How to Troubleshoot Display or Video Issues on Dell Laptop LCD Panel

We must verify whether the problem is the display screen of the laptop, video card (GPU), or video settings on the computer. A straightforward way to identify this is to connect the laptop to an external monitor or TV.

To connect your Dell laptop to an external monitor or TV, refer to Dell Knowledge Base article, "How do I Connect a Monitor to a PC?"

If the issue persists on the external monitor, it may be the video card (GPU) or video settings and not the laptop LCD panel at fault. Proceed to the step Verify display or video issue in Windows Safe Mode. Otherwise, proceed to the next step.

Performance issues may occur if there is any damage that is caused to the display screen. The display may stop working, work intermittently, flicker, display horizontal or vertical lines if there is damage to the display screen.

If you do notice physical damage, contact Dell Technical Support to learn more about repair options that are available in your region. If there is no damage, proceed to the next step.

Dell laptops have built-in diagnostic tools that can determine if a screen abnormality is an inherent problem with the LCD screen of the Dell laptop or with the video card (GPU) and computer settings.

When you notice screen abnormalities like flickering, distortion, clarity issues, fuzzy or blurry image, horizontal or vertical lines, color fade etc., you can rule out the display by running the built-in self test (BIST).

Method 1

1. Power off the Dell Laptop PC.
2. Disconnect any peripherals that are connected to the PC, and connect the AC Adapter (charger) to the PC.
3. Make sure that the LCD screen is clean (no dust particles are on the surface of the screen).
4. Press and hold D key and power on the PC to enter LCD built-in self test (BIST) mode.
   Continue to hold the D key until you see the entire screen change colors.
5. The screen changes colors to black, white, red, green, and blue.
6. Carefully inspect the screen for abnormalities.
7. Press Esc key to exit.

Method 2

1. Power off the Dell Laptop PC.
2. Disconnect any peripherals that are connected to the PC, and connect the AC Adapter (charger) to the PC.
3. Make sure that the LCD screen is clean (no dust particles are on the surface of the screen).
4. Press and hold Fn key and power on the PC to enter ePSA or PSA diagnostics mode.
   Continue to hold the Fn key until you see the ePSA or PSA diagnostics screen.
5. ePSA or PSA runs a series of tests on the PC.
6. Press the N key to enter LCD built-in self test mode when you see the message "Do you see the color bars? Yes/No."
   Note: If you do not respond for 30 seconds, the diagnostics will automatically assume your response as "No" and proceed to LCD built-in self test.
7. The screen displays multiple color bars and change colors on the entire screen to black, white, red, green, and blue.
8. Carefully inspect the screen for abnormalities.
9. The computer restarts once the remaining tests are completed.

If you do not detect any screen abnormalities in the built-in self test mode, the laptop LCD is functioning properly. Proceed to the next step, Update the Video Card (GPU) driver, monitor driver and BIOS.

If you notice any abnormalities in the built-in self test mode, contact Dell Technical Support for further assistance.

Windows Safe Mode allows us to identify if the issue is related to the operating system, video settings, device drivers, or a third-party software. To learn how to boot your computer into Safe Mode, refer to Dell Knowledge Base article below based on your installed operating system:

• Microsoft Windows 10
• Microsoft Windows 8 or 8.1
• Microsoft Windows 7

If the issue persists in Safe Mode, proceed to the next step. Else, proceed to Perform a Windows System Restore.

Dell recommends updating the device drivers and BIOS as part of your scheduled update cycle. These device drivers and BIOS updates may contain feature enhancements or changes that keep your system software current and compatible with other system modules (hardware and software) as well as increased stability.

It is essential to update the following device drivers for optimal video performance and to resolve common video issues:

• BIOS
• Chipset driver
• Video Card (GPU) driver
• Monitor driver

To learn more about downloading and installing a device driver on a Dell computer, see the Dell knowledge base article, How do I update the device drivers on a Dell PC?

Windows updates can support your Windows operating system in many ways. Windows updates can solve specific problems, provide protection from malicious attacks, or even add new features to the operating system.

How to run Windows Updates on Microsoft Windows 10?

1. Right-click Start and click Settings.
2. In the Settings panel, click Update and Security.
3. In the left panel, select Windows Update.
4. On the right panel, click Check for updates.
5. Restart the PC after downloading and installing the updates.

Display settings like brightness, refresh rate, resolution, and power management may affect the performance of the LCD screen on your Dell laptop. Changing the display settings can help resolve several types of video issues.

To change the brightness, refresh rate, and resolution on a Dell computer, refer to Dell knowledge-base article How do I Change Common Video Settings in Microsoft Windows?

Note: Depending on the model of the Dell laptop PC, the shortcut keys to adjust or change the brightness may differ. Refer to the User Guide or User Manual of your Dell laptop PC for specific information.

If you find that the Dell laptop PC is unresponsive to touch or touch stops working entirely, you can try some common troubleshooting steps to help fix the issue.

To learn more about touchscreen troubleshooting, refer to the Dell Knowledge Base article, "How to Troubleshoot Touchscreen Issues."

Note: Before you begin troubleshooting touchscreen issues, ensure that your Dell laptop has touchscreen functionality.

Stress Test can thoroughly diagnose the video card (GPU) on your PC and report any potential hardware problem. Running a stress test on your PC can verify if the hardware components are stable and thus reliable.

How to run a Stress Test?

1. Click Start, then select Dell SupportAssist.
2. In Dell SupportAssist, click Hardware Checkup.
3. Click Stress (15 minutes) to begin the Stress Test.

System Restore is a built-in Windows tool that is designed to protect and repair the operating system. When something goes wrong with your computer, System Restore should be used prior to restoring to factory condition.

Select the Operating System installed on your computer to find more information about how to perform System Restore:

• Microsoft Windows 10
• Microsoft Windows 8 or 8.1
• Microsoft Windows 7
• Microsoft Windows Vista
• Microsoft Windows XP

If the diagnostic tests on the LCD and video card (GPU) passed, it is most definitely an issue that is related to software installed on your computer. If the above troubleshooting steps did not resolve the issue, you could try to restore your computer factory defaults as a last resort.

Dell computers are built with a small amount of hard disk space that is reserved for reinstalling your operating system. This method is the easiest way to restore your computer to factory condition. The restoration process deletes all user data from the computer, so be sure to back up all your files before starting this process.

Select the Operating System installed on your computer to find more information about how to restore your computer to factory defaults:

• Microsoft Windows 10
• Microsoft Windows 8 or 8.1
• Microsoft Windows 7