Solved: Microsoft Edge Tabs Suddenly Go Black Screen

Microsoft Edge is the native browser on new versions of Windows, especially Windows 10. While the browser isn’t doing so well when it comes to its market share for the Windows operating system, many users still depend on it for day-to-day browsing activities. Aside from the fact that Microsoft updates the browser fairly regularly, it is much better than the former Internet Explorer that mostly served as a means to download other browsers.

The fact that Microsoft Edge is developed by Microsoft for the Windows OS doesn’t exempt it from suffering certain errors that occur on other browsers. You might be wondering why a Microsoft-developed app is encountering issues on a Windows PC. The truth is, Edge is just another web browser, another app on Windows, and it is subject to glitches.

While users would never want to experience difficulties that interrupt their browsing sessions, browser-related glitches have become a sort of a fact of life.

One of the problems faced by Edge users is the situation where tabs suddenly go blank or dark. According to numerous user reports, this issue happens when users open a new tab or during a browsing session in an already open tab. The problem usually forces Edge to restart, but in some cases, users are left with the black screen and are compelled to restart the browser themselves or reboot their systems.

If you’re experiencing this issue, you’re not alone: many users have reported facing the problem, and some are still yet to find a fix even after trying many suggested methods. That said, you should hold your horses on dumping Edge for another browser as you can easily resolve the issue, using the fixes provided in this article.

Why Do Microsoft Tabs Keep Going Black Screen?

The causes for this particular error vary. Sometimes, the issue might go away after you restart your computer, but in other cases, the tabs go blank not long after the browser is launched and you begin to surf the net. Understanding the causes of the problem will point you in the right direction regarding the fix that will most likely work for you, considering that you could trace your recent activities to the problem.

Issues with one or more browser extensions

Browser extensions are designed to extend the capabilities of users within the browser, providing additional functions such as customizations and even privacy. However, most, if not all, of these extensions and plug-ins are designed by third-party developers, and they might cause incompatibility issues that could result in this particular problem. So, if you started experiencing the problem shortly after installing an extension, you’ve got your answer.

Third-party app conflicts

Some third-party applications might be messing with Edge and causing the browser to produce black screens. This happened to be the issue on the computers of most users, and they fixed the problem by applying a troubleshooting method that isolated the problematic apps. Later in this article, we’ll show you how to resolve this problem by performing a Clean Boot, especially is you started noticing the error after installing or updating an app.

Malware

Another possible cause of the error is a malware infection. Chances are, your computer is infected by a malware program that is messing with some core Edge files. Also, you might have downloaded and installed a plug-in that is adware or malware in disguise, and these malicious applications are known to cause all sorts of browser-related problems.

Graphics card driver

Since the issue is related to your display, it could be emanating from your video card. Your graphics card driver is responsible for your computer’s communication with your display card. If the driver becomes corrupt, goes missing, or becomes outdated, problems are bound to occur. This could be the reason the black screen issue is showing up.

Edge files and certain settings

You might be dealing with an issue of corrupt browser files and problematic settings. Some of the files that make Edge work might be missing or corrupt and some settings on the browser, either applied by you or put in place by some extensions, might be causing the black screen issue. Resolving the problem, in this case, requires you to reset the browser, and we’ll explain the process involved in a moment.

Corrupt user profile

Windows user accounts suffer their fair share of problems, and the problem you’re currently experiencing in Edge could be tied to your user account. Some Windows users reported that the problem went away when they tried using another user account to browse. To fix the issue, you may have to dump your current account for a new one, and we’ll show you how to do this without you losing any file or program.

How to Fix the Microsoft Edge Blank Page Problem

There are different fixes for the issue, but the right fix for you will depend on the cause of the error on your system. For example, if a third-party app is responsible for the error, then you can fix the issue, using the Clean Boot option to isolate the program. This is why it’s important that we lay out the possible causes of the problem.

If you have an idea what’s wrong with your system, simply jump to the related fix. But if you’re still at a loss as to what may have gone wrong, follow the steps below as we arranged them, and we’re sure you’ll get back to surfing the web again without issues.

First Solution: Update Your Display Driver

As we mentioned earlier, the issue might be connected to a problematic display driver. Since your display card controls every graphic process on your computer, it could be that its communication with Edge isn’t right, causing the browser’s tabs to go black screen. The real culprit of such a problem is the display adapter driver. The driver plays an important role because most systems have Hardware Acceleration activated, where your graphics card is responsible for running the code that renders texts and graphics on your PC’s screen while you browse.

Graphics card drivers begin to cause multiple issues when they become corrupt or outdated or when they go missing. Fixing the black screen problem, in this case, requires you to update the driver of your display card. Some users were able to browse again after applying this fix, and you might not need to continue reading this article once you update your driver.

There are many methods involved in updating the graphics card driver on a Windows 10 machine. You’ll find them below:

Update Your Graphics Card Driver, Using a Third-Party Application

We’ll start with the easiest way to update your graphics card driver. Using a program that automates the entire process, such as Auslogics Driver Updater, will do you a lot of good, in the sense that you’ll get to find out whether your display driver (and other device drivers) is faulty, missing, or out-of-date and install its latest version automatically in just a few clicks.

The tool will first scan your system for faulty drivers, and once it finds any, it’ll automatically fix them by downloading and installing their most recent versions from a regularly updated driver database. If your graphics card driver has any issue, it’ll appear in the tool’s list of problem drivers once the scan is complete. Here are simple steps on how to use Auslogics Driver Updater:

1. Download Auslogics Driver Updater here.
2. Go to the folder where you downloaded the program’s installation package and run the installer.
3. Once the installation wizard opens, select your preferred language and click on the button that continues the process.
4. Allow the tool to launch automatically once the installer completes its job.
5. In most cases, the program will begin to scan your system for problem drivers once it opens for the first time. If it doesn’t, however, click on the Start Scan button.
6. By the time the scan completes, your graphics card driver will show up in the list of problematic drivers if it’s faulty or outdated.
7. Allow the tool to perform the update and then reboot your system.
8. Once your system comes up, open your browser and check if the problem persists.

Use Device Manager

Using Device Manager is the most common way to update device drivers on Windows. You should note, however, that this method isn’t very reliable. That said, you can still give it a try if you want. Follow these steps:

1. Right-click the Start button and click on Device Manager in the menu that appears.
2. Click on the arrow next to the Display Adapters drop-down.
3. Under Display Adapters, right-click your display card and click on Update Driver.
4. On the Update Driver screen, select “Search automatically for updated driver software.”
5. Windows will now perform an online search for the most recent version of your video card driver. The updated driver will be downloaded and installed once found.
6. Now, reboot your PC and check if your Edge tabs still go blank or black.

Update Graphics Card Driver Manually

If the Device Manager method doesn’t work, you might have to download and install the updated driver manually. To do this, go to the website of the card’s manufacturer, search for the latest driver for your card, making sure you input the model and then download the installation package. Once you download the driver, go to the folder where you saved it and double-click it. Follow the instructions in the setup window to complete the process.

You can also open Device Manager once you download the driver, right-click your graphics card driver under Display Adapters and click on Update Driver, then click on “Browse my computer for driver software” and point Windows to the folder where you saved the driver.

Second Solution: Check Your System for Possible Malware Infection

Malware programs are known to cause numerous issues on Windows computers, and they could very well be the cause of the problem we’re tackling here. You might have downloaded and installed an unsuspicious program from the Internet without knowing that it installed an additional piece of software on your system. This piece of software could inflict damage on some of your system files related to Edge or might be causing interference that’s resulting in the black screen issue. Some users were able to remove the problem by performing a full scan to rid their system of the virus that might be causing the issue.

You can perform the full scan, using a competent malware-removal application such as Auslogics Anti-Malware. The Virus & Threat Protection tool in Windows Security (better known as Windows Defender Security Center in earlier Windows 10 versions before the 1903 build) is also capable of performing the scan and ridding your system of unwanted programs. Follow the guide below:

1. Open the Start menu and click on the cog icon right above the Power icon or use the Windows + I combo to call up the Settings screen.
2. On the Settings home screen, click on Update & Security.
3. Once the Update & Security page appears, go to the left pane of the window and click on Windows Security.
4. Click the Virus & Threat Protection option under Protection areas.
5. Now, click on Scan Options once the Virus & Threat Protection page shows up.
6. Under Scan Options, select Full Scan and click on Scan Now.
7. Allow the tool to commence and complete the scan, then prompt it to delete the threats it finds.
8. Restart your computer and check if the issue is still there.

Third Solution: Disable the Browser’s Extensions

Your extensions might be essential to the browsing environment you have created on Microsoft Edge, but they might be the cause of the black screen error you’re facing. You might have to sacrifice these extensions for a while to troubleshoot the issue. Follow these steps:

1. Launch Microsoft Edge.
2. Go to the top-right corner of the window and click on the three dots.
3. Once the browser’s menu spreads out, click on Extensions.
4. Click on the browser extension that you want to disable and turn off the switch under it.
5. Restart Edge and check for the problem.
6. Repeat these steps until you’re done with the last extension on the list.

Fourth Solution: Disable Hardware Acceleration

Microsoft introduced Hardware Acceleration in Internet Explorer 9, and it has been around ever since. The feature enables Windows to transfer the tasks related to rendering texts and graphics on your computer’s screen to the GPU (graphics processing unit) from the CPU. The intention was to improve the browsing experience.

While the feature came with undeniable perks, it can cause certain graphics issues, especially the one you’re currently facing. This often happens when the GPU’s load is too much or the GPU itself is not equipped to handle such a task along with its native operations.
You can try turning off Hardware Acceleration and check if that solves the problem. Follow these steps:

1. Right-click the Start button and click on Run or press the Windows and R keys together to call up the Run dialogue box.
2. Once Run appears, type “inetcpl.cpl” (without the quotes) and click on OK.
3. Once the Internet Properties dialog opens, tick the checkbox that says, “Use software rendering instead of GPU rendering.”
4. Now, click the OK button to save the changes you made.
5. Restart Edge and check if you see any tab black screen.

Fifth Solution: Perform a Clean Boot

Software conflict is another problem that could be triggering the black screen in Microsoft Edge tabs. A program or service that boots upon startup might be causing the browser to display blank pages or dark screens without texts or graphical content. To fix the issue in this case, try rebooting Windows in a Clean Boot environment.

Performing a Clean Boot has become a popular troubleshooting technique in recent years. When your computer starts in a Clean Boot state, it prevents certain programs and services from loading, allowing you to check if the problem you faced was caused by one of these startup services or programs. Some users employed this method to resolve the Microsoft Edge black screen problem. Here are the steps you should follow:

1. Start with launching the System Configuration dialog window: open the search bar beside Start, type “msconfig” (no quotes) and click on System Configuration.
2. Move over to the Services tab once the System Configuration dialog opens.
3. Check the box that says, “Hide all Microsoft services” to exempt core Windows services from whatever you’re going to do hence.
4. Now, click on the Disable button to prevent all the services in the list from launching the next time Windows starts.
5. Next, head over to the Startup tab and click on Open Task Manager.
6. The Task Manager window will appear, showing the Startup tab.
7. One after the other, click on a startup program and click on Disable.
8. Once you disable every last startup program, close Task Manager, go back to the System Configuration dialog and click on the OK button.

Now, reboot your system and open Edge to check for the problem. If the problem disappears, then one of the Startups that you disabled is behind the issue. What you need to do now is to enable a single startup item, reboot your system, and then check Edge for the issue. You have to do this for every single item, restarting each time you enable a program or service. The last program you enable before seeing the error again is the culprit.

Sixth Solution: Reset Microsoft Edge

Resetting Microsoft Edge is the next fix to try. This fix solves the issue of badly damaged files and wrong configuration settings that might be triggering the black screen error. You should note, however, that you’ll lose your current settings and most, if not all, of your customizations.

1. Launch a File Explorer window, using the Windows + E shortcut, and navigate to the following directory:
   C:\Users\(your username)\Packages\Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge_8wekyb3d8bbwe
   Note that “your username” indicates the folder that bears the name of your user account.
2. Once you get to the folder, delete its contents.
3. Now, right-click on your Start button and click on Windows PowerShell (Admin) or search for PowerShell in the Start menu, and once it comes up, right-click it and click on Run as Administrator.
4. Click Yes when you see the User Account Control pop-up.
5. Once Windows PowerShell opens, type or copy and paste the following line into the window and hit Enter:
   Get-AppXPackage -AllUsers -Name Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register “$($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml” –Verbose}
6. Launch Edge again and check for the error.

Seventh Solution: Create a New User Account

If the above fixes don’t yield any result, try changing your user account. Corrupt user accounts are known to cause the problem, as many users have found. Applying this fix bears no risk as you just have to create another user account (if your PC only has one) and check if the issue will still occur in Edge. Follow these steps:

1. Right-click the Start button and click on Settings or use the Windows + I combo to open the Settings app.
2. Once the Settings home screen appears on your monitor, click on Accounts.
3. Go to the left pane of the Accounts page and click on “Family & other users.”
4. Now, click on the “Add someone else to this PC” option (turn off your Internet connection to make the process faster if you don’t want to set up a Microsoft account).
5. Enter the user credentials and hit the Next button.
6. Log out of your current profile, log into the new one and check if tabs go black in Edge.
7. If you find out that the problem no longer exists, then you just confirmed that your old user account is the issue.
8. Now, head over to your old account, go to Settings >> Accounts >> Family & other users and make the new account an administrator account.
9. Next, go to the folder where your user data is saved (usually C:\Users) and move the contents of the folder of your current user into that of the new user you created.
10. Log into your new user account, go to Settings >> Accounts >> Family & other users, and then delete your old user account.

Conclusion

We believe that you’re now browsing comfortably with Microsoft Edge. If you have thoughts on the browser’s black screen and blank tabs problem, don’t hesitate to express them using the comments section under this article.