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laptop screen dark - no taskbar icons or background apps still show up

Anonymous
2025-03-06T19:48:45+00:00

The screen on my lenovo thinkpad has suddenly gone black, as has the attached monitor. I can see applications when I start them, but there's no background, no app icons, no taskbar, etc

Windows for home | Windows 11 | Performance and system failures

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  1. Anonymous
    2025-03-09T03:45:20+00:00

    > go figure

    A few possibilities:

    1. there is a ribbon-cable between the motherboard and the interior of the screen. Opening/closing the lid may have somehow affected the connectivity;
    2. overheating, maybe of the computer's video circuits, remedied by that 15-minute cool-down;
    3. software fault within Windows, remedied by shutdown/restart;
    4. intermittent hardware fault inside the screen, that hopefully will not repeat.

    Please use "accept as answer" to the best reply to your question.

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  1. Solamillo Charity 20,255 Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2025-03-06T21:31:02+00:00

    Hello there! I am Charity, I'm an Independent Advisor. I'm glad to help you today!

    Does this also happen even after restarting explorer?

    Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open the Task Manager.​

    If you see the simple view, click on "More details" at the bottom.​

    In the "Processes" tab, scroll down to find "Windows Explorer."​

    Select it, then click the "Restart" button at the bottom-right corner.

    Let's also check for corrupted system files.

    First, open Command Prompt as an administrator by right-clicking the Start button and selecting "Command Prompt (Admin)." In the Command Prompt window, type sfc /scannow and press Enter. Wait for the scan to complete; this process might take some time, and the tool will automatically attempt to fix any detected issues. Once the scan is finished, restart your computer.

    Kind Regards,

    Charity

    Please note that things might need more than one reply to completely resolve your issue, as it will completely depend on the complexity of the question and the amount of detail that you have provided me.

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  2. Anonymous
    2025-03-07T04:28:08+00:00

    Windows has an option to "hide" (make invisible) all the desktop icons.

    Windows can change the colour of the wallpaper, e.g., to "black".

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  3. Anonymous
    2025-03-07T00:06:50+00:00

    Hello and thank you but I don't believe that's the issue. I can hit ctrl-alt-delete and run an application which is entirely visible on both screens. It's just the background that's blank and, apparently not working.

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  4. Anonymous
    2025-03-06T21:35:58+00:00

    Let's start with something simple.

    Attach an external monitor, and restart your computer.

    Windows should display the same output on both the "internal" and "external" screens. Does it?

    Inside the laptop's screen, there is a small part, called an "inverter", that causes all the brightness of the screen. Has that failed? A technician might be able to source the part, and replace it. Failing that, search on eBay or Amazon for an exact match for the laptop's screen, and replace the original screen.

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