Google Chrome has over 60% of the usage share among all browsers, both mobile and desktop. It’s simple, fast, and has access to over 11,000 extensions that improve functionality. But, like all technology, it has its drawbacks and hiccups. One of the problems Chrome users often face is a black screen.
If you face this issue, there are several ways to fix the problem.
Disable Chrome Extensions
Google does not develop Chrome extensions. Third parties create them for use in Chrome. Since Google does not maintain them, sometimes they will not run correctly with a new version of Chrome.
To see if an extension is causing the black screen, first disable all your extensions. If the black screen disappears, then one of the extensions was the problem. Reactivate the extensions one at a time until you find the culprit. Keep that extension disabled or delete it altogether.
To disable extensions:
1. Click the menu icon in the top=right corner of the screen. It is three dots stacked vertically.
2. Hover your mouse over More tools.
3. Click on Extensions.
4. Click on all of the blue toggle switches to turn the extensions off.
5. Close Chrome.
6. Relaunch Chrome without the extensions. See if the problem persists.
Also read: How to Mute an Entire Website in Chrome
Disable Chrome Flags
Chrome includes the option of using advanced or experimental features known as flags. Some of these flags can cause the black screen. Try disabling them to see if that solves the problem. The possible culprits are GPU compositing on all pages, threaded compositing, and “Do SHOW Presents with GD”.
To disable your Chrome flags:
1. Launch Chrome.
2. Type chrome://flags/ in the address bar.
3. Scroll down and look for flags that can cause problems.
4. If those flags are enabled, click the toggle switch to off.
5. Close Chrome and relaunch.
Disable Hardware Acceleration
The most common solution for black screen issues in Chrome is to disable the GPU Compositing on all pages. To disable it:
1. Right-click on the Chrome shortcut on your desktop. If you don’t have one, create one now.
2. Select Properties.
3. Select the Shortcuts tab.
4. In the Target window, type “[space]-disable-gpu. The path will look similar to this: "C:\Program Files (x86)\Google\Chrome\Application\chrome.exe" --disable-gpu
5. Save changes.
6. Open Chrome and go to Settings.
7. Click on “Show advanced settings.”
8. Disable the “Use hardware acceleration when available” option.
9. Restart Chrome.
Also read: How to Delete Your Google Chrome Web Activity Data Automatically
Resize the Browser Window
If Chrome is going black, try resizing the window. To do this, double click on the title bar. The window will shrink. To get it back to regular size, just double-click again.
Reset Chrome to Default
If the screen is still going black, reset Chrome to its default state. When you reset it, you will remove all extensions and set everything back to its original state.
To reset Chrome to its default:
1. Click the menu icon in the upper-right corner.
2. Choose Settings.
3. Scroll down to click on Advanced.
4. Find the “Reset and Clean up” section.
5. Click “Restore settings to their original defaults.”
6. Confirm by clicking the Reset button.
Run Chrome in Compatibility Mode
Windows has a feature allowing users to run applications with different versions of Windows. Enabling compatibility mode for Google Chrome may eliminate the black screen.
To do this:
1. Right-click on your Chrome shortcut on the desktop.
2. Select Properties.
3. Click on the Compatibility tab.
4. Check the box next to “Run this program in compatibility mode for.”
5. Choose the version of Windows to use to run Chrome. Most people have found good results with Windows 7 or 8.
6. Click Apply and OK to save the settings.
Add a “-no-sandbox launch” parameter
Google Chrome uses Sandbox mode to separate processes and keep malicious ones from infecting your computer. It’s a useful feature, but it can cause the appearance of the black screen.
Disabling the Sandbox will take away that extra protection against viruses and other malware, so make sure you have good antivirus software installed.
To disable the Sandbox for Chrome:
1. Right-click the shortcut for Chrome on your desktop.
2. Select Properties.
3. Click on the Shortcut tab.
4. Add --no-sandbox to the end of the path in the target window.
Reinstall Chrome
If none of these methods work, you may have to uninstall and reinstall Chrome. The best way to do this is to use an uninstaller like IOBit Uninstaller or Revo Uninstaller. But if you’d rather use the built-in uninstaller for Windows, follow these steps:
1. Type Control Panel into the search bar in the taskbar.
2. Click on the Control Panel icon to open it.
3. Click on Uninstall a program.
4. Locate Google Chrome.
5. Right-click on Chrome and select uninstall.
6. Visit the Chrome website and download the program and reinstall it.
If you are facing the black screen from Chrome, I hope one of these solutions will work for you. The same solutions can also work for other issues with the browser, such as crashing, so keep these ideas in mind whenever Chrome gives you trouble.
Subscribe to our newsletter!
Our latest tutorials delivered straight to your inbox
Sign up for all newsletters.
By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy and European users agree to the data transfer policy. We will not share your data and you can unsubscribe at any time. Subscribe
Tracey Rosenberger
Tracey Rosenberger spent 26 years teaching elementary students, using technology to enhance learning. Now she’s excited to share helpful technology with teachers and everyone else who sees tech as intimidating.
Comments (1)