I installed PredatorSense on my Acer Nitro 5 and enabled the "Discrete GPU Only" setting out of curiosity. The software asked me to restart, but afterward the laptop only powered on partially: the fans and keyboard lights worked, while the screen stayed completely black. I tried connecting it to a TV through HDMI, but that showed no picture either. Is there a way to reset the graphics mode, or could this setting have permanently damaged the laptop?
3 Answers
Try a full power reset first. Shut the laptop down, unplug the charger, disconnect USB devices, then hold the power button for 30–45 seconds. If your model has a battery-reset pinhole, hold that for about 15 seconds as well, then leave it unplugged for a few minutes before reconnecting the charger. This can clear a graphics-switch state that got stuck during the restart.
A BIOS reset is the next relatively safe option. Turn the laptop off, power it on, repeatedly tap F2 to enter BIOS, wait a few seconds, press F9 and confirm to load defaults, then press F10 and confirm to save and exit. The exact keys can vary by model, so checking the Nitro 5 service manual is best. Avoid removing random components or shorting anything if you’re not sure where the CMOS hardware is located.
If the laptop supports output through the discrete GPU, an HDMI monitor or TV may show the image even when the built-in panel does not. If you get a picture, open the graphics settings and switch back to Auto Select or Optimus. Since HDMI also produced no signal in this case, the problem may be occurring before Windows loads rather than being just an internal-screen issue.
I tried the power reset, but the screen stayed black. I also checked around the battery and couldn’t find a CMOS battery to disconnect.