Laptop screen goes dark when I touch the touch pad

[BBGFL]

Help!!!! My laptop screen goes dark and is not stable when I touch or try to use the touchpad. There’s also a thin horizontal line at the top of the screen that’s pops intermittently. I did a system reset and nothing has changed. What can I do please? Thank you

[Raj_05]

Hi @BBGFL,

Welcome to HP Support Community.

Thank you for posting your query, I will be glad to help you.

It sounds like you're experiencing a display issue that could be related to either hardware or software, and the intermittent horizontal line further suggests it may be a hardware problem. Here are a few steps you can try to troubleshoot.

Update or Reinstall Graphics Drivers

• Go to Device Manager (right-click on Start > Device Manager).
• Expand the Display Adapters section.
• Right-click on your graphics driver and select Update driver.
• If no update is available, you can uninstall the driver, then restart your laptop, and Windows should automatically reinstall it.

You can also visit HP’s website to download and install the latest drivers for your specific model.

Check Power Settings

Sometimes, power settings can cause the screen to dim or flicker unexpectedly when interacting with the touchpad.

• Open Control Panel > Power Options.
• Ensure that your power plan is set to Balanced or High Performance rather than Power Saver.
• Under Change plan settings, click Change advanced power settings.
• Look for Display settings and make sure the Display brightness is set to an appropriate level and does not automatically dim.

Check for External Monitor Issues

If you have an external monitor or are using one at the same time, disconnect it to see if the problem persists on the laptop screen alone.

Test with Safe Mode

Boot into Safe Mode to see if the problem persists without third-party software interfering.

• Restart your laptop and press F8 (or Shift + Restart from the login screen) to enter Advanced Startup Options.
• Select Safe Mode and see if the issue occurs.

Hardware Diagnostics

Run HP's built-in diagnostics to check for any hardware issues:

• Restart the laptop and press Esc repeatedly to open the HP Startup Menu.
• Select Diagnostics or System Diagnostics to run a test on your display and other hardware components.

Reset the Display Cable

If you're comfortable opening your laptop, the issue could be with the connection between the display and the motherboard. You can try reseating the display cable.

I hope this helps.

Take care and have a good day.

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Alden4

HP Support