How to fix the dreaded black screen of death on Windows

by Edward Harper January 28, 2024

While Windows users are familiar with the infamous Blue Screen of Death, there's a more serious affliction that can be way harder to diagnose and fix — the dreaded Black Screen of Death. To be clear, I'm referring to the black screen that appears after the Windows boot animation has concluded, and you're waiting to see your beloved desktop. However, it never appears. Instead, you're greeted with an empty blackness, with or without your cursor.

This black screen behavior can be caused by a multitude of factors — from corrupted system files and new Windows updates to malware infection and outdated drivers. That's why it can be so hard to pinpoint the exact reason. But, if you run through the following sequence of fixes, moving from the simplest and lowest-maintenance to the most difficult and invasive, you just might manage to revert Windows to its happy state.

1. Restart your computer and the display driver

Yes, turn it off and turn it back on

The backlit keyboard on the HP Chromebook Plus x360 Laptop 14ct, showing the power button on the left© Provided by XDA Developers

Starting with the simplest (and most optimistic) fix, simply restart your PC. In most cases, you'll have to hold down the power button, or the reset button on your PC case, to reboot your system. In the case of a weird, unexplained glitch, a restart might fix the issue, although it's unlikely. The black screen doesn't usually go away that easily.

Next, on the black screen, you can try restarting your display driver by pressing Windows+Ctrl+Shift+B. This method can sometimes bring your display back to life by kick-starting your GPU driver, but to be honest, this has never worked for me. Try it, though, before moving on to the fixes below.

2. Use Startup Repair

Windows Troubleshooter's distant cousin

In cases where Windows fails to start normally or throws up the scary black screen, Startup Repair can sometimes help. In fact, there's a fair chance that it might automatically fix whatever is causing the black screen. To try this method, you'll have to boot into the Windows Recovery Environment (RE).

Restart your PC and before the Windows boot animation completes, turn it off by holding down the power button. Do this about 3 times until Windows automatically boots into the Advanced Startup screen.
On the blue screen (not to worry), select Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Repair.

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Windows will try to resolve the underlying issue behind the black screen and restart at the end of its troubleshooting. If the black screen still persists, proceed to the next fix.

3. Perform a System Restore

Can't hurt to try it

System Restore is often derided by the community for being basically pointless. But, desperate times call for desperate measures. It doesn't hurt to try every method at your disposal, especially when it's automated.

Boot into the Advanced Startup screen as shown in fix #2.
Select Troubleshoot > Advanced options > System Restore.
You should see a list of restore points on the next screen. Choose one that seems right and start the process.
If System Restore successfully rolls back your system, check whether the black screen is gone. If it's still there, go on to the next fix below.
If the rollback doesn't succeed, or if there are no restore points available, the next step is the same: move on the next fix.

4. Fix bad disk sectors with CHKDSK

The CHKDSK utility can fix damaged boot files

Damaged sectors on your disk associated with the boot files can lie behind the black screen error. If Windows can't access the boot files, you're likely to get stuck with a failed boot, triggering the black screen. To use CHKDSK:

On the Advanced Startup screen, select Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Command Prompt.
Type the following command to begin a disk check: chkdsk C: /f /r /x
Replace "C" with the drive letter containing your Windows installation. CHKDSK can often fix minor issues with your disk, but in a case of serious damage, this method will not work.

5. Fix corrupted system files with SFC and DISM

Bring those corrupted OS files back to life

Corrupted Windows files are one of the most common causes behind the unnerving black screen. By using built-in tools like SFC and DISM, you can fix some common issues with your system files and get rid of the black screen for good.

On the Advanced Startup screen again, select Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Command Prompt.
Use the following command to run the SFC scan: sfc /scannow.
Once the scan is finished, you'll see a message indicating whether the scan fixed any errors. If errors were fixed, restart your computer and try to boot normally.
If the black screen persists, go back to the Recovery Environment and run the following command in the Command Prompt tool: DISM /Image C:\ /Cleanup-Image /Scanhealth
Next, run the following command: DISM /Image C:\ /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth

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DISM is used to fix more serious issues with your existing Windows image. If you still experience the black screen, move on to the next fix.

6. Rebuild the BCD file

Your boot record might be damaged

Your Windows drive has a Master Boot Record (MBR) containing the Boot Configuration Data (BCD) file, which stores all the necessary data to ensure a proper boot every time you start your PC. Damage to these files can cause a black screen error. Thankfully, you can fix these issues by using the Command Prompt.

Similar to the other fixes above, access the Command Prompt on the Advanced Startup screen.
Run the following commands, one after another:
- bootrec /scanos
- bootrec /fixmbr
- bootrec /fixboot
- bootrec /rebuildbcd
Restart your computer after successfully running these commands, and check whether the black screen error still persists.

7. Run a malware scan

Catch and destroy any malware infections

If your system has been infected with malware, causing a black screen error, you'll have to run a malware scan by creating a bootable USB. The bootable version of the malware program will remove any viruses infecting your system files without (hopefully) deleting any files.

On another computer, download Kaspersky Rescue Disk and use Rufus to create a bootable USB with the downloaded ISO file.
Select the USB drive and the ISO file after launching Rufus, and wait for the process to finish.
Restart your computer and enter the BIOS/UEFI to select the USB drive as the primary boot option.
Your system will now boot using the USB drive. Follow the on-screen instructions to scan your Windows drive for viruses.
Once the scan is finished, follow the recommended actions as displayed on the screen and then restart your computer. Check whether the malware scan managed to resolve the black screen.

8. Uninstall recent Windows updates

You can never rule out Windows updates

A recent Windows update could also be the cause of a sudden black screen. Fortunately, you can uninstall Windows updates from the Advanced Startup screen and hope that this brings Windows back to life.

On the Advanced Startup screen, select Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Uninstall Updates.
Select Uninstall latest quality update or Uninstall latest feature update. You can start with one of the options and then come back to the other one if the black screen remains.
Click Uninstall quality update or Uninstall feature update, as relevant. When the process is finished, restart and check again for the black screen.

9. Update drivers and uninstall programs in Safe Mode

Third-party programs and certain drivers can be the culprit

It's less than likely, but certain driver updates and third-party program installations can sometimes trigger a black screen in Windows. You can boot into Safe Mode to figure out which one is the root cause, and then remove it to resolve the issue.

On the Advanced Startup screen, select Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Settings.
Click Restart. On the next screen, press 4 or F4 to restart your PC in Safe Mode.

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If you're able to boot to the desktop successfully, right-click the Windows button, and then click Apps & features.
Sort the programs by date, and uninstall the most recent one.
Restart normally and check whether the black screen is gone. If not, repeat the process for the other programs (one by one) until the issue is resolved.
If uninstalling all the recently installed programs fails to resolve the issue, boot into Safe Mode again, and update your drivers for your GPU and other devices and peripherals.
Reboot and see whether this did the trick.

10. Restore BIOS/UEFI defaults

Worth a shot

If none of these methods gets rid of your black screen issue, you can try reverting your BIOS/UEFI to the default settings. This process can get rid of some misconfigured settings that could prevent your PC from booting normally. If you've made some changes to the BIOS/UEFI recently, this method might be worth trying.

Restart your computer and enter the BIOS/UEFI as shown in fix #7.
Look for Load Optimized Defaults or something similar that indicates reverting to default settings. The wording might vary, depending on your motherboard manufacturer.
Select the applicable option to revert to the default settings, press F10 to save the changes, and restart your computer.
Boot normally and check whether the issue still persists.

11. Restore Windows with a system image

Let's hope you have one of these

At this point, it's probably safe to conclude that your Windows installation has serious damage. Restoring to a previous working copy of Windows is probably the only remaining option outside of completely resetting the PC. You can do this with a backup system image if you created one sometime in the past. Windows has a built-in system imaging utility to help create system images on another disk or drive. Tools like Macrium Reflect can also be used to image your OS partition and store it on a secondary drive in anticipation of a gloomy day like this one.

On the Advanced Startup screen, select Troubleshoot > Advanced options > System Image Recovery. If you don't see that option, click See more recovery options to find it.
Once you've connected the external drive containing your system image, click Select a system image, and follow the on-screen instructions to select the image you want to restore to.

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This process will completely format all the existing partitions on your target disk. Click Next, click Finish, and then click Yes to confirm.
The process will take some time and replicate the exact layout and data of your system image on your target drive. Restart your computer once the process is finished.
There's virtually no chance that this process won't work. Being one of the last resorts, it completely rewrites your previous Windows installations, removing any underlying software issues that are causing the black screen.

12. Reset the PC

The final "last resort"

Resetting Windows reverts you to factory settings, thereby resolving the error. This method is different from restoring to a system image, as the latter lets you use a replica of an older working copy of Windows. By resetting your PC, on the other hand, you lose your settings, apps, layout, and everything else, and need to start afresh. Note that you don't lose your files, as it's possible to back them up during the process. Proceed with this method only if none of the other methods worked for you.

On the Advanced Startup screen, select Troubleshoot > Reset this PC.
Choose Keep my files to retain your files or Remove everything to delete all your personal files in addition to the apps and settings.

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On the next screen, click Reset to begin the process.
Your computer will restart, and you'll be able to boot to the desktop normally.

Corrupted Windows and possible hardware failure

Once you've successfully reverted Windows to a working state, you might be interested in preventing the issue from happening again. While Windows corruption can happen to anyone without warning, this problem frequently indicates a failing hard drive or SSD. Check your drive for hardware errors and try replacing it with a new one. We also recommend that you back up your PC to avoid any data loss in such worst-case scenarios.

How to fix the dreaded black screen of death on Windows