Text is Not Showing in Windows 10: How to Fix It Now

If text is not showing on your Windows 10 system, it can make navigating the interface and using applications nearly impossible. This issue can manifest in various ways, such as missing text in system menus, apps, or browsers. The problem may arise from corrupted fonts, display settings, or system file issues.

Fortunately, there are several solutions you can try to resolve this issue. This guide will walk you through the steps to fix missing text in Windows 10.

How Can I Fix Missing Text in Windows 10?​

1. Restart Your PC​

Before diving into more complicated solutions, start by restarting your computer. A simple reboot can often resolve issues caused by temporary glitches in the system.

1. Restart Your PC:
   • Click the Start button, select the Power icon, and then click Restart.

If restarting doesn't fix the issue, proceed with the following troubleshooting methods.

2. Update Your Graphics Drivers​

Outdated or corrupted graphics drivers can cause display issues, including missing text. Updating your drivers may resolve the problem.

1. Open Device Manager:
   • Press Windows + X and select Device Manager.
2. Update Graphics Driver:
   • In Device Manager, expand the Display adapters section.
     
   • Right-click on your graphics card and select Update driver.
     
   • Choose Search automatically for updated driver software.
     
3. Restart Your PC:
   • After updating the driver, restart your computer to apply the changes.

If the issue persists after updating your drivers, try reinstalling them.

3. Reinstall the Graphics Driver​

If updating the drivers doesn’t resolve the issue, try uninstalling and reinstalling the graphics drivers to fix any corruption.

1. Uninstall Graphics Driver:
   • In Device Manager, right-click your graphics card under Display adapters and select Uninstall device.
   • Check the box for Delete the driver software for this device and click Uninstall.
2. Reinstall Driver:
   • After uninstalling, restart your PC. Windows will automatically reinstall the default graphics driver.

Reinstalling the driver may resolve any conflicts or corruption that caused the text not to display properly.

4. Check for Windows Updates​

Missing system updates can also lead to display issues. Ensuring your system is up to date can help fix problems with text not showing.

1. Check for Updates:
   • Go to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update.
   • Click Check for updates to see if any new updates are available.
2. Install Updates:
   • If updates are found, install them and restart your PC.

Keeping Windows updated can resolve compatibility issues that might be causing text to disappear.

5. Adjust Display Settings​

Incorrect display settings may cause text to disappear or appear incorrectly. Try adjusting your display resolution and scaling settings.

1. Open Display Settings:
   • Right-click on your desktop and select Display settings.
2. Adjust Resolution:
   • Under Display resolution, ensure the setting matches your monitor's recommended resolution.
3. Adjust Scaling:
   • Scroll down to Scale and layout and set the scaling to 100%. Sometimes, higher scaling can cause issues with text rendering.
4. Apply Changes:
   • After adjusting these settings, restart your PC to see if the issue is resolved.

Adjusting your display settings can fix display issues that might be causing text not to show.

6. Reset Default System Fonts​

Corrupted or missing fonts can cause text rendering issues in Windows 10. Resetting the default fonts might fix the problem.

1. Open Control Panel:
   • Type Control Panel in the Start menu and select it.
2. Go to Fonts Settings:
   • In the Control Panel, go to Appearance and Personalization > Fonts.
3. Reset Default Fonts:
   • On the left sidebar, click Font settings and then select Restore default font settings.
4. Restart Your PC:
   • After resetting the fonts, restart your PC to apply the changes.

Restoring default fonts can fix issues caused by corrupted or missing font files.

7. Run the System File Checker (SFC) Tool​

Corrupted system files can prevent Windows from displaying text correctly. The System File Checker (SFC) tool can scan and repair any corrupted system files.

1. Open Command Prompt as Administrator:
   • Press Windows + X and select Command Prompt (Admin) or Windows Terminal (Admin).
2. Run the SFC Scan:
   • Type sfc /scannow and press Enter.
   • The scan will take some time to complete. Once done, it will automatically repair any corrupted files.
3. Restart Your PC:
   • After the scan completes, restart your PC.

Running the SFC tool can resolve text display issues caused by corrupted system files.

8. Run DISM to Repair System Image​

If the SFC scan doesn’t fix the issue, use the Deployment Imaging Service and Management Tool (DISM) to repair the system image.

1. Open Command Prompt as Administrator:
   • Press Windows + X and select Command Prompt (Admin).
2. Run DISM Commands:
   • Type the following commands one by one, pressing Enter after each:
     • DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /CheckHealth
     • DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth
     • DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
3. Restart Your PC:
   • After the process completes, restart your computer.

Using DISM can repair deeper system-level issues that may be causing the missing text problem.

9. Perform a Clean Boot​

A clean boot starts Windows with a minimal set of drivers and startup programs. This can help identify if a third-party application or service is causing the issue.

1. Open System Configuration:
   • Press Windows + R, type msconfig, and press Enter.
2. Perform a Clean Boot:
   • In the General tab, select Selective startup and uncheck Load startup items.
   • Go to the Services tab, check Hide all Microsoft services, and click Disable all.
   • Click Apply and restart your PC.
3. Test for the Issue:
   • After restarting, check if the text is displaying properly. If it is, a third-party program may be causing the issue.
   • Re-enable services and startup programs one by one to identify the problematic application.

Performing a clean boot helps to determine if any background processes are interfering with text rendering.

When text is not showing in Windows 10, it can make it difficult to use the system. The issue can be caused by anything from corrupted drivers to incorrect display settings or system file corruption. By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can troubleshoot and resolve the issue effectively. If none of these solutions work, you may need to consider performing a system reset or seeking professional assistance to diagnose any hardware-related problems.