10 Fixes For Windows Black Screen With Cursor (2023)

Are you facing an issue where you have a black screen with a cursor in Windows 10? Maybe you’re wondering why is my laptop screen flickering? Is your cursor flickering? There can be many reasons for this error. Most have to do with the explorer.exe. We are bringing you a compiled list of the 10 best fixes.

These top ten fixes for the black screen with cursor in Windows 10 PC or Laptop will help you solve the problem. Each one is elaborated and proven to be quite effective.

So, without further ado, let’s begin fixing the Windows black screen with cursor issue! But before that, there’s one important point to cover:

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How To Access Everything During Windows Black Screen With Cursor?

There’s a big possibility that you can’t access anything because the screen is black. You can only see the cursor. In this case, you might not have the means to follow the instructions. For example, we ask you to use the Search Bar, but you can’t find it because of the black screen.

To help you out with that, you can follow these steps:

Press CTRL + ALT + DEL button to launch Task Manager. If you launch the Task Manager, you should be able to launch Device Manager and other programs. This will make things easier for you.
But, if you can’t access Task Manager, there is a Safe Mode Available. For Safe Mode, you will have to reboot the PC. You will come on the screen that asks to press DEL, F12 and such to enter Setup or BIOS. Similarly, you might have to press F4, F8 or another key to access the ‘Boot Options.’
From the boot options, you can choose Safe Mode. There might be a Troubleshoot option, click on it. Go to Advanced Options and find Startup Settings.
From there, you will have options available. Choose ‘Safe Mode With Networking.’ Once you select it, the PC should restart. You might have to restart manually if it doesn’t.

The first step is a short way of accessing various services and features. If that doesn’t work, Safe Mode is a temporary fix. You will access most features and have apt options to solve the issues.

The solutions given below keep either Task Manager or Safe Mode in mind. So, make sure to activate them before you continue with the fixes.

A Minor Check List To Fix Black Screen With Cursor Windows 10

Before you get to the drawn-out fixes, try some of these fixes. Often, the problem isn’t as big as it might seem. Thus, you can use these instructions and checklist to see if you can fix the issue:

Shut down your PC forcefully. You must press the power button and hold it until the system powers down. After that, disconnect all the cables, including the monitor, from the connections. Then, unplug the CPU. Wait a couple of seconds, reconnect everything, and boot up your PC. See if hard shutdown fixes the problem.
Check the Project menu options. Press Windows + P Keys together and select the right mode. You might not be able to see it, so press the arrow keys to select different modes. The project menu could help you solve the issues. This step is to help you change the primary and secondary monitors.
Make sure to check the display brightness. Often, the reason for the black screen could be a low brightness setting. But, it could also be brightness at 100% for strange reasons. So, access and change the display brightness.
Make sure that you don’t have multiple displays connected. Don’t even have the cables connected. Remove everything and keep only the ones that you’re using. See if you’re still facing the issue.
Try to use a different account. See if you can access Windows 10 with a different account. If this works, see if you’re facing the same issue. It could be a user account settings problem. In this case, if another account is working fine, you must create a new one. Ergo, you will have to delete your older Windows user account and create a new one.

Solutions To Fix Black Screen With Cursor Windows 10

Launch Windows Explorer Via Task Manager
The Device Manager And Driver Diagnosis
Disable The Fast Startup
It’s Time For SFC And DISM Commands
The BIOS Solutions
The Secondary Output Or Monitor Fixes
Disable AppReadiness Service
Remove The Possibly Problematic Applications
The Registry Editor Fix For User Shell
Update, Repair, And Restore Windows 10

Methods To Fix Windows 10 Black Screen With Cursor

1. Launch Windows Explorer Via Task Manager

Often, the black screen with the cursor is because the Windows Explorer didn’t load. So, you can go ahead and launch it manually. For this, you will have to launch the task manager:

Press CTRL + ALT + Delete, and it should either open the Task Manager, or a Window that lets you select Task Manager.
You can also use the Safe Mode option from above if Task Manager fails to load.
Once you open the Task Manager, click on the File from the Menu and select ‘Run New Task.’
This will open a new bar for you. Type: explorer.exe And hit enter.
You might have to wait patiently. It can take up to five minutes for Windows 10 to load Explorer. The solution works if all the icons become visible and you see everything working best.

2. The Device Manager And Driver Diagnosis

The leading cause for the black screen with a cursor in windows 10 could be the driver issue. There are many things that you can do with a driver, and we’ve compiled a list of instructions for you. So, let’s give these a try.

First of all, you need to access the drivers. For that:

Go to the Search Bar at the bottom-left of your screen. Type Device Manager and launch it. To avoid any complication, you can right-click on it and select ‘Run As Administrator.’ This will take care of any future permission issues.
Once you open the device manager, you will see all the drivers. The ones that we are going to focus on are Display Adapters and Graphics Card Drivers.

You can click on both of these to expand the list. This will show you the list of all the drivers available or installed on your Windows 10 PC.

So, the first thing you might want to do is check for Driver Updates. For that:

Right-click on the Driver and select ‘Update Driver.’ This will launch an Update Wizard.
Select ‘Search automatically for updated driver and software in the Wizard.’ Make sure that you have an active internet connection (Wifi preferably).
The PC will automatically download the driver. You might have to update the drivers manually if this doesn’t work.
To manually update, you must first go to the driver’s properties. In the details section, you will find info on the manufacturer and the driver version. Make sure to copy it or note it down. Then visit the official website of the manufacturer. Search for the drivers, download, and install them.
You will have to repeat these methods for Display Adapter and GPU Drivers.

If updating doesn’t fix or complicates the issue further, you can also go back to the device manager. This time, go to each Driver’s property and then the Driver tab. There, you will find a ‘Roll Back Driver’ option. Click on it to revert the drivers to the previous versions.

You can also choose to uninstall the driver. Once you do that, restart the PC, and launch the Device Manager. In the top-left corner, you will see an option to ‘Scan for Hardware changes.’ It will automatically download the essential drivers that aren’t installed. Often uninstalling and reinstalling drivers can fix the problem.

You can also try to disable the onboard graphics in the Device Manager. This option also applies to dedicated graphics. Disabling and enabling them is like restarting their software. In a few cases, this step was proven to be effective:

Stay in the Device Manager and find the onboard graphics or integrated graphics.
Right-click on them and select Disable. Restart the PC and see if this solves the issue. If not, you can go ahead and enable them. See if that solves the issue.

3. Disable The Fast Startup

Fast Startup is a great feature that allows you to log into the PC quickly. It helps the Windows load faster and is typically good to resume after the Sleep Mode. But it can also negatively impact the PC.

For instance, it might avoid some essential features from loading. As a result, you can face the black screen with a cursor. So, you should go ahead and give this fix a try:

Launch the Control Panel from the Windows Search or the Start Menu.
Go to Hardware And Sound, select the Power Options. You will see the ‘Choose What The Power Buttons Do’ option in the left panel. Click on it.
Then, click on ‘Change settings that are currently unavailable.’
Do this only if the ‘Turn on fast startup (recommended)’ is checked. Uncheck it and press Save changes. This should turn off the fast start up.
Now, reboot your PC. Don’t use the Safe Mode. See if this solves the issue. Your system might take a little longer to boot up. So, give it some time.

4. It’s Time For SFC And DISM Commands

System File Checker (SFC) is a very useful tool. The same goes for Deployment Image & Servicing Management (DISM). If you can’t solve the issue so far, you can use these tools to fix any issue with Windows 10. After all, it is highly likely that the problem resides somewhere in the Windows Files or System Image.

Even if they are not causing the issue, it is wise to be sure of that. So, run these commands:

For SFC, you need to launch the command prompt. Run the command prompt as Administrator if you don’t want to face any hindrance. Type: SFC/scannow And let the PC go through the entire scanning process.
If it detects any problem, your System File checker will restore or fix it. You might have to reboot the PC, but you can relaunch the SFC command afterward. Do it as many times as it takes.
See if this fixes the problem.

If not, it’s time for you to move to the DISM option.

You will have to use the following commands. Press Enter after each command and let them work thoroughly. After that, type the other command and hit enter.

You can also use it on Windows PowerShell if that option is available. PowerShell is more potent, but the command prompt will also do the job. Either way, make sure to use these commands as Administrator:

Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth
Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /CheckHealth
Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

5. The BIOS Solutions

You might think that BIOS is not related to the black screen with the cursor. But, the users have reported that it can fix the issue. There could be many reasons for this, like a firmware update. Perhaps the updated bios help with the Hardware and such.

So, how do you do it?

You will first have to find the manufacturer of your motherboard. After that, you can search for and download the latest BIOS version from the official website.
Most motherboard manufacturers will provide you with a guide on how to update BIOS. Make sure to follow it accurately because it will make all the difference.
You can also visit an expert or a specialist to help you out.

Another solution for BIOS is to set the Display Output to IGFX:

Reboot the PC and load the BIOS of your PC. Depending on your system, you must press F12, DEL, or F8. Make sure that you are accessing the BIOS settings.
Find the Display output options. Now, set it to IGFX from the options available. This helps in making the integrated graphics your first or default display. It is valuable for PC monitors and Laptops.
Make sure to save changes and exit. See if this helps you out.

While you’re in BIOS, make sure to check the graphics card’s settings. Often, the settings turn to PCI instead of PCI-E, so make sure about that.

6. The Secondary Output Or Monitor Fixes

If you have a second monitor or display connected, make sure to unplug it. The black screen with the mouse cursor could be due to the secondary monitor. If unplugging doesn’t work, use the following options:

Go to the Device Manager and Display adapters. Click on view and find ‘Show Hidden Devices.’
Now, see if you can find the Secondary Output. Right-click on it and select Disable.
Restart your PC and see if the black screen with cursor problem is solved. If you have more monitors in secondary output after disabling the others, repeat the steps.

If none of these worked, you can also try to connect the monitor using the HDMI. Instead of the typical connection, follow these:

Open the Windows 10 Settings (Windows Key + I Key) and go to the System.
Then find the Display Section. If there are more than one display connected, you will see various displays in the options.
Select the Display name that you wish to use as the primary. Make sure to select ‘Make this my main display.’ Click on ‘Apply’ to save changes.

HDMI instead of DVI connection has helped a lot of people. You can also try to use a secondary monitor option and see if that fixes the issue.

7. Disable AppReadiness Service

Many users found it to disable the AppReadiness service. The service prepares data and resources for the first time users log in. It correlates with the Windows Store App.

But, it became known to cause problems with the black screen and cursor error. So, you can fix the issue by disabling AppReadiness service:

Once again, launch the Task Manager. Use The File > Run New Task option.
Type: services.msc and hit Enter or Click OK.
Now, a list of services will open up. Find and select AppReadiness from the list and right-click to access the properties.
Go to the Startup Type and set it to Disabled. You can also set it to Manual if you’d like. Then Apply the changes and Click OK.
Now, go ahead and restart the PC.

See if you still face the problem after restarting. If not, then you can go ahead and do anything. Whenever you need appreadiness, or Windows Store, you can relaunch it. But, it is not an essential service. You might not need it.

8. Remove The Possibly Problematic Applications

The best thing to do this is by accessing the Services window. In there, you can disable all the services except Microsoft essential. How? Follow these steps:

Open Task Manager > File > Run New Task.
Type: msconfig and press Enter.
In the Services window, find and check ‘Hide all Microsoft services.’
Now, click on the Disable All Button. If prompted, click OK.
Restart the PC.

See if restarting the PC after this loads up the screen. If you don’t get any more black screen, it’s time to find the program causing the problem.

For this, you will have to access the Services again. Now, enable each service or program one by one. See if you encounter the black screen.
If you encounter the black screen problem again, uninstall the program that prompted it.
This is the best way to get rid of the problematic program.

Yes. Sometimes, some apps, programs, and software can hinder Windows performance. It could be related to Admin issues or permission issues. By removing these programs, you can save yourself a lot of trouble. So, this is worth the try. Some people also call it the ‘Clean Boot Solution.’

9. The Registry Editor Fix For User Shell

There’s a possibility that the User Shell configuration corrupted unknowingly. It could be due to any of the reasons, and that’s not what you need to focus on. You need to start fixing the problem immediately.

Corrupted User Shell configurations can lead to a black screen error. So, follow these steps:

Use the Task Manager once again to run a new task. Type: regedit. Hit enter.

Now, navigate to the following:

Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon

See if you can find the ‘Shell’ entry. Double-click on it at the right panel.

Check the Value data field. If it is empty, type: explorer.exe and save the changes.

Now go ahead and restart the PC.

See if restarting the PC helps you fix the issue. Remember, if the User Shell value was already explorer.exe, don’t make any changes. Just exit the registry editor.

Also, back up the registry editor before trying this step. Often, we could end up corrupting something. Be precise with following the steps as you make the changes and fix the issue.

10. Update, Repair, And Restore Windows 10

If none of the options have worked for you, it’s time to access the Windows Operating System Fixes.

The first step will be to check for system updates. For this, go to Updates & Security (In Safe Mode) and see if you can find any new updates.
Make sure also to check the additional updates option and install them.
Reboot the system and see if this fixes the issue.

If you still get Windows 10 black screen with a cursor after the update, it’s time to use the restore option. This is where system restore to a previous point comes into play:

Launch the Task Manager (CTRL + ALT + DEL, select Task Manager.)
Click on ‘File’ from the top Menu Options. Select ‘Run New Task.’
Type: rstrui and hit Enter.
Click Next on the Wizard and see if you have the options available. Select the available date. The one before the issues started, and then carry on.
Once the system restores, you will have to reboot the PC. Go through with it and see if this solves the issue.

If not, it’s time for you to conduct system repairs.

Reboot the PC and press F8 before the Windows logo appears. This should take you to Advanced Boot Options.
The new window will enable you to choose the boot options, or select the Startup Repair.
Select the Startup Repair as you’re trying to repair the corrupted Windows File.
After that, you need to follow through with the Wizard and see if it will fix your issues. If not, you might have to install Windows 10 again to fix the issue completely.

Conclusion – Windows 10 Black Screen With Cursor After Login

The Windows OS is corrupted if you still can’t find the solution to the problem. It is time for you to reinstall the entire Operating System. In most cases, you will lose all the data from the drive you have Windows files. But other drives will survive.

As a fresh start, you can also do a completely clean reinstallation with no previous files. This is up to your choice. Either way, we hope that these solutions will help you out.

The top ten solutions for the black screen with cursor on Windows 10 should be enough. We’ve tried to compile a list that is among the best fixes available.