Others

Fix Windows 10 Screen Disappears When Clicking Links

John Wilson Oct 13, 2026 868 views

Question details

The user experiences an issue where the computer screen goes black or temporarily disappears immediately after clicking a hyperlink.

How to Fix Windows 10 Screen Disappearing When Clicking Links

Product: Windows 10 / Office Applications
Device & OS: Windows 10
Scenario: Navigating through documents, emails, or web pages by clicking embedded hyperlinks.
Observed behavior: The display unexpectedly drops out, turns black, or disappears when a link is clicked, requiring troubleshooting to identify the conflicting application or driver.

Before you start

Take note of which specific application (such as Microsoft Word, an email client, or a web browser) is active when the screen disappears, and ensure your graphics drivers are up to date.

Solution 1Recommended

Disable Hardware Graphics Acceleration

Disabling hardware acceleration can prevent display crashes caused by conflicts between your applications and the computer's graphics card when rendering new link windows.

Hardware acceleration offloads certain graphics tasks to your GPU to improve performance. However, on some Windows 10 configurations, this feature can cause the screen to go black when transitioning to a new window or clicking a link in Office applications.

Open Application Options

Launch the application where the issue occurs (e.g., Microsoft Word). Click on 'File' in the top-left corner and select 'Options' at the bottom of the menu.

Navigate to Advanced Settings

In the Options dialog box, click on the 'Advanced' tab on the left sidebar.

Disable Hardware Acceleration

Scroll down to the 'Display' section. Check the box that says 'Disable hardware graphics acceleration'.

Restart the Application

Click 'OK' to save the changes, then close and restart the application to see if the issue persists when clicking links.

Browser Hardware Acceleration: If this issue happens in a web browser like Chrome or Edge, you can find a similar 'Use hardware acceleration when available' toggle in the browser's System settings.

Solution 2

Update or Reinstall Display Drivers

Updating your display driver resolves underlying bugs that cause the screen to drop signal during sudden graphical shifts, such as opening a new browser tab from a link.

Free Microsoft Office alternative

Try WPS Office for a Stable Document Experience

If Microsoft Office applications continue to cause display glitches or screen blackouts on your Windows 10 PC, consider switching to WPS Office. It is highly optimized, lightweight, and less demanding on system graphics.

1. Download WPS Office: Visit the official WPS website and download the free installer for Windows.
2. Install the Software: Run the downloaded setup file and follow the quick installation prompts.
3. Open Your Documents: Launch WPS Office and open your existing documents to safely click links without display crashes.

Seamless compatibility with Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint file formatsLightweight architecture minimizes the risk of hardware acceleration crashesFamiliar tabbed interface makes opening multiple links and documents effortlessFree to use with a smooth, user-friendly experience

microsoft office alternative - wps office

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does my screen go black only when clicking links in emails?

This usually happens because your email client and your default web browser are conflicting over rendering the new window, often due to graphics acceleration settings or an outdated default browser.

Can a faulty monitor cable cause the screen to disappear when clicking links?

While less common for specific software actions, a loose or faulty HDMI/DisplayPort cable can momentarily drop the signal if your graphics card changes its refresh rate or resolution when launching a new link destination.

How do I safely inspect a link before clicking it to prevent crashes?

You can hover your mouse cursor over the link without clicking. The destination URL will appear in a small tooltip or at the bottom corner of your application window, allowing you to manually copy and paste it into a stable browser.

Office Quick Solutions