HP Spectre - Black screen after latest Windows update

[Magne_J]

I have a HP Spectre x360 - 13-aw0371no.

4 days ago I was going to bed and I had to turn off the laptop. As usual I manually closed all open applications before pressing the Windows button to access the "Start" menu to turn off the PC. When hitting the On/Off-button I saw that there was an update waiting, because I was given the choices to "update and turn off" og to "update and restart". There were no option to skip updating, so I had no choice. Normally I would have chosen "update and restart" because I would like to observe that everything goes well. But it was wery late so I had to click on "update and turn off".

Next morning I found the PC still running with a black screen!!!

I have access to the shared files via LAN/WAN but I cannot connect remotely to the PC. So Windows must be running, with a black screen. I have not done anything with the PC after this, I let the battery run out. I connected the PC to external power for a minute and started it up - but the screen is still black after the
HP-logo is shown.

I am terrified to do anything wrong that could make the situation worse. Can someone please advise me how to regain control of the PC ?  I am not willing to experiment with anything, any suggestions have to be "none destructive", I cannot risk loosing everything on the PC.

I am wondering if this last windows update could have been an update to Windows 11, but that is maybe impossible to find out with the current situation ?  By the way, I seem to remember there was a key-combination during windows startup that would interrupt the startup and give you the opportunity to enter "safe mode" ? I do not remember what keys to press, does anyone know ?

[VH2000]

Don't worry, there are many options to get access to your system. If you running your system with the default settings of Windows your files are in the directory C:\users\<name>\...
You can backup these data first on a separate USB-Medium.

First you need a reliable Backup-Software that allows you to create a USB-Backup-Stick. You have to install that software on a separate computer and create that Backup/Recovery-Bootstick. My personal favourite is Macrium Reflect. Go and download that software and make a test on a separate machine. You have to know how that software works.

When ready come back to this forum

[AndyStuart87]

Black Screen Error or Black Screen of Death or BSOD referred to as Windows error. It usually appears either before or after the sign in screen. This Black screen error may occur any time due to various reasons such as:

• Graphic Driver Issue

• Corrupt System Files

• Faulty Display Connection

• Overheating

• Power Supply Issue

• Mistakes while Windows Installation

Below are the steps & methods to fix Black Screen Error in Windows:

When black screen error occurs, the Windows display no error code or message. Hence, it’s more troublesome and difficult to fix black screen errors in Windows. You must apply the following fixes and steps in the described sequence to fix black screen error in Windows PC:

1. During Installation

A black screen during Windows installation is normal. Sometimes installation can take more than an hour to complete, depending upon the system hardware. However, if the black screen stays for 2 hours or more, there is a higher probability that the installation is stuck.

Force shut down the system by using the power button. Unplug the power cable of PC and remove the laptop battery.Disconnect all non-essential peripheral devices and reboot the system. The installation may resume and finish. However, if it doesn’t, restart a fresh installation by using the installation media.

2. Check Display Connection

Check the cable connections—both power supply and HDMI/VGA/DisplayPortcable for firm connection. Tighten the loose connectors and check the power light on the display monitor. It usually turns red when the signal is not received and may blink or pulsate in some monitors.

3. Wake up the Display

Restart the Graphics driver with Windows+CTRL+Shift+B Shortcut. Press ‘Windows+CTRL+Shift+B’ shortcut to wake up the PC/Laptop display. There could be a problem with Windows OS where it might not be able to detect the display. Pressing this shortcut key restarts the graphics driver in Windows.

4. Boot Safe Mode

If PC is ON, force shutdown the system and then turn it on. As soon as the system begins to boot, hold the power button for 10 seconds to turn it off. Now press the power button again to turn on the system. After Windows restarts, press and hold the power button again to turn off. Press the power button once again, and this time, the system enters the Windows Recovery mode (WinRE). Then, Go to ‘Troubleshoot>Advanced options>Startup Settings’. Click ‘Restart’. After the restart, Press F5 key to select and boot into Safe Mode.

Hope it helps!