How to Fix the Black Screen of Death on Windows 10
Windows 10 has a notorious Blue Screen of Death. It appears when the OS crashes and provides an error message and may point to a helpful link to help resolve it. If a BSoD is recurring, it points to a problem with the OS or with hardware and it cannot be ignored.
Black Screen of Death
A lesser-known error screen is the black screen of death. It borrows its name from the very early days of Windows when the OS could only run DOS programs. Back then, this error appeared when a DOS app failed to run.
The black screen of death on modern Windows can show up in several different scenarios, and the right fix depends on which one you’re dealing with. The most common situations you may encounter include:
- A black screen that appears before the Windows logo ever shows up during startup
- A black screen with only a cursor visible, either before or after login
- A completely blank screen at the login screen
- A black screen that appears after you’ve already signed in — including after a Windows update
In some of these cases the system fails to boot at all, while in others Windows has already started but a driver failure, crashed system process, or bad update leaves you with nothing on screen. You may or may not see a message like “no OS found,” depending on the cause.
Windows 10 Black Screen of Death – CAUSES
This error can be caused by the following;
- Incorrect or incomplete Windows 10 installation: If you were installing Windows 10 on a system, and you removed the installation media, or the system ran into problems during installation, you may see this error screen.
- Corrupted Windows 10 installation: If your Windows 10 installation has been corrupted during a system scan, file recovery process, or the installation of a second OS (dual booting) on your PC, you will encounter this issue.
- Hard disk crash: If your hard disk has crashed and is irreparable, your PC won’t be able to boot the OS. You will need to replace the hard disk or connect an additional/alternative boot device to the system and boot from it instead.
- System services failed/crashed: On rare occasions, you may get a black screen on the desktop. All UI elements will disappear and you will, at the most, see a cursor on the screen. The cursor may or may not be responsive. This sort of crash is caused by an app.
- Hardware failure/problems: Your screen may be damaged and unable to display the OS environment, or your display drivers may be corrupt.
Quick checks before advanced fixes
Before reaching for recovery media or running repair tools, work through these quick checks first. They take less than a minute each and solve a large share of black-screen cases on their own.
- Reset the graphics driver: Press Windows + Ctrl + Shift + B on your keyboard. The screen will briefly go black and then come back. This resets the graphics driver and can clear a black screen caused by a hung display adapter.
- Cycle the display output mode: Press Windows + P, then press P again, then press Enter. This steps through display modes (PC screen only, Duplicate, Extend, Second screen only) in case Windows is sending output to the wrong monitor or a disconnected display.
- Try Ctrl + Alt + Del: If you can bring up the security screen, select Task Manager. If Task Manager opens, your desktop environment is running — it just isn’t displaying. You can then use Task Manager to restart Windows Explorer (see section 4 below).
- Disconnect external displays, docks, and peripherals: Unplug any external monitors, docking stations, USB hubs, and non-essential peripherals, then restart. A connected external display or dock can cause Windows to output to a screen you’re not looking at.
- Check your monitor: Confirm the monitor is powered on, set to the correct input source, and that the cable connecting it to your PC is firmly seated at both ends. Try a different cable or port if available.
- For laptops — confirm power: Make sure the battery is sufficiently charged and the laptop is connected to a power source. An extremely low battery can prevent a normal display from initializing.
Determine the Nature of the Black Screen of Death
Before you can fix this error, you need to determine what type it is — specifically, whether you are on your desktop or on the boot screen.
The simplest way to test this is to force shut down the system.
- Press and hold the power button on your laptop/PC.
- Wait until you hear the system power down.
- For good measure, disconnect it from the power source for a minute.
- Connect the system to a power source and turn it on.
- If you see the Windows logo and boot to the desktop, the issue was caused by an app on the desktop.
- If you do not see the Windows logo, briefly see the computer manufacturer’s logo, or see a message to press a key to boot to BIOS, the problem is outside the desktop — i.e., on the boot screen.
5 QUICK Fixes: Black Screen of Death on Windows 10
To fix this error, try the following solutions. The fix that you use will depend on the type of screen you’re seeing.
1. Repair Windows 10
This fix applies if Windows 10 is corrupted to the point where it can no longer boot. You will need access to a working system in order to repair it.
- Download the media creation tool for Windows 10 from Microsoft.
- Create Windows 10 installation media using a USB.
- Connect the USB to the problematic PC.
- Boot from the USB.
- Select a Windows 10 version and language.
- On the installation screen, select the Repair option.
- Select Troubleshooter>Startup repair.
If Startup Repair does not resolve the issue, see section 6 below for Safe Mode, driver rollback, and System Restore options that can be accessed from the same recovery environment.
2. Check hard drive for errors
To check a hard drive for errors outside Windows 10, you need a Windows 10 installation disk. To create it, you must have access to a functioning Windows 10 system. This step is also useful when dealing with rare disk-related crashes like the PFN list corrupt error, which can sometimes lead to boot failures.
- Shut down the system.
- Connect the Windows 10 installation disk.
- Turn the system on and boot from the disk.
- Select the Windows 10 version and language.
- Select the repair option.
- Go to Troubleshoot>Advanced Options>Command Prompt.
- Run this command on each volume on the hard drive to scan it for errors.
chkdsk /f Drive-letter:
Example
chkdsk /f C:
3. Hardware check
If your system won’t boot or the screen is completely blank, run through the following checks.
- Connect to a different monitor and/or change the cable that you use to connect to the monitor.
- Change the PSU (power supply unit) that you’re using to power your system.
- Remove any and all peripherals that aren’t necessary to run the system e.g., external drives, USBs, SD cards, phones, cameras, etc.
- Check system ventilation. Your system may be overheating. Give it a little downtime — do not use it for a few hours so that it can cool down completely — and then try turning it on.
- If your system has been running hot for a long time, and you’ve experienced multiple heat-related shut-downs, your hardware may be damaged. If so, it’s best to have the hardware checked by a professional.
4. Fix a black screen with cursor or black screen after login
If you see a black screen with a cursor, or your screen goes black after signing in, the most common cause is a stalled Windows Explorer process or a driver issue — not necessarily a faulty application. Try the steps below before anything else.
Restart Windows Explorer
- Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager directly.
- In the Processes tab, scroll down to find Windows Explorer.
- Right-click it and select Restart. Your desktop and taskbar should reappear.
- If Windows Explorer is not listed at all, go to File > Run new task, type explorer.exe, and click OK.
Disable recently installed startup apps
- In Task Manager, click the Startup tab.
- Look for any app that was installed shortly before the black screen started appearing.
- Right-click it and select Disable, then restart the PC.
Uninstall the last app or driver added before the problem started
- If you can reach the desktop after restarting Windows Explorer, open Settings > Apps.
- Sort by install date and uninstall the most recently added application.
- If a driver was recently updated, open Device Manager, find the relevant device, right-click it, and select Properties > Driver > Roll Back Driver.
Test in Safe Mode
If none of the above steps work, boot into Safe Mode to confirm whether the black screen is caused by a third-party driver or app. See section 6 below for full instructions on how to enter Safe Mode.
5. Check graphics drivers
A problem with the graphics driver may cause a black screen of death. Force shut down and boot up your system, then follow these steps.
- Open Device Manager.
- Expand Display Adapters.
- Right-click the on-board graphics card and select Update drivers.
- Search online for driver updates and install them.
- Restart the system.
If you cannot reach the desktop to open Device Manager, or the black screen started immediately after a driver update, use Safe Mode or the Windows Recovery Environment to roll back the display driver. See section 6 below for step-by-step instructions.
6. Boot into Safe Mode, roll back drivers, restore Windows, or remove recent updates
If you cannot reach a usable desktop, the Windows Recovery Environment gives you several powerful repair paths. Here is how to get there and what to try.
Enter the Windows Recovery Environment
- Without installation media: Force-shut down the PC by holding the power button, then turn it back on. Repeat this two or three times in a row. Windows will detect the interrupted startups and automatically open the recovery screen.
- With installation media: Boot from a Windows 10 USB or DVD, select your language, then click Repair your computer at the bottom-left of the setup screen.
Once inside the recovery environment, go to Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Settings > Restart. After the PC restarts, press 5 or F5 to boot into Safe Mode with Networking.
From Safe Mode, choose one of the four repair paths below depending on when the black screen started.
Path 1 — Roll back the display driver
- Open Device Manager.
- Expand Display Adapters and double-click your graphics card.
- Go to the Driver tab and click Roll Back Driver.
- Restart normally and check whether the black screen returns.
Path 2 — Uninstall the latest Windows update
- Open Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update > View update history > Uninstall updates.
- Right-click the most recently installed update and select Uninstall.
- Restart the PC and test.
Path 3 — Run System Restore
- In the Advanced options menu, select System Restore (or search for it in the Start menu from Safe Mode).
- Choose a restore point that predates the black screen issue.
- Follow the prompts to restore and restart.
Path 4 — Clean reinstall (last resort)
If none of the above paths resolve the issue, back up your important files using another PC or by connecting the drive externally, then perform a clean reinstall of Windows 10 using the Microsoft media creation tool. This will erase the drive, so only proceed once you have confirmed your data is safely backed up.
Conclusion
The black screen of death is the unofficial name for when you see a blank screen with no UI elements to interact with and no commands that you can execute to get to a desktop. It is most often associated with a damaged OS, which is why repairing it with the Windows 10 startup repair tool is your best bet. If you’re trying to install Windows 10, make sure you don’t interrupt it at any point and ensure the system has a steady power supply throughout the installation process.
