Black lock screen background on first boot after shutdown or restart (wallpaper fine after Win+L) since August update, Windows 11

Ksheetiz Sharma 0 Reputation points
2026-10-12T23:27:39.7566667+00:00

Since a mid-August Windows update, the lock screen background is sometimes plain black (clock and widgets still show) the first time it appears after I power on from shutdown or restart. After sign-in the desktop is normal, and locking with Win+L or sleep/wake shows my wallpaper correctly. It happens in about 3-4 of 10 boots.

Laptop: Acer Predator Helios Neo 16, Windows 11 [26H2]. The update took about 2 hours.

Tried, with no full fix:

  • Switching from Spotlight to a fixed picture
  • DISM and SFC
  • Windows reinstall from recovery (it reduced the frequency but didn’t stop it)
  • Clean install of the Intel UHD driver from Intel’s site latest version but it kept showing Advanced telemetery unaviable, and window update still downloading the previous version.

What could cause only the first lock screen after boot to be black, and how can I fix it?
Is it a bug in windows?

1

Windows for home | Windows 11 | Desktop, Start, and personalization | Desktop
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  1. Emma1-N 13,700 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2026-10-13T07:56:25.5733333+00:00

    Welcome Ksheetiz Sharma,

    Thank you for the detailed explanation and for listing the troubleshooting you have already completed. Since the clock and widgets are still visible when this happens, while only the background image is black, I suggest testing the startup behavior and graphics driver rather than repeating the repairs you have already tried.

    1. Temporarily disable Fast Startup
    • Press Windows + R.
    • Type control and press Enter.
    • Open Hardware and Sound > Power Options
    • Select Choose what the power buttons do on the left
    • Select Change settings that are currently unavailable
    • Under Shutdown settings, clear Turn on fast startup (recommended)
    • Select Save changes
    • Shut down the computer completely and turn it back on
    • Repeat the shutdown/startup test several times, since the issue does not occur on every boot
    1. Reset the graphics driver when the problem appears

    When the lock screen appears with the black background:

    • Stay on the affected lock screen.
    • Press Windows + Ctrl + Shift + B once.
    • The display may briefly flicker or you may hear a beep.
    • Check whether the lock-screen background appears afterward.

    Looking forward to your update.

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