About a week ago, I installed the latest Windows 11 security update. Soon afterward, the laptop began crashing, showing a blank screen, and sometimes having trouble powering back on. Uninstalling the update temporarily fixed the problem, but Windows installed it again automatically after a day or two. Now the laptop will not start properly at all: the power, Caps Lock, Num Lock, and Esc lights come on, and the fans run, but the display remains completely black. There is no visible mouse pointer, and keyboard shortcuts and the Novo button have not opened any recovery or startup options. What should I try next?
2 Answers
If there is no mouse pointer or anything else visible on the black screen, this may be more than a normal Windows desktop hang. It could be corrupted system files, a failed update, a display problem, or an issue occurring before Windows loads. Try connecting an external monitor, then perform a full power reset by holding the power button until the laptop shuts down, disconnecting the charger and any peripherals, and starting it again. If the BIOS or hardware diagnostics still will not appear, the problem may need hands-on repair.
The update may have damaged the Windows installation, but the fact that the screen stays black before recovery tools appear could also indicate a display or hardware issue. If you can reach BIOS or Lenovo's hardware diagnostics, check whether the SSD and memory are detected. Otherwise, try booting from a Windows recovery or installation USB. If the laptop cannot show that either, back up or remove the drive only if you know how, and have the laptop inspected before changing BIOS or disk settings.
There is no pointer at all, and I have not been able to get any startup menu or recovery screen to appear.