Check this first
The short answer
For a black display, try Windows + Ctrl + Shift + B once. If the display works but the game does not respond, open Task Manager with Ctrl + Shift + Esc. Alt + Enter switches display modes only in supporting games; Windows + Alt + B toggles HDR only with compatible hardware and Game Bar.
- Black or stalled display: Windows + Ctrl + Shift + B.
- Unresponsive game: Ctrl + Shift + Esc; ending it loses unsaved progress.
- HDR looks washed out or dark: compare Windows + Alt + B on a supported display.
Gaming shortcut reference
Check whether Windows responds, then try the matching keys once. Read the requirements and next step before ending a game or changing display settings.
| Situation | Keys | Effect and requirements | Next step |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black or stalled display | Windows + Ctrl + Shift + B | Reset the graphics driver. A beep or flicker does not prove the game recovered. | Step 1 |
| Only the game is unresponsive | Ctrl + Shift + Esc | Open Task Manager. Wait briefly before ending the game; unsaved progress will be lost. | Step 2 |
| Change full-screen mode | Alt + Enter | Switch between full-screen and windowed modes. The game must support this; otherwise use visible game settings. | Step 3 |
| HDR looks too dark or washed out | Windows + Alt + B | Toggle HDR. Requires an HDR-capable display and a supported Game Bar version. | Step 4 |
| Capture a Steam game | F12 | Take a Steam screenshot. Check the overlay and the actual configured screenshot key. | Step 5 |
| Capture part of an error screen | Windows + Shift + S | Select a region and copy it to the clipboard. Paste and save it; some full-screen games prevent selection. | Step 5 |
| Open a known folder path | Windows + R | Open Run. This opens the path you enter; it does not discover a game’s saves. | Step 5 |
Choose your next check
Start with the row that matches your situation. Change one setting at a time so you can tell what helped.
| What you see | What to compare | Go to |
|---|---|---|
| The game display freezes or turns black | Try one graphics-driver reset. | Step 1 |
| Windows responds but the game ignores input | Inspect the game in Task Manager. | Step 2 |
| You want to leave full screen | Check whether the game supports Alt + Enter. | Step 3 |
| HDR looks wrong or needs switching off | Compare the same image with HDR on and off. | Step 4 |
| You need an error image or a known save folder | Use capture or Run, then verify the actual file/path. | Step 5 |
Check in this order
Continue this issue
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Step 1: For a black display, reset the graphics driver once
- Press Windows + Ctrl + Shift + B once. Microsoft documents this for blank screens; a successful response may produce a beep or brief flicker.
- If the picture does not return, check the monitor’s power and physical cable connections.
- With multiple monitors and a usable Windows screen, inspect Windows + P projection mode. If you cannot see the choice, do not cycle blindly; check power and connections first.
What the result means and what to do next
| Situation | What it tells you | Next action |
|---|---|---|
| The display returns after a beep or flicker | Display output recovered; this does not establish the original cause. | Check whether the game responds. For recurring failures, investigate the GPU driver. |
| No beep, flicker or visible change | The reset may not have taken effect, or the problem extends beyond display output. | Check monitor power/cables, then try Task Manager in Step 2. |
- Expected result or what you learned
- The game or desktop picture returns after a brief flicker.
- If something is wrong or unclear
- Do not repeatedly hammer the shortcut when nothing changes. Continue to Step 2; it may not restore the game’s progress.
- How to undo changes
- The reset has no persistent setting to undo. Restore any projection-mode change you made.
Step 2: For an unresponsive game, open Task Manager
- Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
- If it is hidden behind the full-screen game, use Alt + Tab to switch to its window.
- Wait briefly for the game to recover. If it remains unresponsive, select that game in Processes and use End task. This loses unsaved progress; do not end unrelated processes.
What the result means and what to do next
| Situation | What it tells you | Next action |
|---|---|---|
| The game closes and works after relaunch | It may have been temporarily unresponsive. | If the same scene repeatedly freezes, use the game-freezing guide. |
| Task Manager cannot be displayed | It may be behind the game, or Windows may also be unresponsive. | Try Alt + Tab. If the PC still cannot be operated after several minutes, restart it, accepting the loss of unsaved work. |
- Expected result or what you learned
- Task Manager opens and you can close the affected game.
- If something is wrong or unclear
- If the screen stays black after closing the game, try Step 1’s graphics reset.
- How to undo changes
- Relaunch the game; ending it cannot restore unsaved progress.
Step 3: Try Alt + Enter only where the game supports it
- Press Alt + Enter once and see whether the game changes between full-screen and windowed mode.
- Apps can disable DXGI’s Alt + Enter handling, so the same keys may do nothing or have another assignment in a particular game.
- If it has no effect and the game is visible, use its own display/graphics settings. With a black screen, do not navigate invisible menus; return to Step 1’s power and cable checks.
- Expected result or what you learned
- The supported game changes display mode.
- If something is wrong or unclear
- If the image changes to an unsuitable resolution, select the intended resolution in visible game settings.
- How to undo changes
- Press Alt + Enter again if supported, or restore the recorded in-game display mode.
Step 4: Compare HDR using Windows + Alt + B
- On an HDR-capable display, press Windows + Alt + B. Microsoft lists Game Bar version 5.721.7292.0 or newer for this toggle.
- Record the starting state and compare the same game scene. If switching HDR changes the problem, compare HDR configuration and in-game brightness separately.
- Windows + G opens Game Bar. If the HDR keys do not respond, check Game Bar updates through Microsoft Store.
- Expected result or what you learned
- HDR changes state, possibly with a brief dark screen.
- If something is wrong or unclear
- An unsupported monitor cannot enable HDR. Check Settings → System → Display for the display’s HDR options.
- How to undo changes
- Toggle again and verify the original HDR state; also restore any brightness adjustment.
Step 5: Capture an error or open a known folder
- For games running the Steam Overlay, F12 is the default screenshot hotkey. Check your currently configured screenshot binding in Steam’s in-game settings if it has been changed.
- If Steam capture is unavailable, press Windows + Shift + S, select the region, paste with Ctrl + V into an app such as Paint and save the file. A clipboard capture alone is not confirmation that a file was saved.
- Press Windows + R and enter %APPDATA% or %LOCALAPPDATA% to open that folder. Neither is automatically the game’s save directory. Use the game-specific guide to identify what to copy.
- Expected result or what you learned
- The screenshot exists as a saved file, or the specified folder opens.
- If something is wrong or unclear
- For F12, inspect overlay support and the assigned key. If region selection fails, switch to a supported windowed mode when the game is visible, then retry.
- How to undo changes
- Capture and opening a folder need no undo. Restore any display-mode or key-binding change made while checking.
When to ask for help
If resets and Task Manager do not help or the same scene repeatedly freezes, record the time, preceding action, GPU and driver version. Continue with the game-freezing or black-screen guide.
FAQ
Does the graphics reset erase my saves?
It resets display handling rather than deleting save files or deliberately closing apps. A game can still stop or crash during recovery; once control returns, save your progress.
Why does Alt + Enter do nothing?
The game may disable or replace that shortcut. Use its settings only when visible. If the image remains black, check power and connections instead of navigating unseen menus.
Why does Windows + Alt + B not toggle HDR?
Check for an HDR-capable display and Game Bar 5.721.7292.0 or newer. Update through Microsoft Store and inspect the selected display’s HDR support.
Why do shortcuts work on the desktop but not in the game?
Compare a supported windowed mode first. Alt + Enter depends on the game; Steam capture depends on the overlay and binding. Check the keyboard’s Fn behavior for F12 and its documented gaming-mode Windows-key lock if applicable.
Where is my Windows + Shift + S screenshot?
The selection is copied to the clipboard. Paste it into Paint and use Save as to choose a known location. If Snipping Tool auto-save is enabled, check its configured location too.
Sources
English adaptation of the Japanese guide, retaining its diagnostic branches, steps, warnings and undo conditions. Official documentation supports the controls; the comparison order is editorial guidance, not a claim of testing every PC or game. Ask the administrator before changing a managed PC.
Microsoft: Windows keyboard shortcutsMicrosoft: blank-screen checksMicrosoft Learn: app control of Alt + EnterSteam Support: Community OverlayValve: Steam screenshots and the default hotkey