Sometimes when turning on the computer, users encounter an unpleasant phenomenon: instead of loading the operating system, the black screen, which prompts you to select one of the additional options Windows boot xp, 7, 8, 10.
The black screen is sure sign system problems that can negatively affect the safety of information and the operation of the computer. But there is no need to panic and reinstall the system. You can solve this problem yourself, spending a minimum of time and money. In this article, we will figure out what causes a black screen and how to get rid of it.
Possible causes of a black screen appearing during Windows startup
The main reason that causes a black screen is that the computer is not turned off properly. Some users simply unplug the cord after work, which is absolutely not allowed. After this, various software errors and problems that cause a black screen to appear the next time you turn on the computer.
Although the user may not be at fault. For example, if there is a sudden power outage and the unit uninterruptible power supply is missing, the personal computer simply will not be able to shut down correctly. And the next time you turn it on, it will definitely result in a black screen.
Presence of viruses on the computer
Malicious software often causes system errors, to the point that the computer refuses to boot in normal mode. Therefore, it is recommended to regularly check for viruses using proven ones. Also, you should not run unknown files from the Internet, which may contain a worm or Trojan.
Bad contacts
The personal computer can turn on as usual, notifying the user with a beep from the system unit, but the monitor does not show any signs of operation. In such a situation, it is advisable to check the functionality of the monitor.
First you need to make sure that the monitor cable is connected to the system unit. If the computer was moved to another room the day before, the connector contacts could simply come off. You also need to check the cable for damage. In some places it can bend during use and break inside.
Then you need to turn on the monitor separately from the PC. If it displays a message about no signal, then the problem is completely different. We need to move on, going through the probable causes of the black screen.
System failure
A black screen often indicates a system failure. In this case, the user is given several options to boot the operating system. To call up the selection menu, you need to press the F8 key immediately after turning on the computer. Then select " safe mode" using the arrows and press " Enter» to confirm.
It is “safe mode” that helps the user out in cases where the computer is infected with malware and cannot boot correctly. By selecting this mode, you will be able to enter the operating system and troubleshoot various problems.
Interestingly, “safe mode” has several options:
- First on the list " safe mode"implies the launch of the minimum number of services and applications necessary for the operation of the operating system without network access.
- « Safe mode with loading network drivers " comes second on the list. Unlike the previous one, it allows the user to freely access the Internet.
- Third on the list " safe mode with command line support» to manage the operating system. This item is usually selected by network administrators.
If "safe mode" allowed you to boot and the desktop was displayed on the monitor, then the black screen problem was caused by software glitch. It is possible that software with errors was recently installed on your computer, causing the black screen to appear. It is recommended to simply remove such a program or driver.
Another useful feature of “safe mode” is scanning your computer. It allows you to find malicious program codes as among installed applications, and in the system registry.
Missing items on the desktop
Sometimes, after successfully removing virus programs, the black screen stops appearing, but another problem arises that characterizes the empty desktop. After loading the operating system, neither shortcuts nor the Start menu are displayed. But even this problem can be easily fixed if you strictly follow the instructions below.
- 1. First you need to press the key combination “ Ctrl + Shift + Esc» to open the task manager.
- 2. Then, in the task manager, go to the first “applications” tab at the top. Next, you need to click on the “ new task" A small window will appear. For windows 10, you need to click " File» and select "Start a new task"«.
- 3. Now all that remains is to enter the command “ regedit" and press " OK“to get into the operating system registry.
When the registry window opens, you need to go to the following path:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SOFTWARE/Microsoft/WindowsNT/CurrentVersion/Winlogn (in windows 20 - Winlogon)/
There is a "Shell" parameter in the directory. The only value that guarantees stable operation of the system is “explorer.exe”. If the value is different from the above or is missing at all, it must be changed to the correct one. After completing the steps, the computer will successfully display shortcuts on the desktop and open the Start menu.
Task Manager and other functions are blocked
Some malware are capable of blocking the task manager and the user cannot open it. Also, “safe mode” does not start. This problem has an interesting solution - opening the system recovery partition. You can use the Sticky Keys feature to do this.
- To display the “Sticky Keys” window, just press the “Shift” key five times in a row at short intervals. In the window that opens, click on the button “ Yes" located at the bottom to get to the accessibility center.
- The Ease of Access Center has a search bar. You need to enter the query “ Task Manager» and press search.
- Next you need to follow the link “ system" to get into your computer settings.
- In the left column there is a “system protection” option that you need to select and click on.
All that remains is to select a system restore point. After this, the task manager will work.
Problems with video adapter or drivers
The black screen can also be caused by incorrect drivers responsible for processing video images. Various anomalies appear on the monitor or it refuses to work at all. The solution to the problem is complete reinstallation video adapter control programs (drivers) and checking the functionality of the adapter itself.
Windows is not licensed
If a pirated copy of the operating system is installed on your personal computer, then after downloading updates and connecting to the server, a black screen is likely to appear, with a corresponding notification displayed in the corner. You just need to purchase a license or reinstall Windows.
Presence of mechanical damage to PC components
If the above methods for eliminating the black screen did not help, then the problem lies in system unit. Some electronic components fail, preventing images from being displayed on the monitor. It is necessary to carefully inspect all internal parts to determine the nature of the malfunction.
First of all, the wires are subject to visual inspection. They must be intact and without damage to the braid. It is also important to make sure that the ports and various connectors are in good condition. For some users, dirt gets into the connectors, especially if you do not monitor the condition of the computer for a long time. In turn, dirt causes a lack of contact.
Before troubleshooting, be sure to turn off the power to the computer and carefully unscrew the cover of the system unit. Then study appearance parts on the motherboard and video card. If they are covered with a thick layer of dust, you should carefully remove the dirt. Before this procedure, it is recommended to read the special instructions.
Next, you should check the safety of the wires and cables connecting the various elements of the computer. The surface of the cables must be free of flaws and other damage. You need to make sure that they are connected without tension.
Quite rarely, the cause of a black screen lies in the failure of RAM modules. To verify this assumption, you need to remove all modules and check their serviceability. After thoroughly cleaning the contacts of the strips, everything should work. It is also recommended to check the CMOS battery installed on the motherboard and replace it if necessary.
The steps described above will certainly help you determine the cause of the black screen and fix it without the help of a service center employee.
After all, most often a black screen occurs after incorrect installation of drivers and an operating system failure. In these cases, it is enough to remove viruses or reinstall the applications responsible for the video adapter. If the screen does not work at all, then the reason lies in technical problems associated with the inoperability of any computer component.
For example, if during an inspection of the motherboard serious problems are discovered (swollen capacitors, loose tracks or broken cables), then it would be appropriate to contact the specialists of a repair shop. It is not recommended to fix these problems yourself, since the average user does not have the necessary tools and skills.
Thus, the reasons for a black screen can be very diverse. In our practice, we encountered two interesting cases when clients brought their personal computers for repair.
The main difficulty in repairing an unfamiliar computer is not knowing how the owner handled it. For example, one housewife decorated the system unit with refrigerator magnets, as a result of which some internal components have fallen into disrepair.
Of course, the cases described cannot always help to understand the causes of the breakdown. But they clearly show that even a small thing can seriously disrupt the performance of such a complex device as a personal computer. In most cases, the culprit of the malfunction was dirt particles that got onto the board tracks and inside the video card. Which subsequently caused a black screen to appear when the computer was turned on.
In the described cases, by dirt particles we mean ordinary dust contained in the air. Over time, it accumulates inside the PC and interferes with its normal functioning. Foreign particles can be removed with a cloth soaked in alcohol or a miniature vacuum cleaner. Then turn on the PC and make sure the cleaning result is positive.
A manufacturing defect that occurred during the manufacture of any computer component can also cause a black screen. We came across several dozen video cards intended for installation in terminal clients. Testing has shown that most video cards are not functional. After a detailed visual inspection, our specialists discovered that the board has a small plaque of unknown origin in the corner.
You can clearly see some foreign substance adhering directly to the board tracks. Our specialists decided that this could be the problem with the malfunction, so it was decided to repeat the cleaning steps. It is likely that this substance prevents the PC from loading normally.
For cleaning, a cloth soaked in an alcohol solution was used. All paths were carefully wiped clean from strange deposits. A small difficulty in cleaning was the small protruding parts - it was important not to damage them.
After installing the video cards into personal computers, everything worked as usual. This case shows that many problems have a simple and effective solution that can be carried out in a short time and without significant expenditure of money.
Conclusion
The article discussed the most common causes of a black screen on personal computers. Many of them can be solved independently, without the help of specialists. In particular, this is an incorrect shutdown of the computer, which caused incorrect loading, as well as infection of the system with viruses. It is enough to boot into “safe mode” and solve the black screen problem.
Especially for this purpose, we have listed all possible actions designed to clean up malicious software. software. You just need to carefully read the above instructions and follow the instructions exactly. In cases of difficulties, it is recommended to contact a specialized computer forum and discuss the problem with experienced users knowledgeable in this matter.
However, if a black screen occurs due to internal problems with the computer (faulty parts, damaged tracks or mechanical impact), then it is better to take the system unit to a workshop and get qualified help. The technician will carry out a comprehensive diagnosis of the motherboard and fix the problems. If the computer is under warranty, then you can use this service for free.
Black screen when booting XP occurs when the computer is turned on, the system unit emits constant signals, and the monitor screen remains black. Or there are no signals at all and your system unit does not show any signs of life; there can be quite a few reasons for this.
- Friends, time does not stand still and the article that you have been reading now for more than a year has recently been published new article, which describes in more detail the reasons for this problem -.
This option, the computer turned on normally, one short signal sounded telling us that the POST procedure “self-test when turning on the computer power” was completed normally, your computer, when turned on, seemed to check itself for functionality, that is, the computer turned on normally by all indications, and the monitor screen is black. In most such cases, the malfunction is associated with the monitor, failure of the video signal generation and processing board. We cannot fix this problem ourselves. But let's look at problems that are also common and we can fix them ourselves.
Black screen when booting XP
As trivial as it sounds, first of all you need to check whether your computer is turned on, whether electricity is supplied, what is the condition of the surge protector, and whether the sockets are working properly.
Look at how the monitor is connected to the system unit; if the power indicator on the monitor periodically lights up, but the screen remains black, check the connection of the VGA or DVI cable, whether they are connected correctly and whether they are seated tightly enough.
Let's consider another option: when turned on, the system unit starts, but there is no signal that the POST procedure has been completed, the screen is black, the system unit is working, in this case the RAM is almost always to blame, or the CMOS battery is dead, or less often the video card.
Let's try to remove the RAM modules and look at the contacts, they may oxidize, then they need to be cleaned with a rubber band and put back in place, try swapping the RAM modules, maybe there are free connectors for RAM on the motherboard, try using them, don't be lazy, replace the battery CMOS on the motherboard may help.
In the photo you can see that the DVI cable is not screwed and does not sit tightly in place.
Another thing is if the system unit emits constant signals when you turn on the computer, then you can use them to determine which device has failed in your system unit. For example, a video card malfunction will correspond to one signal, a RAM malfunction to another, a third to the processor, and so on; the decoding of BIOS sound signals is described in our article.
If the computer fails to start, we will try to determine the malfunction by relying on BIOS sound signals, and what can be done when the computer does not boot and does not display a certain sound signal, there is no image on the screen.
- The first thing to do is completely turn off the computer and leave it alone for a while.
- Second, make sure correct connection all connectors and devices.
- With the power off, open the case and see if the video card and RAM modules are tightly inserted into the corresponding connectors.
- If you have previously experimented with BIOS settings, you need to reset all settings to default, our article.
- Try starting your computer with the minimum required devices if you have several hard drives, leave the one on which it is installed operating system, disconnect all kinds of expansion cards, TV tuners, and so on, disconnect the drive.
- Connect the devices one at a time and turn on the computer, this will determine the faulty component.
- Take out the RAM modules and look at the contacts, they may oxidize, rub them with a rubber band and put them in place, try swapping the RAM modules, if there are free slots for RAM on the motherboard, use them. Try pasting RAM one module at a time and try to turn on the computer, probably some module has failed.
- If you were unable to determine the malfunction, remember what actions you have recently performed on your computer, maybe the reason lies precisely in them. Know also that you cannot repair a single component in your computer on your own, and service centers they will not do this. This can only be solved by replacing faulty equipment.
- A dead CMOS battery can also cause a black screen.
- Replace the DVI or VGA monitor cable
The PCI Express video card must be tightly seated in its slot.
Read, How to fix Windows 10 black screen problem. Possible causes and solutions. If you are facing the black screen issue in Windows 10, 8 or 7, then there are 2 different scenarios that will help you determine the cause of the error and fix the problem.
In the first case, you can log into your computer, but do not receive any image on the screen after logging into the system. In the second case, you cannot even log into the computer. The article will tell you how to fix the black screen error after logging into Windows and booting the system. We will consider options both with and without the mouse cursor.
Content:Disabling external devices
To resolve the problem, disconnect all external devices and restart your computer. This primarily applies to devices such as a second monitor, projector or TV. If your computer or laptop displays the boot process, it means one of external devices was causing the problem. If the error disappears, then connect external devices one at a time until you get a black screen again. After this, remove the last device you connected and check again that the monitor is working.
Do not use the problematic device until you receive a response to the current problem from the manufacturer.
Black screen after logging into Windows computer (no screen connected)
The first scenario we will talk about is the black screen that appears after logging in.
Force Explorer to start
- The first thing you need to do is click Ctrl + Alt + Del, this should call . If this happens, great!
- Click File – Start new task.
- Enter explorer.exe and press Enter.
Perhaps this will solve the problem.
Switch to Safe Mode
If removing external devices does not fix the problem, go to Safe Mode.
- Restart your computer.
- On the lock screen, tap on the power icon towards the bottom left of the screen.
- Holding .
- After reboot you will get additional options downloads – select Safe Mode with Command Line Support.
Perhaps instead of rebooting, you will be presented with a screen with 3 options to continue:
- Continue downloading Windows 10;
- Troubleshooting;
- Completion of work.
Then click on Troubleshooting, then on Additionally. Then click on Launch parameters and then reboot into safe mode with command line support.
After booting into safe mode:
Black screen when turning on the computer (without the ability to log in)
If the black screen appears before the login window, you will not be able to boot into Safe Mode using the method described above. To login you will need a bootable DVD disc or USB flash drive with Windows distribution. on another work computer with Windows 10.
- Connect the bootable media to your computer;
- Set boot priority from the desired media in the BIOS;
- Boot your computer.
After downloading, you can try booting in safe mode and carry out all the same steps that we discussed in the previous paragraph. For select Troubleshooting, then Extra options , then Boot Options and then reboot into safe mode with command line support.
If the problem cannot be solved, you can try resetting Windows to original state and perform a clean installation of the system.
Every third laptop owner is faced with the problem of a “black screen” upon startup. There may be a lot of reasons that cause the problem, but before contacting a computer repair service, we recommend that you perform diagnostics yourself. We will talk about this below.
Causes of malfunction
The reasons why the laptop screen does not work can be divided into several groups:
- Damage to the south or north bridge of the motherboard due to mechanical interference or overheating of the device.
- Malfunctions with central processor or video card.
- Broken cable, laptop matrix or backlight.
- The RAM malfunctioned or fell out of the connector.
- Malfunctions in the computer hardware settings.
- The battery has stopped working.
In the first three cases, repair or replacement of parts is necessary. You can try to fix the malfunctions described in the remaining paragraphs yourself.
Advice! If the laptop turns off after a long time of operation and shows no signs of life, it is likely that it has overheated. Check that nothing is blocking the air outlet, clean it from dust, and then turn it on.
Elimination
Important! Determine whether the laptop starts when you turn on the power button (you can hear the noise of coolers, the hard drive, whether the LED lights up). Your further actions depend on this.
Battery check
If the laptop shows signs of life when turned on:
- Connect it to a 220V network, check if there is voltage (look at the laptop charge indication).
- There is an indication, but the laptop does not turn on - disconnect Charger from a laptop.
- Pull out the battery as shown in the picture.
- Clean clogged contacts.
- Press and hold the power button for 20 seconds to remove any residual charge from the motherboard and laptop components.
- Connect the charger and turn on the device, check the screen operation. If it works, install the battery and check the operation again. Laptop won't turn on? We recommend replacing the battery.
Advice! The cause of the malfunction may be an unstable Windows work. If so, or troubleshoot through command line. Register sfc team/scannow
BIOS Settings
Laptop users facing black screen problems were helped by a reset method BIOS settings default. If the computer shows signs of life (the coolers are working), connect it to a monitor or do the procedure blindly:
- Turn on your device.
- After turning on, press the F10 key (enter BIOS) for 10 seconds.
- A menu will open, wait and press F9.
- Press Enter (return to original settings).
- Press F10 (exit BIOS)/
- Press Enter to save your changes, exit, and restart your computer.
Important! If the previous methods were unsuccessful or your device shows no signs of life, try another option below.
Checking RAM sticks
There is a possibility that motherboard stopped recognizing random access memory (RAM):
- Turn off the laptop and take out the charger, turn it over, unscrew the screws.
- Open the back cover.
- Carefully move the latches in different directions to remove the RAM.
- Change the connector (if several) or swap the OP.
- Insert the OP back at an angle of 45% and lightly press from above. The clamps will do all the work themselves.
- Check the connections of other devices (hard drive or SSD stick).
- Close the lid, connect the device to the network and check its operation.
Good day, we continue to fix emerging Windows OS bugs, and today we will try to solve the problem of an empty desktop after a reboot. The problem is that the black screen that appears after loading does not allow the user to log into the system. As a result, it seems to the user that only a manual restart is required. Calling Task Manager using Ctrl + Alt + Del leads to nothing. The maximum that the user discovers on the Malevich square is a “live” mouse. The error may accompany the user from download to download, which is downright annoying. And, most likely, the error lies in wait for owners of Windows 10, and most often owners of laptops, so we start from there. However, things are not simple for desktop owners either; moreover, they are deprived of some energy-saving functions, which are also worth checking. So, if you encounter a download error, check out the article.
What's the problem?
Yes, there is a sea of them, comrades. Here is a list of the most common reasons.
- The problem is often seen that you have either an integrated video controller from Intel or another discrete video card. Windows does not have time to automatically redirect the video signal to the “correct” output, out of bewilderment it switches to what it thinks is a second monitor. Yes, she sometimes thinks there are two of them. And she thinks so, partly thanks to the mentioned video card. A similar problem has already been described in an article with a similar title. Black Windows screen , but in more recent builds the emphasis of the question has shifted somewhat. If the problem appeared precisely after connecting a second monitor or TV, disconnect it.
- If you notice that a black screen appears precisely after turning off the computer, and not after a reboot, the reason for this is 100% the fast boot function coupled with a broken file hiperfi.sys. The first one is to disable, the second one is to be deleted. More about this below or in the article
- The next reason is the slow File Explorer. Probably not of their own free will, but because of the newfangled functions and applets that appeared in Windows 10. If you had known what exactly of the settings in the Start panel was slowing down, you would have discarded it at the installation stage, otherwise... I strongly recommend that you immediately read the article. And get ready - you will have to work in Safe Mode, where many functions are not fully disclosed.
- Another one possible reason – changes in boot Windows entries . Apparently, the system leaves some task for the next session, but cannot do this at the time of loading. After you turn off Windows when the black screen appears, the task is reset and the system boots as usual. Because a black screen after loading Windows most often awaits owners of a multiboot system. In my experience, the problem was successfully resolved (or delayed) after. However, as soon as the boot process returned through the Grub bootloader (the second one is Linux), the black screen problem sooner or later returned as well.
- I will continue with fiction. Who waits for how long? Believe me, in fact the black screen after loading with the cursor on the screen is 80-90% oh-oh-oh-very long system loading. On one of my computers, I waited as long as 5-6 minutes for it to fully launch. The problem sometimes goes away after installing a good optimizer and defragmenting the disk (if it has an HDD and not a solid state). If you encounter the problem again, take some time to solve it - just make sure that the system does not boot at all (an indirect signal can be the end of the boot LED blinking hard drive). But if the system still shows itself, start with autorun. I'm not talking about Window, he won't tell us anything. Take a look at the program Autoruns for Windows from Russinovich. He appears in one of the options.
Black screen after loading: trying to skip it
- Move your mouse until the cursor appears on the screen
- click Ctrl + SHIFT + WIN + B
- There may not be any visible changes on the screen, except that the mouse will be exactly in the center of the screen. However, you now just need to enter the required password if logging in account requires registration
- if nothing happens, try pressing Enter and reentering your password. The cursor will disappear from the screen for a while, which means that Windows is processing the entered registration data. Sometimes there is a wait time of several minutes before Windows fully loads. However, if nothing happens and the mouse is still there, this is not our case.
- If you still can’t log into Windows, take advantage of the opportunity to log into Safe mode or press repeatedly before loading Shift. In general, your task is to get into Windows. It is possible that you will have to turn off the computer several times again using the button.
Black screen after loading: trying to fix it
Well, try everything: there are a lot of manipulations...
- Immediate update - this bug, as far as I know, has already been patched
- In an open session, we immediately go to the power settings using:
We are looking for a button on the left What the power buttons do and by clicking on it, go to Settings. If the buttons Shutdown options are not available, click the interactive link Change settings that are currently unavailable. Disable Enable Fast Startup and save the changes:
- Now let's go to the console Windows (services.msc) and pick out one of them called Application Readiness, changing to Disabled:
- time to check Autorun. Let's launch Autoruns for Windows as administrator and check several parameters. We are interested in tabs (1) Winlogon, in which we remove extensions, if any (do not delete, just uncheck). Such extensions have many dependencies, but are easily affected by all sorts of crap:
I have a single copy of the library: the splash screen with “Welcome” in the background
(2) Everything- the most useful of the tabs, which will show everything that starts with Windows in all its sections and services: from the scheduler and startup to menu items for additional commands (those that are launched by right-clicking). See:
All autorun sections are presented here - take your time to check them out
Looking ahead, I will say that in search of a solution to this problem, I simultaneously solved a lot of other things. For example, it was this utility that showed me that my Windows scheduler just full of some tasks:
The rubbish was removed manually - the planner gave the location with a bang:
and finally, the reason for the misfortunes of many users:
the remains of the program from the Program Files folder were removed using
However. Remembering the unsolvable task before starting Windows, check one more tab of the program just in case (3) Scheduled Tasks. It turned out that Window Scheduler was hiding something from me, to put it mildly:
I think there will be a lot of unnecessary things there too. Remove them little by little and check by rebooting. I guarantee that after these manipulations, “black windows” after a reboot or turning on Windows yours will decrease.
- Further. Open Task Manager and in the list of Processes check RunOnce(if not, look in the list of services RunOnce.exe). Neither the first nor the second MUST BE running. If you see it, kill the process and stop the service by setting Manually. Rarely, but it works.
- disconnect ALL USB devices while booting
- you with Windows themes Did you perform any manipulations? used programs like UXStyle or StartIsBack? Have no doubt – your problem’s legs grow from here
- Probably either the explorer process itself is broken File Explorer, or something in its logs prevents it from starting normally. And the only solution in this case is to launch the repair utility from cmd on behalf of administrator sfc/scannow. Checking the integrity of Windows files.
- Reboot and check.
Weapon of last resort: reinstalling the video driver.
We are left with the last option. It helps often, you just have to know how to do it. Let's reinstall the video driver. Moreover, the reinstallation is not justified by what you downloaded (or did NOT download) latest version– you need to stock up on drivers for the next step anyway. The fact is that reinstalling the driver for any device entails resetting all settings, plans, parameters and services that are associated with it. And there may be “bad” or “badly” configured ones - those that cause a black screen after booting. Let me remind you of the procedure (the most useful and reliable is described in the article):
- loading into Safe mode with network driver support
- identify the device: right-click on the screen => Screen options => Graphics adapter properties
- I download from the manufacturer's website
- WIN+X=> Device Manager
- Select an item Video adapters -> your_card
- choose Remove device, check the box Remove driver programs and we agree:
- reboot:
- After rebooting, update the hardware configuration and point to the location of the driver for your card. If these are not drivers in their pure form, but an installer, run it. If this is not available, Windows will automatically download the appropriate one from its servers. As you understand, it’s not a fact that it’s suitable. So native drivers are sometimes the most basic way out of the situation. Although experience suggests that the problem described is a Windows problem.
That's all I wanted to say. We will report back based on the results, whether it helped or not.