"I have an Inspiron 15z Ultrabook that when I try to power up, it's a black screen with the cursor on it which I can move, but nothing happens. Any suggestions?" -Dell Community
Dell laptop black screen with cursor is a common issue that many Dell users face. Most people have reported that it occurred when using an extended display, while others say it happened after installing the latest updates and other occasions.
If you are stuck with a Dell laptop showing black screen with cursor, you will find the tested and vetted ways to fix it in this article.
Part 1. Why is my Dell Laptop Stuck on a Black Screen with Cursor?
A black screen error on Windows is called a Black screen of death. This frequent error can occur occasionally, such as after boot up, before/after login, etc. If you are stuck with a Dell Inspiron 15 3000 laptop black screen with cursor, you must understand its reason before applying any fix. Here are the potential culprits behind this error in most cases:
- Faulty display or connection cords
- Faulty connection between graphics drivers and OS
- Outdated graphics drivers
- Overheated device
- Virus or malware
- Hardware failure
- Damaged system files
Part 2. How do I Fix a Black Screen with Just a Cursor?
You can easily fix Windows black screen errors once you have identified their potential cause. However, in this section, you will find several ways to get rid of the Dell Latitude laptop black screen with cursor before/after login:
1. Force Shutdown your Dell Laptop
Most computer errors get resolved automatically when you restart the system, but you cannot do that due to the black screen. Therefore, you need to force the shutdown your Dell XPS.
- Press and hold the Power button unless your computer turns off.
- Remove the power sources, i.e., Power cable and battery (if detachable).
- Hold the Power button for at least 60 seconds to drain the remaining power.
- Attach the battery and power cable.
- Press Power button to start your computer.
If this does not help resolve the black screen, move to the next fix.
2. Restart the Graphics Driver
A bad connection between the graphics driver and the operating system is one of the major culprits behind Dell laptop black screen errors.
To resolve the issue, you can restart the graphics driver by pressing WINDOWS + CTRL + SHIFT + B keys simultaneously.
3. Try Windows Boot Up Solution
Still facing Dell laptop black screen with blinking underscore or cursor? It could stem from the corrupt system files.
PassFab FixUWin is the best workaround in such cases. It is a Windows repair tool that conducts deep scans to diagnose your system and rectifies any corrupt or damaged system files. It is an all-in-one tool that helps to boot up your computer and effectively resolve most blue/black screen errors.
Note: To use this method, you will need to install PassFab FixUWin on another accessible PC.
After installing the program, plug in a USB and hit the Create boot disk now button.
Choose your USB drive and hit Next.
Click Automated repair when you see PassFab's interface.
Choose the partition you want to repair and hit Start repair.
Let the program scan and repair the chosen partition. The time it takes to complete the process varies based on the amount of data on the designated partition.
Click Restart when the repair process has been completed.
When your computer restarts, the black screen error will be resolved, and you can access it.
4.Update Graphics Driver
Outdated drivers can also cause various blue/black screen errors. Therefore, updating the graphics driver may help resolve Dell XPS 13 showing black screen with cursor. This method is applicable if you can log into your computer.
- Open the Device Manager and go to Display Adapters.
- Right-click on the driver, go to Properties and switch to the Driver tab.
- Click Update driver and choose to scan and update the driver automatically.
Wait for the driver to be installed, then restart your PC. This will resolve the display issues.
5. Boot in Safe Mode
Booting into the Safe Mode eliminates the chance of various system errors as it boots your system with basic functionality. You can also troubleshoot various errors by using it.
Shut down your Dell laptop.
Turn it back on and press the Shift and F8 keys as soon as the Windows logo appears.
Now, navigate through See Advanced Repair Options->Troubleshoot->Advanced Options->Windows Startup Settings->Restart.
Press the 5 or F5 key to enable the Safe mode.
You will enter the Recovery mode.
If the system boots into Safe mode successfully, the outdated drivers, corrupted Windows updates or a virus or malware on the system is causing the problem.
6. Restart explorer.exe Process
The explorer.exe is a system process responsible for managing the taskbar, desktop and other related processes. If it malfunctions, your Dell laptop stucks on black screen with cursor.
- Launch the Task Manager by pressing CTRL + SHIFT + ESC.
- Switch to the Details tab and look for explorer.exe under the Name column.
- Select the process when found and click End task button at the lower-right corner.
- Reboot your computer, and the explorer.exe will restart automatically.
Check if your system still gets stuck on the black screen.
7. Reset BIOS
BIOS is responsible for starting up your computer. Consequently, many startup issues are caused by corrupted or outdated BIOS. You can resolve such issues by resetting the BIOS as follows:
- Reboot your Dell Inspiron 15 3000.
- Press the F12 or F2 key several times unless the Enter Setup message appears on the screen.
- Press the F9 key to load setup defaults and then the 'Y' key to complete setup.
- Hit the F10 key to save changes and exit the BIOS setup.
When your system reboots, the BIOS will be reset, and hopefully, you won't face the black screen error again.
8. Reset your Dell Laptop
If none of the above methods work, resetting the Dell laptop is another option. Resetting the system will reinstall Windows and eliminate all the issues causing the error, including malware or viruses.
Please ensure to back up your data before proceeding.
- Restart your computer and hit the Power button when you see the Windows logo.
- Repeat Step 1 for at least three times. You will enter Windows Recovery Environment.
- Select Troubleshoot ->Reset this pc -> Keep my files.
Wait for the installation to complete. Once done, your system will restart with a fresh Windows.
9. Perform System Restore
If you face Dell Latitude laptop black screen with cursor Windows 7/8/10/11 after installing a new update or a program, there is a high chance of that software/update being corrupted. So, as your last resort, you can perform a system restore to remove all the recent changes that you made to your system.
Please note that you must have a restore point to restore your system.
- Enter the Recovery Environment (WinRE) by restarting your computer several times upon startup.
- Click on Advanced options and then Troubleshoot.
- Again, choose Advanced options and select System Restore.
- Choose the restore point and hit Next.
- Click on the Finish button to initiate the restore process.
After the system is restored, you can reinstall the programs.
Final Words
The Dell laptop black screen with cursor is a common error and can be fixed easily. In this article, we have proposed various workarounds to help you access your system without errors. All the methods are tried and tested, so feel free to try them. Hopefully, you will get rid of it.