Windows White Screen of Death: What It Is and How to Fix

We show you 8 methods to resurrect it

The White Screen of Death (WSOD) is a white screen that appears when something is wrong with your Microsoft Windows 10 or Windows 11 operating system. Unlike the Blue Screen of Death, no errors tend to accompany the white screen problem to give you an idea of what caused the issue., which can make troubleshooting difficult.

In this article, we explain eight methods you can use to resurrect your computer from the White Screen of Death.

What Causes the White Screen of Death Problem?

The White Screen of Death error, like the infamousBlue Screen of Death, is most commonly produced by hardware failures. However, the issue can also be caused by software malfunctions.

Common causes of the white screen error include:

8 Ways to Fix White Screen of Death

Here are eight fixes for the White Screen of Death, starting with the easiest and progressing to the more in-depth fixes.

The most simple way to combat the WSOD is toforce-restart your system.

To force a reboot, hold down the power button for a few seconds or until the computer has completely shut down. Press the power button again to reboot your Windows 10 device. If your WSOD persists, try one of the other methods listed below.

Note:This may temporarily fix the white screen issue but not prevent it from occurring again.

If your White Screen of Death is accompanied by a visible cursor, an external device is likely the cause.

If your WSOD does not occur until after login, it may be a third-party app causing the error. If this is the case, using Safe Mode may help you identify the problematic app and uninstall or repair it.

If the White Screen of Death hasn’t reoccurred yet, you can enter Safe Mode as follows:

You can also enter Safe Mode while rebooting. To do so, press F8 repeatedly before the Windows logo appears. Your PC will boot into Safe Mode.

An outdated or faulty graphics card driver may cause the White Screen of Death on Windows 10 and 11 while you are using certain games or apps. Updating the drivers may fix the problem.

If nothing yet has fixed the issue, it’s possible that an outdated Windows 10 operating system is causing your White Screen of Death. This is most likely if your computer freezes and reverts to the WSOD at random.

In contrast, if the White Screen of Death occurred after installing a Windows 10 or 11 update, uninstalling the update may fix your issue.

If this isn’t available or you know which specific update likely caused the issue, you can try uninstalling it:

This is another option if the White Screen of Death is appearing after login. Reverting to a restore point should take your Windows OS back to a functional state. However, all files created after the time of the restore point will be deleted.

This method will only work if you have previously made a system restore point to revert to. If you haven’t, you will need to use a different method to rectify the white screen problem.

To revert your PC to a previous restore point:

Faulty hardware might be causing the white screen of death. It could be the graphics card, monitor, GPU, hard disk, SSD, or even the motherboard.

If none of the methods above has worked, there is a good chance that hardware, such as your hard drive, is responsible. It’s difficult to test this unless you have spare parts lying around that you can switch and test one by one. Because of this, you might be better off consulting a professional PC repair expert to test your parts.

No More White Screen of Death

Facing the White Screen of Death is nothing short of frustrating. But hopefully with this tutorial you’ve been able to conquer the issue and return your PC to normal. Just be sure to be careful when downloading apps and buying computer accessories to prevent WSOD from rearing its ugly head again.

Jake Harfield is an Australian freelance writer whose passion is finding out how different technologies work. He has written for several online publications, focusing on explaining what he has learned to help others with their tech problems. He’s an avid hiker and birder, and in his spare time you’ll find him in the Aussie bush listening to the birdsong.Read Jake’s Full Bio

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Windows White Screen of Death: What It Is and How to Fix#

What Causes the White Screen of Death Problem?#

8 Ways to Fix White Screen of Death#

No More White Screen of Death#