM could have some unintended consequences.

A monitor may not turn on after installing a RAM upgrade due to incompatibility issues. The computer may not detect the RAM or the RAM slots may be faulty. Installing the RAM in the incorrect slots causes dual-channel failures. If the RAM is not seated in the slot, it can also cause problems.

You may also have installed RAM that is damaged or faulty. Double-checking the RAM by inserting it into another computer can give you an indication of whether it is the RAM that is the problem.

Monitor Not Turning On After Bios Update

Of all the things you can do to a computer, flashing the BIOS is one of the most daunting. It is best to do this only if you have advanced knowledge of computers.

If your monitor does not turn on after a BIOS update then unplug the power cord to the power supply unit for 30 seconds. Once there is no power left in the system plug the monitor into the onboard graphics connector. Plug the power back in and reboot the PC.

If the monitor works, switch off the PC and plug the monitor into the GPU. Reboot the machine and you should see that the monitor is now working.

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ReadyToDIY is the owner of this article. This post was published on April 14, 2022.

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