How to Fix a Google Chrome Black Screen Issue

Turn off your extensions, check for an update, and turn off hardware acceleration

By
Luis E. Chavez Saenz
Luis Chavez
Luis E. Chavez Saenz
Writer
  • New Jersey Institute of Technology
Luis Chavez is a former Lifewire writer and a System Administrator with 5+ years' experience writing about technology for end users.
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Updated on April 1, 2024
Reviewed by
Christine Baker
Reviewed by Christine Baker
    Christine Baker is a marketing consultant with experience working for a variety of clients. Her expertise includes social media, web development, and graphic design.
    lifewire's editorial guidelines

    Sometimes, Google Chrome experiences a black screen on Windows 10, Windows 8, and Windows 7 devices. This is a known bug and fairly simple to fix.

    The steps provided in this article to resolve the Google Chrome black screen issue are applicable for Windows 10, Windows 8, and Windows 7 devices.

    How to disable a Chrome extension

    How to Solve the Chrome Black Screen Issue

    There are a number of potential solutions to the Chrome black screen issue. These cover the range of potential causes, and most are simple. If you encounter this bug, try the following solutions to solve this issue.

    1. Disable Google Chrome extensions. Not all extensions are equal, and sometimes, extension developers are slow to update their products. Worse yet, extensions get abandoned all the time. When there's a problem with Chrome, always disable extensions first.

      There might be times when you have to force-quit the application in Windows for the changes to take effect.

    2. Disable your Chrome flags. Google Chrome flags are experimental features. That means that these flags may break at any time. Turn off any that you may have turned on to see if it fixes the issue.

    3. Resize the browser window. You can resize the browser window by pressing the Restore Down icon next to the X in the upper-right corner of the browser window. Then, press and hold the edges of the window to resize it as you like.

      This is only a temporary fix. If you only resize the window, the issue might happen again.

    4. Run Chrome in Windows compatibility mode. You can run Google Chrome in compatibility mode, but you must first create a desktop shortcut if you don't have one for Google Chrome. This runs Chrome as though it's an application for an older version of Windows.

      Most users select Windows 7 if they use a newer version of the Windows operating system. However, if you are already running Windows 7, attempt to run it in an even older version.

    5. Disable hardware acceleration in Chrome. When hardware acceleration is on, the most intensive tasks within the browser are handled by the video card.

      This option frees up the CPU usage so that other programs can run better, but it puts most of the load on the browser. Therefore, if you experience the black screen window, disable the hardware acceleration setting in the Chrome browser.

    6. Reset Chrome to its default state. If you still experience the black screen issue, reset the Chrome browser to its default settings to ensure it isn't a configuration issue.

      By performing a reset, your extensions, bookmarks, and browsing history are removed.

    Causes of the Chrome Black Screen Issue

    The Google Chrome black screen issue is one of those vague technical bugs that appears for a variety of reasons.

    Most often, it's the result of an incompatibility or an experimental feature. Extensions falling out of sync with the latest release from Google are behind it, more often than not. However, there may be trickier causes at play.

    FAQ
    • How do I fix the 403 forbidden error on Google Chrome?

      The 403 forbidden error indicates you're trying to access something you don't have permission for. You can sometimes fix this error by refreshing the Chrome browser. If this doesn't work, check for URL errors, clear Chrome's cache and cookies, or contact the website to ask about what's happening.

    • How do I fix Google Chrome not responding?

      To fix it when Google Chrome isn't responding, try updating to the newest Chrome version, then clear your history and cache, and reboot the device. If this doesn't work, disable extensions, clear the DNS cache, reset Chrome, or reinstall the browser. You should also ensure your firewall isn't interfering with Chrome.

    • How do I fix it when Chrome isn't playing video?

      If Chrome isn't playing video properly, you may need to update your Chrome browser. You should also ensure the video you're trying to play is publicly available. You may need to turn on JavaScript, clear the cache, disable extensions and hardware acceleration, and reset your Chrome browser.

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