How to Fix Chrome Showing White or Black Screen (No Text or Images) After Resuming from Sleep

You open your laptop after a quick break. Chrome was open when you closed the lid, but now it’s not behaving. Tabs are blank. The entire screen is white or black. There’s no text, no images, no interface—just an eerie void where your browser used to be. You try refreshing, nothing happens. Switching tabs doesn’t help. And even restarting Chrome doesn’t always fix it.

If this sounds familiar, you’re not the only one. Chrome going blank after a system sleep or waking from hibernation is a known issue across many Windows laptops, particularly HP and Lenovo machines. It’s a frustrating glitch that blends hardware quirks, browser rendering, and system power settings.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through proven steps to fix the problem, covering both quick workarounds and permanent solutions. Whether you’re working on a school project or mid-way through your remote job’s workday, these fixes will get your browser back to life.

Table of Contents

What’s Causing Chrome to Show a Blank White or Black Screen After Sleep?

The issue typically appears when resuming a Windows laptop (especially Windows 10 or 11) from sleep, hibernation, or lock screen. Chrome either refuses to redraw its content or loses track of GPU rendering.

Here are the likely causes:

GPU acceleration not recovering properly after system wake
Display driver hiccups, especially on Intel or AMD GPUs
Window session rendering conflicts between Chrome and Windows Explorer
Corrupted cache or Chrome profile, particularly if you’ve installed extensions or flags
Power-saving optimizations or low-power GPU switching (common on HP laptops)
Outdated browser or system graphics drivers

In short, the browser and operating system stop speaking the same language after sleep—and Chrome freezes in limbo.

Quick Temporary Workarounds (Get Back to Work Now)

If you just want to fix it fast and deal with deeper causes later, try these in-the-moment workarounds:

Workaround 1: Minimize and Maximize Chrome

Simply minimize the Chrome window and then restore it
This can sometimes force Chrome to redraw the screen

If that doesn’t work:

Workaround 2: Resize the Chrome Window

Resize the Chrome window slightly by dragging a corner
Again, this may trigger a UI redraw

Workaround 3: Switch Tabs or Open a New Tab

Press Ctrl + T to open a new tab
Or switch between tabs with Ctrl + Tab repeatedly

Sometimes, only one tab is affected—other tabs may load fine.

Workaround 4: Use Task Manager to Restart the GPU Process

Press Shift + Esc inside Chrome to open Chrome’s own Task Manager
Look for “GPU Process”
End that process—it will restart automatically

This is a neat trick that solves the issue without restarting Chrome entirely.

Permanent Fixes to Prevent Chrome Blank Screen After Sleep

If the issue keeps returning, it’s time to apply long-term fixes that actually address the root cause.

Fix 1: Disable Hardware Acceleration in Chrome

This is the #1 fix confirmed by users across forums.

To disable:

Open Chrome
Click the three dots in the top-right corner > Settings
Scroll down to System
Toggle off Use hardware acceleration when available
Relaunch Chrome

Disabling hardware acceleration forces Chrome to render via software instead of the GPU, avoiding rendering failures after sleep.

This fix may slightly impact performance in video-heavy tasks, but for general use, you likely won’t notice a difference.

Fix 2: Update Your Graphics Driver

Outdated or corrupted graphics drivers often cause rendering bugs after waking from sleep.

For Intel users (especially HP, Dell, Lenovo laptops):

Visit the Intel Download Center
Use their Intel Driver & Support Assistant to detect and update your graphics driver

For AMD users:

Go to the AMD Driver page and enter your graphics card model

For NVIDIA users:

Visit the NVIDIA Driver Downloads page and install the latest version for your GPU

After updating, restart your PC and check if the issue persists.

Fix 3: Reset Chrome Settings to Default

Corrupt Chrome settings, flags, or extensions can also cause rendering issues.

To reset:

Go to Settings > Reset and clean up
Click Restore settings to their original defaults
Confirm

This removes your extensions and resets all settings—so be sure to backup bookmarks or sync your account before doing this.

This fix helps if you recently experimented with Chrome flags or third-party themes.

Fix 4: Disable Chrome Extensions One by One

Some extensions can conflict with GPU or tab rendering—especially those that modify page visuals or use background scripts (like ad blockers, VPNs, and screen recorders).

Type chrome://extensions in the address bar
Disable all extensions
Restart Chrome
Re-enable them one at a time to identify the culprit

Users have specifically reported issues with:

Dark Reader
Ghostery
uBlock Origin (in some versions)
Grammarly
Video-related extensions (like Picture-in-Picture add-ons)

Fix 5: Create a New Chrome User Profile

If your current user profile is corrupted, Chrome may behave strangely even after a reinstall.

To create a new one:

Click your profile icon in the top-right of Chrome
Click Add and create a new profile
Test Chrome in this new profile

If the blank screen issue doesn’t appear, your old profile may be corrupted. You can migrate bookmarks and passwords via your Google account.

Fix 6: Change Windows Power Settings (For HP or Lenovo Users)

Some laptops aggressively optimize power usage, putting GPU services to sleep too aggressively.

Try changing your power settings:

Go to Control Panel > Hardware and Sound > Power Options
Choose High Performance or Balanced
Click Change plan settings > Change advanced power settings
Under PCI Express > Link State Power Management, set to Off
Also check Intel Graphics Settings if available

This prevents your GPU from entering low-power states that confuse Chrome on wake.

Fix 7: Run Chrome in Compatibility Mode

Some users have had success forcing Chrome to run as if on an older version of Windows.

To try this:

Right-click the Chrome shortcut on your desktop
Select Properties
Go to the Compatibility tab
Check Run this program in compatibility mode for: and choose Windows 8
Apply and restart Chrome

This isn’t an ideal long-term fix but works in stubborn cases.

Fix 8: Reinstall Chrome Completely

If all else fails:

Uninstall Chrome from your system
Delete the user data folder:
- Navigate to C:\Users\YourName\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome
- Delete the entire Chrome folder
Download the latest version from the official site
Reinstall and test

Be sure to sign in again to recover your bookmarks and settings if synced with a Google account.

Consider Trying Chrome Canary or Edge

If the issue remains after trying all fixes, consider installing Chrome Canary—an experimental version that sometimes behaves better on modern hardware. Alternatively, Microsoft Edge (built on Chromium) might offer the same features without the rendering bugs.

Edge, in particular, has better integration with Windows hardware acceleration. You can even install Chrome extensions on it.

Best Practices to Prevent Chrome Sleep Bugs in the Future

Once you’ve applied a fix, here are some habits to avoid the issue resurfacing:

Always update Chrome and your GPU drivers
Avoid excessive use of Chrome flags unless you know what they do
Shut down your PC regularly instead of always putting it to sleep
Avoid running GPU-heavy apps in parallel with Chrome
Turn off unnecessary Chrome extensions
Use software rendering if your device has persistent GPU conflicts

These habits keep Chrome stable, even after multiple wake-sleep cycles.

When to Escalate: Hardware-Specific Issues

If you’re using an HP Spectre, Envy, Lenovo Yoga, or other ultrabook with hybrid graphics, your issue may go deeper than Chrome alone.

In such cases:

Check your BIOS for GPU switching options
Visit the laptop brand’s support forum for system-specific patches
Consider updating Intel ME drivers or firmware, which can affect power states

HP and Lenovo have issued firmware updates in the past specifically targeting resume-from-sleep display bugs. These don’t show up in Windows Update, so manual checking is essential.

Don’t Let a Blank Tab Interrupt Your Day

A white or black screen in Chrome can feel like your browser has died—but in most cases, it just needs a nudge (or a driver update). With the right tweaks, you can fix the issue for good and make sure your tabs are right where you left them after every break.

By disabling hardware acceleration, managing background apps, and keeping your drivers fresh, you can enjoy a stable Chrome experience on your HP, Lenovo, Dell, or any Windows machine.

For extra stability, consider using Chrome’s built-in task manager and testing new features in Canary before enabling them on your main browser.