How to Fix Black Screen Issues in Windows 10 Version 1809

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Some PCs end up with a black screen after upgrade

 

The experience with Windows 10 October 2018 Update, also known as version 1809, has so far been far from flawless, and aside from the critical issue leading to user data removal, there are many other small bugs in this OS feature update.

 

One of them is a black screen glitch that appears to happen on a small set of computers for now, though it goes without saying that only a few PCs can be affected given that the rollout has already been halted.

 

Since the October 2018 Update is no longer available for download, Microsoft has more time to investigate these bugs, though the company’s workarounds don’t always come in handy to everyone.

 

Fixing black screen bugs in Windows 10 version 1809 comes down to three different possible reasons triggering the bug, and we’re going to detail them all below.

 

Incompatible drivers

 

First and foremost, drivers that aren’t compatible with the new OS feature update are most often the culprit of such bugs.

 

Graphics drivers are the ones that need to be optimized for new Windows 10 versions, and in the past, we’ve seen many systems hit by such issues. In the case of the October 2018 Update, Intel hardware, in particular, has experienced this kind of problems, and the parent company has even released new drivers specifically optimized for version 1809.

 

Media Creation Tool" alt="Issue flagged in Windows 10 Media Creation Tool" />

 

Determining whether your drivers are ready for a new OS version isn’t an easy thing, but before the update, you could just check your manufacturer’s website to see if there are any known issues reported.

 

Also, if newer drivers are released, you should download them too, as the older the drivers, the bigger the chances for a black screen to happen.

 

In the case of known issues, Microsoft updates the Media Creation Tool to report of possible compatibility problems during the upgrade, so you could use this upgrade method to make sure everything goes as planned.

 

Incompatible software

 

While incompatible drivers are the number one culprit of black screen issues, there are also certain applications that may lead to such problems.

 

In the case of Windows 10 October 2018 Update it’s pretty hard to tell what apps may experience this behavior since the rollout hasn’t been resumed, but the same policy as for drivers is valid here too.

 

The older the apps, the bigger the chances of hitting the black screen bug, so make sure that your software is updated to the latest version and is optimized for October 2018 Update.

 

 

Security applications

 

And last but not least, security applications have their own fault when systems are being pushed to black screens during an upgrade to a new Windows 10 versions.

 

Antivirus software and firewalls, other than Windows Defender, could block the installation of updates or new drivers during the upgrade, eventually leading to this kind of issue.

 

In this case, you can just remove the security product that’s causing the problem, and you need to enter the Safe Mode to do it. The April 2018 Update, for instance, was hit by a black screen bug mostly because of a compatibility glitch with Avast antivirus, and several systems were no longer able to boot until a fix was shipped.

 

At this point, there are no confirmed reports of compatibility issues with security software, but if you do encounter such struggles, you should first remove or disable your antivirus.

 

Once again, the Media Creation Tool should flag any potential problem with your installed apps, so use this upgrade method if you can.

 

As a final note, using Windows Update to install Windows 10 version 1809 should be the safest way to go. Microsoft says this method would ensure smooth upgrade for all systems, though as we learned the hard way, this isn’t always the case.

 

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