Before you start
- Your PC and its power button
- A Windows installation USB (only for the last steps)
Method 1 Quick fixes
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Step 1: Wake the screen
Move the mouse or press a key. If the PC was asleep, it may just need waking. On laptops, try adjusting brightness with the Fn keys.
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Step 2: Restart the graphics driver
Press Win + Ctrl + Shift + B together. You’ll hear a beep and the screen flickers as the driver restarts.
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Step 3: Check display mode
Press Win + P, then the down arrow and Enter a few times to cycle through modes, or choose PC screen only. A projector setting can leave your laptop screen black.
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Step 4: Check cables and inputs
On desktops, make sure the monitor is on the right input and plugged into the graphics card (lower ports), not the motherboard. Try another cable or monitor.
Method 2 Black screen with a mouse cursor
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Step 1: Open Task Manager
Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc (or Ctrl + Alt + Delete > Task Manager).
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Step 2: Restart Explorer
Click Run new task (or File > Run new task), type explorer.exe and press Enter. The taskbar and desktop should reappear.
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Step 3: Check for a stuck app
End any program using lots of CPU or showing “Not responding”.
Method 3 Start in Safe Mode and repair
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Step 1: Get to recovery mode
From the sign-in screen, hold Shift and click Power > Restart. If you can’t see anything, turn the PC on and hold the power button to force it off as Windows starts; after 2–3 tries Windows opens Automatic Repair.
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Step 2: Choose Safe Mode
Go to Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Settings > Restart, then press 5 for Safe Mode with Networking.
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Step 3: Roll back or reinstall the graphics driver
Right-click Start > Device Manager > Display adapters, right-click your graphics card > Properties > Driver > Roll Back Driver, or Uninstall device and restart to let Windows reinstall a basic driver.
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Step 4: Undo a recent update
In Settings > Windows Update > Update history > Uninstall updates, remove the most recent update if the problem started after it.
If nothing helps
Boot from a Windows installation USB and use Repair your computer > Troubleshoot > Reset this PC with Keep my files. If the screen stays black even in the BIOS (press F2/Del at startup), the problem is hardware: the graphics card, cable, screen or memory.
Troubleshooting
The screen is black even before Windows starts
No logo at power-on means a hardware issue. Reseat the RAM and graphics card on desktops, try an external monitor on laptops, and check the power supply.
It happens after waking from sleep
Update graphics and chipset drivers, and try turning off Fast startup in Control Panel > Power Options.
Frequently asked questions
Is a black screen the same as a blue screen?
No. A blue screen (BSOD) shows an error code and restarts. A black screen usually means display, driver or Explorer problems.
Will these fixes delete my files?
No, except Reset this PC with “Remove everything”. Choose “Keep my files” if you get that far.
Summary
Start with Win + Ctrl + Shift + B and Win + P, check cables, and restart explorer.exe if you see a cursor. If it persists, boot into Safe Mode to roll back the graphics driver or a recent update.
