Windows 11 Black Screen With Visible Cursor

Stuck on a black screen with only a cursor showing after starting your Windows 11 PC? You’re not alone—this common issue can be caused by anything from faulty updates to corrupted drivers.

But don’t worry, there are several reliable fixes you can try right now to bring your system back to life. In this guide, we’ll walk you through step-by-step methods to diagnose and solve the black screen with cursor problem, even if you can’t access your desktop normally.

How to Fix Windows 11 Black Screen With Visible Cursor Issue

Table of Contents

Follow this step-by-step guide to fix the issue when you see a black screen with cursor on Windows screen.

1. Uninstall Updates

If your screen is black but you can see the cursor, don’t worry. Follow these steps to uninstall updates:

The first step is to press Ctrl + Alt + Delete simultaneously on your keyboard.
Once you do that, a menu should appear with options like “Lock,” “Switch User,” “Sign Out,” “Task Manager,” and more.

You don’t see this screen, hold down the Shift key on your keyboard.
While holding the Shift key, click on the Power icon at the bottom-right corner of the screen.
From the options that appear, select Restart.

Keep holding the Shift key till your PC begins to restart.
Once your PC restarts, you should see a different screen.
Once your computer restarts, you’ll be greeted with a screen that has several options like “Continue,” “Turn Off Your PC,” And “Troubleshoot.”

Select Troubleshoot, then choose Advanced Options.
Here, you can try uninstalling recent updates.

To do that, click on Uninstall Updates to remove the latest quality updates that may be causing the issue. Follow the onscreen instructions to finish the process.
You may need to enter your recovery key, but if you’re not prompted for it, continue with the process.

2. Perform a Startup Repair

If uninstalling updates doesn’t work, go back to Troubleshoot, select Advanced Options, and choose Startup Repair.

This will run a diagnostic process that can help fix startup issues, regardless of the brand or model of your computer.

If you get a message that says “Startup couldn’t repair”, you can continue with the next method.

3. Use System Restore

If the startup repair doesn’t work, go back to Troubleshoot then Advanced Options, and this time select System Restore.

This will restore your computer to an earlier state, potentially fixing any system-related issues causing the black screen.

4. Uninstall Programs in Safe Mode

Safe mode boots your PC in the basic state with bare minimal functionalities.

So, when you are stuck on a black screen with the cursor only, you can also enter safe mode. The Safe Mode will also help you to detect the actual problem behind the issue.

Follow these steps to boot into Windows Safe Mode:

Open the Advanced Startup Recovery Menu from the previous methods.
Choose Troubleshoot from the options.
Select Advanced options then Startup Settings then Restart.

Now press F5 button on your keyboard to enter Safe Mode with the networking.

While in Safe Mode you can now uninstall problematic programs like graphics drivers, audio drivers, or, network drivers, etc.

To do that, press Windows + X and select Device Manager.
Locate the driver causing issues. Check for any yellow mark next to any driver. Or you can expand the Display adapters section, then right-click on the driver and select the Uninstall device option.
You can repeat the same for Sound, video and game controllers for audio drivers, or Network adapters for network drivers.

In the confirmation prompt, click on the Uninstall option.
You can also uninstall programs like driver-related software or third-party tools from Control Panel. To do that, press Windows + R, type control, and hit Enter to open Control Panel.
Navigate to Programs and Features.

Find the problematic program, right-click on it, and select Uninstall. Confirm your action.
After uninstalling the driver or program, restart your computer to complete the uninstallation process.
After performing the steps in Safe Mode, reboot your system normally.

Check if the black screen issue is resolved. If it is, great! If not, proceed to the next method.

5. Reset Your PC

If none of the above processes could help fix the Windows black screen with the cursor, reset your PC.

But before you do that, make sure to back up all your important data and files as this process can erase all your data.

Here is how you can reset your PC:

Click on Windows Start Menu and select Settings.
Go to System then choose Recovery from the right pane.

Select the Reset PC option.

Under Choose an option, you can select either Keep your files or Remove everything option.

Select Additional Settings then Next.
Then, choose the Remove My Files option and follow the on-screen instructions to finish the process.

Once your PC is reset, reinstall your needed applications and restore all your backups.

Wrapping Up

Dealing with a black screen and visible cursor on Windows 11 can be frustrating, but with the right steps, it’s usually fixable.

Whether the issue was caused by a recent update, a faulty driver, or a corrupted program, methods like uninstalling updates, using Safe Mode, or resetting your PC can help you get back on track.