Windows 10/11 Black Screen Before Login? How to Solve it

David Darlington

Jan 27, 2024 • Filed to: Windows Computer Solutions • Proven solutions

Commonly referred to as the Black Screen of Death, the black screen appearing on your Windows 10 computer before login is a problem that our readers have been reporting lately. Most people who experience this issue report that they are unable to sign in to their laptops and computers, which is very inconvenient. This problem can also be very frustrating because most traditional ways to repair the device don't seem to yield any results.

One reader wrote to us describing this problem in great detail. She said that she tried to open the Task Manager to try and diagnose the problem, but nothing happened. She even tried to use the Windows Key+ P to try and refresh the screen to no avail, leading her to write to us seeking a solution to this problem. It is important to note that this problem can be caused by a number of issues, but regardless of the causes, there are a few things that you can try to fix it. In this article, we take a look at some of these solutions.

Windows 10/11 Black Screen Before Login. How to Solve It?

Most people who have reported the Windows 10 Black screen before login say the problem occurred just after a Windows 10 update. The update particularly updates 1809, 1903, and 1909 have caused this issue. And since Windows has been slow to offer solutions, the following are just some of the most effective ways that we've found to fix this issue.

Method 1: Enable Safe Mode (via Recovery Environment)

In previous versions of Windows, it was possible to press F8 repeatedly during boot to boot the computer in Safe Mode. But you may have noticed that this option is no longer available with Windows 10. Instead, you get the "Recovery Environment" which we can use to enable safe mode and diagnose the problem before fixing it.

The following simple steps will help you enable safe mode on your Windows 10 computer via Recovery Environment;

Step 1: Turn on the computer

Step 2: Once you see the Windows logo appear on the screen, press, and hold the power button for 5-10 seconds to force the computer to turn off.

Keep in mind that the timing for this action has to be perfect or the process simply won't work. So, take care to only press the power button as soon as the Windows logo appears.

Step 3: Now repeat steps 1 and 2 three times. By the third repetition, your computer will boot into the recovery environment.

Step 4: On the screen titled "Automatic Repair", click on the "Advanced Options" button

Step 5: In the next interface that appears, click on "Troubleshoot" and then select "Advanced Options"

Step 6: Then click on "Startup Settings" (if you don't see "Startup Settings" click on "See More Recovery Options" and it will be listed there.

Step 7: Click on "Restart" and the computer will reboot with "Startup Settings" on the blue screen. Press 5 or F5 to select the "Safe Mode with Networking".

This will allow you to be able to Uninstall and Reinstall your Graphics Driver which could fix the problem.

Method 2: Uninstall and Reinstall Your Graphics Driver

The Black Screen of Death is usually and very easily fixed by uninstalling and reinstalling the graphics driver. But to do this safely, the computer needs to be in Safe Mode. Use the steps above to reboot the computer in Safe Mode and then follow these simple steps to do it;

Step 1: Once the computer is in Safe Mode with the Networking option, you should be able to see the desktop. Click on "Start" and then type in "This PC" in the search function. When the result appears, right-click on it and then select "Properties"

Step 2: The "System" window will appear. Click on "Device Manager" at the top left of the window. And when the "Device Manager" window opens, scroll down to locate "Display Adapters" and then click on the arrow to expand the drop-down menu.

Step 3: Your display adapter should be listed here. Locate it and then left-click on it to select it. Press "Delete" on your keyboard to delete the adapter. When Windows 10 asks if you would like to uninstall the driver, click on "Yes" to confirm the action.

Step 4: Reboot the computer to see if the problem is gone. If the Windows 10 Black screen has been an issue that has been fixed, your computer will automatically reinstall the graphics driver after a successful reboot.

Method 3: Disable Fast Boot

Disabling fast boot is another way that you can easily fix this problem. But there are three ways to disable fast boot depending on your current circumstances. They include the following;

1. Boot in Safe Mode with Networking Mode so you can access the Command Codes on this article

You can disable fast boot by entering several commands in Command Prompt. Since these commands can be long, it is never advisable to try and type them. Copying and pasting them into the command prompt window is the best option and to be able to access the codes, your computer will need to have internet access. Therefore boot the computer in safe mode with networking as we did in the first method above and then follow these simple steps to disable fast boot;

Step 1: Open the Start menu and then type in "cmd" in the search function. Right-click on "Command Prompt" when it appears in the search results and then choose "Run as Administrator."

Step 2: Copy the following command in full

powercfg -h off
REG ADD "HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Power" /V HiberbootEnabled /T REG_dWORD /D 0 /F
echo hi

Step 3: Paste the copied command into the command prompt window and press "Enter" to execute the command.

Step 4: Reboot the computer to see if the problem has been fixed.

2. If you are in Safe Mode but you don't have access to the Internet

If your computer is in safe mode without the networking option, then you will need to access the above command from another computer or write it down and type it into the command prompt window. It is important to note that the command will not work unless it is typed in exactly as is. Once you've successfully entered the command, reboot the computer to see if the problem is gone.

3. If your Computer Won't boot in Safe Mode and you still get the Black Screen

Sometimes the computer can still show a black screen even when you follow the steps to boot it in safe mode. If this happens, you may need to get the device in the Recovery Environment again before disabling fast boot manually using the Command line. Follow these simple steps to do it;

Step 1: Turn off the computer

Step 2: As soon as you see the Windows logo on the screen, press and hold the power button for at least 5-10 seconds to turn it off.

Step 3: Repeat the first two steps three times and by the third time, the computer will boot in the "Recovery Environment"

Step 4: Select "Advanced Options" in the window that appears

Step 5: Click on "Troubleshoot" and then select "Advanced Options > Command Prompt" in the next interface.

Step 6: The black command prompt window will open. Type in the commands above exactly as they appear and then press "Enter" on your keyboard to execute the command.

Step 7: When the process is complete, press the power button on the PC to forcefully turn off the computer. Turn it back on and the computer should reboot normally. 

Moreover, you can also learn how to fix Windows 10 black screen after login.

Bonus: Recover Lost Files After Failing to Fixing the Black Screen Error

Like every other highly invasive procedure that you may attempt on your computer, trying to fix the black screen before login into Windows 10 can be failed. And you may be not able to access the data on the computer. Don't worry. The prevalence of data recovery tools is helping with the data loss issue and one of the best data loss tools to recover data from Windows 10 is Recoverit Data Recovery. Its features are designed to make the data recovery process as seamless as possible. These features include the following:

Step 1: Launch the Recoverit and select the 'Data recovery mode'. If your Windows 10 cannot boot up, select the 'Recover from crash computer' mode, then click on 'Start'.

Step 2: A new window shows up where you can select a mode to create a bootable drive.

Depending on what you want, you can either select the 'USB bootable drive' or 'CD/DVD bootable drive' button. Click on the 'Create' tab to create.

Step 3: After step 2, another window pops up with a formatting option. Always remember to back-up vital files in the drive before formatting it. Click on the 'Format' tab to proceed.

Step 4: Recoverit creates a bootable drive with a new window inter-phase. Don't remove or eject the USB flash drive during this process. To start data recovery, a step guide can be seen on what to do next or you can view the full guide.

Step 5: it takes a while to create the bootable drive. Once this is done, you get three (3) options on what to do next.

Step 6: Make sure to change your computer boot sequence to boot from the bootable media you just created.

Simply restart your computer and enter the BIOS with function key F12 (it varies from system to system). You can learn more by visiting 'how to set the computer to boot from USB drive'.

Step 7: Immediately after booting from the bootable drive, Recoverit software launches automatically. It provides an option to 'copy data from hard disk' or 'Data recovery' from your Windows 10.

The solutions above are the most effective ways to fix a Windows 10 Black screen before login. Follow the steps to implement the solutions as required. As always, share your thoughts with us in the comments below on this topic and other issues and we'll do our best to help.