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Why Am I Getting a Black Screen When Installing Windows 11?

Quick Tips
  • When installing Windows 11, a black screen can be a sign of graphical issues, but also other problems.
  • Check your graphics drivers in Safe Mode and your HDMI connections.
  • Hard reset your machine and your BIOS if necessary.
  • If the installation drive has been corrupted, create it again.

Installing an operating system can be a stressful time, particularly when you can’t see what you’re doing because of a black screen. If you’re struggling with a black screen when installing Windows 11, then this article is for you. We’ll be going through a list of potential fixes to get things visible and your operating system installed.

Fixing a Black Screen When Installing Windows 11

Quite often, problems with your display are related to graphics cards and their drivers. This may be the case with a black screen after installing Windows 11, but if it happens during the installation process, there can be a few other causes. Let’s take a look at some fixes:

Check Your Display Connections

It’s an easy check, but an important one. If you’re running a desktop PC or have a second monitor, ensure the power supply is up to task and the HDMI cable is securely connected on both ends. Try unplugging and replugging just to confirm.

Perform a Hard Reset

It could be that your machine is behaving erratically and needs to start fresh, and completely fresh at that, through a hard reset. Here’s what to do:

Step 1. Shut down your machine.

Step 2. Press and hold the power button for at least a minute to drain the static.

Step 3. After this, boot up your machine again and see if the issue persists.

Check Your Motherboard Lights

If you can open your machine and easily check your motherboard, pay attention to the LED lights and their color. You should see four: “Boot,” “VGA,” “DRAM,” and “CPU.” If any of these lights stay on after the initial boot, it means there’s a hardware issue with that component. This could be the cause of your black screen.

“VGA” is a component that can directly affect your display, so if this stays on, it’s time to fix it yourself or take it to a professional who can.

Create the Bootable Disk Again

It could be that the bootable media you’re using to install Windows 11 (or the device you’re doing it from) has been corrupted or isn’t working properly. As a quick guide to doing so:

Step 1. Download the Windows 11 ISO from Microsoft.

Why Am I Getting a Black Screen When Installing Windows 11 4

Step 2. In the Disk Management utility (accessible from the Search Bar), ensure that your bootable drive is formatted correctly to NTFS.

Why Am I Getting a Black Screen When Installing Windows 11 5

Step 3. Enter the BIOS and boot from your bootable device. Follow the steps to install. If the black screen persists, try another method.

Reset Your BIOS

In extreme cases, the BIOS might be to blame and is in need of a reset. Enter the BIOS on startup and find an option that allows you to reset the BIOS to default settings. Keep in mind that every BIOS is different.

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Last updated on 22 May, 2026

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