Windows 11 black screen after login, only a movable cursor - Problem & Workaround

Question

Hello,

Windows 11 -Latest (all is latest actually) - corporate environment

Login -> Black screen & mouse pointer only.

Solution:

Remove all network drives, use a non-persistent CMD script to map them after desktop has loaded. (NET USE command)

This is terrible. At least Windows 10 booted nicely to the desktop and left network drives it could not connect as 'unable to connect all drives'.

Windows 11 does not budge at all. No amount of timeout registry changes or other jiggery-pokery works.

Only booting the computer without any network connection makes it load the desktop.

Why is it even trying to reconnect them before loading the desktop anyway?

*** Moved from Windows / Windows 11 / Performance and system failures ***

Answer 1

Hello

Thank you for posting in Microsoft Community forum.

This problem seems to be related to network drives attempting to reconnect before the desktop fully loads.

From the information I found, this issue can occur due to various reasons, including certain Windows updates or specific configurations in the corporate environment. Here are a few insights and potential solutions:

Network Drives and Login Process: Windows 11 might be trying to reconnect network drives before loading the desktop, which can cause delays or a black screen if the drives are not accessible. This behavior is different from Windows 10, which would boot to the desktop and show a notification if it couldn't connect to all network drives.

Temporary Workaround: As you mentioned, removing all network drives and using a non-persistent CMD script to map them after the desktop has loaded is a temporary solution. This can be done using the NET USE command in a script that runs after login.

Possible Causes: This issue might be related to a recent cumulative update or specific configurations in your environment. Some users have reported similar problems occurring randomly on different OEM brands and models.

To address this issue more effectively, you might want to:

• Check for any recent Windows updates that could be causing this problem and consider rolling back if necessary.
• Review your network drive configurations and see if there are any settings that can be adjusted to delay the reconnection process until after the desktop has loaded.
• Consult with your IT department or support team to explore other potential solutions specific to your corporate environment.

Reference Documentation:

How to resolve black screen with mouse pointer after logging or signing into Windows! - Microsoft Q&A

Best Regards,

Wesley Li