My Windows device has a blue, black, or blank screen

  • Updated

Are you having problems starting up your Windows device — seeing a blue, black or blank screen?

Troubleshoot blue screen errors

A blue screen error (also called a stop error) can occur if there's something (an app, program or update) that is causing your device to shut down or restart unexpectedly. If so, you may see a blue screen with a message that your device ran into a problem and needs to restart.

I got a blue screen error after an update was installed

Some blue screen errors might occur after a specific update is installed on your device. If you get a blue screen error after an update, try fixing the error by uninstalling recent updates. 

To do this, you'll need to start up your Windows device in safe mode. Safe mode starts Windows in a basic state, using a limited set of files and drivers and allows you to perform troubleshooting steps.

Before you enter safe mode, you need to enter the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE):

    1. Hold down the power button for 10 seconds to turn off your device.

    2. Press the power button again to turn on your device.

    3. On soon as you see there is something on the screen, hold down the power button for 10 seconds to turn off your device.

    4. Press the power button again to turn on your device.

    5. When Windows restarts, hold down the power button for 10 seconds to turn off your device.

    6. Press the power button again to turn on your device.

    7. Allow your device to fully restart to enter WinRE.

Now that you're in WinRE, follow the steps below to start your Windows device in safe mode.

Starting in safe mode

Note: If you’ve encrypted your device, you’ll need your BitLocker key to start in safe mode.

    1. On the Choose an option screen, select Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Settings > Restart.

      Choose an option screen in the Windows Recovery Environment.

      Troubleshoot screen in the Windows Recovery Environment.

      Advanced options screen in the Windows Recovery Environment.

      Startup Settings screen in the Windows Recovery Environment.

    2. After your device restarts, you'll see a list of options. The preferred option is to select 5 or press F5 for Safe Mode with Networking.

Once your device is in safe mode, follow these steps to uninstall recent updates in the Control Panel:

    1. In the search box on the taskbar, type 'control panel' and then select it.

    2. Select Uninstall a program under Programs.

    3. On the left, select View installed updates and then select Installed On to sort the most recent updates.

    4. Right-click the update you want to uninstall and then select Yes to confirm (some updates can't be uninstalled).

    5. Select Restart Now to completely uninstall the update.

If you need to exit safe mode:

    1. Press the Windows key + R.

    2. In the Open box, type msconfig, and then select OK.

    3. Select the Boot tab.

    4. Under Boot options, clear the Safe boot check box.

If you need more info or help with updates, see the Windows Update FAQ.

I got a blue screen error while using my device

It's not always obvious what may have caused a blue screen error while you're using your device, it may be that you're using new hardware or third-party software that isn't compatible with your Windows device. Use the following troubleshooting steps in order to try and fix your blue screen error.

Uninstall third-party software 

Some third-party antivirus software has been known to cause blue screen errors. You can temporarily uninstall this software to determine if it is causing your issue, and then reinstall the software after your device is back up and running.

To do this, you'll need to sign in to Windows using safe mode. Before you enter safe mode, you need to enter the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE).

Now that you're in WinRE, proceed to safe mode. Follow these instructions to start up your Windows device in safe mode.

    1. Once your device is in safe mode, select the Start button, then select Settings > System > Apps & features.

    2. Select Sort by name and change it to Sort by install date.

    3. Select the third-party software you want to remove, and then select Uninstall.

    4. After you uninstall the third-party software, restart your device.

If you need to exit safe mode, here's how:

    1. Press the Windows key + R.

    2. In the Open box, type 'msconfig', and then select OK.

    3. Select the Boot tab.

    4. Under Boot options, clear the Safe boot check box.

If you're still seeing a blue screen error, try rolling back, disabling, or uninstalling the recently installed drivers.

Rollback, disable, or uninstall drivers

If you recently installed new drivers, you can rollback, disable, or uninstall them to determine if that's what's causing your issue. 

First, make sure your device is in safe mode, and then use Device Manager to either rollback, disable, or uninstall drivers. You must have administrator privileges to rollback, disable, or uninstall a device or driver package by using Device Manager.

Rollback third-party drivers 

            1. In the search box on the taskbar, type 'device manager' and then select it.

            2. In Device Manager, expand the device that has the driver you want to rollback, right-click the driver under the device, and then select Properties.

            3. Select the Driver tab, and then select Roll Back Driver > Yes.

Disable third-party drivers

        1. In Device Manager, expand the device that has the driver you want to disable, right-click the driver under the device, and then select Properties.

        2. Select the Driver tab, and then select Disable device > Yes.

Uninstall third-party drivers

        1. In Device Manager, expand the device that has the driver you want to uninstall, right-click the driver under the device, and then select Properties.

            • You may need to select Delete the driver software for this device in the Confirm Device Removal box, and then select Uninstall > OK.

            • With some devices, you may have to restart your device to complete the uninstall process. Select the Driver tab, and then select Uninstall > OK.


If troubleshooting the drivers still doesn't work, try unplugging your external USB devices.


Unplug external USB devices

Sometimes, your device’s external devices (devices plugged into your device's USB ports) can be the cause of a blue screen error. Unplug any external storage devices and drives, docks, and other hardware plugged into your device that isn’t needed for basic functionality, and then restart your device.


Troubleshoot black or blank screen errors

Here are a few things that can cause a black or blank screen: 

  • Connection problems with your monitor or screen

  • Display brightness is all the way down

  • Display adapter driver update issues

  • Issues with recent system updates or installations

Let's go through some troubleshooting steps and check your hardware and software. You'll use safe mode for many of the steps. To learn how to start your Windows device in safe mode, read the instructions above.

I see a black or blank screen after signing in to Windows 10

If you reached the sign in screen but then the screen went black, try the following actions in order.

Action 1: Try a Windows Key sequence to wake the screen.

If you're using a device with a keyboard connected to it, select Windows key+ Ctrl + Shift + B. If you’re in tablet mode, press the volume-up and volume-down buttons simultaneously three times within two seconds. If Windows is responsive, you'll hear a short beep and the screen will blink or dim while Windows refreshes the screen.

If you’re still seeing a black or blank screen, try Action 2.


Action 2: Try opening the Task Manager to restart Windows Explorer

If there's content or a cursor on the black or blank screen, try to restart the Windows Explorer process. 

To open Task Manager and restart Windows Explorer:

          1. Select Ctrl + Alt + Delete, then select Task Manager. (Note: If you don’t see Task Manager after selecting Ctrl + Alt + Delete, select Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager).

          2. Under the Processes tab, search for 'windows explorer'. Right-click Windows Explorer, then select Restart.

          3. If this doesn’t work, select File in the top-left corner of Task Manager and select Run new task. Type 'explorer.exe', then select OK.

If you’re still seeing a black or blank screen, try Action 3.


Action 3: Roll back the display adapter driver

The display adapter is also known as the graphics card. If you see a black or blank screen after an update and Windows was operating correctly before that, it's possible the display adapter driver is causing the screen issue.

To roll back the display adapter driver:

          1. Start up your Windows device in safe mode

          2. Type 'device manager' in the search box on the taskbar and select it from the results.

          3. Find Display adapters, select the arrow to expand it, then right-click the item under it and select Properties.

          4. Select the Driver tab, then select Roll Back Driver > Yes.

          5. Shut down your device, then turn your device back on.

If you’re still seeing a black or blank screen, try Action 4.


Action 4: Uninstall your display adapter driver

Driver updates for Windows 10 and many devices (such as network adapters, monitors, printers, and graphic cards) are automatically installed when you update Windows 10. It's likely you already have the most recent driver, but if you're seeing a black or blank screen, try uninstalling the driver to find out if it's causing the issue with your screen.

To uninstall the display adapter driver:

          1. Start up your Windows device in safe mode. This is necessary before you uninstall your display adapter driver.

          2. In the search box on the taskbar, type 'device manager' and select it.

          3. Find Display adapters, select the arrow to expand it, then right-click the item under it and select Properties.

          4. Select the Driver tab, then select Uninstall Device.

          5. Select OK.

          6. Shut down your device, then turn it back on.

If you’re still seeing a black or blank screen, try Action 5.


Action 5: Remove third-party antivirus software

Sometimes a third-party antivirus software can cause a black or blank screen. You can temporarily uninstall third-party antivirus software to determine if it's causing the screen issue, then reinstall it after your device is back up and running. Your device will still be secure because it will have Windows Defender Antivirus by default. Click here to learn more about Windows Security. 

To remove third-party antivirus software:

          1. Start up your Windows device in safe mode before removing third-party antivirus software.

          2. After your device is in safe mode, select Start > Settings > Apps (or System in older versions) > Apps & features.

          3. Under Sort by, select Name and change it to Install date.

          4. Select the third-party antivirus software you want to remove, then select Uninstall.

          5. Restart your device.

If you’re still seeing a black or blank screen, try Action 6.


Action 6: Use System Restore

Use System Restore to restore Windows back to an earlier point in time, called a restore point. System Restore doesn’t change your personal files, but it might remove recently installed apps and drivers. Restore points are created manually, or when you install a new app, driver, or update. To learn how to use System Restore, see the section called "Restore from a system restore point" in Recovery options in Windows 10.

If you’re still seeing a black or blank screen, try Action 7.


Action 7: Uninstall recent updates

If you've recently installed an update, you can uninstall the update and see if that resolves the screen issue. 

To uninstall recent updates:

          1. Start up your Windows device in safe mode.

          2. Select Start>Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update (then Advanced options for older versions) > View update history > Uninstall updates.
            View your update history

          3. Select the update you want to remove, then select Uninstall. Note that some updates are required and can't be uninstalled.

If you’re still seeing a black or blank screen, try Action 8.


Action 8: Perform a clean boot

When you use a normal startup process for Windows, several applications and services start automatically and run in the background. This includes basic system processes, antivirus software, system utility applications, and other installed software. Sometimes a background program can cause screen issues, but a clean boot starts Windows with a minimal set of drivers and startup programs so you can troubleshoot software compatibility issues.

To test software compatibility:

          1. Perform a clean boot in Windows.

          2. Check the screens. If they're fine while your device is in a clean boot environment, follow the steps in How to perform a clean boot in Windows — you'll need to scroll to the section called "How to determine what is causing the problem after you do a clean boot."

          3. When you finish troubleshooting, follow the steps in the section called ”Reset the computer to start normally” in How to perform a clean boot in Windows.

I see rotating dots on a black screen after restarting my device

If you restarted your device and now you see rotating dots on a screen that's black or another color, don't worry. That often means the updates are finalizing. In this case, all there is to do is wait.

However, if these dots remain on the screen for too long after an update, you may have incompatible or mismatched graphics cards or drivers. Try the following actions in order.

Action 1: Restart your device

If the indicator light on your hard drive is off, which means there's no hard drive activity, restart your device.

If the restart doesn’t work, try Action 2.

 

Action 2: Unplug external USB devices

Sometimes, your device’s external devices (devices plugged into your device's USB ports) can be the cause of a blue screen errors. Unplug any external storage devices and drives, docks, and other hardware plugged into your device that isn’t needed for basic functionality, and then restart your device.

If this doesn’t work, try Action 3.

 

Action 3: Learn more about how to troubleshoot Windows update issues

You can find more help with Windows Update errors and other issues in the following articles:

Need more help?

Feel free to get in touch with us here.

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