Black screen with cursor on startup following Windows Update

Hi everyone

Earlier this evening, I updated my computer, which included about ten new important ones, and four optional. One of the optional ones was an NVIDIA drivers update. Thinking little of it, I set it to update, then watched a movie on the computer while I waited. During it, the screen went black three times (as if the power had been cut) and the computer's noise level dropped significantly. After less than a second, it was back to normal in all cases and afterwards, after seeing the update (where the NVIDIA driver had failed to update), I figured that was the problem. Windows Update said it needed to restart in order to install the drivers correctly, and I let it. Unfortunately, every time I start up now, the screen goes instantly black, and there is nothing but my regular windows cursor. The left side goes on a bit beyond my screen (I can move the cursor off-screen), but that's it. I have tried starting up with my the driver CD for my monitor, the one for my graphics card, as well as my Windows Restore disk. None of them work. I also can't enter Safe Mode because it never starts up, no matter how much I press F8. I've even tried hooking up an old keyboard, in case the USB ports somehow didn't work that soon in the startup or something. No dice, it won't even light up the Lock keys.

Any help would really be appreciated! :)

Have you tried booting in Safe mode (F8)?


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I tried repeatedly pressing F8 on startup, which didn't work. If there is some other way, I'd love to hear it :)

Trouble is, I don't have access to any of those menues. The black screen and cursor starts immediately after I turn the computer on, no BIOS, no nothing.

No blue screen, and I'm pressing F8.

You asked for blue screen, and I said (there is) no blue screen. There is only the black screen :)

What happens is: The computer makes the regular startup noises, and keeps sounding normally for a minute or two. But no picture ever appears. Eventually (within thirty seconds or so) the cursor appears.