Inspiron i7559-763BLK - Screen won't turn on out of sleep mode

[pats23]

I have a strange issue going on and wondering if anyone can help me, at my wits end.

Within the last few months or so, the laptop screen won't turn on coming out of sleep mode. Usually when I'm finished for the night, I'll just close the screen. Or if I step away for a while the screen turns off and it goes to sleep after an hour or so. Lately and intermittently, when I open the screen back up, everything seems to power on - keyboard lights, fan, power light but the screen stays black. I'll do a full reboot - hold down the power button so it shuts off and then turn it back on again. Sometimes, it might take 6-7 reboot tries before the screen turns on again.

The problem is it doesn't happen all the time - sometimes I will open the screen again to have it wake up from sleep mode and the screen turns back on without issue. So it's almost impossible to reproduce successfully which makes any diagnoses just as difficult.

Tonight, it didn't turn on and after 30 or so reboot tries the screen stays black. Everything else seems to be running normally.

Things I've tried so far:

- Within power settings, I've turned off 'Turn on Fast Startup' as others have mentioned this sometimes helps
- Hard reboot - pull battery cable, hold down power button for 30 seconds, try only AC power
- LCD test - D+power button. The screen still works as this test works ok and I get flickering colors.
- Last time this happened I updated the Intel display driver to latest hoping this would resolve. It didn't
- Nothing in Event Viewer which might indicate a hardware fault - never have gotten a BSOD.

The only thing that works now is attaching an HDMI cable to the port and using my TV as a display which obviously isn't a real solution.

I feel like it might be driver related but have no clue what; then again the screen doesn't even turn on during a POST.
This is really frustrating. Any other ideas I can try here or what might be causing this?

 

[webworkings]

For "Sleep Mode" issues, see if this helps...

1. Go into "Control Panel" and click the "Power Options".
2. Next to the plan that is currently selected click "Change Plan Settings".
3. Now click "Change Advanced Power Settings".
4. Open the "Sleep Setting" and find "Hybrid Sleep"
5. Change/set it to allow.
6. Now click "Apply" and then click "OK".
7. Finally shut down and power up the computer.

 

[pats23]

For "Sleep Mode" issues, see if this helps...

1. Go into "Control Panel" and click the "Power Options".
2. Next to the plan that is currently selected click "Change Plan Settings".
3. Now click "Change Advanced Power Settings".
4. Open the "Sleep Setting" and find "Hybrid Sleep"
5. Change/set it to allow.
6. Now click "Apply" and then click "OK".
7. Finally shut down and power up the computer.

Tried this - didn't work. Thanks though. The issue started with the screen not turning on out of sleep mode but now it just won't turn on from a hard reboot. Everything else seems to turn on and run properly. Such a strange issue with no clear resolution.

 

[webworkings]

OK if it won't turn on at all, try this...

1. Turn the laptop off (not sleep or hibernate but off).
2. Connect an external monitor to the laptop.
3. Turn on the external monitor.
4. Turn on the laptop.

NOTE: You may have to press an "external monitor" button. Could be the f4 button or a button with two monitors on it, for the external monitor to work.

If you can see fine on the external monitor, then your attached display, or the ribbon cable that connects it, are your problem.

If you can't see on the external monitor at all, or the problem occurs on the external monitor as well, then it is probably the graphics card/GPU that is the problem, which may require the motherboard be replaced.

 

[pats23]

OK if it won't turn on at all, try this...

1. Turn the laptop off (not sleep or hibernate but off).
2. Connect an external monitor to the laptop.
3. Turn on the external monitor.
4. Turn on the laptop.

NOTE: You may have to press an "external monitor" button. Could be the f4 button or a button with two monitors on it, for the external monitor to work.

If you can see fine on the external monitor, then your attached display, or the ribbon cable that connects it, are your problem.

If you can't see on the external monitor at all, or the problem occurs on the external monitor as well, then it is probably the graphics card/GPU that is the problem, which may require the motherboard be replaced.

Thanks for the reply - Not sure if you saw in my original post but yes, connecting HDMI port to TV does work - I see my desktop on the TV screen - and the laptop screen itself does work (powered off, press D+power button runs an LCD test which lights up the screen).

After letting it sit overnight, I tried restarting the laptop again without external monitor hooked up - black screen - hit cntl + alt + delete and then suddenly got a picture on the laptop screen. It booted into Windows normally- I've had it running a few hours and no issues. Ugh!

Not sure where to go from here as the problem is hit or miss. I'm afraid to have it go in sleep mode now or have the screen turn off at all because it may or may not come out of sleep mode. I don't want to always have to shut it off if I step away from it for an hour or two. Any other ideas? Should I use hibernate instead of sleep?

 

[webworkings]

Using hibernate may bypass the issue, but I would definitely recheck all the sleep settings. Also, test if this happens on battery only or when on charger as well. That will further narrow it down.

 

[pats23]

Using hibernate may bypass the issue, but I would definitely recheck all the sleep settings. Also, test if this happens on battery only or when on charger as well. That will further narrow it down.

Here is where I'm at now:

- Laptop screen is black after rebooting - don't see anything (DELL splash nor Windows splash). Fans, keys, lights turn on

- LCD diagnostic test does work (laptop screen lights up different colors)

- HDMI out to TV works - I can see my desktop like normal.

- Updated all drivers and BIOS.

Very strange issue indeed.

 

[pats23]

Using hibernate may bypass the issue, but I would definitely recheck all the sleep settings. Also, test if this happens on battery only or when on charger as well. That will further narrow it down.

Here is where I'm at now:

- Laptop screen is black after rebooting - don't see anything (DELL splash nor Windows splash). Fans, keys, lights turn on

- LCD diagnostic test does work (laptop screen lights up different colors)

- HDMI out to TV works - I can see my desktop like normal.

- Updated all drivers and BIOS.

- I've tried doing battery/ AC only and neither matter. Same result as above.

Ideas?

 

[webworkings]

OK you said you tried a monitor via HDMI, but did you try one through a VGA port? Most laptops have one.

 

[pats23]

OK you said you tried a monitor via HDMI, but did you try one through a VGA port? Most laptops have one.

This particular laptop doesn't have one, only HDMI out and a few USB's:

https/images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61G9g3a6PbL._SL1500_.jpg

https/images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61l6voo6-jL._SL1500_.jpg

 

[webworkings]

I see. I am running out of options/ideas.

Anyone else have any suggestions?

 

[pats23]

I see. I am running out of options/ideas.

Anyone else have any suggestions?

Thanks for your help anyway. I don't even know if a Windows reinstall would work since I don't even see the Dell splash screen upon reboot. This one has got me baffled.

 

[pats23]

So as I ran out of ideas and was about to ship it to Dell to have them look at it, Windows Updates were installing and then all of a sudden the screen decides to turn on again. Hmm

I went to look at what update installed and found this one KB4089848:

The last bullet point shows "Addresses issue that causes monitors to disconnect after a computer wakes from Sleep."

Interesting. Well it's working now. Hopefully this fixes it for good. I'll report back if it doesn't.

 

[webworkings]

Well if they fixed it (shockingly) then that is great.

 

[guyawesome300456]

Does anyone have a fix for this on Windows version 1803? I have this exact issue but updating to the latest version of 1803 hasn't fixed it.

 

[pats23]

Does anyone have a fix for this on Windows version 1803? I have this exact issue but updating to the latest version of 1803 hasn't fixed it.

For me it turned out it was a bad LCD cable/ screen. I had to send it into Dell for replacement. Luckily was under warranty.

 

[webworkings]

True true. Better to have them cover it than to wait and then have to pay for it yourself.