The multitasking using the Alt+Tab shortcut has become normal for the Windows users. But, some users have seen a black screen while trying to use this shortcut on their machines. This abnormality can be overlooked if the black screen shows up only once or twice. But, if you are continuously getting a black screen instead of opened application windows, it will hamper your workflow, ultimately a negative impression on the productivity.
Fix 1 – Reduce the refresh rate, color depth
The Display Stream Compression on the NVIDIA GPUs can cause this problem. Reducing the refresh rate of the display or changing the color depth of the display will improve the situation.
Step 1 – Open the NVIDIA Control Panel.
Step 2 – Expand the “Display” section and select the “Change resolution” option.
Step 3 – Switch to a lower refresh rate than to the maximum refresh rate your monitor offers.
Step 4 – Select the “NVIDIA colour settings” on the right-hand pane.
Step 5 – Set the ‘Output color depth’ to “8 bpc” from there.
Step 6 – Tap “Apply” to save the changes.
This should fix the issue that you are having with the Alt+Tab shortcut keys.
Fix 2 – Use an upgraded HDMI cable
The HDMI cable that you are using may not be capable enough to transfer the display data properly and hence you are getting the black screen. This is a hardware limit on the previous version of the HDMI cable. Just get some of the newer version of HDMI 2.0, and use it to wire the display properly. Be sure to check the bit rate of the HDMI cable before getting one. It must support the range 22-40+ gbps of data rate.
This will put a stop on the black screen during the Alt+Tab shortcut configuration.
Fix 3 – Change the content type report feature
You have to change the desktop color settings from the NVIDIA Control Panel.
Step 1 – Open up the NVIDIA Control Panel.
Step 2 – Go to the “Adjust desktop colour settings” tab.
Step 3 – Set the “Content type reported to the display:” to “Desktop programs” or “Full screen videos” mode.
Step 4 – Tap “Apply” to save the changes.
Once you have applied this change, press the Alt+Tab keys and test.
Fix 3 – Reset the graphics driver
There is a neat shortcut trick that you can apply to reset the GPU driver.
Step 1 – Quit any game or resource-heavy application that you are running.
Step 2 – Then, hit this key combination Ctrl+Win+Shift+B keys together to reset the graphics driver.
Your display will turn black for a few seconds and it will return automatically. This may happen once or twice. Then, you are good to go.
Fix 4 – Quit the full screen game and check
There are some games, when launched in the full screen mode, may throw you in this sort of situation. Some of the Valorant players have noted a 5-10 seconds of black screen while using the Alt+Tab feature. So, we recommend, you close any resource-heavy application and give the shortcut another try.