16 Ways to Fix Windows 11 Black Screen with Cursor

Have you encountered the black screen with a cursor in Windows 11 on your PC? No worries! This terrible issue occurs due to culprits like corrupted system files, display driver issues, software conflicts, and malware infections. From what I have experienced, it generally takes place before login, after login, or even in Safe Mode. In this extensive guide, I’m going to going to discuss the 16 proven ways to resolve the black screen with cursor problem on Windows 11. Read on to…

Fix Windows 11 Black Screen with Cursor

As for the solutions that work in fixing this Windows 11 issue, fine-tuning the display settings, rebooting the PC, and taking control of the malicious drivers often work. Should the problem persist, there are other viable workarounds as well.

1. Restart Your PC

Believe it or not, a simple restart can prove to be very handy in resolving the temporary glitches causing the black screen on your PC.

• To get it done, press Ctrl + Alt + Delete and click the Power icon, then select Restart.
• If that doesn’t work, press and hold the Power button for 10 seconds to force shutdown, then turn the PC back on.

2. Unplug External Devices

Keep in mind that connected devices like USB drives, external hard disks, or peripherals can interfere with the boot process.

• To get going, turn off your PC and disconnect all external devices (USB drives, printers, external monitors, etc.).
• Restart your PC and check if the black screen issue is resolved.

3. Adjust Display Projection Settings

Note that if Windows is projecting the display to the wrong screen, it can result in a black screen with a cursor. Hence, make sure to fine-tune the display projection settings.

• Press Win + P multiple times to toggle through display modes.
• If the screen remains black, press Enter to apply the correct display mode.

4. Restart Windows Explorer

If Windows Explorer isn’t running, the desktop won’t load, leading to a black screen with a cursor.

• On your PC, press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.

• Click File > Run new task, type explorer.exe, and press Enter.
• If the desktop appears, restart your PC to see if the issue is resolved.

5. Boot Into Safe Mode

It’s important to point out that Safe Mode starts Windows with minimal drivers, allowing you to troubleshoot the issue.

• To begin with, force the shutdown of your PC three times to enter Windows Recovery Mode.
• Go to Advanced Options > Startup Settings > Restart.
• Press F4 to start in Safe Mode or F5 for Safe Mode with Networking.

6. Update or Roll Back Display Drivers

It’s no secret that the faulty graphics driver can cause display issues, including a black screen with a cursor.

• On your Windows PC, boot into Safe Mode (use the steps in Fix #5).
• Press Win + X and select Device Manager.
• Expand Display adapters, right-click your GPU, and choose Update driver.

• If the issue started after a recent update, select Properties > Driver > Roll Back Driver.
• Restart your PC and check if the black screen issue is fixed.

7. Disable Fast Startup

Be warned that the Fast Startup can sometimes cause display issues after booting up. So, be sure to get rid of it.

• To do so, boot your PC into Safe Mode and open Control Panel.
• Navigate to Power Options > Choose what the power buttons do.
• Click Change settings that are currently unavailable.
• Uncheck Turn on fast startup (recommended) > save changes and restart your PC.

8. Perform a System Restore

Restoring your PC to an earlier working state can fix black screen issues caused by system changes.

• Boot into Windows Recovery Mode.
• Select Troubleshoot > Advanced options > System Restore.

• Choose a restore point before the black screen issue starts and follow the on-screen instructions.

9. Disable App Readiness Service

Some users have reported that disabling the App Readiness service fixes the black screen issue.

• On your computer, boot into Safe Mode.
• Press Win + R, type services.msc, and hit Enter.
• Locate App Readiness, double-click it, and set Startup type to Disabled.
• Click Apply and restart your PC.

10. Change Display Output in BIOS

If you have a dedicated GPU and an integrated GPU, your system may be trying to use the wrong display output.

• Restart your PC and enter BIOS/UEFI (Press F2, F12, DEL, or ESC during startup).
• Look for Primary Display Adapter or Graphics Configuration.
• Set it to Auto, PCIe, or Discrete GPU (depending on your setup).
• Save changes and restart your PC.

11. Run SFC and DISM to Fix Corrupted Files

Corrupted system files can cause Windows to fail at loading the desktop.

• Boot into Safe Mode and open Command Prompt as Administrator.
• Run the following commands one by one:
  • sfc /scannow (Scans and repairs corrupted system files).

• DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth (Fixes deeper corruption issues).
• Restart your PC after the scan completes.

12. Create a New User Account

If your user profile is corrupted, creating a new account may resolve the issue.

• Boot into Safe Mode and open Command Prompt as Administrator.
• Type: net user NewUser /add and press Enter.
• Restart your PC and log in with the new account.

13. Uninstall Recent Windows Updates

A recent Windows update may have caused the black screen issue.

• Boot into Windows Recovery Mode.
• Go to Advanced options > Uninstall Updates.
• Select Uninstall latest quality update or Uninstall latest feature update > restart your PC.

14. Reset Graphics Driver

If the screen is black due to a GPU crash, resetting the graphics driver might restore the display.

• Press Win + Ctrl + Shift + B to restart the graphics driver.
• If the display returns, update your GPU drivers (refer to Fix #6).

15. Reset Windows Without Losing Files

If none of the above fixes work, resetting Windows can restore system files while keeping your personal data intact.

• To do so, you will need to boot into Windows Recovery Mode.
• Select Troubleshoot > Reset this PC.
• Choose Keep my files and follow the on-screen instructions.

16. Perform a Clean Windows 11 Installation

No luck as yet? I’d recommend you clean and install Windows 11 in order to ensure a fresh, working version of Windows 11.

• First off, make sure to download the Windows 11 Media Creation Tool and create a bootable USB.
• Boot from the USB and choose Custom Installation.
• Format the system drive and reinstall Windows.

Wrapping up…!

There you have it! A black screen with a cursor in Windows 11 can result from driver issues, system corruption, or incorrect display settings. By following these 16 troubleshooting steps, you can systematically diagnose and fix the issue. Start with simple solutions like restarting, updating drivers, and running SFC/DISM scans, then progress to advanced fixes like disabling Fast Startup, modifying BIOS settings, or performing a clean Windows installation. Let us know which method worked for you!