How to Fix Black Screen with Cursor in Windows (Step-by-Step Guide)

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How to Fix a PC Black Screen with Cursor (Ghost Screen Issue)

A black screen with only a visible mouse cursor is one of the most frustrating Windows problems. Your PC appears to boot, but the desktop never loads.

What Causes the Black Screen with Cursor?

Step 1: Open Task Manager

Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc

Step 2: Start Explorer Manually

  1. Task Manager → File → Run new task
  2. Type: explorer.exe
  3. Click Ok 

Step 3: Run System File Repair

  1. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc
  2. Click on Run new task 
  3. Type cmd 
  4. Click the checkbox to run with administrative privileges 
  5. Type sfc /scannow
  6. Press Enter 
  7. Wait for process to complete 
  8. Restart PC
If the above doesn't fix the problem, you may run DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth (need internet connection) 
  1. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc
  2. Click on Run new task 
  3. Type cmd  
  4. Click the checkbox to run with administrative privileges 
  5. Type DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
  6. Press Enter  
  7. Wait for process to complete (This may take time, let it finish) 
  8. Restart PC
Note: It is better to run DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth immediately after sfc /scannow running is completed and before restarting the PC. 

Step 4: Restart Explorer

Step 5: Fix Registry 

  1. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc again
  2. Go to File → Run new task
  3. Type: regedit
  4. Navigate to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon
  5. On the right side, find: Shell and double click on it. It MUST be: explorer.exe. (Note: If Shell is something else, change it to explorer.exe) 
  6. Still in the same location: find: Userinit and and double click on it. It MUST be C:\Windows\System32\userinit.exe, (Note: If Userinit is wrong, fix it exactly like C:\Windows\System32\userinit.exe, (including the comma)) 

Step 6: Boot into Safe Mode

shutdown /r /o /f /t 0

Step 7: Remove Problematic Updates

  1. Press Win + R
  2. Type: appwiz.cpl
  3. Click View installed updates
  4. Uninstall the latest update

System Restore

Use System Restore to revert to a working state if needed.

Final Thoughts

This issue is usually caused by system corruption or updates. Running SFC and DISM resolves most cases.

Frequently Asked Questions

What causes a black screen with cursor in Windows?
It is usually caused by corrupted system files, failed updates, or explorer.exe not starting properly.

How do I fix black screen with cursor?
You can fix it by running SFC scan, DISM repair, restarting explorer.exe, and checking registry settings.

Why is explorer.exe not working?
Explorer may fail due to missing registry values, system corruption, or incomplete updates.

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