Is the black screen problem ruining your experience with Windows 10? This article will explain why it happens and how to fix this problem.
Black screen problems can occur at any time on Windows 10 PC. But, the type of problem can be different. It may appear in different situations in different ways. But, To fix the black/blank screen problem, you won’t have to be super tricky. It is easily fixable.
It may appear during startup, updating Windows, installing/updating GPU driver, etc. You can overcome all of these situations easily.
Table of Contents
Why Black Screen or Blank Screen Occurs in Windows?
The reason for this problem depends on the situation. For example, If you face this problem during startup right after the welcome or lock screen, it means one of the startup items may be corrupted. However, here are the most common causes of blank screen problem on Windows 10.
- Problematic Startup Items
- Corrupted System Files
- Graphics Driver Problem
- Problematic Background Service
- Buggy or Incompatible Windows Update
- Hardware Problem
- Connection Issues
In most cases, one of these will be the thing that will cause black screen of death on your PC. But, Don’t worry. Anyone can easily identify and fix this problem.
How to Fix Black Screen Error on Windows 10
If you follow these specific methods, you can be able to resolve this blank screen problem. Here are they-
1. Restart Windows Explorer [If You See Mouse Cursor]
There are some black screen errors, where you can see the movable functional mouse cursor. It means your PC is running. But, Something is not letting it display everything properly. If you can restart Windows Explorer in this type of situation, it will fix instantly fix the black screen problem. Here are the instructions to follow.
- At first, You will need to open the Windows Task Manager. To do it, press CTRL + ALT + Del and then click on Task Manager.
- Now, In Task Manager, you will see all the active programs running. From there, Find Windows Explorer.
- Then, Right-click on it and click on Restart.
It will fix the black screen issue. However, If you don’t see Windows Explorer there, you will need to launch it manually. You can press Win+E on the keyboard. If it doesn’t do anything, you will need to do it using the task manager. To do it, follow these instructions.
- At first, Click on File on the task manager.
- Then, Click on Run new task.
- Now, Type explorer and hit enter.
By this way, you can easily fix the blank screen issue most of the time. If it doesn’t work, follow the next method.
2. Optimize Startup Items
You may encounter the black screen issue right after startup or welcome screen. It may be because of a problematic startup item. Windows explorer issue also may be the reason. In that case, the first method would fix it. But, If not, you will need to find out the problematic startup items. To do it, You can disable all the startup items and restart your PC. If you don’t face the problem again, you can enable one startup item and restart your computer. Repeat it until you face the black screen problem again. In this way, you can know which one was causing the problem. You can keep that item disabled or uninstall/update that app. Here are the proper instructions to disable any startup items:
- At first, Open the Windows Task Manager.
- Now, Go to the Startup tab.
- Then, Enable or disable any items you want.
Hopefully, it will resolve the black screen of death right after Windows startup.
3. Update/Roll Back/Reinstall the Graphics Card Driver
Sometimes, A incompatible graphics card driver may cause this problem. Maybe, you are working and all of a sudden, the screen goes black. It keeps happening frequently. It is a symptom of your graphics driver issue or a third-party service problem. However, If you update the driver, it has a good chance to fix the black screen problem. To learn, how to do it, read: How to Update the Drivers
If you face the problem after updating the GPU driver, you can roll-back to the previous version. You also can consider reinstalling the graphics driver. Driver Booster, Driver Easy, and a few other driver updating tools can automatically do all these things. You also may need to update all of the drivers. Doing it manually can be very time-consuming. So, Using one of these tools is a wise idea. I hope it will help to fix the Windows 10 black screen problem.
4. Clean Boot
If any of the background services cause the problem, you won’t know it until you perform the clean boot. It will be easier to fix this problem after identifying the reason. The clean boot disables all third-party services. Then, You can enable the services one by one to reproduce the black screen error, just like method 2. If you have found the problematic service, you can keep it disabled or update the related software or uninstall it. For related instructions, read: How to Perform Clean Boot
5. Use a PC Tuner
Doing so many things manually is very time consuming, complex, and also problematic. So, You can depend on good PC Tuner software. Most of them can optimize Windows performance and fix various errors like registry problems, excessive startup items issues, etc. It may help to fix the black screen problem in Windows 10. If you are not sure which PC Tuner to use, have a look at the best PC Tune-Up Utilities.
6. Safe Mode
Sometimes, You may not be able to access Windows 10 at all because of this problem. In this case, You will need to boot into safe mode with networking or just safe mode only. Then, you can try the troubleshooting methods. It may help you to get rid of black screen error.
7. Run SFC Command
If any of your system components get corrupted, it may be a good way to fix it. If you don’t know the way, read: How to Run SFC Command
It will fix the black screen issue if system component corruption is the reason behind this problem.
8. Uninstaller Recent Update
Sometimes, The blank screen problem may appear right after installing a Windows update on your PC. It is because the installation process didn’t go through the right way. Or the update may not be fully compatible with your computer yet. In this case, you will have to uninstall the update. If you can’t access your PC at all, do it in the safe mode. Here are the instructions:
- At first, Navigate to Windows 10 Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update. If you don’t know how to open the settings, press Win + I on the keyboard.
- Now, Click on Update History.
- Then, Click on Uninstall Updates.
- Now, You will see a list of updates installed on your PC. Double click on the most recent one to uninstall it.
- At last, Restart Windows.
It should fix black screen issue right after Windows update.
9. Repair Windows
If the problem occurs frequently, you also may notice a significant performance problem. Sometimes, You may not be able to access Windows 10 even in safe mode. It means some core system components may have some problems. In this case, you can do a repair installation of Windows 10. It should fix the black screen problem.
10. Update BIOS
This method is a good one. In many old laptops and desktops, the black screen problem occurs more frequently. It may be because the BIOS firmware version is very old. In this case, you can take steps to update BIOS. It may solve your problem.
11. Check Connection of Display Cable
The display port or connection may have some problems. The connection may be loose. So, You are having frequent display problems, and it goes black. If this is the case, you should check the connection of the display cable and the port.
12. Check the Hardware Problem
Some old graphics cards that are not compatible with modern Windows and software anymore may be the reason behind this problem. In this case, You won’t be able to fix it until you upgrade the GPU. Else, Any other internal or external hardware problem also may be the reason. So, I suggest you check it carefully. Also, make sure the monitor is not problematic.
These are the best ways to fix black screen problem in Windows 10. Any of these methods should work for you. If you any other method, you can share it in the comment box.
