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Windows Black Screen After Login (Fix It Now)

Updated Feb 13, 2026

⚠️ Immediate Fix

See a mouse cursor but no icons/wallpaper? The "explorer.exe" shell has crashed. Press Ctrl + Alt + Delete immediately. Select "Task Manager". Go to "Run New Task", type `explorer.exe`, and hit Enter. Your desktop should reappear instantly.

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Why This Happens

  • Display Driver: Update conflict with graphics.
  • Explorer Crash: Shell failed to launch.
  • Startup App: An app is blocking the desktop load.

Step-by-Step Fix

  1. Restart Explorer: Use the Task Manager trick above. If `explorer.exe` is already running, right-click it and select "Restart".
  2. Restart Graphics Driver: Press Win + Ctrl + Shift + B. You will hear a beep and the screen will blink. This restarts the GPU driver without rebooting.
  3. Disable Fast Startup: If this happens every reboot, go to Control Panel > Power Options > Choose what power buttons do > Uncheck "Turn on fast startup".
  4. Safe Mode: If you can't see anything, boot into Safe Mode (interrupt boot 3 times) and uninstall your graphics driver.
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Related Fixes

When to Stop

If you see absolutely nothing (no cursor, no backlight) and the PC fans are spinning, it is a hardware connection issue. Check your HDMI/DP cable and reseat your GPU.