Causes of Black Screen in Windows 10
Unlike Windows errors that provide an error message, like blue screen errors, black screen errors don’t give you anything to go on. This situation can be caused by a wide variety of software and hardware problems, including:
The display is off: Some displays will turn off automatically when no video input is received, which will result in a black screen if the computer stopped sending a signal momentarily.Broken Windows update: If you were trying to update Windows, or it was updating in the background, something may have gone wrong.Display adapter driver update: Rather than a general update problem, this error happens when you’re specifically trying to update your display adapter driver.Connection problems: If there’s a problem with your HDMI cable or the internal wires in your laptop, the screen will be black.Broken startup application: If the black screen happens when booting your computer, you may have an application set to run on startup that interferes with your display adapter.Malfunctioning hardware: Your video card, cables, monitor, display panel, or other components may be bad.
How to Fix a Black Screen in Windows 10
To fix a black screen in Windows 10, you need to narrow down why the screen is black and then fix the root cause. Many of these issues are pretty easy to fix without specialized tools or knowledge, but some are more complicated. The following troubleshooting steps progress from easiest to most difficult, so you can start at the top and perform each step until your black screen is fixed or you reach a procedure that you aren’t comfortable with.
What About Black Screen During Windows 10 Installation?
During the installation process for Windows 10, it’s normal for the screen to appear black from time to time. Even though the installation process is still running in the background, it may appear black for a while. Under normal circumstances, this shouldn’t take more than a couple of hours with modern hardware. You may also test the existing outlet by plugging another device to it or try a different power outlet. Press CTRL + ALT + DEL on your keyboard. Click or tap the power icon in the bottom right corner of the screen. Click Restart. If the display works in the Recovery Environment and Safe Mode, use Safe Mode to disable startup items and services until you determine which one is at fault. There may be a problem if you still see a black screen during Windows installation after about six hours of no noticeable activity. At this point, you can try powering down your computer by pressing and holding the power button. Once it has shut down, unplug the power cable, or remove the battery if you’re using a laptop. With the computer fully powered down and unplugged, try removing all the peripherals. If possible, remove everything but one monitor, the mouse, and the keyboard, since you’ll need these items to complete the installation. Then with everything disconnected, plug the computer back in and turn it on. Windows 10 should resume the installation process or roll back to the previous version of Windows. In both cases, attempt to complete the installation with all peripherals disconnected and only hook them back up after the installation has finished.
