How to Fix Black Screen in Windows 10 (4 Methods)

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By Victor Ashiedu

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How to Fix Black Screen in Windows 10

Introduction

This guide offers 4 options to fix black screen in Windows 10 after login. A number of users reports that they experience black screen after login in to Windows 10.

This guide offers options to fix this problem.

Options to Fix Black Screen in Windows 10 After Login

The 4 methods discussed in this guide to fix black screen in Windows 10 after login are:

  1. Kill the Windows Audio Service
  2. Add “NT AUTHORITY\INTERACTIVE” Account to the Local “Users” Group
  3. Turn UAC (User Account Control) Off
  4. Disable the ‘AppReadiness’ Service
Due to the unique problem presented by the issue this guide is set to fix viz, no desktop due to black screen, the fixes depends on Windows keyboard shortcuts.
The fixes presented in this guide are based on actions different users reported fixed the problem for them.

Kill the Windows Audio Service

Available Options to Fix Black Screen in Windows 10 After Login - Kill the Windows Audio Service

Most users report that killing the Windows Audio Service fixed black screen issue for them.

To fix black screen in Windows 10 with this method follow the steps below:

  • Login to Windows 10 and press Windows logo + R on your keyboard. Run command will open.
Available Options to Fix Black Screen in Windows 10 After Login - Kill the Windows Audio Service
  • Type CMD into the Run command and click OK.
Available Options to Fix Black Screen in Windows 10 After Login - Kill the Windows Audio Service
  • Then at command prompt, type the command below and press Enter.
TASKLIST /FI "ImageName eq audiodg.exe"

The command returns the task details of the Windows Audio Service on your PC. Note the PID. In this demo, mine is 17240.

The command may return “INFO: No tasks are running which match the specified criteria.”. This means that audio service is NOT running on the PC.

If this is your situation proceed to the second method to fix black screen in Windows 10.

  • But, if on the other hand, the command returned a result, to kill the audio service, type the command below. Then press enter key on your keyboard…
TASKKILL /PID <audiodg.ex-PID> 

Replace <audiodg.ex-PID> with the PID from the last command. In my example I used the command below:

TASKKILL /PID 17240
  • Sometimes the above command may return “access denied” error. This may indicate that the logged in user does not have the permission to stop the audio service. In this situation, type a command similar to this sample command…
TASKKILL /PID <audiodg.ex-PID> /U <username> /P <password>

Replace <audiodg.ex-PID> with the PID from the TASKLIST /FI “ImageName eq audiodg.exe” command.
<username> is the user name of a user with administrative privilege.
<password> with the password for the user specified with <username>.

If the steps in this first solution does snot fix black screen in Windows 10 try the second recommended solution…

Add “NT AUTHORITY\INTERACTIVE” Account to the Local “Users” Group

Available Options to Fix Black Screen in Windows 10 After Login - Add “NT AUTHORITY\INTERACTIVE” Account to the Local “Users” Group

Some users have reported that this solution worked to fix black screen in Windows 10 after login.

Here are the steps to try this fix…

  • While logged in to Windows 10, press Windows logo + R on your keyboard. Run command will open.
  • At Run command, type compmgmt.msc. Then click OK.
  • When Computer Management opens, expand Local Users and Groups (click the right-pointing arrow). Then click on Groups node. Finally, on the details pane, double-click Users group.
Available Options to Fix Black Screen in Windows 10 After Login - Add “NT AUTHORITY\INTERACTIVE” Account to the Local “Users” Group
  • When Users group properties opens, click Add.
Available Options to Fix Black Screen in Windows 10 After Login - Add “NT AUTHORITY\INTERACTIVE” Account to the Local “Users” Group
  • Then at the Select Users screen, type INTERACTIVE. Then click Check Names. INTERACTIVE should now be underlined. Click OK.
Available Options to Fix Black Screen in Windows 10 After Login - Add “NT AUTHORITY\INTERACTIVE” Account to the Local “Users” Group
  • NT AUTHORITY\INTERACTIVE will now be listed as a member of the Users group. To save your changes click OK.

Turn UAC (User Account Control) Off

Another method that has proven to fix the black screen in Windows 10 is to turn UAC off. For detailed steps use one of the methods in this guide – How to Turn Off User Account Control (UAC) in Windows.

If this does not fix black screen in Windows 10 for you, try this…

Disable the ‘AppReadiness’ Service

This has also resolved black screen problem for so many Windows 10 users.

Here are the detailed steps to apply this fix…

  • Press Windows logo + R on your keyboard to open Run command.
  • At Run command type services.msc. Then click OK.
  • When Services console opens, double-click App Readiness service.
  • Then change the Startup type to Manual and stop the service. Finally, click OK.

Conclusion

The 4 methods discussed in this have proven to fix the black screen in Windows 10. I hope one of them fixed the problem for you!

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About the Author

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Victor Ashiedu

Victor is the founder of InfoPress Media, publishers of ilifeguides.com and itechguides.com. With 20+ years of experience in IT infrastructure, his expertise spans Windows, Linux, and DevOps. Explore his contributions on Itechguides.com for insightful how-to guides and product reviews.

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