220-1201 Practice Question: That their laptop screen suddenly went black, but…

Answer analysis

Option-by-option breakdown

For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.

• ✗

  The graphics driver has crashed and needs to be reinstalled.

  Why it's wrong here

  A graphics driver crash typically impacts all connected displays, as the driver is responsible for rendering and outputting video signals to both integrated and external display controllers. Since the external monitor functions correctly, it indicates that the graphics processing unit (GPU) and its associated driver are still operational and successfully generating video output. Therefore, a driver issue is not the primary cause of the internal screen's failure, as it would likely affect both displays simultaneously.

• ✓

  The laptop's LCD inverter or backlight has failed.

  Why this is correct

  A failure of the LCD inverter or the backlight itself is a common cause for a laptop screen to suddenly go black while the system remains operational. The backlight provides the illumination for the LCD panel, and without it, the screen appears completely dark, even though the image data might still be generated. Connecting an external monitor bypasses the internal display's backlight and inverter circuitry, relying instead on the laptop's video output port and the external monitor's own power and display components, thus confirming the internal display's specific hardware failure.

• ✗

  The Windows display settings are set to 'Show only on external display'.

  Why it's wrong here

  While setting Windows display options to 'Show only on external display' would indeed turn off the laptop's integrated screen, this scenario typically requires deliberate user action to change the display mode. The problem description states the screen 'suddenly went black,' implying an unexpected event rather than a user-initiated configuration change. Therefore, a spontaneous hardware malfunction is a more plausible explanation than an accidental or intentional alteration of display settings.

• ✗

  The laptop's RAM is faulty and causing video output issues.

  Why it's wrong here

  Faulty Random Access Memory (RAM) typically manifests as system instability, Blue Screens of Death (BSODs), unexpected reboots, or graphical artifacts across all displays, rather than a selective black screen on only the integrated display. Since the external monitor is functioning correctly and the system appears stable otherwise, the issue is isolated to the internal display's components. This makes RAM failure an improbable cause for this specific symptom, as its impact would be more widespread.

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