Among Windows users, one of the most terrifying things is encountering the blue screen, which is usually a symptom of a serious operating error. But no less frightening and disconcerting is when the error of the white screen on windowsAlso known as the "white screen of death".
This uncomfortable situation usually occurs without prior notice, generally when we are going to log into our PC, although it can also happen while we are using the computer. Suddenly, the screen fades to white without further explanation. This is the sign that there is something wrong with some of the hardware or software components of our system.
The colored screens are a classic warning of the Microsoft operating system, a kind of alarm signal. There are black, blue and even green screens, which are always accompanied by an explanatory text with the necessary clues to find out the origin of the problem. Instead, the white screen in Windows just shows up, with a total white that fills the entire screen and no text that can help us.
This is an added problem when trying to solve the problem, since we do not have any indication to know where to start looking for the remedy.
For this reason, the white screen in Windows is often posed as an unsolvable problem before us, although in reality it is not, as you will see below:
Why does the white screen appear in Windows?
It is true that the white screen is uncommunicative with us, refusing to provide us with information about its causes, experience tells us that there are a number of reasons that may be in the origin of the problem. They are as follows:
- Hardware problems on the device.
- Drivers that do not work correctly because they are corrupt or out of date.
- Background apps that are interfering with certain system processes.
- Unsuccessful execution of a Windows update.
Knowing these possible causes, it is easier to define what are the solutions that we must apply to get rid of the annoying white screen.
White screen: solutions
Before starting with our battery of solutions for the white screen problem in Windows, it does not hurt to carry out some preliminary checks. Perhaps it is only a matter of a bad connection, so to make sure that the cause is not a hardware problem, it is advisable to check all cables connected to the system to rule out this point. After doing so, you have to restart the PC.
If the problem persists, other solutions should be tried. We recommend trying them in the order in which we present them:
Force a system reboot
It is the first solution to try to try to get rid of the white screen in Windows. This method works to fix the issue in a high percentage of cases, especially if the issues have been caused by a specific application or a not-so-serious system bug.
To force a system reboot, all we have to do is hold down the Power key for a few seconds, until it shuts down. Next, you have to restart the device and check that the white screen has disappeared.
Disconnect peripherals
If the method of forcing the restart has not worked, the next thing we should try is to disconnect all the peripherals that have been connected to our computer via USB. On many occasions, the origin of the malfunction is found in an external device connectedsuch as a printer or scanner, or even the keyboard or mouse.
After the disconnection, we need to restart the computer and check that the Windows operating system starts normally. If we disconnect the peripherals one by one we can identify which of them is generating the error.
Enter safe mode
Other times, the origin of the white screen on our computer is hidden in an external application. The most effective way to identify the application that is not running correctly is to access our computer with the Windows safe mode.
When we access in safe mode, all third-party applications are disabled by default. If Windows works normally in safe mode, it should be deduced that the white screen problem is caused by an external application that needs to be removed.
Update graphics drivers
A specific reason that causes the white screen to appear is a problem in the drivers or controllers of the graphics card. The solution is to update them, which we can do manually or automatically with the help of a program. These are the steps to proceed with a manual update:
- We use the key combination Windows + X and select the Device administrator.
- Double click on the option "Display adapters".
- Then we go to the controllers one by one, clicking with the right mouse button and selecting the option "Update driver".
Update Windows
Finally, there is an aspect that can be the cause of the white screen on our computer: problems with the version of Windows that we are using. The solution can be of two types: upgrade to a newer version or go back to a previous one. In any case, it is about choosing the one that does not cause problems. The way to proceed is explained in detail in this post: How to update Windows
Another solution in the same sense is to return the system to a previous restore point. In this way, we will be able to restore our Windows system to a fully functional state. We also have a specific post in which we explain how to do it: How to restore Windows 10 to an earlier point.
Conclusion
The dreaded white screen is one of the most irritating issues Windows users encounter. Luckily, the solutions that we have reviewed in this post are usually effective. Even so, we can find more persistent and difficult to solve cases. In this situation, it is best to go to an authorized technical service.