By Ellie / Last Updated April 18, 2023

How can I fix the remote computer not displaying a blank screen?

 

When using Splashtop, the blank screen feature doesn't work for me. Why is this happening, and how can I fix it?”

- Question from Reddit

Splashtop

Splashtop blank screen is a feature that causes a computer's screen monitor to go black when remotely controlled by another device. With the new technology to blank the remote screen, no driver installation is needed, and it will work in most cases. But sometimes, users may encounter Splashtop blank screen not working issue. How can you fix this issue?

How to fix Splashtop blank screen not working [3 solutions]

There are two solutions to fix Splashtop blank screen not working.

Solution 1. Check if the blank screen feature is enabled

If the blank screen feature not working, you’ll need to first check if the SplashtopEnable blank screen is allowed.

Step 1. Open Splashtop Streamer from the Start Menu.

Step 2. Go to All Programs > Splashtop Remote > Splashtop Streamer. Then click the Security tab, and tick “Enable blank screen”.

Blank Screen

Step 3. Establish a remote session, and now you can see Blank Screen enabled. 

Blank Screen Eenabled

Solution 2. Check the Driver Model

When remoting into Windows computers, there is a known issue that the Blank Screen feature will not work if the Driver Model is WDDM 2.2 or later. Please update Splashtop Streamer to v3.3.2.0 or later to support blanking screens that use the WDDM 2.2+ driver to fix this issue for most cases.

Step 1. On the streamer computer, press Win+ R and run "dxdiag.exe". Then check the Display tab, which will indicate the Driver Model.

Driver Model

Step 2. If the Driver Model is WDDM 2.2 or later, update to Splashtop Streamer v3.3.0.2 or later

Step 3. Download the attached zip file "BlankScreenType.zip", which contains the registry file to enable this feature.

Step 4. Unzip and run the .reg file "BlankScreenType.reg".

Step 5. Ensure "Enable Blank Screen" is checked and the Blank Screen Driver is installed.

Enbale Blank Screen

Step 6. Establish a remote session, and you'll see Splashtop showing black screen on the remote computer.

Solution 3. Get a Splashtop blank screen alternative

The final solution is to get a Splashtop alternative. It is highly recommended to choose AnyViewer. It is a reliable and secure remote desktop software for Windows, iOS, and Android. AnyViewer has a privacy mode that allows users to blacken the remote screen and disable the remote keyboard and mouse. Let's quickly review the differences between Splashtop and AnyViewer blank screen.

Price

  • The cheapest pricing plan for Splashtop blank screen (Business Access Solo) is $5 per month. The price is usually billed annually, which is $60 a year.
  • The cheapest pricing plan for AnyViewer privacy mode (Professional) is $4.16 monthly, billed at $49.95 annually.

Licensed users

  • Splashtop Business Access Solo plan only allows 2 licensed users and 1 concurrent remote session per license.
  • AnyViewer Professional plan allows 10 licensed users and 5 concurrent remote sessions per license.

Features

  • Some necessary features, like multi-to-multi monitor, chat, and remote reboot, are unavailable for the Splashtop Business Access Solo plan.
  • AnyViewer Professional plan supports multi-to-multi monitor connections, text chat during remote sessions, and remote reboot. Even AnyViewer Free version supports these features.

The comparison results are indicated in the following table.

Splashtop vs AnyViewer.png

Download Freeware Win PCs &  Servers
Secure Download

Step 1. Install and launch AnyViewer on both computers. Go to Log in, and then click Sign up. (If you already have signed up on its official website, you can log in directly.)

Log in AnyViewer

Step 2. Fill in the signup information and click Sign up to create an AnyViewer account. 

Sign Up for AnyViewer

Step 3. Then you can see you successfully logged in to AnyViewer. Your device will automatically be assigned to the account you've logged in to.

Free Editions

Step 4. Log in to the same AnyViewer account on the two computers. Then you can achieve a one-click connection by clicking One-click control after going to Device and clicking the computer that you want to access. 

Connect to My Devices

Some other causes of Splashtop blank screen not working

Some other reasons may cause Splashtop blank screen not working. If you are in any of the following cases, our advice is to use the best Splashtop blank screen alternative, AnyViewer.

  • The blank screen feature will not work on some computers with gen 1 or 2 Intel CPU, which still with HD graphics.
  • The blank screen feature will not work on some computers with a monitor connected using a USB port (e.g., USB to VGA switch).
  • The blank screen feature will not work at the first connection when connecting to a computer that just woke up from Hibernate/Sleep state.
  • The blank screen feature will not work if some display auto-adaptation software is installed, e.g., f.lux, Asus Splendid Eye Care (a built-in software with an Asus laptop).
  • On Windows 10 v2004 machines or later, the blank screen feature will not work if you invoke the task manager or security-related component with Ctrl+Alt+Del.

The bottom line

This post introduces the causes of the Splashtop blank screen not working and the solutions to fix it. Among the three solutions, we highly recommend you choose the last one, getting a Splashtop blank screen alternative. You deserve to have a better remote connection experience with less money.