If you’re experiencing a black screen after updating to Windows 10, there are a few things you can do to fix it. Here are three tips:
- Reset your computer. This will clear out any old data and start fresh, which should fix the issue.
- Check your graphics card. If it’s not working properly, it may be due to a conflict with Windows 10 or your graphics card itself. To check for this, open Device Manager and look for the device called “Graphics Card” under “Hardware”. If it’s not listed, then your graphics card may be in good condition but Windows 10 is causing problems with it.
- Try another graphics card if that doesn’t work or if the problem persists after resetting and/or checking your graphics card: Sometimes when one of these steps doesn’t work, another solution may be needed - like buying a new graphics card or upgrading to a newer version of Windows 10!
If your Windows 10 PC reboots to a black screen, just press Ctrl+Alt+Del on your keyboard. Windows 10’s normal Ctrl+Alt+Del screen will appear. Click the power button at the bottom-right corner of your screen and select “Restart” to restart your PC.
According to Microsoft’s support document, this will solve your problem. Your computer will restart normally with no more black screen.
It’s unclear what caused this problem—just another issue with a Windows 10 update. But it’s a good reminder that Ctrl+Alt+Del can get your PC out of all sorts of strange states. Ctrl+Alt+Del is good for more than just opening a Task Manager.
If this solution doesn’t help fix a PC with a black screen, here are some other potential solutions:
Use the Win+Ctrl+Shift+B hotkey combination to restart your PC’s graphics drivers. This may fix some problems. Forcibly shut down your PC—you’ll lose all work if you do this, but sometimes it’s your only option. To do this, press and hold your PC’s physical power button until it shuts down. Wait a few seconds and then press the power button to turn it back in. Make sure your keyboard and mouse are connected to your PC and have battery power—seriously! Your PC may just show a black screen if it turns down the display for power-saving mode. There’s a chance your keyboard is unplugged or your mouse lost battery power and your PC can’t receive the input.
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