An Asus laptop black screen usually comes from display mode, power, driver, firmware, or loose connection issues.
You press the power button, lights come on, fans spin, yet the display stays dark. This guide gives you checks, proven fixes, and deeper tools that work on most Asus notebooks. Start with the triage table, move step by step carefully. If the system wakes, keep reading to stop problem from returning.
Quick Triage: Symptoms And Likely Causes
Match your symptom to a cause and a first move. Work down the table, then jump to the matching fix.
| Symptom | Likely Cause | First Move |
|---|---|---|
| Black screen, keyboard lights on | Wrong display mode or dim brightness | Press Windows+P to cycle modes; raise brightness |
| Black screen with mouse cursor | Windows Explorer hung | Open Task Manager and restart Windows Explorer |
| Black after logo or update | Graphics driver fault | Boot Safe Mode; roll back or update the GPU driver |
| No display on battery, works on charger | Power delivery or backlight | Plug AC; run an EC reset; test again |
| No lights or fan | Adapter, battery, or mainboard power | Check adapter; try another outlet; run EC reset |
| Beeps or status LEDs flash patterns | Hardware error | Run UEFI diagnostics; note any codes for service |
Asus Laptop Screen Goes Black: Causes And Fixes
Power Glitches And EC Reset
Intermittent power logic can blank a panel even when the laptop seems alive. An EC reset clears power control and brings devices back to a clean state.
Do A Safe EC Reset
- Shut down. Remove USB drives and other accessories. Leave the charger connected.
- Hold the power button for 40 seconds. Some models use 20 seconds; a fast-blinking power LED may appear partway through. Release after the blink stops.
- Power on and test the display.
This procedure matches the Asus method and often restores normal video after sleep loops or brownouts.
Display Mode Or Brightness Mis-Set
Windows can send video to a phantom display, or brightness can sit at zero. Both look like a dead screen.
- Tap Windows+P, press P again, then Enter to cycle modes. Stop on “PC screen only.”
- Nudge the brightness buttons. On many models they sit on the function row with a sun icon.
- If an external monitor is nearby, connect it to confirm the GPU is alive.
Windows Session Hung
A black screen with a cursor often means the shell is stuck. Restarting it is quick.
- Press Ctrl+Alt+Del and open Task Manager.
- Find Windows Explorer, right-click, and pick Restart. If it is missing, choose File → Run new task, type
explorer.exe, and hit Enter.
Graphics Driver Fault
After a driver update, the display can blank at the logon screen or right after the spinner. Safe Mode lets you fix the stack.
- Power off. Start the laptop, power off at the logo, and repeat two more times to trigger Recovery. Choose Troubleshoot → Startup Settings → Restart, then press F5 for Safe Mode with Networking.
- Open Device Manager, expand Display adapters, and pick Roll Back Driver if the issue began after an update. If rollback is unavailable, select Update driver and install the Asus-approved package.
Use Asus And Microsoft Tools
Asus provides a detailed black screen guide and recovery paths, including EC reset and BIOS recovery. Windows also documents fast steps that wake a blank display, including cycling display modes and restarting the shell. See ASUS black screen troubleshooting and Windows blank screen steps for the official walk-throughs aligned with the fixes above.
BIOS Update Or Memory Training
On some Asus models, a firmware flash or a RAM change triggers a short “memory training” period. During this, the panel can stay black while the power LED is lit. Give it one to three minutes on AC power. If recovery screens appear, follow the prompts to complete the firmware update. If a flash failed, use BIOS recovery with a USB stick and the correct file from the model page on the Asus website.
Peripheral Conflicts And Docks
Display output can route to a dock or adapter that is no longer present.
- Unplug hubs, HDMI, DisplayPort, VGA, and USB-C docks.
- Boot again, then plug devices back one at a time.
Hardware Faults
If none of the steps wake the screen, test hardware. Many recent Asus laptops include diagnostics in UEFI and in the MyASUS app that can check the panel, GPU, memory, and storage without loading Windows.
Step-By-Step Fix Checklist
Work through this order. It moves from fastest checks to deeper repairs.
- Force a clean restart. Hold the power button for ten seconds until the laptop shuts down. Wait five seconds, then power on.
- Cycle display modes with Windows+P. Raise brightness. If you hear logon sounds, the GPU is running.
- Restart the shell. Use Ctrl+Alt+Del → Task Manager → restart Windows Explorer.
- Run an EC reset with the 40-second hold.
- Boot Safe Mode, then roll back or update the display driver.
- Remove docks and cables. Try a known-good external monitor and cable.
- Let memory training finish after firmware or RAM changes.
- Run UEFI or MyASUS diagnostics for the display and memory.
- If tests fail or the screen stays dark on both internal and external displays, set up service.
When You Can See Only A Cursor
This pattern points to a shell or profile problem, not a dead panel.
- Restart Windows Explorer from Task Manager.
- From Safe Mode, create a new local user, sign in, and test.
- Run System Restore to a point from before the last update.
Black Screen After Sleep Or Closing The Lid
Sleep state hiccups can leave the panel off while the system wakes in the background.
- Open Power Options and set When I close the lid to Sleep or Do nothing as needed. Disable hybrid sleep.
- Update the Intel or AMD graphics driver from the Asus website. Mixed vendor driver stacks often cause wake bugs.
- Turn off Fast Startup under Power Options → Choose what the power buttons do.
External Monitor Tests That Speed Up Diagnosis
An external screen tells you where the failure sits.
- If the external screen works but the laptop panel stays blank, suspect panel, cable, lid sensor, or backlight.
- If both screens are blank, suspect GPU, firmware, or OS.
- If HDMI works only in Windows, the GPU is fine and the issue sits with display mode or the built-in panel.
Shortcut And Recovery Reference
Use these small moves during troubleshooting.
| Goal | Shortcut Or Tool | What You Should See |
|---|---|---|
| Cycle display modes | Windows+P | Project menu; PC screen only, Duplicate, Extend, Second screen |
| Restart Windows Explorer | Ctrl+Shift+Esc → Restart Explorer | Taskbar and desktop reload |
| Open Recovery | Interrupt boot three times | Choose Troubleshoot → Advanced options |
| Enter UEFI | Press Esc at boot on Asus laptops | Boot menu appears; then choose Enter Setup |
| Run Asus EC reset | Hold power 40 seconds | Power LED may blink; settings cleared |
| Run UEFI diagnostics | UEFI System Diagnostics | Component tests and QR code report |
Why Black Screens Happen On Asus Laptops
The display path includes the panel, ribbon cable, GPU driver, and firmware that controls power. A glitch anywhere can blank the screen while the laptop keeps running. Common triggers:
- Display output misrouted. Windows sends video to a ghost monitor or dock.
- Driver mismatch. A generic update replaces the model-tuned driver.
- Sleep state bugs. The system wakes but the panel stays off until power logic resets.
- Firmware changes. A BIOS flash or RAM swap starts a dark training phase.
- Loose accessories. A bent HDMI plug or wobbly USB-C adapter drops the signal.
Each trigger maps to a test: cycle display modes, restart the shell, boot Safe Mode, then move to power resets and firmware steps. If behavior changes, stay on that branch.
Safe Mode Driver Cleanup (When Updates Broke Video)
A clean driver set fixes many black screens right after login.
- Enter Safe Mode with Networking from Recovery. Sign in with admin rights.
- Open Device Manager → Display adapters. Right-click the GPU and pick Uninstall device, then tick the box to remove the driver.
- Reboot. Install the display driver for your exact model from the Asus website. Reboot again and test sleep and wake.
If your laptop uses both integrated and discrete graphics, keep both drivers current using packages from Asus.
Notes For Brightness Buttons And Fn Lock
Brightness buttons rely on the Fn layer. If they do nothing, tap Fn+Esc once to toggle Fn Lock, then try again. You can also adjust brightness in Settings → System → Display to rule out a stuck Fn layer.
Keep Data Safe While You Fix
When the display returns, copy folders to an external drive. If it stays dark, use a Windows installer USB to open recovery file browser and back up files before deeper repairs.
Prevent Repeat Black Screens
Once you restore the display, harden the setup so it stays stable.
- Stick with Asus-approved graphics drivers for your exact model.
- Schedule Windows Updates, then reboot twice so drivers settle.
- Keep the BIOS current using Asus EZ Flash or MyASUS updates.
- Use quality HDMI and USB-C cables. Loose adapters cause random blanks.
- Avoid forced shutdowns during updates or firmware flashes.
If Nothing Works
Collect evidence before you book a repair. Note any beep codes or LED patterns, run the UEFI display test, and snap photos of error screens. Back up data by removing the SSD if needed, or by booting from a Windows installer to copy files. With that in hand, contact an Asus center and quote any diagnosis codes from UEFI or MyASUS. That shortens the repair loop and raises the chance of a one-visit fix.