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Black Screen After Login

Intermediate Startup & Boot Issues Applies to: Windows 10, Windows 11

You can see the lock screen and log in, but then it goes black with just a cursor.

Before you start: save any open work and note down what you were doing when the problem started — that context helps if you need to search further or ask for help.
  1. Wait about a minute first — this is often Windows Explorer restarting slowly after an update.
  2. Try Windows+Ctrl+Shift+B — this specifically restarts the graphics driver and refreshes the display connection, distinct from restarting the desktop shell, and is worth trying first since it's faster and addresses a different possible cause. You may hear a brief beep and see a quick flicker if it works.
  3. Press Ctrl+Shift+Esc to open Task Manager even on a black screen. If it opens, go to File > Run new task and type "explorer.exe" to restart the desktop shell.
  4. If Task Manager won't open, try Ctrl+Alt+Delete and choose Task Manager from that menu instead.
  5. If nothing responds, force a restart and try Safe Mode — if the desktop loads fine there, a driver (usually graphics) or startup app is the culprit.
  6. Once in Safe Mode, update your graphics driver from Device Manager or roll back a recent driver update if the problem started right after one.
Still not fixed? Send us the details and we'll help you dig further, or browse related guides in Startup & Boot Issues.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is a black screen the same as a blue screen?
No — a black screen usually means the desktop (Explorer) failed to load or the display connection dropped, while a blue screen is a full system crash with a specific stop code. A black screen is often easier to recover from without losing anything.
Why does pressing Ctrl+Shift+Esc sometimes not do anything?
If Task Manager doesn't open at all, the issue may be deeper than a simple Explorer crash — try Ctrl+Alt+Delete instead, and if that also fails, a forced restart into Safe Mode is the next step.

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