[SOLVED] black screen after Windows 10 updates

[Tac 25]

ok, a little story. The "backup pc" on my sig has had Windows 7 since I purchased it 2014.

as of 2021, I decided to give the pc some new life. Purchased an SSD and a new PSU for it. So, disconnected the HDD, then installed the PSU and SSD, then installed Windows 10 on the SSD. The situation is, during that time, I had no internet for several days, because our local isp broke down. The pc ran fine on Windows 10 during those days. Later, the internet connection got restored.. and I proceeded to get some Windows 10 update. Almost immediately, or to be exact.. just a day after the first Windows 10 update, I started getting black screen on boot. Just black screen.. cannot even go into bios. Have a suspicion that this is a software problem, as the trouble only started right after Windows started updating itself.

after googling, saw that black screen after certain Windows 10 update also happen to other people.

fixes I've tried to do..

1. ctrl + alt + del = the pc responds, but it just boots again into the black screen
2, ctrl + windows key + shift + B = does not work, the pc just beeps
3. win key + p = does not work, the pc just beeps

GPU: ASUS GT 1030 GDDR5
CPU: Q9500
ram: 4GB
PSU: Seasonic GC 550 80+ Gold
SSD: 480 GB Patriot Burst (primary boot device, has Windows 10)
HDD: Hitachi HDP (second boot device, has Windows 7)

are there any other fixes that others have tried to do?
or should I just revert back again to Windows 7?

 

[Tac 25]

a little update..

disconnected the backup pc, and used my other pc for a day. After a day had passed, tried using the backup pc again, and to my surprise, there was no more black screen. And I could use it to post again here.
____

some more info...

it's not only black screen that windows update gave me.. windows update also produced some GPU errors, but it was resolved in this other thread. https://forums.tomshardware.com/threads/gpu-messed-up-by-unofficial-installer.3741554/

on my observation, the black screen is triggered by a restart. Since yesterday, I have shut down the pc and turned it on again four or five times, with no black screen. Most (if not all) the black screens happened when windows had installed an update and asked me to restart, or I saw an update already installed and it's asking for a restart.

____

and lastly, when the SSD and new PSU were installed. The CPU was also upgraded from a Q9500 to a Q9650. I had the small thought that the Q9650 might have caused the black screens... but after careful thinking on the chronological order of events that happened.. the pc worked fine for days without problems when the Q9650, new OS, PSU, and SSD were installed - the troubles only really started after Windows 10 had access to the internet, and started updating itself. I put back in the Q9500, to rule out any suspicion that the CPU might be the cause of black screens.

now, I'm just here pondering / thinking if I could go on just using this pc and avoid any sort of restart altogether. Or maybe someday, Windows 10 could become stable with enough updates and this problem would end.

 

[Tac 25]

ok, after some days of no black screen, I got a black screen again today after a certain windows update.

but this black screen is a milder one.. because simply pressing CTRL + ALT + DEL on keyboard allowed me to enter windows.

 

[cdupont]

Hey Tac 25,

So before you installed the OS on the new SSD you replaced the CPU? Or did you install the OS on the new SSD and then replace the CPU?

The HDD with the Windows 7 install is still on your PC? What does your boot order look like in your BIOS? If you disconnect the old HDD does the problem persist?

 

[Tac 25]

the boot order is SSD with Windows 10 first, HDD with Windows 7 second.

and these are the chronological order of events... to the best that i can remember.

Dec 17 or 18? -installed Q9650 and upgraded the stock PSU to Seasonic GC 550 -- no errors, pc works fine.
Dec 20 or 21? - unplugged both HDD, installed Patriot Burst SSD, installed Windows 10 -- no errors, pc works fine.
Dec 26 - connected to the internet, Windows 10 updated itself. Got GPU error, the next day after windows updated. Resolved it. Thread for reference. https://forums.tomshardware.com/threads/gpu-messed-up-by-unofficial-installer.3741554/
Dec 27? or 28? -- black screen, which lead to the creation of this thread. I removed the Q9650 and put back the Q9500. Black screens still happen, mostly after the pc is restarted.
Dec 29 - I avoided restarting pc. Black screens stopped.
Today - black screen after another windows update. But this is a mild one, it was resolved after a CTRL + ALT + DEL.

 

[cdupont]

Ok so you have a lot of variables going on here. New CPU, new windows install, new SSD, old HDD with old OS, etc.

Above all else remove any extra peripherals, devices, drives, etc. Just what you need to load and use Windows. Have your new CPU installed and remove that old HDD.

I would try first to boot to Windows repair install.

If problem persists boot to safe mode w/networking. In safe mode open Command Prompt:

BOOTREC /FIXMBR

enter

BOOTREC /FIXBOOT

enter

 

[Tac 25]

thanks... but I don't need to do that yet. Looks like, yesterday's black screen was only a reaction to a new windows update. Today, the pc booted just fine. Right now, I'm just observing how things go.

 

[Tac 25]

just to give closure to this thread. The problem went away by itself after Windows 10 installed more updates.