My Galaxy S3 Mini screen goes blank when screen locks. Help?

[AC Question]

My Galaxy S3 Mini screen goes blank when screen locks and can not be activated using home button. i have to take out battery every time to get an activated screen. It is a pain and have to keep resetting date and time. Can anyone shed light on this?

The battery is fine. I have purchased a new one to be on the safe side. If I lock the screen either with off button or if it goes into timeout, pressing either buttons does not awaken the display so that I can input my screen lock code to reactivate the phone.

 

[B. Diddy]

Welcome to Android Central! Try booting into Safe Mode, which temporarily disables all 3rd party apps. How to boot the Galaxy S3 into Safe mode? | Support | SAMSUNG Levant

If the problem disappears in Safe Mode, then something you installed is causing the problem. You may have to uninstall apps one by one until the problem disappears. If the problem persists in Safe Mode, then it's more likely to be a hardware or firmware problem. A faulty power switch might be a cause.