Encountering a white screen on Windows 11 can be both confusing and frustrating, especially when it prevents you from accessing your desktop or essential files.
This issue may be triggered by various causes, including faulty updates, problematic programs, or system errors.
Fortunately, there are several effective methods you can use to troubleshoot and resolve the white screen problem—even if you can’t access Windows normally.
In this guide, we’ll walk you through multiple step-by-step solutions to help you get your PC back to normal.
How to Fix White Screen On Windows 11
Follow this step-by-step guide to fix the White screen issue on Windows 11:
1. Uninstall Recent Updates
If your screen turns white, a recent update might be the cause for such errors. Since you can’t boot into Windows normally, follow these steps to uninstall updates from Advanced Options.
To do that, hold down the Shift key on your keyboard. While holding Shift, click on the power icon at the bottom-right corner of the screen.
Select restart and continue holding the shift key until your PC starts rebooting.
After restarting, a screen will appear with multiple options, including “Continue,” “Turn off your PC,” and “Troubleshoot.“
Select Troubleshoot, then choose Advanced Options.
Click on uninstall updates and follow the on-screen instructions to remove recent quality updates that may be causing the issue.
You may need to enter your recovery key, but if you are not prompted, proceed with the uninstallation. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the process. If you get Windows update error, follow this guide to fix it.
2. Try To Perform A Startup Repair
If uninstalling updates doesn’t resolve the issue, try running startup repair. To do that, go back to Troubleshoot then select Advanced Options then Startup Repair.
This will run a diagnostic process to fix startup-related issues.
If this couldn’t fix the issue, move on to the next method.
3. Perform A System Restore
If Windows shows a white screen restoring your system to an earlier state might help.
Here’s how to do that:
Return to Troubleshoot then Advanced options then System Restore.
Follow the on-screen instructions to restore your computer to a previous working state. You can follow this guide if there is no system restore point on your device.
4. Uninstall Problematic Programs
Sometimes programs and services can cause screen issues on Windows. To fix it up you can uninstall such programs. Here is how you can do it from safe mode.
Safe mode starts Windows with minimal drivers and services, helping you identify the issue.
Access the Advanced Startup Recovery Menu using the methods explained earlier.
Select Troubleshoot then go to Advanced Options then Startup Settings then select Restart.
Once your PC restarts, press F5 to enter Safe Mode with Networking.
While in safe mode, press Windows + R, type Control, and press Enter to open the control panel.
Navigate to Programs and Features.
Find and uninstall any recently installed programs. For that, right-click on the specific program and select the uninstall option.
After uninstalling the programs, restart your PC normally and check if the issue is resolved.
5. Restart Windows Explorer
Next, you can try restarting Windows Explorer, as it controls the user interface, including the taskbar and desktop. A quick restart can refresh the system and potentially fix display issues.
Right-click on the Taskbar and select Task Manager.
In Task Manager, go to the Processes tab.
Scroll down to find Windows Explorer.
Right-click on it and select Restart. Check if this could fix the issue. You can follow this guide if your Windows explorer crashes.
6. Disable Startup Applications
The next step is to disable startup applications, as they can sometimes trigger white screen issues by interfering with system processes.
To do that, open the Task Manager then go to the Startup Tab.
Right-click on each Startup Application and click on the Disable option to prevent them from starting automatically.
After disabling all startup applications, close Task Manager and restart your computer.
Wrapping Up
A persistent white screen on Windows 11 doesn’t necessarily mean your computer is beyond repair. By following the methods outlined above—such as uninstalling recent updates, performing startup repair, using system restore, or managing startup programs—you can often pinpoint and fix the underlying issue.
Start with the simplest solutions and work your way through the list until the problem is resolved. If none of these methods work, you may need to consider more advanced recovery options or seek professional assistance.
