How to Fix HP Laptop Black Screen

David Darlington

Aug 04, 2023 • Filed to: Windows Computer Solutions • Proven solutions

You are busy typing away on your HP laptop when suddenly and without warning the laptop screen goes black. There is no error message to help you troubleshoot the problem and you just don't know what to do. Your first thought is all the data you will lose. But while data can be recovered (as we shall see shortly); it is much more advantageous to focus on how you can fix this problem.

The good news is the HP laptop's black screen is a fairly common problem that affects most users soon after a Windows update. Therefore, there are several tried and tested solutions that can help you get out of this nightmare situation and allow you to continue enjoying your laptop.

Part 1: 7 Methods to Fix HP Laptop Black Screen

The following are just some of the solutions to this problem that you should try;

Method 1: Hard Reset the Laptop

Hard resetting your laptop is one of the best ways to remove any conflicting settings that could be causing the issue. Here's how to do it;

Step 1: Turn off the laptop and then remove the hard drives, battery, and any other hardware components connected to it.

Step 2: Press and hold the power button for about 60 seconds and then release it

Step 3: put the battery back and plug in the charger, don't reconnect any other hardware components.

Step 4: Boot the laptop to see if the black screen is gone.

If the problem has been fixed, connect the hardware devices one by one until you find the one causing the problem.

Method 2: Restart the explorer.exe process

The HP laptop screen can go black if the explorer.exe process has somehow stopped. This is because this feature manages your desktop, taskbar, and other aspects of the system. Here's how to restart it;

Step 1: Press the "Ctrl + Shift + Esc" keys on your keyboard at the same time to open the task manager.

Step 2: Click on the "Details" tab and then scroll down to find the explorer.exe service. Select it and then click "End Task"

Step 3: Restart the PC to see if the problem is gone.

Method 3: Update Graphics Driver

If the graphics drivers are missing or outdated, the HP screen can turn black. The best way to update the graphics drivers on your computer is to use a driver update tool like Driver Easy. It automatically detects the drivers that need an update and allows you to easily update them. Follow these simple steps to update the drivers;

Step 1: Download and install Driver Easy on to your computer

Step 2: Run the program and then click on the "Scan Now" button to allow the program to scan your computer for any outdated drivers.

Step 3: When the scan is complete, click on "Update" next to the drivers that have been flagged or click on "Update All" to update all drivers that are missing or outdated.

Restart the computer when the process is complete and check if the problem has been resolved.

Method 4: Disable Fast Startup

Disabling fast startup on your computer is another way to fix this black screen issue. Follow these steps to do it;

Step 1: Open the control panel on your computer and click on "Power Options"

Step 2: Click on "Choose What Power buttons do" and then select "Change Settings that are currently unavailable"

Step 3: Uncheck "Turn on fast startup" and then click "Save Changes"

Method 5: Undo Recent Changes

If the problem began after an update or after you installed a new third-party program, you can fix the problem by restoring the system to a previous version. Here's how to do it;

Step 1: Open Control Panel and then click on "System & Security"

Step 2: Go to System > System Protection < System Restore

Step 3: Choose a restore point that you would like to use from the screen and then follow the on-screen prompts to complete the process.

Method 6: Disable App Readiness

You may also be able to fix this problem by disabling the app readiness service. Follow these simple steps to do it;

Step 1: Type "services" in the search function and then select the first solution that appears.

Step 2: Find "App Readiness" and double-click on it. Click on the drop-down menu next to "Startup type"

Step 3: Choose "Disabled" and then click "Apply" and "OK"

Method 7: Use HP Emergency BIOS Recovery Feature

If all the above solutions don't work, try using the BIOS recovery feature in HP. The following steps will show you how;

Step 1: Turn off the computer and then plug the power cord into the wall socket

Step 2: Press and hold the Windows Key +B at the same time. Release the buttons and then press and hold them again.

Step 3: The HP BIOS update screen will appear and begin the recovery process.

By the way, you can also learn how to fix an ASUS laptop's black screen.

Part 2: Recover Lost Files After Failure of Fixing HP Laptop Black Screen

Although the above content covers the most practical solutions, there are chances to fail to fix the black screen issue. If you want to access the data on your device, we recommend using Recoverit Data Recovery, one of the most effective data recovery tools in the business. It will recover all types of data very quickly and easily.

Video Tutorial on How to Recover Deleted Files on Windows 10/8/7 Easily?

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Step 1: A Recoverit software system is launched. The 'Data Recovery mode' can be selected or for crashed windows, use the 'Recover from crash computer' button. As shown below, select the 'Start' button.

Step 2: Activate the radio button for either the 'USB bootable drive' or 'CD/DVD bootable drive' by clicking, and clicking 'Create'.

Step 3: Step 2 above provides another window as shown below for formatting. Have you backed up your files? If yes, continue by selecting the 'Format' tab to proceed.

Step 4: Make sure you don't eject your USB flash drive for a bootable drive to be created. You can surely see steps on what to do next or check out the full guide.

Step 5: The creation of a bootable drive takes a few minutes. This pops up an icon with different options as shown below.

Step 6: After completing the steps above, remember to set your system booting sequence to that of the bootable media that was created.

Restart your system, with the function key F12, and enter the BIOS. The function key varies from system to system.

Visit 'How to set the computer to boot from USB drive' to learn more.

Step 7: After booting from the bootable drive, Recoverit automatically launches. The 'copy data from hard disk' or 'Data recovery' window comes up for you to select from.

It is understandable why the HP laptop black screen issue can be a big problem for many. But with one or a combination of the solutions above, you can very easily fix the problem and get the HP laptop working normally again. Don't forget to share your thoughts on this topic and many others like it in the comments section below. We always love to hear from you and we always do our best to find you solutions to any problems you may have.