How to fix black strip in full screen windows of explorer, edge, adobe reader etc...?

Question

Hello

On 2 computers with Windows 10 PRO in our company, there is often issue in displaying windows in full screen in windows explorer, adobe reader windows with pdf, EDGE windows with websites or PDF. Black bar appears in place of the top navigation menu of these windows. The menu is then unavailable. Navigation buttons, minimize, resize, close, space to enter the address, bookmarks, etc., everything disappears. there is only a black bar. The rest of the window, its contents are normally visible. Restarting the computer helps fix the problem but temporarily. It is recurring. The problem occurs suddenly, without any clear reason, always while editing windows in full-screen mode. Closing this window is only possible using alt+f4 or on the lower main windows menu bar. Restarting the computer helps fix the problem temporarily, but it is recurring. Subsequent windows updates do not fix anything. It's been happening for several months now. I will add that this applies to accounts that work in domain. A local account on the same computer does not exhibit such problems. There are about 100 other accounts on the same domain with windows 10 machines, configured similarly with the same domain policies, and only two machines/accounts have this problem. I will be grateful for any help.

Answer 1

Hello Remzap,

Thank you for your question and for reaching out with your question today.

The issue you are experiencing with black bars appearing in full-screen windows and the top navigation menu becoming unavailable can be caused by various factors. Since it only occurs on two computers in the domain, it might be related to specific settings or configurations on those machines. Here are some troubleshooting steps you can try to identify and resolve the problem:

1. Check Graphics Drivers: Ensure that the graphics drivers on the affected computers are up to date. Outdated or corrupted graphics drivers can cause display issues. Visit the manufacturer's website (e.g., NVIDIA, AMD, Intel) to download and install the latest drivers compatible with your graphics card.
2. Check Screen Resolution Settings: Verify that the screen resolution settings on the affected computers are set correctly and match the recommended resolution for your monitors.
3. Check Display Settings: Review the display settings on the affected computers, including color calibration, scaling, and multiple display configurations. Make sure there are no conflicting settings causing the issue.
4. Check for Third-Party Software Conflicts: Determine if any third-party software installed on the affected computers might be causing conflicts with window rendering. Try disabling or uninstalling any recently installed software to see if the issue persists.
5. Check Compatibility Mode: Ensure that no applications are running in compatibility mode. Right-click on the application executable, go to Properties, and check the Compatibility tab for any compatibility settings that might be causing issues.
6. Run System File Checker (SFC) and DISM: Run the System File Checker (SFC) and Deployment Imaging Service and Management Tool (DISM) to scan and repair any corrupted system files. Open Command Prompt as an administrator and run the following commands:

   
      sfc /scannow
   
      dism /online /cleanup-image /restorehealth
   
   

7. Review Group Policies: Examine the Group Policies applied to the affected computers and check for any settings that might affect window rendering. Make sure there are no specific policies that could cause this behavior.
8. Check for Malware or Virus Infections: Perform a thorough scan for malware or virus infections on the affected computers. Malware can sometimes interfere with system operations and cause display issues.
9. Create a New User Profile: Try creating a new user profile on one of the affected computers and see if the issue persists for the new user account. This can help determine if the problem is related to the user profile.
10. Check Event Viewer Logs: Review the Event Viewer logs on the affected computers for any errors or warnings related to display or graphics issues. These logs might provide additional clues about the root cause.

If the issue persists after trying the above steps, it might be worth seeking assistance from your IT department or a professional technician to perform a more in-depth investigation on the affected computers. Since the problem is specific to only two computers in the domain, it's essential to rule out any hardware issues and thoroughly examine the configurations and settings on those machines.

I used AI provided by ChatGPT to formulate part of this response. I have verified that the information is accurate before sharing it with you.

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