How to fix your Lenovo laptop screen when it's not working

⚡ Fast fix

• Hold the power button for 30 seconds to force a reset.
• Unplug accessories—USBs, drives, everything.
• Plug it in and try again. Look for any signs of life.
• Still nothing? Let a tech at your nearest uBreakiFix® by Asurion store check it out for free.

There’s no good time to deal with a laptop screen that’s not responding. Even so, it always seems to happen at the worst possible moment.

If your Lenovo® laptop screen is not working, you may feel like screaming or throwing your computer out a window. Hey, we’ve all been there. Don’t let the frustration get the better of you, though. Asurion’s experts are here with tips and tricks to get your laptop screen back up and running properly. Our team has helped millions of customers with their tech, from laptops to smart home devices.

Try our guide on fixing a screen that’s not working on a Lenovo laptop. Troubleshooting steps like trying an external monitor, completing a hard reset, or resetting the graphics driver may be just what you need, before you take it into the nearest uBreakiFix® by Asurion store.

Check your power and hardware connections

One possible culprit that people often overlook when their touchscreen is not working on a Lenovo laptop is the battery. When a computer’s battery gets low, it may start behaving strangely, including a non-responsive screen. Try plugging the laptop in and letting it charge for at least 10 minutes.

Look for indicator lights that show the laptop is charging. Sometimes the battery level indicator on screen isn’t updated or accurate, so give your computer some time, even if it looks like it’s already charged.

If the battery and charger seem normal but the screen still isn’t responding, you can try an emergency reset by following these steps:

1. Unplug your laptop from the charger or any other power sources.
2. Find the small pinhole near the power connector.
3. Use a straightened paper clip (or something similar) to press and hold down the button in the hole for 15 seconds.

Pressing this button should reset the power supply to your laptop. Try charging it again to see if the screen responds.

Test with an external monitor to isolate the problem

A good way to narrow down what’s causing the problem with your laptop screen is to connect your laptop to an external monitor. If the external monitor works, your actual laptop display is the problem. If the external monitor does not work, the issue is probably your laptop’s internal hardware or software.

Follow these steps to connect an external monitor:

1. Plug the monitor into a wall outlet with the provided power cable.
2. Using a compatible cable, such as HDMI or DisplayPort, connect the monitor to your computer. You may need to use an adapter.
3. Turn on the monitor.
4. Wait to see if your laptop screen gets mirrored or extended onto the external monitor. You likely won’t be able to adjust the display settings if your laptop screen isn't responding, but you can try moving your mouse to the monitor.

If you plug in the monitor but still don’t see anything, the problem probably goes beyond the laptop screen itself.  

Reset your graphics drivers with a keyboard shortcut

When you see a black screen but can tell your laptop is on because the lights are on or the fans are spinning, try a graphics driver reset. Hold down Ctrl + Shift + Windows Key + B on your keyboard at the same time. The screen will flicker, and you’ll hear a beep.

This quick reset is often enough to fix the issue when your laptop stays on a black screen.

Update drivers or check for Windows system errors

Another thing to try is booting your laptop into safe mode, which uses only the most basic files and device drivers. In safe mode, you can figure out if the issue is due to any third-party drivers or software. You may also want to update or remove drivers while in safe mode. 

When your computer turns on, the first thing it runs is the BIOS—the Basic Input/Output System. Entering the BIOS during boot lets you adjust hardware settings that may be affecting your laptop's screen issues. Check whether the Lenovo logo appears during boot to see if there are Windows-specific system errors.

If nothing else works, factory resetting your Lenovo laptop may resolve issues with drivers or Windows system errors. Be sure to back up your data first.