How to fix
White Screen of Death
on Windows

My computer does not turn on. Instead of Windows 10 login page, I see white screen only. What can I do about it? I tried restarting my PC several times, but it did not help.

White Screen of Death (WSoD) or White Death is an error that informs about some problems with an operating system. Typically, the error appears on iPhones or iPods.[ref en-1] However, Windows 10 users can encounter the same problem too.

White Screen of Death is similar to Blue Screen of Death[ref en-2] or Black Screen of Death[ref en-3] which prevent from accessing a computer. The white screen prevents from accessing login menu, does not show Windows screen and does not offer boot options. Thus, it might be a terrifying experience.

There are many reasons why users can get a WSoD error on Windows 10. Sometimes it’s a temporary problem which can be fixed by restarting the computer. However, in most cases, the source of the error is outdated graphics drivers, available or installed Windows updates, etc.

Methods to fix White Screen of Death on Windows 10

There are a couple of methods that you can try out to get rid of White Screen of Death error. Start from the first one. The list is based on difficulty levels of the methods.

Method 1. Force-restart your computer

If White Screen of Death shows up instead of regular Windows login page, you should force-restart your device. Press and hold the power button for a couple of minutes. Once the computer shuts down, click power button again and reboot the system.

Method 2. Disconnect USB devices

If the previous method did not help to get rid if White Screen of Death, you should check if any of the USB devices connected to your PC are not causing the problem. Disconnect your USB mouse, keyboard, hard drives or other devices that are connected to your PC.

Then force-restart your computer and turn on again. If the White Screen is gone, connect again devices one by one in order to learn which one caused the problems.

Method 3. Reboot your PC to Safe Mode

This method allows identifying if any of the third-party apps are not causing White Screen of Death. Follow these steps to reboot your PC to safe mode:

1. Click Win+R to open Run program.
2. In the Run enter msconfig and click OK to open System Configuration windows.
3. Navigate to Boot tab.
4. Under the Boot sections, mark the tick near Safe boot option.
   

   

5. Choose Network option too if you want to be connected to the Internet when in Safe Mode.
6. Reboot your computer to get into the Safe Mode.

Method 4. Update graphic driver

1. Right-click Start button and choose Device Manager from the list.
2. Find the graphic card's entry and extend it.
3. Right-click the driver and choose Update driver option.
   

   

4. Once the updates are installed, restart your computer.

Method 5. Install available Windows updates

Sometimes White Screen of Death occurs due to missing updates. Therefore, you should check for the available Windows 10 updates and install them:

1. Click Win + I.
2. Navigate to System Settings > Update & Security.
3. Click Windows Update tab in the left pane.
4. If there are any updates, you will see them on the right. Also, you can click Check for updates button. Install available updates as explained in the guide on the computer’s screen.

Method 6. Remove corrupted Windows update that caused White Screen of Death

Users report that they encountered White screen of Death error after installing specific Windows 10 updates. Thus, if you suspect that it’s your case too, you should follow the guide below:

1. Click Win + I.
2. Navigate to System Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update.
3. Click View update history link under Check for updates button.
   

   

4. Click Uninstall updates and remove updates that you think are the sources of white screen of death.
   

   

Method 7. Use System Restore Point

If none of the above-mentioned methods did not help to fix White Screen of Death problem on Windows 10, you should try System Restore Point. This method allows traveling back in computer’s time to the date before the white screen problem occurred.

Keep in mind that once you go back to the previous date, you will lose all files or programs that were installed. Hence, make backups of the important information before you start.

Note. You can only use this method if System Restore points were enabled on Windows 10 before the issue occurred.

1. Click power button three times to run an automatic repair on Windows 10.
2. Choose Advanced Startup and choose Troubleshoot.
3. Click Advanced option,
4. Choose System Restore.
5. Click Next button on the appeared System Restore window.
6. Choose the most recent known working restore point. It should help to fix White Screen of Death problem.
7. Hit Scan for affected programs button. You will see the list of programs that will be removed once you choose your restore point.
8. Click Close, then Next, and Finish.