V2 Screen going black

[Rose4uKY]

I have a Samsung Chromebook I think it's a V2. This just started happening recently my screen goes black but I can still swipe up and see my whole taskbar and I see notifications on the run. Sometimes I'll close and reopen and see some of the screen then it goes black again. I'll be playing my slot machine game in the screen just goes black I have to reboot it turn it off and back on. I'm out of warranty Samsung said for me to do a power washer switch I hate to do but I will if I have to. Any suggestions? I may have had an update recently I can't really remember.

 

[B. Diddy]

When it goes black, what happens if you press the Overview button (the one on the top row that looks like 3 rectangles stacked on top of each other) or swipe down your touchpad with 3 fingers? It's possible that some Android app you're running is crashing and just giving you black screen, but you still should be able to switch away from it.

 

[Rose4uKY]

When it goes black, what happens if you press the Overview button (the one on the top row that looks like 3 rectangles stacked on top of each other) or swipe down your touchpad with 3 fingers? It's possible that some Android app you're running is crashing and just giving you black screen, but you still should be able to switch away from it.

Are you talking about this one? it's just weird how I can swipe up on the screen and see all my apps and I see notifications pop up on the side but then the rest of the screen is black. I guess I'll wait for it to happen again I haven't downloaded anything new I don't think a spectrum app would be the only latest thing I downloaded. And I've never swipe down with three fingers on that touchpad but like I said I'll try again when it does it again. Thanks!

 

[B. Diddy]

Right, that's the Overview button. A 3 finger swipe down on the touchpad does the same thing. What you're describing really sounds like some malfunctioning Android app.

 

[Rose4uKY]

Right, that's the Overview button. A 3 finger swipe down on the touchpad does the same thing. What you're describing really sounds like some malfunctioning Android app.

Thanks! I'm playing my slot machine game which has never caused this problem before but the screen just did it again and when I hit that button all I see is my bottom row of apps on the taskbar and a black screen. Should I do a power wash? I really don't want too but I will if I have to I don't have too much on here. or should I uninstall the last thing I installed which was the spectrum app as far as I know but I could have had updates also and another I have could be causing it. I may have had a chrome update to recently I'm not sure. I just hit alt-tab and it was letting me scroll through my open apps and I see them but then my screen is black. now this time I logged out and logged back in and it fixed it I have been turning it off and back on.

 

[Rukbat]

Try physically tapping the Chromebook on the desk - if the screen connector is loose in just the right way, that could happen - part of the screen blanking out.

 

[B. Diddy]

I don't think a Powerwash is necessary yet. Like you mentioned, I think uninstalling apps one by one would be a good idea. Start with the Spectrum app. Does it go black at random, or is it consistently when using a particular app?

 

[B. Diddy]

Try physically tapping the Chromebook on the desk - if the screen connector is loose in just the right way, that could happen - part of the screen blanking out.

But it doesn't sound like the screen itself is failing, since the shelf still shows up at the bottom of the screen.

 

[Rose4uKY]

Try physically tapping the Chromebook on the desk - if the screen connector is loose in just the right way, that could happen - part of the screen blanking out.

My husband mentioned maybe a sensor problem or something but then he said why would you see other parts of the screen like the bottom taskbar and notifications. And of course Samsung told me to do a power wash which will be my last resort. But now the screens back up so I'll wait till it does it again. It happens every so often after so long.

And if the screen connector is loose how do you fix that? cuz last night I closed the book and opened it and you could start to see if then it would go away that's why my husband thought sensor but then he said well you're seeing other stuff I don't know.

 

[B. Diddy]

You're on the Stable Channel of Chrome OS, and not one of the Developer Channels, right? (If you don't know what I'm talking about, then you're on the Stable Channel.)

 

[Rose4uKY]

You're on the Stable Channel of Chrome OS, and not one of the Developer Channels, right? (If you don't know what I'm talking about, then you're on the Stable Channel.)

Yes I'm on whatever the Chromebook came with and I think I had an update recently. And like I said the last app I downloaded about a week or two ago was a spectrum app and to be honest I don't remember but maybe it started happening after that I may try to uninstall that. I wish I could remember if it was doing it before I installed that app. I think the app had something to do with me connecting to spectrum Wi-Fi.

 

[Rose4uKY]

But it doesn't sound like the screen itself is failing, since the shelf still shows up at the bottom of the screen.

That's what bothers me it just did it again and I see the whole bottom row of apps. Here's a picture even though you can see my reflection LOL and I don't know why it comes out sideways

 

[B. Diddy]

When you see that, what happens if you click the Chrome icon (assuming it's in the shelf)?

 

[Rose4uKY]

When you see that, what happens if you click the Chrome icon (assuming it's in the shelf)?

I believe it just opens a blank screen and I don't see anything still. But for now I just keep logging out and logging back in and it comes back.

 

[B. Diddy]

Ok, start uninstalling apps and let us know if it keeps happening.

 

[Rukbat]

But it doesn't sound like the screen itself is failing, since the shelf still shows up at the bottom of the screen.

But not the top half? If she never saw the top half, the screen could be failing. If the top half only blanks out sometimes, it could be a loose connector.

 

[B. Diddy]

The image the OP shared shows an overall black background with the icon shelf at the bottom, rather than half of a wallpaper showing at the bottom portion of the screen, so that's why I think the display itself is ok.

 

[Rose4uKY]

Well I still can't figure it out. I see the icon shelf I see notifications at the side. I even can alt tab and see what's open like I'll have my slot machine and Chrome and I can click on either one and they don't show up it's still a black screen even though it's probably open in the background I just don't see it. I'm just wondering if I should do the powerwash thing. I know I said the last app I installed was a Spectrum app and that I could try to uninstall it but I haven' done it yet. Thanks for helping and trying to figure out what is wrong. It does seem like my screen is going out and my husband thought it was a sensor but then when he saw the icon bar at the bottom and a notification show up he wasn't sure anymore.

The image the OP shared shows an overall black background with the icon shelf at the bottom, rather than half of a wallpaper showing at the bottom portion of the screen, so that's why I think the display itself is ok.

 

[B. Diddy]

You might as well go ahead and Powerwash. The beauty of Chromebooks is that it'll take you about 10 seconds to get back to your previous setup once the Powerwash is finished (maybe a few minutes if you have to reinstall Android apps). Just make sure any files that are locally saved are backed up somewhere (if not already synced to the cloud).

 

[Rose4uKY]

You might as well go ahead and Powerwash. The beauty of Chromebooks is that it'll take you about 10 seconds to get back to your previous setup once the Powerwash is finished (maybe a few minutes if you have to reinstall Android apps). Just make sure any files that are locally saved are backed up somewhere (if not already synced to the cloud).

I uninstalled the last app I downloaded this My Spectrum app and my screen is still doing it. Last night I showed my husband that I hit Alt Tab and it showed my slot machine game open and chrome two things side by side and you could see them well. But when I picked one of the 2 to open both opened up a black screen. Than I could see text at the bottom from Facebook messenger I could see the messages I was getting but nothing else just the text in a little blue window. It's so weird! I'm not sure if it's another app that is causing it from an update or what. For now I just sign out and sign back in and it works for so long than goes to black screen again. I even see my mouse pointer on the screen too!

But thanks for all your help. I will just do a powerwash. My husband was like you don't have a tons of stuff on there like your phone do you and I said no. Netflix and my Tivo app and a few games and Sirius and whatever came on the chromebook when I got it. I guess I'll do it and if it fixes me that will be great if not then I'm out of warranty it's been like a year and a half. I've always had tablets this is my 1st Chromebook. Maybe I'll download one app at a time and watch it for a day before downloading another. I only have like 10 or 12 apps so it won't bad.