Solved Laptop will not fully startup

[thesaint]

Acer 5810TZG been running ok for last 3 years. Today what happens is:- Press Power switch; Word "Acer" shows; Shows "Starting Windows"; Shows "Please Wait"; I then log on. It says "Welcome"; Screen goes to Black; After 5 seconds a tone is heard (I guess that is the normal tone to indicate that the desktop is now populated). However; the screen remains black. I have tried several restarts but no change. Any ideas please?

 

[Northernsoul55]

Hi saint,

1. Have you tried plugging in an External monitor to your laptops VGA port?

2. Does the computer start in :ar: Safe-mode with no black screen?

1) Switch on the Laptop.
2) Continuously press the F8 key until you get into advanced boot up options screen
3) Choose safe mode from the options.
4) If successful, once booted into desktop, Click Start>Programs>Accessories>System Tools> System restore
5) Click restore my computer to an earlier time
6) Choose a bold highlighted date that was time before this issue occurred
7) Click next and allow the restore to complete.

3. A PSU is a Power Supply Unit btw
4. Did the installed RAM (3GB) come with the machine or have you
added/removed any modules.

cheers

Dave

 

[thesaint]

Good Afternoon Northernsoul55
Thanks for replying.
No, I have not used the VGA for some months.
Yes I tried safe mode it was okay. I choose words similar to "Go to last known good settings", As soon as I entered that the screen went black and did not change from that. When the screen does go black (from any situation) I usually have to give a brief press on the power button to effect a turn off. However; sometimes, the only way to turn it off is to hold turn the power key for several seconds. Then another press to get a start again. I did try a system restore to a couple of days ago. That seems to have been accomplished and then a restart went correctly. However; it was then bedtime so I turned it off the night. Before turning off it installed a new update - probably one that had been "killed" by the restore (there was a Windows one the previous day).
So, in case that update is causing the problem I can consider stopping updates going in automatically, and then do another system restore to that same date as before. I googled my problem and found what seems good advice - hold down Ctrl and Alt and press Del. This is supposed to get the task manager, where corrective action can be taken. Sadly, although that method of accessing the task manager is ok for me if I already have something on display; nothing happens if I already have a black screen.
I have not installed any more Ram since purchase.

 

[PeaB4YouGo]

I googled my problem and found what seems good advice - hold down Ctrl and Alt and press Del. This is supposed to get the task manager, where corrective action can be taken. Sadly, although that method of accessing the task manager is ok for me if I already have something on display; nothing happens if I already have a black screen.
I have not installed any more Ram since purchase.

One more method of getting to the task manager is right clicking the toolbar. I know this doesn't solve your issue, but there you go.

 

[thesaint]

Good Afternoon B4YouGo
Thanks for that. However; as you indicated; if you cannot see anything (including a cursor) it is probably impossible to achieve

 

[Northernsoul55]

I suggest trying an external monitor first, to test the screen issue.

Then attempt a system restore again.

Cheers

Dave

 

[andrew129260]

Boot into safe mode. The way you got there was by holding down f8 before windows starts to load. Then choose just safe mode. Then follow these directions and let us know if you can boot normally after restarting.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorial...ation-conflicts-performing-clean-startup.html

 

[thesaint]

Thank you Dave & Andrew,
What I did this evening was to do another system restore (via F8). At the first attempt it did not work and I got an error message 0x8000ffff. I googled that on another PC. Windows has a hotfix for it but it looks too daunting for me. So I tried for the System Restore again. This time it worked. In case the problem was caused by the latest Windows update; I have instructed that updates are not to installed without me giving permission. Then, if all is still well in a couple of days; I will allow them to install again.

 

[Northernsoul55]

Good news, I would :ar: Create a System restore point before attempting any windows updates.

cheers

Dave

 

[thesaint]

Good Morning Dave,
Your suggestion is excellent. However; events since I last wrote have changed things.
Before I went to bed I intended to leave the laptop running a routine full scan using my program "Tune up Utilities 2013" (it takes an hour or so) The initial part is that a "restart" is needed. When it tried to do that, the infamous black screen appeared. So the scan never happened and the fault had not been fully fixed.
Now the good news. It is that, before I first installed the new Windows update on 7th August, I had installed a Buffalo Air Navigator 9 (Wifi amp). After the installation I had installed that Windows update. What seems to have happened is that the install of the Buffalo corrupted graphics driver "ATI Mobility Radeon 4300". Windows noticed that, and their update was a new 4300 driver. However; the Buffalo was at that stage still installed so still causing a problem. The system restore I did yesterday evening did hopefully remove the Buffalo - as well as the Windows update. Today, I allowed the Windows update and after the install all appears well. By the way; I don't want to imply that the Buffalo is a bad bit of hardware. I used it with great success on my old XP laptop. It is probably not compatible with W7

 

[Northernsoul55]

Hi,

Thanks for the update, and info about Buffalo, may help someone in the future with similar issues.

Firstly I would strongly advise against the use of Tuneup Utilities :shock:....reason:

Windows is a closed source system. Developers of tuneup utilities and registry 
cleaners do not have the core code of Win 7 and are not working on definitive 
information, but rather they are going on past knowledge and experience, 
most of which is not applicable to Win 7.
There is almost no tweaking that can be done to Win 7 to speed it up. 
The system is designed to diagnose itself and take care of itself which it 
does remarkably well. Win 7 maintains itself and that includes the registry.
Tuneup utilities are pure snake oil. At best they do nothing except use 
resources. At worst, they can mess your system up, slowing it down, and 
even crash it. There is no tuneup utility out there anywhere that can speed 
Win 7 up and improve its performance, at least not at this time.

I would uninstall the program, never to be used again but it is upto you as it is your
computer, I can only advise Probably a case of works well in XP but not Win 7.

So is the computer running without issue now after Buffalo removal and Windows Update, booting fine,
running more smoothly etc?

cheers

Dave

 

[andrew129260]

I agree, although I think ccleaner is the only exception to this rule that was stated above. IT clears things out that you can do yourself, with no problems using the basic settings. If you check everything listed and run its registry cleaner though, you need to know what your doing. But using windows built in tools are almost always the better option.

 

[PeaB4YouGo]

"Win 7 maintains itself and that includes the registry.
Tuneup utilities are pure snake oil."

While I'm ready to agree that Win7 is MS's best OS ever, I'm not ready to agree that tweak programs are unnecessary. Anytime I uninstall a program, using Win7, I find file associations and registry settings that no longer apply that were not removed. Ccleaner finds them and, if you watch it closely, will help you get rid of the b.s. that's left behind.


Anyone will tell you that a clean registry is a good thing. MS may tell you that the registry items left behind after an uninstall are harmless, but I disagree. It's only my opinion, but telling someone that Win7 is finally foolproof is wrong.

There are good tweakers and bad, that's true. But don't dissuade someone for wanting something beyond JUST Win7.

 

[thesaint]

Good evening gentlemen,
Sadly I have to report that the original fault as in my first post has returned (9 times out of 10). Dave, I believe that my system always automatically creates a restore point before installing a new program or windows update.
Once today when I did get a correct startup I did plug the VGA in, so I could watch the 50" display of yestedays Cricket summary. The displays on the laptop and the TV were working okay.
Today I have got access to the desktop whenever I start with F8 and Safe mode. once I tried F8 then a Boot Log start (which is supposed to produce a log of startup events and include the name of the last driver to install in the sequence.) It started okay - I,m using it now - but I was not offered to look at a boot log. Perhaps I have to request it somewhere?

 

[Northernsoul55]

Hi,
Yes to view the Boot log, you can use msconfig.

To open msconfig:

1.Click the Win+R key combination to open the run dialog. Or Start and type Run in search box.
2.Type msconfig.exe.
3.Click either OK or the Enter key to run the command
4.Once the System Configuration Windows opens, select the Boot tab.
5.Check the box for Boot Log, and click OK. You'll receive a prompt to reboot the machine
to complete the setup. If not reboot anyway.
When the reboot completes, return to the System Configuration window.

In order to view the log file, do the following:
Navigate to C:\Windows\ and search for the file ntbtlog.txt.

It will give you the loaded driver list on boot

cheers

Dave

 

[thesaint]

Good Morning all,
Problem solved by doing a further restore but to a day 2 weeks ago.
After checking that all was now well I created a new restore point on "C"; then did a full scan with "Microsoft Security Essentials" & "Malwarebyes Pro." Moving on to using "CCleaner; Eusing: Glary "TUU" and "Auslogics" Registry Cleaners - "Stop spitting blood Dave" - (I have been using these utilites for the last 4 years and they have never caused me any trouble) I then did my usual once a month job of making a backup onto a USB Flash drive, then one onto a set of 3 DVDs followed by a backup "Create System Image" onto an external Hard drive. I finished off with creating a "Repair Disc".
Thanks for your help

 

[Northernsoul55]

Glad to see your up and running.

No comment on the Registry Cleaners

So System Restore was the real answer then? At least I got something right

cheers

Dave

 

[gregrocker]

If you were using fatal Tune Up Utilities and the other optimizing tools mentioned which have never been required and often cause problems with Win7, then I would strongly consider doing a Clean Reinstall - Factory OEM Windows 7 using only the tools and methods which work best with Win7.

If this is still the Acer factory preinstall then it's overdue anyway since most tech enthusiasts would never run the corrupt factory preinstall larded with bloatware and useless duplicate utilities which interfere with and have better versions built into Win7.

So stick with the steps, tools and methods in the reinstall tutorial and you'll get and keep a perfect install instead of the one you have now which we can easily recognize as ruined by dated XP-era tweaking.

It's your decision: the worst possible install one can have crippled by unnecessary tweaking Win7 has never needed, or a perfect install which we've helped tens of thousands of users do here without a single complaint, helping us earn the reputation of undisputed top tech forums on the web.

 

[thesaint]

Good evening "Gregrocker"
Thanks for your advice - which may or may not be entirely true! Your text reads more like an advertisement than advice. My recent problem was almost certainly caused by installing a program (Buffalo) which was not compatible with W7.
I use the aforementioned utilities frequently and have no trouble from them before. In fact a couple of years ago, when I had a serious problem and tried many unsuccessful ways to fix it; I finally fixed it by running the full scan (2 hours) of Tune Up Utilities - Disk Doctor) There - now I'm starting to advertise!

 

[gregrocker]

Not a week has gone by here since Win7 was in beta that we haven't seen a case of TuneUp Utilities or a comparable unneeded tweaking or optimizing suite cause fatal problems for the OS. In most cases like with the most serious infection it requires starting over to get a perfect reinstall, this time keeping with the tools and methods which work best if you value perfect performance in Win7 which is our specialty.

These experiences are not imagined or anecdotal but the actual week-after-week experience for nearly five years with Win7 here where we know Win7 the best, and where our applied experience with it have earned us the undisputed reputation as top tech forums on the web, probably in history.

So sometimes our conviction on this might read like an advertisement if only because we've had to repeat it so often, but we'd feel like we weren't giving you the same benefit of our experience if we didn't. That is what you came here for, right? Or did you want to give us rebuttal in a thread about your laptop not starting up?