Black Screen Issues after Windows 10 Update? [9 Fixes]

Sometimes, using a computer can be tricky, especially when you don't know how to fix a particular issue. This often happens after a system upgrade. One of the most common problems you may encounter is the "Windows 10 black screen after update".

Undoubtedly, updates are released to fix bugs in the previous versions of Windows. However, many users often encounter issues while installing Windows updates. If you're one of them, read on. This post from /Tools will share effective ways to resolve the Windows 10 black screen error.

Why does Windows become black after an update?

Every computer error is caused by a specific issue in the system's backend. The same goes for a black screen on Windows 10, which can be a result of any of the following:

All of these issues boil down to one main reason: lack of computer maintenance. It's quite common not to care about and timely update your device, and in this case, you may encounter problems like corrupted drivers or damaged files.

It has been found that graphics drivers can become corrupted when changes are made to the system. A Windows Update is one of the system changes that can cause files and drivers to become damaged. Aside from that, you might have not had any new hardware installed on your device.

Conversely, hardware like your display adapter might not work correctly. So, you might end up with a black screen on Windows 10 update even if you didn't make any mistakes. Another common reason is that you might have used an insufficient Windows copy for the installation.

Failing to update Windows correctly can cause display, graphics, and other drivers to malfunction, which is why you might be seeing errors when starting up your computer.

How to Fix Black Screen Issues After Windows 10 Update

If you're also facing the same issue, let us guide you on how to fix the black screen error. In this segment, we'll introduce you to 9 different yet effective solutions.

Fix 1: Disconnect all external hardware

As mentioned earlier, incompatible or faulty hardware can cause the black screen error in Windows 10. Hence, you should try this solution first to address the monitor issue. To do so, disconnect all external hardware (USBs, printers, etc.) and start your system.

Now, it will be a matter of connecting external devices one by one to find the faulty one and replace it, so that the problem doesn't recur the next time.

Read more:

Fix 2: Log in with a different user account

Although it's a rare issue, your user account could also be the reason behind the Windows black screen error. Therefore, you should try logging in with another user account to see if the problem persists. To do this, follow these steps:

Step 1. You will first need to boot into "Safe Mode" in order to proceed.

Step 2: Go to your computer's desktop.

Step 3: Enter your login information.

Step 4: Click on “This PC”.

Step 5: Use that address and paste it into the location bar:

C:\Users\Second Account Name\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\Caches

Figure 2: The black screen issue after updating to Windows 10

Step 6: Copy the folder that appears on the screen.

Step Seven: Log in again with your original account credentials.

Step 8: Use the above address to go to the same folder.

Step 9. Paste the "Cache Folder" that you copied earlier.

Step 10: Replace the old folder with the new one.

Step 11: Hold down the power button to restart your computer.

If the issue was caused by interference from a user account, the steps above might have resolved the issue. If you're still having problems, continue with the following solutions.

Solution 3: Fix the Black Screen Issue with Professional Tools

When encountering a black screen issue with unknown causes, trying the Windows Startup Repair tool can be a good option, particularly using the Disk Partition Master. As a powerful disk and partition manager, it can resolve all disk-related issues, including bootable drives. This tool, backed by algorithm verification, is capable of fixing blue, red, or black screen errors in Windows.

Download this free Windows 10 Boot Repair tool, and you can easily and quickly fix the black screen issue after update:

Step 1: Connect the external hard drive/USB to the computer, launch Partition Master, select “Bootable Media Creator”, and then click on “Create Bootable Media”.

Create Bootable Disk Partition Master

Step 2: Choose the available USB drive or CD/DVD and click "Create." You can also burn the Windows ISO file to the media.

Step 3. Connect the bootable drive to the new computer, and press F2 or Del to enter BIOS. Set the WinPE bootable drive as the boot disk, and then press F10 to exit.

Step 4. Restart your computer and enter the WinPE interface. Then open the tool “Partition Master” and click “Boot Repair” in the “Toolbox” option.

Step 5: Select the system you want to fix, then click “Repair.”

Step 6: Wait for a moment, and you will receive a notification that the system was successfully repaired. Click “OK” to finish the startup repair process.

Click “Recommended repair” to proceed.

Fix 4: Uninstall Third-Party Windows Theme Software

To use your device, you need to have third-party apps installed for your tasks. These third-party apps might not run well when you install a Windows 10 update. This is because they might not be quick to adapt to system changes.

So you should be able to uninstall those apps this way.

Step 1: Boot into Safe Mode.

Encountered a black screen after updating to Windows 10

Step 2: Click on "Task Manager"

Step 3: Click on the "File" option from the menu bar.

Step 4. Next, choose the option to "Run a new task."

Step 5: Type "services.msc" in the box that appears on your screen.

Step 6. Look for App Readiness, and double-click it.

Step 7. In the new window, select the “Startup Type” option, and then choose “Disabled” from the drop-down menu.

The Windows 10 Black Screen issue after an Update

Step 8: When finished, click the OK button to save your settings.

To verify if the black screen issue after updating Windows 10 has been resolved, restart your device. If the problem doesn't occur, it suggests that a third-party app is the culprit. In this case, you should uninstall and reinstall these applications to obtain compatible versions.

Fix 5: Use a Windows key shortcut to wake the screen

Normally, when we encounter a black screen after an update, we resort to restarting the computer, thinking it's the only solution. However, don't do that just yet. Try using the Windows key to wake up your device's screen instead. This way, you can quickly resolve issues related to your display adapter.

To quickly wake up your computer screen using the Windows key, follow these steps:

Step One: Boot the computer until you see a black screen.

Step 2: Press the Windows key + Ctrl + Shift + B keys at the same time.

Step 3: You'll hear a short beep, and then the screen will begin to dim.

Step Four: After a few seconds, you should see the desktop.

In this task, you don't need to deal with advanced options. You can resolve the issue by using only keyboard keys to boot into Safe Mode. If this doesn't work for you, it's likely that the graphics card adapter isn't the problem. Hence, you should continue searching for the right solution.

Fix 6: Perform a System Restore

To safeguard users' safety and fix various issues, Windows comes with an option called a "System Restore Point. You should enable it to solve the black screen on Windows 10 and other problems. The catch is that you have to access your system settings to check this option and start using it.

So we've talked about the steps that you would use to access that choice and perform the operation.

Step 1: Force shutdown the device by pressing and holding the Power key when the screen is black.

Step 2: Turn on your computer and hold down the power button again as soon as you see a black screen to force it to shut down.

Step 3: Repeat this process until you see the Automatic Repair screen.

The issue of black screen occurring after a Windows 10 update

Step 4. Next, find and click on "Advanced settings".

Step 5: Select System Restore from the available options.

Step 6: Tap on the screen to confirm "Restore".

This will revert your system to a state prior to the update. If that doesn't work, you should do the same thing but choose "Uninstall updates" instead. This may fix the issue.

Repair system files

Another way to fix the Windows 10 black screen issue is by using System Files. To do this, you need to access the “Automatic Repair” screen as mentioned above. After that, follow these steps to repair system files:

Step 1: On your computer screen, click on 'Advanced options'.

Step two: Next, choose Troubleshoot and then choose Advanced options again.

Step 3: Then click on "Command Prompt."

Step 4. Select the "Hard Disk Drive" where your Windows installation is, and press "Enter".

Step 5. Run the "SFC" and "DISM" scans with specific steps.

Step 6: Now, type "exit" in the Command Prompt, and press Enter.

7. When the “Reboot” option appears, click it to restart your computer.

If a system file is damaged, these steps should resolve the issue.

Fix 8: Update your graphics card driver

Keep in mind that Windows Updates don't install new drivers immediately. It's possible that your graphics driver didn't update through the Windows 10 Update, which might have caused the black screen issue after the update.

Therefore, if the error is caused by the graphics card driver, you can check and fix it by following these steps:

Step 1. Boot to the system's Advanced Startup Options screen as described in Fix 5.

Step 2: Select Startup Settings and click on the Restart button.

The issue of black screen occurring after a Windows 10 update

Step 3: Then keep pressing the "F5" key.

Step 4. It will start in "Safe Mode with Networking".

Step 5: Click on This PC, and then select Properties.

Step six: A long list of options will appear in the left-hand menu.

Step 7: Select Device Manager from the list.

Step 8: Click on Display adapters, and then select Windows graphics driver.

Step 9: Right-click on it.

Step 10: Now, select the "Update Driver" option.

Step 11: When it appears on-screen, click “Search automatically for updated driver software.”

Step 12: Wait a few minutes for the update to complete.

Step 13: Restart your computer now and check if the issue is resolved.

Fix 9: Reset Your Computer

As a last resort, you can try “resetting” your computer, which removes any extra or problematic apps and files from the system. Before resetting your PC, it's important to back up your computer to an external hard drive or cloud storage to prevent data loss.

To do this, you will first need to boot into “safe mode,” and then follow these steps.

Step 1. On the “Safe Mode” screen, choose the “Reset” option.

Step 2. Click the “Get started” button under “Reset this PC.”

Step 3. Choose “Keep my files” from the list to do a factory reset on your PC without losing any data.

Step 4: Next, follow the instructions on the screen to complete the task.

By doing so, you can rest assured that you will be able to fix the black screen error after updating Windows 10. You will be able to see your device boot up seamlessly without displaying any errors.

After solving this issue, you might also be interested in:

Expert tip: Always back up your computer to prevent data loss.

As a computer user, you have probably experienced your share of technological disasters, often through no fault of your own. But losing data because of an unexpected problem with the system is no picnic.

For this, the best program that can help you is the Todo Backup tool. With this tool, you can back up your files easily and promptly without any additional hassle. Simply put, all you need to do is set the automatic backup option in this software. It will keep backing up your data and restore it when you need it (even on another device).

Here are the main features of Todo Backup:

• 250GB of free cloud storage for backing up your computer to the cloud drive.
• Easily back up any data in any file format with just a few clicks.
• Rapidly back up and restore data without complicated steps.
• Clone your hard drive and create a disk image backup and recovery for your PC.
• With Todo Backup, you can schedule backups to perform data backup tasks seamlessly.

It has many other features that you can use as needed. We recommend getting the program and continuing to keep your data in cloud storage so that, should you need to do a fresh install of Windows 10 due to a black screen after an update, all your files will be safe.

In short

After reading this guide, you should now be aware of multiple ways to fix the black screen after Windows 10 update issue. You can now resolve the problem and get your system back on track. For safety measures, it's best to have a Todo Backup tool installed and enabled for scheduled backups on your system.

This helps safeguard your data and prevent the loss of important files during any system restore or reset done to fix the black screen error.

Frequently Asked Questions about Black Screen Issues after Windows 10 Update

1. Why is my computer screen black, but the computer is still running?

It could be that your display driver is corrupted, causing the screen to go black. Since the rest of the drivers are working fine, your computer is running normally, but with a black display.

2. Can RAM cause no display issues?

Yes, a faulty or damaged RAM in your system can cause no display issues.

Why did my screen suddenly turn black?

There can be many reasons for this issue, but the most common one is incompatible or corrupted graphics drivers.

Why is my Windows 10 computer black when it starts up?

The most common is a black screen on starting Windows 10, which can be caused by a corrupted display driver.