Acer Monitor Not Turning On? Try These Fixes

Your monitor, like any other hardware component, is prone to problems. These range from getting a flickering screen, and distortion to the monitor simply not turning on. If not handled with care, this can escalate and may permanently damage the monitor.

While you can test your luck with simpler fixes like restarting your monitor or reconnecting the display cables, it might not always work. And the issue could be more grave than you think.

Therefore, we suggest that you go through all methods mentioned in this guide to properly configure your Acer monitor.

Table of Contents

Probable Causes of Acer Monitor Not Turning On

When talking about the exact problem, there are multiple reasons for your Acer Monitor to act this way. The list below contains all the possible factors, and why you might be facing the issue.

Faulty power cords, display adapter.
Missing/Outdated graphics drivers.
Hardware-related problems.
Missing Windows Updates.
Faulty display screen.
Incorrect Input Source.

How Can You Fix Your Acer Monitor Not Turning on?

By now you might have gotten the gist of the situation, several things go into why your monitor is not turning on. As a starting point, you can try restarting the monitor to see if that works. If it does not work, you should go through the other options that are included in this guide.

You might also have to change the input source to the connected display port using the OSD(On-screen Display) menu.

Inspect Power and Display Cables

When your monitor starts to not function properly, the first things you should check are the display and power cords. These cables are what connect the monitor to your system and give it power.

Therefore, you want to make sure that they are properly plugged in and not damaged. Follow along the steps to properly diagnose your cables for issues.

Unplug both the display and power cord on both ends (from your monitor and the PC / Wall Socket).
Closely inspect the cables for any damages i.e bents, fraying, cuts.
While you are at it, inspect the ports for these cables as well. Clean off any foreign particles like dust, piled up inside. They could very well block off the connection of your monitor.
Now, plug all of the cables back in place. Make sure they are connected the right way and that there are no unnecessary movements.
Boot up your system and see if that solved the issue.

If you want to do further troubleshooting with your cables, try and test the monitor with another set of cables. This way you can verify if they are at fault or not.

But, before you go out and buy the new ones, keep in mind what specific cables your monitor uses. We do not want any problems to occur due to unmatching cables.

Inspect Your GPU

GPU(Graphical Processing Unit) is arguably the most vital component that is responsible for outputting content on your monitor. If they run into issues, it can lead to catastrophic damages. Therefore you should always make sure that the drivers to them are up-to-date.

Furthermore, if you have a third-party graphics card installed, then you most likely have your monitor hooked into one of them. So, it is advised that you also inspect it and see for any damages or loose cables.

Now, for the actual graphics card itself, when inspecting, make sure to have the utmost care. Even a small mistake can cause you irreparable damage.

Turn off your system completely and start by opening the side panel.
Next lay down your CPU flat (if possible) on the ground. Remove the side panel. The goal here is to get a clear view of the graphics card.
The first thing to do is check if the card is connected to the PCIe slot correctly. Make sure there is no excessive wiggling and that it is slotted in firmly.
Next, inspect the power cables that connect to the PSU (Power Supply Unit) for any damages. Verify that the cable is connected properly.
Inspect the display port and the cable. Look for any dirt piled up in the port and make sure the cable is connected to the right port and is supported by the monitor.
Additionally, you can also swap out the cables that go into a different input source on your GPU and see if that works.
Plug back all the cables and boot up your system, and see if the issue persists.

Note: If you use integrated graphics then you can simply skip this step.

Inspect Your PSU

While you are tinkering with your system, look into inspecting the Power Supply as well. The Power Supply Unit(PSU) in your system is responsible for providing power to all the other components so that they run properly.

If your PSU does not have enough wattage to support the components, it can result in a range of problems including your monitor not turning on and so on. You can also inspect for other issues.

Look at your PSU and verify that all the cables that go through it are connected properly.
Make sure there are no loose ends or physical damages to any of the cables.

If just in case there are any damaged cables, you will need to swap them out for new ones.

Troubleshoot Your RAM Sticks

RAM is the memory stick in your system that supports your everyday usage. It is a very important component for your system to run and function properly. A faulty RAM can be the reason why you are not getting any power in your monitor.

Since it is a very important piece of hardware, you need to handle it with care while troubleshooting. Follow these steps that will show you how to properly troubleshoot it.

Before you begin, make sure that your system is shut down.
Next, disconnect all the cables and slide open the side panel and then inspect your RAM.
Make sure that the stick is connected properly and is not loose or wiggly. The best practice here would be reinstalling the RAM sticks again.
Press down the latches on either side of the slots until you hear a clicking sound.
Now, simply pull out the sticks gently.
Reconnect them the way you pulled them out. If you cannot figure it out, align the little notch on the RAM stick with the ones in your motherboard slot.
Boot up your system to see if that did the trick.

Additionally, you can also cross-check with a different set of RAM sticks to verify. Keep in mind that different RAMs have different modules (Frequency, Size Capacity). If you can get the same set of RAM or one with the same specifications.

Note: Before moving into the software side of the fixes below, make sure that you have an extra monitor(preferably of same model).

Update Important Drivers

If you are still not getting any display on your monitor, you should look into updating the drivers and also the Windows. Drivers for your system are important to keep it running smoothly. Corrupted/missing drivers are known to cause problems within your system.

To update graphics drivers, follow these steps:

Press Windows Key + R to open the Run command line.
Type devmgmt.msc and press Enter.
Expand Display adapters, right-click on your specific GPU, and hit Update driver.
Choose one of these options:
- Search automatically for drivers: Windows searches for the latest drivers for that specific GPU and updates it automatically.
- Browse my computer for drivers: This allows you to specify your graphics card and choose the driver to update manually.

You can also head over to the manufacturer’s site for your GPU and download & install the latest drivers from there.

Specifically, Acer Monitors have drivers that you can download. It helps your monitor to work the way it is supposed to and promotes better functionality in the long run.

First, navigate to Acer’s Support site.
There you can specify your monitor’s serial number or SNID. Or you can select it manually. (The Serial number / SNID is labeled on the back of the monitor).
Next, if there are any updated drivers available the site will prompt you to download them.

Update Windows

Updating Windows helps keep your system up-to-date and fixes minor glitches within the system. In many instances, it has been found to solve the issue with your monitor. Here’re the steps to update your Windows:

Press Windows Key + I to open the Settings.
Click on Update & Security.
Navigate to Windows Update.
Now, click on Check for updates. If there are any Windows will install them.

After you have done all the steps, Restart your system and reconnect your monitor to see if the issue persists.

Note: Above mentioned methods will require you to use a different monitor. Using the exact same model is advised.

Troubleshoot the Monitor

If your monitor is still not turning on after trying all the fixes, then you will want to diagnose the monitor itself.

Inspect the monitor thoroughly including the backside.
Look for any visible damages – it can be any dents or breakages.

If there are no physical damages done to it, then the problem might be on the inside. We would suggest that you take it to a PC expert for further diagnosing.

Opening up the monitor can void its warranty period and damage can be dealt with if you do not know what you are doing.