An office employee reports that their computer suddenly displays nothing but a black screen, although the power LED on the monitor and system unit are on. You observe that the monitor status light is indicating a connection, and you hear the computer's fans running. What is the FIRST step you should perform in troubleshooting this problem?
Replace the computer's power supply unit (PSU) as it may not be delivering enough power to the video card.
Replace the video card with a known good one to see if the display returns.
Check if the video cable connection is secure between the monitor and the PC.
Reboot the system to see if the display returns after a restart.
The correct answer is to check if the video cable connection is secure between the monitor and the PC, as a loose or disconnected video cable is a common reason for a black screen even if the monitor is powered on. Ensuring the integrity of basic connections is a key aspect of troubleshooting and should precede internal component checks or hardware replacements. Checking or replacing the video card or PSU directly as a first step is not advisable until a problem with the fundamental connections has been ruled out. Rebooting the system does not address the immediate physical connection issues which are the most likely cause of a black screen in this scenario.
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Why is checking the video cable connection the first step in troubleshooting a black screen issue?
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What are the signs that indicate a video cable might be the issue?
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What should I do if the video cable connection is secure and the black screen issue persists?