Windows 10 black screen after boot

Если на вашем устройстве Windows черный или пустой экран, попробуйте сделать следующее:

• Чтобы разокрутить экран, используйте одно из следующих клавиш: Windows клавиша с логотипом + P или CTRL+ALT+DEL.

• Для черного экрана используйте следующее сочетания клавиш: Windows клавиши с логотипом + CTRL+SHIFT+B .

Дополнительные сведения см. в теме Устранение ошибок черного или пустого экрана.

Если у вас surface, см. также: Surface не будет включаться и не выключяться из спящий режим.

Windows 10 is booting to a black screen – I think every 5 people have already encountered such an issue at least once. The problem can manifest itself in different ways: it can be just a black screen or black screen with a mouse cursor; you can face it before login as well as after you sign in to your user account; you may face it after installing updates or spontaneously etc.

As you understand, Windows 10 can show you a black screen due to various reasons. Respectively there is no universal solution to resolve the problem and recover your system to a working state.

On this page you will find 8 solutions and some extra info that hopefully will help you to fix the issue of a Windows 10 PC booting to a black screen.

Before you make an attempt to fix a black screen – wait!

If you know that the last time you saw your PC working normally it was rebooting with the message like “Working on updates” or “Do not power off or unplug your machine”, and now you face a black screen right after the reboot – wait! Leave your machine alone for a half an hour – your Windows 10 may be finishing to install its updates. You may be quite surprised when you see Windows 10 have coupled with updates and loaded the desktop after a few minutes. If no success – continue reading about our solutions.

Solution 1: Win+P

Win+P combination serves for switching the display modes. And in some cases due to a glitch the video signal may be switched to another (often non-existent) display. So, when you booted to a black screen:

1. Wait for two minutes
2. Then press Win+P consequently for several times to check it out:

Solution 2: Blind login

As we mentioned above a bug in the graphics driver can cause creation of a virtual monitor while your real monitor is assigned to the secondary display. Users often encounter the issue of a black screen with cursor right after the upgrade to Windows 10. Try the blind login method:

1. Wait for 5 minutes until the mouse cursor appears.
2. Hit the Space-bar.
3. Enter your login password or pin (in blind mode).
4. If the desktop does not appear in 1 minute then press Win+P keys, down arrow keys twice, and enter to extend display.

Solution 3: Try switching to integrated video

Unplug your HDMI, DVI or VGA from your external graphics card and plug in to your motherboard. Reboot your machine. If you see your desktop after th reboot, try to select external graphics card to be initialised first in UEFI/BIOS:

Solution 4: Try to fix drivers issues

First, visit the official website of your graphics card and search for a new version of the driver. Be attentive and search for the driver compatible with your current version of Windows 10.

For this purpose you may use another PC or just boot to Safe mode with networking. By the way, if you have working display in Safe Mode it means that you most likely have issues with drivers.

If no effect:

• try to install on older version of the graphics driver;
• try to uninstal video driver and search for driver update in the Microsoft Update. To do so head to Device Manager, right-lick your graphics card and select Update Driver Software.

Solution 5. Fix the ‘shell’ parameter in the registry

In most cases the shell value is altered by malware. So try to do the following:

• Run the registry editor (Win+R, regedit, Enter).
• Head to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon
• Ensure the Shell value contains explorer.exe:

Solution 6. Restore your system to the restore point

If your Windows 10 is still booting to a black screen you can create Windows 10 bootable media, boot from it and try to recover your operating system using the system restore. Read our full guide on how to restore Windows to a previously created restore point.

Solution 7. Resolve hardware issue to fix black screen on boot in Windows 10

Windows 10 can also boot to a black screen because of some hardware problems. So we advise you to:

1. Clean the contact plates on your graphics card:
   
2. Check your HDD for bad sectors using HDAT2 or MHDD:
   
3. Replace SATA cable.
4. Replace the CMOS battery.

Solution 8. The last hope: reset Windows 10

If you have tried all solutions but your Windows 10 is still booting to a black screen with cursor the best solution is to reset Windows 10. This is also recommended if you encountered the issue on boot right after you removed malware. So, download all the latest drivers and store them on a flash disk or on a non-system disk. Then, read our step-by-step guide on how to reset Windows 10 when it doesn’t boot.

Some workarounds if your Windows 10 Boots to a black screen

If you have done everything except Windows reset but your Windows 10 still shows you a black screen on boot stubbornly you can use the following temporary solutions. They may help you to boot your WIndows 10 and apply the solutions described above – for instance, scan your PC for malware, fix the shell options in the registry, replace drivers, use the system restore without booting from recovery media, etc.

Disable Fast Startup

If you success to load the desktop using one of the mentioned methods:

1. Go to Power Options by pressing Win+X: 
2. Click on Choose what the power buttons do: 
3. Click Change settings that are currently unavailable: 
4. Unset the checkbox Turn on fast startup (recommended): 
5. Click Save changes.

Launch explorer.exe manually if you see a black screen with cursor

If you face a black screen with a cursor for a few minutes but the desktop does not load try the following workaround:

If you know other working solutions that helped you to fix the black screen on boot in Windows 10 tell us in the comments.

Booting in safe mode may be an option

by Madalina Dinita

Madalina has been a Windows fan ever since she got her hands on her first Windows XP computer. She is interested in all things technology, especially emerging technologies… read more

Updated on October 4, 2023

You have found this guide because you are experiencing the Windows 10 or 11 black screen after login in. We will show you how to fix it.

A free upgrade for your Windows is quite possibly the best thing that Microsoft could give you – and that is exactly what they did with Windows 10 and 11.

However, the free upgrade did not go smoothly for every. As you would expect, Microsoft software does not always work as intended for all the thousands of different hardware combinations.

Today we attempt to fix one such problem, which might have been caused by the massive diversity of hardware components Windows operates.

Why is my screen black after I log in?

You upgraded your Windows 10, and it worked brilliantly – until you restarted and hit the login screen.

All you can see is a black screen with your cursor, there are multiple causes for this problem, but the most common reason involves you having an Intel on-chip GPU and a standalone AMD/Nvidia GPU combination. Such combinations are usually found in laptops due to their battery-saving advantages.

In other cases, it is a problem with your Windows OS preventing your desktop and icons from loading if you get a black screen after logging in. Typically, it’s a program that starts up automatically.

Additionally, it’s possible that the crucial procedures required to load the computer’s display are not loaded properly at startup.

Furthermore, it may occur if your computer is short on storage space or malware has compromised the firmware.

Here are a few variations to this error:

• Windows 10 black screen after login no desktop show up – In this case, you will not be able to view your desktop after logging in. you should drain the battery and restart the computer.
• Computer screen goes black but computer still running – If it does not come up after a few minutes, press the power key for about 10 seconds, then restart the computer.
• Windows 10 black screen for 5 minutes after login – You may wait it out in this case. Then try and update all your drivers as soon as the screen turns on.
• Windows 10 black screen with cursor after login – In case of this issue, try restarting the computer after disconnecting all non-critical peripherals and try disabling the startup apps.
• Windows 10 black screen before login – When getting a black screen before login, booting into Safe Mode will allow you to fix things.

Let us now show you some of the best resolutions.

How do I fix a black screen on Windows 10 after login?

1. Use a third-party repair solution

Black screen errors are less common and dangerous than blue screen errors but have similar behavior and manifestation.

You can treat and troubleshoot them with the same tools and procedures. That is why you can use the following solution, even though it’s meant for fixing Blue screen issues.

2. Try to log in blindly

1. When you are on the black screen, wait for your mouse cursor to appear.
2. Once you have the cursor, press Control on your keyboard – this will put the focus on the login password field.
3. Now type your password. You can’t see it, but you must do it anyway.
4. Once typed, hit Enter, and voila, you are logged into Windows.
5. If your desktop does not appear after 30 seconds, try pressing Windows Key + P, press the Down Arrow key twice, and hit Enter.

After that, you should be logged in to Windows, and your screen should appear.

3. Disable Fast Boot on your PC

3.1 Enter Safe Mode

1. Restart your PC several times during the boot sequence.
2. Now choose Troubleshoot.
   
3. Select Advanced options, click on Startup Settings, and click Restart.
4. Once your PC restarts, you’ll be presented with options. Select any version of Safe Mode by pressing the appropriate key.
   

3.2 Disable Fast Boot

1. Press Windows Key + S and type power settings.
2. Now select Power & sleep settings from the list.
3. Scroll down to the Related settings section and click Additional power settings.
4. When the Power Options window appears, click Choose what the power button does option from the left pane.
   
5. Now click Change settings that are currently unavailable.
   
6. Uncheck Turn on fast startup (recommended) option and click Save changes.
   

After disabling this feature, restart your PC and check if the problem is still there. Remember that disabling Fast Startup might cause your PC to boot slightly slower, but at least the issue should be resolved.

The issue might be the Fast Boot feature if you get a black screen after sign-in on Windows 10. This is a valuable feature since it will allow you to start your PC faster, but sometimes this feature can cause problems.

To fix the issue, you need to disable Fast Startup. However, since you can’t access Windows, you’ll have to do that from Safe Mode.

4. Try your hand at Startup Repair

1. Restart your PC a couple of times during the boot sequence.
2. Go to Troubleshoot, select Advanced options and click on Startup Repair.
   
3. Follow the instructions on the screen to complete the process.

Once the process is finished, the problem should be resolved.

If you’re stuck on a black screen after sign-in in, you might be able to solve the problem simply by performing a Startup Repair, so follow the steps above.

5. Disable App Readiness service

1. Press Windows Key + R, and enter services.msc, then press Enter, or click OK.
   
2. Locate the App Readiness service on the list and double-click it to open its properties.
   
3. Set Startup type to Disabled and click Apply and OK to save the changes.
   

After disabling this service, restart your PC and check if the problem is still there. Remember that this is just a workaround, so you’ll probably have to enable this service someday.

As you know, Windows uses various services to work correctly, but sometimes certain services can cause a black screen after sign-in.

Usually, the App Readiness service is the culprit, and to fix the problem, you need to disable it.

6. Remove your laptop battery (if possible)

1. Disconnect your laptop from the adapter and remove the battery. Check the laptop manual if you don’t know how to remove the battery.
2. Once the battery is removed, hold down the power button for 30-60 seconds, or even more.
3. Now put the battery back in your laptop and start it again.

Several users reported a black screen after signing in on their laptops, but you can quickly fix this annoying issue. According to users, you must remove your laptop battery and drain the remaining power.

This is a relatively simple procedure, and several users claim it works, so try it out. But, of course, this is only if your laptop has a removable battery.

7. Remove the problematic update

1. Use Windows Key + I shortcut to open the Settings app.
2. Go to the Update & Security section.
3. Now select View update history.
4. A list of recent updates will appear. Memorize a couple of recent updates and click Uninstall updates.
   
5. Double-click the update you want to uninstall and follow the instructions on the screen to complete the process.
   

After you remove the problematic update, check if the problem is still there.

If this issue started after a Windows Update, the update is likely causing a black screen after sign-in.

To fix this issue, you must go to Safe Mode and remove the problematic update.

Keep in mind that Windows tends to install the missing updates automatically, so if the update was the problem, be sure to block Windows from installing the automatic updates.

Read more about this topic

• Fix: Screen Goes Off When Plugging in the Charger on Windows 11
• Security Settings Blocked Self-signed Application [Fix]
• Dell Laptop Black Screen: 5 Ways to Quickly Fix it

How can I fix Windows 11 black screen after login?

We recommend starting in safe mode and trying a Startup repair. However, most of the solutions that work in Windows 10 will fix a Windows 11 black screen after the login issue.

The UI may differ slightly in a few cases, but generally, it should be about the same process. So pick what solution you prefer from those mentioned above and try on Windows 11.

How do I fix a black screen on startup?

Remove your laptop battery following the steps in solution six above.

Alternatively, you should shut down your computer and unplug any external devices. This applies to your mouse, keyboard, external hard drive, and other devices. Check if you still receive the black screen after restarting your computer. If not, try plugging every device individually until you identify the issue.

Also, note that before exploring anything complicated, you should verify that the monitor is responsive since you may not have powered it on in the first place.

Finally, if you have a PC, ensure the monitor cables are connected since this could easily be overlooked while powering up your computer.

Sometimes, your monitor may be damaged, and you will need a new monitor.

The black screen can be a big problem on your PC since it will prevent you from accessing Windows. However, we hope that you managed to solve this issue by using one of our solutions.

In the comments section below, let us know what worked for you (not necessarily from our list).

A Windows 10 black screen can be difficult to diagnose and fix. These troubleshooting steps will set you in the right direction.

The only thing worse than a blue screen of death is a black screen of death. And the only thing worse than a black screen of death is a black screen that doesn’t even throw you a bone by telling you what’s wrong. With Windows 10, this can happen. Several users has reported black screens during installations, updates, or at complete random. Sometimes, nothing at all appears on the screen. Other times, you may have a mouse and keyboard but no desktop environment.

In any case, when Windows 10 gives you a black screen and no error message, the only way to identify and resolve the issue is a good ol’ methodical troubleshooting. Let’s walk through it together.

Resolving Black Screens During or After Windows 10 Installation

Black screens are sometimes encountered when you install Windows 10 for the first time. This may happen during the Windows 10 install process or just after the Windows setup is complete. There are a few potential causes.

Probable cause: Setup is still in progress. If you have a large personal data file set that you are migrating from a previous Windows installation, the Windows 10 setup process could take several hours.

Possible solution: Observe the hard drive activity LED closely to determine if the computer is still working. If the LED is still blinking, it means the setup is probably still busy working on sorting through your files and determining what to move and what to keep. This is a good sign, which means you should wait a bit more. If the setup goes beyond 2 to 7 hours, then the setup may be stuck.

Probable cause: Setup is stuck. For whatever reason, the setup process is hung up on something and can’t proceed further.

Possible solution: Power down your computer completely and try again. Follow these steps:

1. Power down the computer completely. If it doesn’t shut down, hold the power button for 5 to 10 seconds until it shuts down.
2. Disconnect from the internet by unplugging the Ethernet cable or switching off the wireless adapter (if possible). See this post for more information on disabling LAN connections before a Windows 10 setup.
3. Disconnect all unnecessary peripherals from the PC. Remove external hard drives, game controllers, phone chargers—pretty much everything but the keyboard and mouse.
4. Remove power from your computer. Disconnect the power cord from the outlet. If it’s a laptop, remove the battery, too. Wait at least 30 seconds before plugging your computer back in. (Note: If you have the time to spare, leave the computer unplugged for up to an hour.  This will help if your computer started to get overheated.)
5. Connect the system to power again, but leave the internet disconnected—power on the computer.
6. Hopefully, Windows will try to resume or restart the Windows 10 setup process.
7. If the installation completes normally and you get to a Windows desktop with a Start menu and everything, go ahead and reconnect to the internet to finishing downloading and applying updates.
8. If the setup rolls back to your previous version of Windows, try upgrading manually using the Media Creation Tool or an ISO file.

Probable cause: The black screen is caused by a device driver or hardware performance issue.

Possible solution: Try booting into Safe Mode. See the section below on How to Use Safe Mode to Troubleshoot Black Screens.

Learn more: How to Fix the Most Common Windows 10 Upgrade and Install Errors

Fixing Black Screens During Windows Out-of-Box-Experience

The OOBE is the Windows Out-of-Box-Experience, and it’s not unlike an out-of-body experience. It’s a weird transitionary phase where magical things happen, but things aren’t all there yet.

If you get a black screen during the OOBE, there are a few things you can try.

Probable cause: Video output is routed to a different display adapter or a different output (e.g., HDMI-to-DVI or DisplayPort-to-VGA). Sometimes, the display configuration that you had in your previous Windows installation doesn’t carry over properly to Windows 10.

Possible solution: Try physically disconnecting the video cable from one adapter or output and trying another.

• If you have a spare monitor, you can try connecting to that instead.
• If you normally connect to a discrete graphics card, but your computer has an onboard graphics adapter, switch to it instead. You can always update the driver after setup is complete for your discrete card through Windows Update or the manufacturer’s website.
• If you are using a television set, check to make sure it is turned on and set to the input for the computer; video output may be going to the TV.

Probable cause: Video output is being sent to the wrong display. If you have multiple displays connected, the Windows setup can sometimes get confused.

Possible solution: Try projecting output to another monitor by pressing Windows key + P then choosing the appropriate option.

How to Fix Random Black Screens: Advanced Troubleshooting Options to Try

And then there are the black screens that happen out of the blue. Windows 10 new servicing model (i.e., endless patches and updates) means that Windows updates, patches, security fixes, and driver updates are often downloaded in the background and installed at night completely unbeknownst to you. If you want to manage which Windows updates get installed and when, you can, but if one has already snuck past you and given you a black screen, try booting in Safe Mode.

A corrupt user profile can sometimes trigger a black screen. Attempting to boot into Safe Mode, create a new user account, then attempting to sign into it might work.

The RunOnce Processes can also be a culprit. If you all see is a black screen after logging in, press Control + Shift + Esc on your keyboard; this will launch Task Manager. Go to the Processes and Services tab, then look for any instances of RunOnce32.exe or RunOnce.exe. If you find any running, stop the process, cancel the application, or end the service.

Click File > Run new task, type: cmd then hit Enter. At the command prompt, type:

shutdown -r -t 01

Then, hit Enter. This will restart your computer.

How to Use Safe Mode to Troubleshoot Black Screens

Booting into Safe Mode can be used to troubleshoot random black screens or black screens encountered during a Windows 10 install.

To get into Safe Mode, do the following: Turn your computer on and off three times. While booting, make sure you turn off the computer when you see the Windows logo.

After the third time, Windows 10 will boot into diagnostics mode. Click Advanced options when the recovery screen appears.

 

Click Troubleshoot.

 

Click Advanced options.

 

Click Startup Settings.

 

Click Restart.

 

Press the number 4. This will start Windows 10 in Safe Mode.

 

Sign in, press Windows key + X, click Device Manager, expand Display Adapter, right-click the display driver, then click Disable. Restart your computer to see if the setup completes successfully, or you can boot to the desktop. If you can reach the desktop, check Windows Update or the manufacturer’s website for the latest driver.

 

Are you Still Having Black Screen Issues?

If you are still having issues with a Black Screen on your Windows 10 system, check out our article on fixing a black screen after adjusting display settings.

Windows 10 black screen issues can be persistent and mysterious. If you’ve gone through all of the troubleshooting steps above and still have issues, your next step is to throw it out to the community. Let us know about your successes, failures, and frustrations in the comments, or join us in the Windows 10 Forums.