Black screen after entering password in Windows: why it happens and how to fix it without formatting

Have your PC display a black screen after entering the password on Windows It's one of those things that can ruin your morning. The computer seems to power on, you hear the fan, you even see the login screen… but as soon as you log in, everything goes black, sometimes with just the mouse cursor and little else. Don't worry, it's a very common problem in Windows 10 and Windows 11, and unless there's serious physical damage, it can usually be fixed at home.

This failure may be due to Software errors, faulty graphics drivers, services that crash on startup, malware, altered registry settings, or even hardware problems such as faulty cables. In this guide you will find a very comprehensive overview of all the common causes and a good arsenal of repair methods: from keyboard shortcuts to advanced diagnostics with tools like SFC, DISM, System Restore, or even Microsoft utilities like ProcDump and Process Monitor.

Common causes of a black screen after entering a password in Windows

Before you start messing around with things haphazardly, it's good to be clear on this. What could cause you to only see a black screen after entering your password?There are several typical culprits that are repeated time and time again.

One of the most frequent reasons is a damaged, outdated, or incompatible display (GPU) driverIf your graphics card driver (integrated or dedicated) fails just as Windows loads the desktop, the system will technically remain powered on, but unable to draw the interface on the screen.

It is also very common for the problem to stem from applications or services that start automatically when you log into WindowsA poorly developed program, a conflicting third-party antivirus, aggressive optimization software, or even a data recovery application can hang while loading the profile and block Explorer.exe or the system itself.

We cannot forget the errors in the user profile or in Windows itselfCorrupted system files, altered registry keys, or a failed update can prevent the desktop from loading correctly.

Finally, there are the purely physical causes: Loose or damaged video cables, monitors with the wrong input, faulty graphics cards, unstable RAM modules, or damaged hard drivesIn these cases, even if all the software is perfect, the signal never reaches the screen or the device becomes unstable as soon as it starts up.

Check if it's a screen failure, a signal problem, or a Windows issue itself

The first step is to determine whether the error is in Windows or in the system itself. video outputThis way you avoid unnecessary hassle with settings when the problem is, literally, a loose cable.

Start by trying the Basic keyboard shortcuts to see if the system is responding.

• Press Ctrl + Alt + DeleteIf you see a blue screen with options like Lock, Switch user, or Task Manager, it means Windows is still running and the system is responding, so the problem lies with the desktop, Explorer.exe, or the drivers. From that screen, try opening Task Manager. If it opens (even if you still see a black screen, sometimes the window is "behind"), that's a very good sign: you can try restarting Windows Explorer and other key processes without restarting your computer.
• Press Windows + Ctrl + Shift + BThis command forces a restart of the graphics driver without restarting the entire system. It is usually accompanied by a small beep or a flickering screen; if the desktop returns afterward, the problem was clearly with the GPU driver.

If everything is still black, it's time to rule out connection errors. Check that the video cables (HDMI, DisplayPort, DVI, VGA) are properly connected Try both the PC and the monitor. Unplug and plug it back in, gently clean the ports of dust, and if possible, try another working cable.

Another simple step is to change the screen: Try the PC with another monitor or even a TV.If it works on the other screen, then the problem is clearly with your original monitor (incorrect input settings, incompatible resolution, or physical failure).

Quick First Steps: Keyboard Shortcuts and Forced Restarts

Before getting into more technical stuff, it's worth trying a few. Quick tricks that, if you're lucky, will get you out of trouble in seconds.

• Try a lock and unlock session with Windows + LIf the computer was half-frozen or in a strange hibernation state, sometimes simply returning to the lock screen and logging back in gets the desktop to load properly.
• If the black screen appears after waking from sleep, try tapping Space bar or EnterThese are keys that typically reactivate the screen when the system is in sleep mode. It's not uncommon to mistake a power-saving mode for a system freeze, especially on laptops.
• He resorts again to Ctrl + Alt + DeleteIf you can see the options screen, click the power icon in the bottom right corner and choose RebootSometimes, after an update or a specific failure, a clean restart is enough.
• When none of that responds, hold down the PC's power button between 10 and 15 seconds To force a complete shutdown, wait a few seconds and turn it back on. This "hard shutdown" can resolve temporary hardware or firmware crashes.

Start in safe mode to isolate the problem

If the black screen appears every time you try to log in normally, it's highly recommended to try the Windows safe modeIn this mode, the system starts with the minimum essential controllers and services.

To access safe mode when you can't even see the desktop properly, you can take advantage of the Windows automatic repairTurn off the computer by holding the power button, turn it on, and just as Windows starts loading, turn it off again. Repeat this process a couple of times until the system detects a boot problem and displays the screen. Automatic repair.

On that screen, choose Advanced options and then go to Troubleshooting > Advanced options > Startup settingsClick on Reboot And when the list of options appears, select the option to Safe mode with networking (usually with the 5 key).

If Windows boots successfully in safe mode, that confirms that The fault lies in some driver or program that only loads in normal mode.such as a specific GPU driver, startup applications, third-party security software, etc.

Once in safe mode you can uninstall suspicious programs (especially those that run at startup), clean malware with Windows Defender, disable services, or check what has recently changed on the system.

Manually restart or launch Explorer.exe

One of the most typical situations is that of the black screen with only the mouse cursor visibleIn many cases, it means that Explorer.exe has not started or has crashed while loadingbecause this process is what draws the desktop, the taskbar, and the file explorer.

Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open directly the Task ManagerEven if you see a black screen, the manager usually opens anyway. If it doesn't appear, try this first. Ctrl + Alt + Delete and select Task Manager from there.

In Task Manager, if you only see a small window, click on More details To view all processes, look in the tab. Processes or in the tab Details an entry called Windows Explorer o explorer.exe.

If it's on the list, select it and press the button. RebootIf there is no button, you can right-click on the process and choose Finish task and then start a new one.

To relaunch the explorer, go to File > Run new task, writes explorer.exe and press Enter. If the problem was just a temporary freeze, The desktop should appear immediatelyIf it disappears again or fails to appear, there is probably something deeper damaged.

Repair system files with SFC and DISM

If you suspect that the system has corrupted files (for example, after a power outage, an interrupted update, or malware), it's advisable to run the Windows repair tools SFC and DISM.

From the Task Manager itself, in File > Run new task, writes cmd and check the box of Create this task with administrative privilegesPress Enter to open a console window with administrator privileges.

In that window execute the command:

sfc /scannow

The System File Checker will analyze all critical Windows components and It will automatically replace any that are damaged or missing.It may take a while; let it finish completely.

Once finished, it's recommended to reinforce the repair with DISM, which checks and restores the Windows image. Run the following command in the same console:

DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

This process also takes time, but it is very effective when the source of the problem is system components damaged at a deep levelOnce completed, restart your PC and check if the desktop now loads normally.

Check the Shell and Winlogon keys in the Registry

If even manually launching Explorer.exe doesn't restore your desktop, the configuration of the The default shell in the Windows Registry has been modifiedSome programs, malware, or "advanced" settings change this key and cause the system to boot with an incorrect shell.

Open the Registry Editor from the Task Manager, in File > Run new task, writing regedit and checking the box to open with administrative privileges.

Navigate to the next route:

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

In the right panel, locate the value Shell and double-click on it. Make sure that in Value information appears exactly explorer.exe. If the field is empty or another strange program appears, change it to explorer.exe.

If you see another suspicious executable, it's advisable to search for their name on the Internet and run an antivirus scan.This could be malware that has replaced the Windows shell. In that case, use Windows Defender or a trusted security solution to clean your system.

Take this opportunity to also review the Winlogon key permissions (Right-click > Permissions) and compare them, if possible, with another healthy computer or with the official Microsoft documentation. Incorrect permissions can prevent Windows from loading the login processes correctly.

Clean boot: locating problematic third-party applications

When everything works fine in safe mode, but a black screen appears after entering the password during normal startup, the most likely cause is some third-party program or service that starts with Windows and locks the system.

To identify it, you can do a clean startFrom safe mode or from a working session, open msconfig (System configuration) by typing that command in Run (Windows + R).

On the tab Services, check the box Hide all Microsoft services and then click on Disable allThis will leave only the system services running and disable third-party services.

Then, on the tab Start, press on Open Task ManagerFrom there, it disables all the starting elements by right-clicking on each one and choosing Disable.

Restart your computer normally. If you can now log in without seeing the black screen, you know the problem was with... any service or application that starts automaticallyWe need to reactivate elements little by little (first half, then narrow it down) until we find the culprit.

Update, roll back, or reinstall graphics drivers

The graphics card is another prime suspect. A corrupted or outdated video driver can leave you with black screen right when Windows switches from the login screen to the desktop.

In safe mode (or if you manage to log in somehow), right-click the Start button and open the Device ManagerExpand the section Display adapters and locate your GPU (for example, NVIDIA GeForce, AMD Radeon, or Intel UHD).

Double-click on the device to open its Properties and go to the tab ControllerIf you recently updated the driver and the problems started after that, try the option Revert to the previous driverConfirm and let Windows restore the previous version.

If you can't revert, or there's no previous version, try uninstall the driverFrom the same properties window, click on Uninstall deviceYou can also select the option to remove the driver software if you want to start from scratch.

After uninstalling, restart your computer. Windows will attempt to load a basic generic driver, which should at least allow you to access the desktop. From there you will be able to Install the latest version of the driver by downloading it directly from the manufacturer's website (NVIDIA, AMD or Intel) or, if you prefer, using Windows Update.

In systems where stability is more important than performance, it's not a bad idea. avoid beta versions of drivers and stick with WHQL certified drivers or those recommended by the equipment manufacturer (OEM).

Advanced diagnostics with events, dumps, and Sysinternals tools

When the problem is persistent and cannot be located using basic methods, one can go a step further and use advanced diagnostic tools such as Event Viewer, Windows Error Reporting, ProcDump, or Process Monitor (ProcMon).

A good starting point is to check if the processes explorer.exe and userinit.exe are either running or failing When the black screen appears. From Task Manager, on the tab DetailsLook for both processes. If they appear to be active, but the screen is black, it's recommended to capture a screenshot. process dump to analyze them.

To do this, you can use ProcDumpa free utility from Microsoft SysinternalsDownload it and extract it to a simple folder, for example C:\Tools\Then open an administrator console, navigate to that folder and run:

procdump -ma explorer.exe explorer.dmp
procdump -ma userinit.exe userinit.dmp

These .dmp files can be analyzed with tools like WinDbg or sent to technical support for further investigation. Why are resources being blocked or consumed abnormally?.

If you suspect that processes are closing unexpectedly or becoming unresponsive, the Event Viewer It will give you clues. Open eventvwr.msc and go to Windows Logs > ApplicationSearch for events with Event ID 1000 associated with explorer.exe or userinit.exe during the period in which the black screen occurs.

To automatically capture dumps when an application crashes, you can enable Windows Error Reporting (WER)In the Registry Editor, go to:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\Windows Error Reporting

Create (if they don't exist) and configure these values:

• DumpCount (REG_DWORD) = 10
• DumpType (REG_DWORD) = 2
• DumpFolder (REG_EXPAND_SZ) = C:\dumps

After restarting and reproducing the problem, the following will be generated: memory dumps of applications that stop responding in the specified folder. Again, you can analyze them or share them with a specialized technician.

If the problem is that explorer.exe or userinit.exe exit with an error code other than zero, Process Monitor (ProcMon) will allow you to record everything those processes do from the startYou can configure a boot log, reboot, reproduce the failure, and then filter the log for entries related to those processes and their exit codes.

Check BIOS/UEFI, boot order and hardware

When the software seems to be working fine, you have to look up and look at the hardware and low-level configuration (BIOS or UEFI). Outdated or misconfigured firmware can cause instability right after logging in.

Turn off the computer, turn it on, and repeatedly press the key to enter the BIOS/UEFI (usually F2, Delete, Esc, or F10, depending on the manufacturer). Within the menu, look for an option like Load defaults o Optimized defaults to restore the recommended default values.

Take this opportunity to review the boot priorityCheck that the hard drive or SSD where Windows is installed is configured as first boot device and not, for example, an empty USB drive or an old drive.

In systems with thermal stability or power supply issues, it's also a good idea to look at the CPU temperatures and basic voltages from the BIOS. Aggressive overclocking, incorrectly adjusted voltages, or poor cooling can cause crashes just as the system starts working harder after startup.

If you suspect the RAM or graphics card, you can try Start with the minimum possible hardware: a single RAM module, no additional sound cards, no extra PCIe devices… If the black screen disappears with this minimal configuration, reintroduce components one by one until you identify the cause.

Don't forget to check the support from the manufacturer of your computer or motherboardMany OEMs offer BIOS updates, chipset firmware, and validated drivers specifically for your model, which fix bugs related to power management, the integrated GPU, or device initialization.

Although a black screen immediately after entering your password in Windows might seem like a catastrophe, in practice it's usually due to Conflicting graphics drivers, problematic startup applications, errors in Explorer.exe, or corrupted system filesAll of this can be diagnosed and corrected with some patience using the tools the system itself offers: keyboard shortcuts, Safe Mode, SFC and DISM, System Restore, Winlogon registry tweaks, clean boot, cable and monitor checks, and, ultimately, checking the BIOS and hardware. Keeping backups up to date and maintaining drivers and updates significantly reduces the chances of being stuck staring at a black screen again, wondering what's wrong.