Fix a Black Screen on Windows 11
A black screen on Windows 11 comes in two forms: before sign-in and after. Here is how to wake the display, restart Explorer, and boot Safe Mode to fix it.
A black screen on Windows 11 is usually a display or Explorer problem, not a dead PC. What you do next depends on when it happens: a black screen before the sign-in screen points at boot or drivers, while a black screen with a movable cursor after sign-in usually means the desktop process stalled.
First, try to wake the display
Press Win+Ctrl+Shift+B. This resets the graphics stack — the screen blinks and beeps, and often returns without losing your work. If you use more than one display or a dock, cycle outputs with Win+P and pick PC screen only, then Duplicate. Unplug extra monitors, docks, and nonessential USB devices, since a confused second output can leave the main panel dark.
Restart the desktop when the cursor still moves
If you can see only the mouse pointer, restart Explorer. Press Ctrl+Alt+Del and open Task Manager, or press Ctrl+Shift+Esc directly. Under Processes, right-click Windows Explorer and choose Restart. If it is not listed, choose File, Run new task, type explorer.exe, and press Enter. The taskbar and icons should reappear within a few seconds.
| When the screen goes black | What it usually means | Try first |
|---|---|---|
| Before the sign-in screen | Boot, GPU driver, or output | Win+P, unplug extras, Safe Mode |
| After sign-in, cursor moves | Explorer or desktop stalled | Restart Windows Explorer |
| Right after a driver or update | Bad GPU driver or patch | Roll back in Safe Mode |
Boot into Safe Mode when you cannot see
If the screen is black before sign-in, force a shutdown by holding the power button, then power on — repeat three times. Windows opens the recovery environment. Go to Advanced options, Troubleshoot, Advanced options, Startup Settings, Restart, then press 4 for Safe Mode or 5 for Safe Mode with Networking. The full walkthrough of Safe Mode on Windows 11 covers each screen in order.
Fix the cause in Safe Mode
Most black screens after an update trace to the graphics driver. In Safe Mode, open Device Manager, expand Display adapters, open your GPU, and use Roll Back Driver; if that is greyed out, uninstall the device and reinstall the current driver. A recent Windows update can be removed from the recovery environment under Uninstall Updates. If a second display was the trigger, a monitor Windows will not detect and a driver that will not install have their own fixes.
Work from the simplest step outward: wake the display, then restart Explorer, then Safe Mode. If the screen stays black with no cursor and no recovery environment after several tries, the problem is more likely hardware — a cable, the panel, or the GPU — than Windows itself.