Problems With Desktop Monitors and Laptop Screens

Summary: This article helps you identify the display or video issue based on symptoms that you notice and provides links to Dell knowledge base articles for troubleshooting steps.

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Symptoms

NOTE: This article is no longer being maintained or updated.

Find information about how to troubleshoot and resolve common display issues on Dell monitors or laptops such as:

  • The display is blank or black, or cannot see anything on the display
  • The display looks distorted
  • The screen is flickering
  • The display is fuzzy or blurry
  • There are horizontal or vertical lines on the screen
  • The color is not displayed correctly on the screen
  • The touchscreen is not working

Cause

Display or video related issues on Dell desktop monitors and laptop screens are caused due to incorrect display or video settings, outdated graphics card drivers, incorrectly connected cables, and so on.

Identify the symptoms that you notice on your Dell computer and go to the Dell knowledge base article for further troubleshooting steps.

Resolution

Issue - Screen, Icon or Font Size Too Small or Too Big

If the screen resolution, icons, or font size is too small or too big, changing the video settings helps resolve the problem.

To learn how to change the video settings or improve the text, go to:

Issue - Blank Screen or No Video

There is no display on the monitor or laptop screen. The computer or monitor is turned on but the display is either blank or black.

Issue - Distorted image or video, flickering, fuzzy, blurry, or color problems

The icons, font or screen looks distorted, it is flickering, fuzzy, blurry or has color-related issues.

Issue - Brightness, contrast, horizontal lines, vertical lines or geometrical problems

The screen is either too bright, too dim or has a black space on the top of the screen or on the bottom of the screen or has horizontal lines or vertical lines.

Issue - Bright or dead pixel

There is a tiny black, white, or colored spot that displays on the screen. Learn how to identify a bright or dead pixel on a Dell laptop or monitor screen.

If you notice any of these video or display-related issues, go to:

Issue - Touchscreen Troubleshooting

The screen is not responding to touch, touch is working intermittently or is too sensitive to touch.

If you are experiencing a touch-related issue, see the Dell knowledgebase article:

Here are some additional troubleshooting articles related to this topic that might be of interest to you.

 

Additional Information

Videos

Test Your Laptop Screen

Duration: 00:24
When available, closed caption (subtitles) language settings can be chosen using the Settings or CC icon on this video player.

Flat Panel Display Video Cable Types

Duration: 04:31
When available, closed caption (subtitles) language settings can be chosen using the Settings or CC icon on this video player.

Using Dell's Flat Panel Diagnostics

Duration: 03:03
When available, closed caption (subtitles) language settings can be chosen using the Settings or CC icon on this video player.

Distorted or Blocky Video? Check the native resolution

Duration: 01:44
When available, closed caption (subtitles) language settings can be chosen using the Settings or CC icon on this video player.

Check your Dell computer’s health in a few minutes by running the SupportAssist diagnostics quick test.

 

Article Properties
Article Number: 000124516
Article Type: Solution
Last Modified: 27 Oct 2025
Version:  19
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