Black screen with cursor - Laptop

I'm trying to load a system recovery disk, however I'm getting a black screen with a cursor.

I've selected the CD/DVD to be first in the BIOS.

I'm having to format my HD, because the laptop would load to a black screen with a cursor.

Thanks.

Welcome

Go through this, see if it helps:
→ http://www.sevenforums.com/crash-lo...my-screen-black-when-i-start-windows-7-a.html
→ http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/219533-troubleshooting-windows-7-failure-boot.html

Run Disk Check on your hard disk for file system errors and bad sectors on it:
→ http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/433-disk-check.html

Hard drive test both short and long with:
→ SeaTools for Windows

Also the DOS version of:
→ SeaTools for DOS

You may also go through these
→ Hard Drive Diagnostic Procedure

and these
→ 7 Free Hard Drive Testing Software Tools