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Screen Goes Black After Changing the Resolution

By on June 23, 2009 (30 Comments)

If you’ve changed your screen resolution and the screen went black and stayed black, there is hope! When you change your resolution in Windows, you’ll be asked to confirm the change by clicking Yes. The theory is: if you can’t see the confirmation, you wont click Yes. However, if you hit Enter, or something crazy (but computers aren’t crazy…) goes wrong, you’ll be left with a black screen. A black screen has it’s uses: a mirror, an oversize paperweight, a doorstop etc. However, if you’re not satisfied with your new-found paperweight, follow this guide.

My Screen Wont Display Anything

To get your screen working again, do the following:

Windows XP

  1. Turn off your PC
  2. Turn your PC on again and hit the F8 key multiple times
  3. Down arrow to Enable VGA Mode and press Enter

    black screen 01 Screen Goes Black After Changing the Resolution

  4. When Windows XP loads, you can change the resolution again to suit your needs

Windows 7/Vista

  1. Turn off your PC
  2. Turn your PC on again and hit the F8 key multiple times

    black screen 02 Screen Goes Black After Changing the Resolution

  3. Down arrow to Enable low-resolution video (640×480) and press Enter
  4. When Windows Vista/7 loads, you can change the resolution again to suit your needs
Screen Goes Black After Changing the Resolution

About Rich

Rich is the owner and creator of Windows Guides; he spends his time breaking things on his PC so he can write how-to guides to fix the problems he creates.

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Comments

  • Sandeep Chouhan

    Its quite possible. I never changed my screen resolution, but its really a wonderful article.

    5+

  • Sandeep Chouhan

    Its quite possible. I never changed my screen resolution, but its really a wonderful article.

    5+

  • Sandeep Chouhan

    Its quite possible. I never changed my screen resolution, but its really a wonderful article.

    5+

  • Jenna

    Pretty cool post. I just found your blog and wanted to say
    that I have really enjoyed reading your posts. Any way
    I’ll be subscribing to your feed and I hope you post again soon!

  • Jenna

    Pretty cool post. I just found your blog and wanted to say
    that I have really enjoyed reading your posts. Any way
    I’ll be subscribing to your feed and I hope you post again soon!

  • Jenna

    Pretty cool post. I just found your blog and wanted to say
    that I have really enjoyed reading your posts. Any way
    I’ll be subscribing to your feed and I hope you post again soon!

  • m4dj

    Thanks ! I think its a very usefull article. It happened to me a couple of times….

  • m4dj

    Thanks ! I think its a very usefull article. It happened to me a couple of times….

  • m4dj

    Thanks ! I think its a very usefull article. It happened to me a couple of times….

  • Tech @ InkAPoint

    Me too faced such a problem and I am using this trick only. Good post dude.

  • http://tech.inkapoint.com Tech @ InkAPoint

    Me too faced such a problem and I am using this trick only. Good post dude.

  • http://tech.inkapoint.com Tech @ InkAPoint

    Me too faced such a problem and I am using this trick only. Good post dude.

  • Gravity

    it never happened with me, whenever my screen wen black, it would re appear after 30 seconds when i dont confirm the settings…
    Never needed the VGA mode… Nice article though…

  • http://www.gravityblue.com/ Gravity

    it never happened with me, whenever my screen wen black, it would re appear after 30 seconds when i dont confirm the settings…
    Never needed the VGA mode… Nice article though…

  • http://www.gravityblue.com/ Gravity

    it never happened with me, whenever my screen wen black, it would re appear after 30 seconds when i dont confirm the settings…
    Never needed the VGA mode… Nice article though…

  • Best Windows Freebies and Guid

    [...] Screen Goes Black After Changing the Resolution [...]

  • du

    i have vista and it didnt work wen i tried. is there any other way?

  • du

    i have vista and it didnt work wen i tried. is there any other way?

  • du

    i have vista and it didnt work wen i tried. is there any other way?

  • Sucka

    F8 doesn’t show up as an option for me, just F2 (bios setup) and F12 (boot menu). How can I get it to show up?

  • Sucka

    F8 doesn’t show up as an option for me, just F2 (bios setup) and F12 (boot menu). How can I get it to show up?

    • http://mintywhite.com/tech/ Rich

      Even though it doesn’t show up as an option, F8 will still work. Let me know if it doesn’t.

      • Tdvu01

        I have precisely the same issue, and would really like to be able to simply solve it by following your instructions; F8, however, does not work for me. It beeps after a number of F8′s then started Windows anyway. I have an HP dv5t running WIndows Home Premium.  What can I do other than restoring full image from a week ago back up?

  • Sucka

    F8 doesn’t show up as an option for me, just F2 (bios setup) and F12 (boot menu). How can I get it to show up?

    • http://mintywhite.com/tech/ Rich

      Even though it doesn’t show up as an option, F8 will still work. Let me know if it doesn’t.

  • Rich

    Even though it doesn’t show up as an option, F8 will still work. Let me know if it doesn’t.

  • Sugi Mulyono

    black screen on my PC, i went thru Enable VGA mode, press enter, Windows XP loads but then back to black?
    something else i could do? thanks!

  • Sugi Mulyono

    black screen on my PC, i went thru Enable VGA mode, press enter, Windows XP loads but then back to black?
    something else i could do? thanks!

  • Sugi Mulyono

    black screen on my PC, i went thru Enable VGA mode, press enter, Windows XP loads but then back to black?
    something else i could do? thanks!

  • http://twitter.com/heypeyli Ryan Philip Uy

    This article is really a life saver! Thank you so much! 


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