If your Surface Pro is stuck on a black screen, it could be due to the device being turned off, having a dead battery, being overheated, or being infected with malware, just to name a few. Thankfully, there are plenty of fixes in order to get your device working again.
Whether you are struggling to turn on your Surface Pro, or the screen goes black during use, this issue is one that many users may run into from time to time. Unfortunately, identifying a cause (and potential fix) for this problem isn’t always obvious and you can feel stuck.
With that in mind, this guide is going to go over some of the common reasons why your Surface Pro may have a black screen, and the things you can do to try and fix the issue.
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Key Takeaways
- The main reasons why your Surface Pro is stuck on a black screen are that it is turned off, the battery is dead, accessories are causing issues, the device is damaged, the device is overheated, or malware has found its way onto your device.
- Some of the fixes to try include turning on the device, forcing a restart, charging it, disconnecting accessories, letting the device cool off, and having it repaired.
- If you are unable to find the reason for the black screen, or cannot arrive at a fix or solution that works for you, consider reaching out to an expert who can inspect and/or fix the Surface Pro to identify the issue.
1. The Device is Turned Off
The first reason that your Surface Pro screen is black could simply be that the device is turned off or asleep. When the device is off, it will be completely unresponsive and have the screen totally turned off.
You may have powered the device down without remembering, or the device could have randomly powered itself down for one reason or another. Either way, your first thought might be that something is wrong with the device.
The fix for this is quite simple, as you simply need to turn on the Surface Pro by pressing and holding the power button. You can also attempt to force a restart if that doesn’t work. If that doesn’t do anything, then your issue is likely something else entirely.
2. Your Surface Pro’s Battery is Dead
Another cause of a Surface Pro being stuck on a black screen is that the battery is dead. If you haven’t charged the device for a while, or recently spent a ton of time on it, the device may simply be out of juice.
One of the first things you should try if you encounter your device unresponsive with a black screen is to simply charge it. If the device begins to work and the screen turns on after being charged up for a little, you know that this was the cause of your black screen.
If charging up the device and then attempting to use it doesn’t yield any positive results, either this isn’t your issue, or the battery itself is completely dead and the device can no longer be charged.
3. Connected Accessories Could Be Causing the Issue
While some people simply use their Surface like a tablet, there are plenty of accessories that can be added to the device that include keyboards, USB drives, external hard drives, monitors, and others. These can add a ton more functionality to your device.
However, these connected accessories could also be behind the issue you are facing. In some cases, these peripheral accessories could be interfering with your device in some way, and preventing it from turning on and working correctly.
The fix here is to simply disconnect all accessories and then attempt to turn your device on. If it works, you know one of them was the issue. Next, simply try turning your device on with a single accessory attached at a time.
Eventually, one of the accessories will prevent your Surface Pro from turning on, and then you will know which one was causing the problem of the black screen.
4. Your Surface Could Be Damaged
There is also the chance that your device has somehow acquired damage that is holding it back from being able to turn on. This could be from dropping the device, hitting it on something, or even something failing or malfunctioning.
While it could be the screen that has sustained damage, there could be some internal damage that is preventing the screen from working, too.
If you suspect that device damage is the reason for your black screen, you will need to take the Surface into an expert who has experience when it comes to inspecting, taking apart, and repairing these devices. They will be able to tell you what is wrong, and how it can be fixed.
5. Your Surface May be Overheated
A very common reason for a Surface Pro to be stuck on a black screen is that the device is overheating. If you are using the device out in the hot sun, or trying to do too much on it at a time, there is a chance it will overheat and shut down.
The device is designed to be used between 0C (32F) and 35C (95F) and if it is used beyond these temperatures, will begin to experience issues.
If you feel that your device is quite warm and not working how it should, simply leave the device alone for a little (somewhere indoors with moderate temperature) to give it a chance to cool off.
6. There is Malware on Your Device
Another potential reason that your Surface Pro is stuck on the black screen of death is that malware has somehow found its way onto your device. Malware can get onto your device through suspicious websites, spam emails, or even downloading the wrong things.
Malware can do a variety of things to your device, but can often interfere with or corrupt your operating system, which may not allow you to turn on or use your Surface Pro.
If you suspect you have malware on your device and cannot turn it on to run a virus scan and remove it, you should enter Safe Mode. This can be done by turning the computer on, pressing F8 repeatedly until you get to the Windows boot option menu. Then, simply select Safe Mode.
Entering into Safe Mode only loads the bare minimum in Windows, and could allow you to gain access to the computer to deal with the issues at hand. If this doesn’t work, you may need to reinstall Windows as a whole, or take the device to a computer repair shop for assistance.
In a similar vein, you want to make sure that your Surface Pro is up to date, as well. Sometimes, an out of date operating system or some OS files being corrupted or missing could contribute to a Surface Pro that is stuck on a black screen.
Final Thoughts
Your Surface Pro being stuck on a black screen can be a very annoying and frustrating experience. Whether it is interrupting your work, a video you were watching, or something else entirely, finding the root cause of the issue can be a real head-scratcher.
We hope this guide and the reasons/fixes inside of it have been able to help you make sense of the particular issue you are facing.
If you have come up with some other potential reasons or fixes for this issue, don’t hesitate to let us know in a comment!
