Question Black screen on every other boot - laptop

[neuropathy]

I have a Toshiba Satellite L355D laptop with Windows 10 (new installation) and I get a black screen after every other boot. For example, I’ll start the computer and it’ll go to a black screen after the Windows loading screen (after BIOS), then I’ll force shutdown (holding power button) and then press the power button again and it’ll start up properly. Any ideas?

 

[Colif]

turn off fast startup

right click start button
choose power options
Click Additional power options under the Related settings menu
Click Choose what the power button does from left column
Click Change settings that are currently unavailable next to blue/yellow shield
untick Turn on fast startup and save changes

It is probably caused by a driver that wasn't written for windows 10 new power schemes.

 

[neuropathy]

Thank you Colif - I made the change by disabling fast startup, but the issue persists...

I can try installing Windows 7 to see if that might work better.

 

[Colif]

It is very odd it works every other boot though, especially with fast startup off. One boot is no different to other. I wonder if its swapping boot method, is there a cursor flashing on the blank screen?

can you right click start
choose disk management
open the resulting window so you can see all the columns in top part, and take a screenshot. Upload screenshot to a image sharing website and show link here.

well, it probably should work with win 7 since it originally came with vista and there isn't a massive difference between the two. but lets see if we can figure this out since it works every other time...

 

[neuropathy]

Hi Calif,

After changing the setting you recommended, I think I’ve only seen the issue once or twice, so it was happening less than every other boot, I guess that was just a coincidence. I updated the system BIOS and since then I haven’t seen the issue at all (I shutdown and booted up a few times. The computer also updated itself (Skynet power of windows 10) and that might’ve helped too. I’m not sure if the issue is totally resolved, but at this time, it doesn’t appear to be happening anymore. I’m going to keep my fingers crossed and I’ll write back if it persists. Thanks again for all the help!

 

[Colif]

its possible there is a setting in the Toshiba bios in its boot settings where it can swap between boot methods at startup, and your hdd isn't always responding at startup so it tries the different method and you get stuck on the black screen.

2 boot methods - CSM (Legacy) and UEFI
CSM (Legacy) matches MBR drive format (what you have)
UEFI matches GPT drive format

restarting the PC makes it swap to the right one

I remember from the few Toshiba laptops I have had to help fix in last 4 years, that they use CSM mode to install win 10, so bios can use both as if it was just an old legacy bios, it wouldn't have CSM mode (there used to only be 1 boot method, UEFI was designed to replace legacy 10 years ago)

you might want to run hdtune on the drive and check its health tab

I could be wrong, but I would think that if it was GPU drivers it would happen every startup and not be so easy to fix

 

[neuropathy]

It appears the drive in this computer isn’t actually the original since it’s a larger size than what’s listed in specification charts. It could be that it’s got issues although I haven’t seen or heard anything else that would indicate it’s failing, but I’ll definitely run the utility you mentioned and see what it says.

In this computer, is it better to use Legacy or UEFI? I saw the option in BIOS and wasn’t sure where this computer wanted things to be set. I reset the BIOS to its default configuration just in case and the BIOS update took this computer from one of the earliest revisions to the latest. It appears to be working properly and booting to Windows each time although it could be that it’ll slip up again. I’m trying it from time to time to see if the issue returns. Thanks again for all the help!

Would it still make sense the computer is having trouble reading the boot device and giving a black screen if it occurs after the Windows boot screens?

 

[Colif]

BIOS update could have fixed it but really, I don't want to jinx you, I often find its best not to comment.

Leave bios as legacy if it is now, as UEFI boot method is capable of booting MBR but legacy is a better choice.