Control Alt Delete Then screen turns black

Question

I click control alt delete and my screen will slowly turn black. I have tried Windows Control Shift B to reset, and it does slightly come back (screen is dark) for a few seconds. If I press Esc it goes back to normal. If I use arrow keeps to go down 3 spots to task manager and press Enter it opens task manager and screen comes back too. I can still hear applications running in the background when screen goes black. All hardware is relatively new and working.

Answer 1

This may be caused by system corruption, not the graphics drivers, if pressing Esc brings the screen back to normal.

Open the Settings App, then go to System - Recovery.

Click the 'Reinstall Now' button in the 'Fix problems with Windows Udpates' section and wait for that process to complete, this process will not affect your files, settings or installed apps.

Answer 2

The behavior described matches a display/graphics issue rather than a full system freeze, since audio continues and Task Manager or Esc brings the screen back. Use these steps to narrow it down and mitigate it:

1. Reset the graphics driver
   • Continue using Windows logo key + Ctrl + Shift + B when the screen goes dark. This is the supported shortcut to reset the graphics driver and should briefly beep or flicker the display.
2. Check for a stalled shell or Explorer
   • When the screen is dark but the cursor is visible, press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager directly.
   • In Task Manager, locate Windows Explorer in the Processes tab.
     • Right‑click Windows Explorer and select Restart.
     • If Windows Explorer is missing, go to File > Run new task, type explorer.exe, and press Enter`.
   • If this consistently restores the screen, the issue is likely with Explorer or the shell.
3. Verify the shell configuration (advanced)
   • Press Windows logo key + R, type regedit, and press Enter.
   • Navigate to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon
   • In the right pane, confirm the Shell value is set to explorer.exe.
   • If it is not, back up the registry first (per How to back up and restore the registry in Windows), then change it to explorer.exe.
4. Test in Safe Mode
   • Boot into Safe Mode using the advanced startup path:
     • Hold the power button to force shutdown, then power on and repeat 2–3 times until Recovery Mode appears.
     • Go to Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Settings > Restart.
     • Press F5 for Safe Mode with Networking.
   • In Safe Mode, press Ctrl + Alt + Del and see if the black‑screen behavior still occurs.
     • If it does not, a third‑party driver or app is likely involved.
5. Update or roll back display drivers
   • In Safe Mode (or normal mode if usable), open Device Manager.
   • Expand Display adapters, right‑click the GPU, and choose Update driver.
   • If the problem started after a recent driver or Windows update, use Roll back driver on the same dialog if available.
6. Check display mode and projection
   • When the screen goes dark, press Windows logo key + P, then press P again and Enter to cycle through display modes (PC screen only, Duplicate, Extend). Misconfigured projection can cause apparent black screens.
7. If the issue persists
   • Follow the more advanced blank‑screen troubleshooting steps: check cables/monitors (if using external displays), boot to Safe Mode, restart Explorer, and consider System Restore to a point before the issue began if available.

These steps align with supported troubleshooting for black/blank screens where the system is still responsive and the cursor or Task Manager can appear.

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References:

• Scenario guide: Black screen after you sign in to the system
• Troubleshooting black or blank screens in Windows
• Troubleshooting blank screens in Windows
• Troubleshoot screen flickering in Windows