win 11 kiosk computer comes up blank black screen reboot resolves

Dear Hale,

This is a known Windows 11 kiosk/always-on display issue — the display output driver or connected monitor goes into a low-power state and fails to wake, even though the PC is still logged in.

Fixes that actually work and stop it from happening:

Disable all display sleep/turn-off timers

Settings → System → Power & battery → Screen and sleep → Set all to Never.

  Also disable screen saver.
  
  **Force GPU to keep output alive**
  
     In GPU control panel (Intel/NVIDIA/AMD), disable adaptive power saving for the display.
     
        For NVIDIA, set **Power management mode** to **Prefer maximum performance**.
        
        **Disable “Fast Startup”**
        
           Control Panel → Power Options → Choose what the power buttons do → Uncheck **Turn on fast startup**.
           
           **Use “Presentation Mode”**
           
              Run `Windows + P` → Extend or Duplicate as needed, then enable **Presentation Settings** (`presentationsettings.exe`) so display never blanks.
              
              **Update graphics driver & firmware**
              
                 Install the latest GPU driver directly from Intel/NVIDIA/AMD, not just Windows Update.
                 
                    If using a display hub or extender, update its firmware.
                    
                    **If still intermittent** — turn off **Hardware Accelerated GPU Scheduling** and/or **Variable Refresh Rate** in Settings → System → Display → Graphics.
                    

Most kiosk deployments stop this issue by combining #1, #2, and #4 so Windows never tries to power-save the display.

Best Regards,