New install, stuck on "Preparing your desktop...", disabled services

[North Antri]

New install, stuck on "Preparing your desktop...", disabled services

I just installed Windows 7 on my desktop and whenever the login screen appears and I login, I see "Welcome" for about two seconds then "Preparing your desktop..". The icon beside "Preparing your desktop..." spins for about a second then it freezes, and remains frozen. I've left it for 10 minutes and nothing, the icon hasn't started spinning again and I see no desktop.

I've already booted into safe mode and made sure all services were disabled except Microsoft's.

My video card is a GT320.

What can I do?

 

[Sub Styler]

Which user account did you use in safe mode? As this is a new installation, try going into safemode again, creating a new user account. If the new account works just delete the old one.

 

[North Antri]

Which user account did you use in safe mode? As this is a new installation, try going into safemode again, creating a new user account. If the new account works just delete the old one.

Thanks for your reply. I had tried that, however the same thing happened.

I'm thinking it's a driver issue. I rolled back the driver and downloaded Nvidia's latest for Windows 7 and my card, but was greeted with a black screen instead of a login window.

 

[Sub Styler]

The latest Nvidia Drivers are very bloaty. I tend to install them based on needed features only, (Display driver and possibly physx) No SLi, 3d, Updater etc that all comes bundled. In safemode again do you log-on with your user account or as admin? if admin please try with your user account.

 

[North Antri]

The latest Nvidia Drivers are very bloaty. I tend to install them based on needed features only, (Display driver and possibly physx) No SLi, 3d, Updater etc that all comes bundled. In safemode again do you log-on with your user account or as admin? if admin please try with your user account.

Thanks for your reply;

I've heard quite a bit about the Nvidia drivers being unstable and bloaty recently and so I only installed the display driver and not the other parts in my last post.

To be honest, I'm mainly a Linux user and am trying out Windows again because I knew the drivers used to work for Windows 7 and the Windows 8 release preview (whenever it first came out). I've also actually considered the possibility that my card has started malfunctioning (it's ~4 years old).

Whenever I logged in in safemode I logged in as my default account, Matthew. Though, since it's the only use isn't it an administrator?

I'm going to take the card out now and give it a thorough dusting (although it has been worse that it currently is, and it's really not that bad now).

Thanks again.

 

[Sub Styler]

There should be a built in administrator account along side you Matthew account that may also have admin privaleges. I would try adjusting the screen resolution in safemode and then slowly turning it up again in normal mode.

 

[North Antri]

There should be a built in administrator account along side you Matthew account that may also have admin privaleges. I would try adjusting the screen resolution in safemode and then slowly turning it up again in normal mode.

I don't see an administrator account. Thanks, I'll try that and get back to you.

After the Microsoft Windows boot screen I did notice that the fan on the card slows down a little, the screen goes black (but not off) then the fan speeds up again and the monitor loses signal.

 

[gregrocker]

Did you run all rounds of Important and Optional Windows Updates after enabling http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/2803-device-installation-settings.html?
Automatically deliver drivers via Windows Update (Step 3) ?

If you didn't do that to let Win7 provide the drivers it wants then I would start over and this time follow the same steps to get a perfect install as in http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/219487-clean-reinstall-factory-oem-windows-7-a.html#post1839164

 

[North Antri]

Apologies for my late reply. I did try a clean reinstall, however that didn't work either.

Almost certain it was the video card, I bought a new one. Everything is now working again with no issues.

Thanks for the help!

 

[gregrocker]

Did you use only the Win7 drivers as specified in my post you never replied to?