Sudden Blank Screen

Question

Just had my screen suddently go blank & the after a few minutes the RGB on my keyboard & AIO cooler go off aswell seems to have been a error recorded in event viewer related to graphics card driver apparently the latest windows update (KB5121003) has a issue so was wondering if anyone else has had this happen to them and if that windows update is likely the cause ?

Since this incident occurred i have installed the latest graphics card drivers and checked for any other updates on windows

Answer 1

1

Most likely the graphics drivers crashed, did that only happen once, or is this a recurring problem.

2

Please check to see if your PC is producing any small Watchdog dump files, I will check those to see if they provide any insight into a potential cause of the system crashes.

Open Windows File Explorer.

Navigate to C:\Windows\LiveKernelReports

If there are any Watchdog dump files in the sub-folders of that folder, copy the files onto your Desktop, then zip those up.

Upload the zip file to the Cloud (OneDrive... etc.), then choose to share those and get a share link.

Then post the link here to the zip file, so I can take a look for you.

Answer 2

A graphics driver problem is a plausible cause. Microsoft’s guidance for blank screens says a blank screen after an update is frequently linked to incompatible drivers or incomplete updates. The bug check guidance for VIDEO_TDR_TIMEOUT_DETECTED and VIDEO_TDR_FAILURE also points to display drivers as a common cause when the GPU stops responding and the screen appears frozen or blank.

Based on what was already done, the next useful checks are:

1. Try the quick recovery shortcut if it happens again: Windows + Ctrl + Shift + B. If it works, the graphics driver resets and the screen may flicker or beep.
2. Check Event Viewer > Windows Logs > System for display-related errors around the same time. Microsoft specifically recommends checking the System log for messages that help identify the device or driver causing the bug check.
3. If the issue started only after a recent update, boot into Safe Mode and check the graphics driver in Device Manager > Display adapters. Use Roll back driver if the problem began after a driver update.
4. In Safe Mode, also check for a newer display driver with Device Manager > Display adapters > right-click GPU > Update driver.
5. If the blank screen returns, use Recovery Mode > Troubleshoot > Advanced Options > System Restore to restore to a point before the issue started.
6. Check hardware basics as well: monitor cable seating, different cable or monitor if available, and disconnect external displays/peripherals temporarily.

What can be concluded from the available guidance:

• A recent Windows update can be involved, because Microsoft notes blank screens after an update are often tied to incompatible drivers or incomplete updates.
• The available material does not confirm that KB5121003 specifically is a known cause.
• Since the event was recorded as graphics-driver related, the strongest supported direction is display driver troubleshooting rather than assuming that specific update is definitively responsible.

If the system also logged a stop code such as 0x116 VIDEO_TDR_FAILURE or 0x117 VIDEO_TDR_TIMEOUT_DETECTED, that further supports a GPU/driver timeout scenario.

---

• Troubleshooting blank screens in Windows
• Bug Check 0x116: VIDEO_TDR_FAILURE
• Fix graphics device problems with error code 43
• Bug Check 0x117: VIDEO_TDR_TIMEOUT_DETECTED