Fix Steam Black Screen or Not Loading on Windows PC

Are you experiencing the black screen issue with Steam on your Windows 11/10 PC? Or is the Steam client not loading correctly for you? Here is a complete guide on how you can fix the problem.

SummaryWhy is my Steam not displaying anything?Why is my screen suddenly going black?Fix Steam black screen or not loading1]Update your graphics driver2]Delete web browser cache3]Delete application cache Steam4]Disable beta participation5]Add -no-cef-sandbox to your Steam shortcut6]Uninstall then reinstall SteamHow do I fix a black screen when playing a game?

Steam is a digital video game distribution service that lets you install and play your favorite games on the desktop. Although most of the time it offers a hassle-free gaming experience, it is not uncommon to encounter issues with it. Many users have reportedly complained about having a black screen on Steam, which renders the application unusable. Some users have also reported that the app is not loading or not working for them. If you are one of those users who experience such issues, then this post is for you. In this guide, we are going to discuss several working fixes that will let you get rid of these issues. So, let us check.

Why my Steam does not display anything?

There can be different reasons why you are not seeing anything on the Steam app or getting a black screen. Here are some of the possible causes:

This may be due to corrupt or outdated graphics drivers. So make sure you have updated GPU card drivers to fix the problem.
The issue may be caused by a faulty or corrupt web browser cache in Steam. If the scenario applies, you should be able to resolve the issues by clearing the web browser cache in Steam.
A corrupt application cache can be another reason why you might receive a black screen in Steam. In this case, try clearing the app cache for the Steam app.
This can also be caused by a corrupt Steam app installation. Therefore, if the scenario is applicable, you should be able to resolve the issue by reinstalling the app.

Why does my screen suddenly go black?

If your screen goes black, there could be various reasons causing the problem. This can happen due to a bad PSU, overclocking, corrupted GPU card drivers, outdated operating system files, or electrical interference. However, you can fix the black screen issue using fixes like checking HDMI/VGA cable, disabling overclock, updating Windows, updating graphics drivers, etc. /P>

Fix Steam black-screen or not-loading

Here are the methods you can try to fix Steam black screen or not loading issue:

Update your graphics driver.
Delete web browser cache.
Delete the Steam app cache.
Disable beta participation.
Add -no-cef-sandbox to your Steam shortcut.
Uninstall, then reinstall Steam.

Now let's discuss the above methods in detail.

1]Update your graphics driver

Most of the time, black screen issues with apps and games are caused by corrupted and faulty graphics drivers. So, when you experience a black screen on Steam, the problem may be with your graphics drivers. If it's been a while since you've updated your outdated graphics drivers, consider updating them and then see if the issue is resolved.

There are several options for updating your graphics drivers on a Windows PC. You can update your graphics drivers manually using the Settings app or Device Manager. If you want, you can even search for GPU card drivers on your device manufacturer's official website. Then download the latest graphics drivers and install them on your PC. Other than that, another way to update drivers is to use dedicated driver updater software to automatically install updates for your graphics and other drivers.

When you are done updating the graphics drivers, relaunch the Steam application then see if the black screen issue is now resolved. If the issue persists, proceed to the next potential fix to fix it.

2]Delete web browser cache

The next thing you can try to fix the black screen issue is to clear the web browser cache in Steam. The Steam desktop client comes with a built-in web browser that lets you search and view game information within the app. However, if you experience a black screen with Steam on and off, you are probably dealing with corrupted browser cache in Steam. Therefore, to fix the problem, you will need to get rid of

Steam does not automatically clear web browser cache. So you will have to manually clear the browser cache in Steam. Here's how:

First, launch the Steam client on your Windows PC.
Now go to Steam in the top menu bar and click on the Settings optional.
Next, navigate to the Web Browser tab in the left panel.
After that press the DELETE WEB BROWSER CACHE button and wait for the process to complete.
Then press the DELETE ALL BROWSER COOKIES button.
When the browser cache and cookies are cleared, click OK.
Finally, you can relaunch the Steam client and hopefully there will be no black screen issue now.

If you still have the same problem, try the following potential fix to resolve the error.

3]Delete Steam app cache

The cache associated with Steam stores temporary data and files regarding your games and the application itself. But, if the cache gets corrupted then it can cause issues like black screen issue or Steam not loading. So, if the scenario is applicable, you should try deleting the Steam app cache to get rid of the problem.

To do this, follow the steps below:

First, open Task Manager using Ctrl+Shift+Esc keyboard shortcut and close all Steam-related processes.
After that, open File Explorer using the keyboard shortcut Windows + E, then navigate to the Steam installation directory. By default, you will find it in the location below:
```
C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam
```
Now copy the application cache folder and paste it to another location like Desktop. This is just to be on the safe side in case something goes wrong after you delete it.
Then select the application cache folder, then press the Delete button to simply delete it.
Then relaunch the Steam client and see if the issue is now resolved.

4]Disable participation in the beta

If you have the beta join feature enabled and you are experiencing the black screen issue, try disabling it to resolve the issue. It is a convenient option that allows users to try out new features that are not rolling out in the official Steam release. However, this may not work as expected and interrupt the normal operation of the app. So, opt out of participating in the beta and then see if the issue is resolved or not.

First, open the Steam client, then click on the Steam> Settings optional.
Now go to the Account tab and locate the Beta Participation section and click on the CHANGE button present below.
Next, click on the Beta Participation drop-down option and select the option NONE – Disable all beta programs optional.
After that, close the settings window and then relaunch Steam to check if the black screen issue is resolved or not.

5]Add -no-cef-sandbox to your steam shortcut

If Steam is not loading correctly for you, you can use the -no-cef-sandbox argument. Adding this argument to the Steam shortcut would help you fix the issue. Here's how:

First, close the Steam app.
Now right-click on the Steam shortcut on your desktop and press the Properties optional.
Then go to the Shortcut tab, and in the Target field, add -no cef sandbox towards the end of the string.
After that press Apply> OK to save the changes.
Finally, reopen the Steam client and see if it loads properly or not.

6]Uninstall, then reinstall Steam

If none of the above solutions work for you, the last resort to fix the problem is to reinstall the Steam client. The problem may be caused by a corrupt installation of the Steam app. In this case, uninstalling the application and then reinstalling it on your system should help you get rid of the problem. You can uninstall the app by going to Settings> Apps> Apps &Features. After that, download the installer of Steam from its official website and then reinstall the application on your PC. See if that fixes the problem for you.

To fix the black screen while playing a game on Windows, you should try to update Windows to the latest version. If that doesn't help, try other fixes, including updating graphics drivers and changing advanced power options.

That's it!

Now read:

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Fixed Resident Evil 2 displaying black screen on Windows PC.