Solved Black Screen With Cursor

[Apaseall]

Hello, I am new to this forum [joined so i could post this plea for help] so sorry if this is posted in the wrong place.

Every once in a while when I wake up and turn on my monitor it is just black.
That starts me worrying. So I lift up my laptop lid/screen and expect to see the HDD password prompt.
Most of the time I can put in my password stuff and boot into windows.
You see I have the windows updates set to install and reboot as needed.

Today was a little different.
Today after the password stuff I saw the usual windows 7 booting up bar thing.
Normally shortly after that disappears I am greeted by my backdrop and login prompt.

Today instead of the login prompt I just get a black screen with the mouse pointer.
Odd.

So I think hmm lets wait for it to maybe do something, so I leave it for a while. No signs of life.

Tried booting with f8 - last good, safe mode, safe mode command, safe mode vga etc.
No joy - still same black screen with cursor.

I think windows is at a stage just prior to the login prompt?

I get into the bios and put cd/dvd rom as first boot.
I decrypt the truecrypted system partition with my truecrypt rescue disk. That worked fine.
I put in my downloaded windows 7 64 bit recovery disk.

Note - dell do not supply users with an installation disk for windows 7 64bit.
Hence the downloaded recovery disk.
Due to similar issues with widows updates I have used this recovery disk with success in the recent past.

I select us keyboard and see windows 7 home premium as c: os
I try the option on that screen to use a previous image. No joy.

I select my one and only windows install ie windows 7 home premium as cs
I try automated repair. It says searching for problems and then start up repair could not detect a problem.
oh.

I try system restore - since a lot of stuff i use auto creates restore points i should have loads of them from quite recently - great stuff. No restore points found !

I try restore from previous back up. None found. There probably are none but work a look.

I try launch command line - YAY I get the x:\ cmd window.
change to c: and I see my install of windows - great.

I try bootrec.exe /fixmbr bootrec.exe /fixboot. They work. No joy - still got the same black screen with pointer.

I try chkdsk /r. That runs fine. No joy.

I try rstrui.exe - no restore points found.

I believe there are restore points or a point because there is something in -
c:\system volume information\system restore

Please help.

I would love to use a previous restore point.
Failing that just login prompt as normal.

My other PC's got rebooted by auto update over night but they are working ok.
I have had problems with mcafee updates doing something similar but atm i am pointing my finger at ms.

Any thoughts anyone ?

 

[VistaKing]

Lets try to do a sfc /scannow at boot

:ar: http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/139810-sfc-scannow-run-command-prompt-boot.html

You should run Startup Repair at least 3 times.

 

[Apaseall]

At present the only way I can get a command prompt is to boot via cd the rescue disk and select launch command prompt.

Ran sfc /scannow. Got an interesting reply.
"There is a system repair pending which requires reboot to complete. Restart windows and run sfc again."
So guess I will reboot and post the results here. Fingers crossed.

 

[Apaseall]

After rebooted pc with rescue cd. sfc /scannow gave same message.
Googled message.

diskpart, list volume
volume 0 c os ntfs partition 116gb healthy
volume 1 e [blank] raw partition 440gb healthy
volume 2 d storage ntfs partition 931gb healthy
These results are what I expected, nothing out of place.

chkdsk /r /f c:
force dismount Yes
checked and found no problems.

sfc /scannow /offbootdir=c:\ /offwindir=c:\windows
beginning system scan. this process will take some time.
cursor flashing so I guess I will let it get on with it. will post more later.

 

[Apaseall]

Result -> windows resource protection found corrupt files but was unable to fix some of them.
details are included in the cbs.log windir\logs\cbs\cbs.log
ok so cbs.log is a big file. 25,556,516.
So i renamed it to cbs.log.old and ran
sfc /scannow /offbootdir=c:\ /offwindir=c:\windows
lets see what the new cbs.log tell us

 

[VistaKing]

Once you're done upload the logs

 

[Apaseall]

Very disappointing. cbs.log was created via notepad. result of sfc was zip, nada, nothing.
renamed cbs.log.old back to cbs.log.
ran sfc again. no change in cbs.log file.
Looks like cbs.log is not updated by the sfc, it tells lies

 

[VistaKing]

Upload the log file

 

[gregrocker]

Work through these steps which prioritize everything that can possibly be done Troubleshooting Windows 7 Failure to Start leading up to rescuiing your files to run Factory Recovery or get the superior Clean Reinstall if necessary.

 

[Apaseall]

@VistaKing Hi and thank you for taking an interest in this problem.
Obviously I cannot upload the cbs.log from the laptop with the problem.
I am not sure how to get it from the laptop to this pc.
I will try a usb stick, however like I said sfc is not updating the log.
brb.

 

[Apaseall]

Sorry to say that I cannot find the usb stick.
This usb stick had a led which flashes when it is accessed.
It flashed on power on of laptop. It also flashes prior and during booting from the usb cd/dvd/bluray drive holding the rescue disk.
However once booted into the rescue disk diskpart list volume does not show a device/volume number for the usb stick.
manual selection of drive letter a: through z: only connects with x: c: d:.
If you know a way of getting the cmd prompt to let me copy the file to the usb stick I will gladly post a copy here.

 

[Apaseall]

@gregrocker Also Hi and thanks for taking an interest.
I am currently downloading the usb boot tool and win764bitsp1 iso.
Always good to have another method of booting

 

[Apaseall]

eek 0330 time for bed !

 

[Apaseall]

Good day all.
I managed to download windows 7 usb dvd tool and x17-58997.iso.
Now I have a usb stick with windows 7 installer on it.

Booting with the new installer I have a new problem.
"system recovery options. failed to save startup options."
So I am going to google that and get back to you.

 

[Apaseall]

googling gave me this which i followed;

How to repair and reboot to Windows 7:
a) Insert the Windows 7 System Repair DVD or Installation DVD and reboot.
b) Select the correct keyboard input method and click ‘Next’.
Note: If you are using the Windows7 Install DVD then at the 'Install Now' prompt (Do not pick the Install Now option) instead choose the 'Repair your computer' option located in the lower left of the display.
c) The System Repair tool will search for a valid operating system and will report that “Windows found problems with your computer’s startup options. Do you want to apply repairs and restart your computer?”
d) Click ‘Repair and restart’ and reboot again to the Windows 7 System Repair environment.
e) Click ‘Next’ at the keyboard selection prompt and when the ‘System Recovery Options’ screen appears verify that the “Use recovery tools that can help fix problems starting Windows” is selected.
f) Now from the menu list select the ‘Command Prompt’ option.
g) At the DOS prompt type the following three commands:
bootrec.exe /fixmbr
bootrec.exe /fixboot (may return an 'Eliment not found' message)
bootrec.exe /RebuildBcd
h) Close the command prompt window and click the ‘Startup Repair’ option.
i) The repair process may take some time, so wait until the process completes at which point you will see two messages “Windows cannot repair this computer automatically” and “Startup Repair cannot repair this computer automatically”.
Note: Please perform step j as detailed, startup repair must be run multiple times.
J) Close this message window by clicking on the X in the upper right corner of the Send/Don’t send window. Next click on the ‘View advanced options for system recovery and support’ option and from the main menu once again click ‘Startup Repair’. This time the repair process may only that a few seconds and when prompted “Startup Repair could not detect a problem”, click ‘Finish’ and run the ‘Startup Repair’ option one more time, click ‘Finish’, and then remove the System Repair DVD and click ‘Restart’. Reboot the computer.


i removed the usb stick [the one with the win7 installer] and rebooted.


got a new error message;
windows boot manager
windows failed to start. a recent hardware or software change might be the cause. to fix the problem
1 insert your windows installation disk and restart your computer
2 chose your language setting, and then click next
3 click repair your computer


if you do not have this disc, contact your system administrator or computer manufacturer for assistance.


file \boot\bcd
status 0xc000000f
info an error ocurred while attempting to read the boot configuration data


Going to do what it says and will get back to you.

 

[Apaseall]

grr windows eating my typing sucks.

anyway, something new!
apart from step 3 not existing [i had to select the dot next to where an os should show up but is not] i followed the above steps.

new message;

startup repair
restart your computer to complete the repairs.

to start immediately, click finish.
if repairs were successful, windows will start correctly.
if repairs were not successful, startup repair might run again to continue fixing your computer.

since the first boot device in bios is set to usb stick then i very much doubt windows will start correctly.
but if i remove the usb stick then i wonder how startup repairs will be able to run ?

be back soon

 

[Apaseall]

so i pulled the usb stick and rebooted via finish.
got the error message again about windows boot manager and windows failed to start, as per above full message.

i will say this, booting into the install os/repair is much faster with the usb stick than the cd/dvd/bluray drive.

put usb stick back in and rebooted. got past the chose language and without clicking i got a message;

system recovery options

windows found problems with your computer startup options.
do you want to apply repairs and restart your computer ?

erm yes please.
ha!

seen this message before, message popped up when i asked it to go and apply the repairs.
message;

system recovery options

failed to save startup options.

so i click the dot again to get to repair startup, which tells me it cannot repair the computer.
seen this message way too many times now;

startup repair

startup repair cannot repair this computer automatically
sending more information can help microsoft create solutions.
etc etc.

i'd like to see how it would send any info to ms considering networking is not running!

 

[Apaseall]

i am currently looping round and round. leaving usb stick in, so it boots straight back to the os install/repair.
going to do that for a while since it does seem to keep changing the messages up puts up, ie not the same message each time. but still the same messages i have seen before.

i would gleefully give the person responsible for my anguish repeated impetus to move via connecting with them with a shoe clad human means of propulsion...

 

[Apaseall]

yup just going round in circles with this. ok so i'm taking a break. still plenty more stuff to go at.

 

[gregrocker]

Are all peripherals and other HD's unplugged?

Does the repair utility find an installation to repair? This is good because it means your HD is being read.

Make sure the HD remains set first to boot in BIOS setup, if you have more than one.

Try System Restore from System Recovery Options.

Then if these fail start at the top of the steps for Troubleshooting Windows 7 Failure to Start to work through the steps, or if necessary rescue your files to Clean Reinstall. http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/220165-troubleshooting-steps-windows-7-a.html