Windows 11 computer screen black but can only see and move mouse

WinRE is a recovery toolkit built directly into Windows 11. You can access it even when your desktop is completely black, as long as you can see the mouse cursor.

How to Access WinRE When Windows 11 computer screen black only mouse visible

If your Windows 11 computer screen black only mouse visible, here's how to force the recovery environment to appear:

• Force shut down your computer by holding the power button for 10 seconds until it turns off completely
• Turn it back on
• As soon as you see the manufacturer's logo or the spinning loading circle, press and hold the power button again for 10 seconds to force shut down
• Repeat this process three times (turn on → interrupt boot → force shut down)
• On the fourth startup, Windows will automatically enter "Automatic Repair" mode
• Once you see the blue "Choose an option" screen, you've successfully entered WinRE.

These WinRE methods are built directly into Windows 11 and are 100% free. You don't need to download any external software or pay for any tools. The only requirement is that you can see the mouse cursor to navigate the recovery screens. Try Startup Repair first, as it's the easiest and often fixes the problem automatically. If that doesn't work, boot into Safe Mode and disable the App Readiness service - that combination has solved this issue for many users.