How to Fix Black or Frozen Screen Issue While Sharing Screen in Skype for Business

Skype for Business is a popular communication platform used by many professionals and businesses worldwide. However, users have reported an issue with the video-based screen-sharing (VBSS) feature, which causes the screen to become black or frozen during screen sharing. In this article, we will discuss how to fix this problem and provide a workaround to improve the connection times.

Prerequisites

Before we dive into the solution, it is essential to note that this issue occurs when using Skype for Business with Zoom. To use Skype for Business with Zoom, you need to download and install the Zoom Lync Plugin from the Zoom Download Center.

Starting a Zoom Meeting in Skype Chat Session

If you are currently engaged in a chat session with someone and want to start a Zoom meeting, follow these steps:

1. Open the Zoom client on your computer.

2. Click on the 'New Meeting' button.

3. Enter the meeting details, such as subject, duration, and participants.

4. Click on the 'Start Meeting' button.

Fixing Black or Frozen Screen Issue

The black or frozen screen issue occurs due to a problem with the VBSS feature in Skype for Business. This feature uses Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) for screen sharing, which can cause issues with connection times and screen refresh rates. To fix this issue, you need to change the registry entry used by Skype for Business while performing the screen share operation.

Workaround

To resolve the black or frozen screen problem, follow these steps:

1. Open the Registry Editor on your computer.

2. Navigate to the following path: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Office\16.0\Lync

3. Create a new DWORD value called 'DisableVBSS' and set it to 1.

Understanding Video-Based Screen Sharing (VbSS)

VbSS is a feature added to Skype for Business 2016 to improve the screen-sharing experience. It significantly improves the resolution and refresh rate over a standard meeting session, providing an optimal meeting experience. However, this feature only works when all participants in the meeting are using the latest version of Skype for Business 2016 client.

In conclusion, the black or frozen screen issue while sharing screens in Skype for Business can be frustrating. By following the steps outlined above and changing the registry entry used by Skype for Business, you should be able to resolve this issue and enjoy a smoother screen-sharing experience during your meetings.

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