Q: (HARDWARE TROUBLESHOOTING) - My screen is not displaying anything or is flickering. What can I do?

A: Follow the steps below on basic computer troubleshooting:

1. Check the Connections (Yes, Even on a Laptop!) and Power!
   Even though the screen is built-in, we need to check a few things.
   1. What to do?
      1. Power is On? Is the laptop actually turned on? Can you hear the fan running, or see any lights lit up? If it's completely dead, make sure it's plugged into the charger. Let it charge for a bit before trying again.
      2. Brightness: Laptops often have keys that control screen brightness (usually with a sun or lightbulb icon). Try pressing the brightness UP key a few times. Maybe it's just turned down really low! Sometimes you have to hold down a "Fn" (Function) key at the same time as the brightness key.
         
      3. External Monitor Port: Look for an HDMI or DisplayPort hole on the side of your laptop. Make sure nothing is accidentally plugged into it. Sometimes, if the laptop thinks it's connected to an external screen, it will turn off the built-in screen.
      4. External Monitor (If Possible): If you can connect the laptop to a separate monitor (like a TV or a desktop monitor) with an HDMI cable, try that. This will help you figure out if the problem is just the laptop screen or something else.
   2. What to look for: Making sure the laptop is powered on and that the brightness isn't too low are the first things to check.
2. Is it Just Too Dark?
   Let's make absolutely sure the brightness isn't the issue.
   1. What to do:
      1. Brightness Keys: As mentioned above, try the brightness UP key. Hold down the "Fn" key if needed.
      2. Check the Settings (If You Can See Anything): If you can barely see the screen, try to navigate to the brightness settings within Windows. Click the Start button, type "brightness," and select "Change brightness." Make sure the brightness slider is turned up.
         
         
   2. What to look for: Sometimes, the brightness settings can get messed up.
3. Try Restarting (The Magic Fix!) - This is the classic "turn it off and on again" approach.
   1. What to do:
      1. Save your work (if you can see anything)!
      2. Restart: Click the Start button, select the Power icon, and then click "Restart."
      3. If You Can't See Anything to Click: If your screen is completely black and you can't see anything, you might need to force a restart. Hold down the power button on your laptop for about 10-15 seconds until the laptop completely shuts down. Wait a few seconds, then press the power button again to turn it back on.
   2. What to look for: Restarting can fix temporary glitches that cause the screen to go black.
4. Update Your "Picture Drivers"
   These are the instructions your laptop uses to display things on the screen. If they're old or buggy, things go wrong.
   1. What to do:
      1. Safe Mode (if needed): If the screen is flickering badly, you might need to boot into "Safe Mode." Restart your laptop, and as it restarts, try repeatedly pressing the F8 key (or Shift+F8). Pick "Safe Mode." (Note: This might not work on all laptops. If it doesn't, Google "how to boot [your laptop brand] into safe mode").
      2. Open "Device Manager": Right-click the Start button (the Windows logo) and choose "Device Manager."
         
      3. Find "Display Adapters": Click the arrow next to "Display adapters.".
         
      4. Right-click your graphics card: It'll be something like "NVIDIA," "AMD," or "Intel."
      5. Choose "Update driver"
         
      6. "Search automatically": Let Windows try to find the driver for you.
         
      7. If that doesn't work:
         • Go to the website for your graphics card (NVIDIA, AMD, or Intel).
         • Find the "Drivers" section.
         • Pick your exact laptop model and graphics card model and download the latest driver.
         • Run the downloaded file to install the driver.
      8. Restart the laptop.
   2. What to look for: Updating drivers often fixes screen problems!
5. External Monitor Test (Again, if Possible!)
   If you haven't tried it already, this is a key test.
   1. What to do:
      1. Turn everything off.
      2. Plug your laptop into a separate monitor (TV or desktop monitor) with an HDMI cable.
      3. Turn on the external monitor, then the laptop.
   2. What it means:
      1. External monitor works? The problem is almost certainly with your laptop's screen itself, or the connection inside the laptop that goes to the screen. This means it likely needs repair.
      2. External monitor ALSO doesn't work? The problem is probably with the graphics card or software on your laptop. Keep trying the driver update step!
6. Seek Professional Help:
   1. If you've tried all the basic computer troubleshooting steps and your computer still won't turn on, it's time to seek professional help.
   2. Contact the MIS Associate to diagnose the problem and recommend the appropriate repair.