Unable to start - black screen or empty blue screen w cursor??

[JoLaRo]

Hello,

My laptop will not boot. I end up with an empty black screen or a blue screen with no icons, just a cursor. I get choices for 'normal startup' or ' repair' but not safe mode. Any help appreciated.

 

[marsmimar]

Hello JoLaRo and welcome to Seven Forums.

One of the Forum experts has prepared a couple of tutorials that might help you out.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/219533-troubleshooting-windows-7-failure-boot.html

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/220165-troubleshooting-steps-windows-7-a.html

If you're still having issues after following the tutorials, please post back.

 

[JoLaRo]

nice, thanks for all the tips. I cannot use them:

I cannot access safe mode, thus I have no way to command the computer to do anything.

I do not have any virus that I know of, system was completely scanned yesterday.

 

[marsmimar]

Was Step 5 in the "Failure To Boot" tutorial not working either?

5. Once the System is clean if it won't start boot into System Recovery Options via the F8 menu or disk as shown in tutorial, run Startup Repair repeatedly up to 3 separate times with reboots in between each - no matter what it reports.

 

[marsmimar]

You could also try repairing your system with a System Repair Disk. You'd use it to boot your computer and access the various repair options.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/2083-system-repair-disc-create.html

Another option (maybe a "last resort" option before doing a clean install) is to try a repair install. A repair install will try to fix your currently installed Windows 7 while preserving your user accounts, data, programs, system drivers, etc. You'll need a Windows 7 w/SP1 install disk and your 25 digit Product Key in case you need to reactivate with Microsoft. The repair install tutorial includes a link for obtaining a legal install disk for your specific Windows 7 edition. (See the 3rd entry in the red "Warning" box for the link to download the Windows 7 ISO file. You'd download the ISO file to your computer then burn it to a blank disk to create the bootable DVD.)

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/3413-repair-install.html

Once the repair install is finished, you'd have to reinstall all Windows Updates. To (hopefully) make things a bit easier, you could first use the Hotfix Rollup which installs the first 90 or so updates after SP1 was released. Then you can manually check for any additional updates.

 

[JoLaRo]

OK, I haven nothing going on that looks like the startup repair screens referenced in the tutorial.

I got a black screen that asked me if I wanted to start windows normally or not, the only two choices.

I picked 'repair' and eventually ended up at a blank blue screen with a cursor, low res, and no choices.
If I picked 'start normally' it would try, then initiate the 'repair' and shazam, you guessed it, blue screen of nothing)

It did just hang on a black blank screen for a long time, other times.

I left it in the corner and now it says it is running some kind if 'disc repair' that 'might take an hour' (this is, at least, a step up from the useless blue screen with the flower thing in the lower right hand corner) but it has been sitting for 7 hours and nothing has changed.

Do I reboot again and interrupt any 'repair' it's doing or just leave it? The hard disk light is on. I just doubt it is getting anywhere.

I don't know about creating any repair discs - if they have to be CD's I have no way to burn them.Can you repair from USB? Sorry if I am asking stupid questions, I just don't do this for a living. I didn't get any repair disc things with the computer.

 

[gregrocker]

nice, thanks for all the tips. I cannot use them:

I cannot access safe mode, thus I have no way to command the computer to do anything.

I do not have any virus that I know of, system was completely scanned yesterday.

Perhaps you should take the time to actually read http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/219533-troubleshooting-windows-7-failure-boot.html?

Entering Safe Mode is only one option given and if it isn't possible every repair is available using a boot disk. The disks are provided too.

You can also try to access System Recovery Options from the F8 Advanced Boot Options to run Startup Repair, try System Restore, and do the Command Line repairs listed.

Everything possible that can be done to start unbootable Win7 is in those steps. If you have questions about any of them then ask back, but don't reply to a set of over a dozen steps by saying you can't use them. Of course you can use them, just like thousands of others have. It takes access to another PC and doing the work. If you aren't able to do those then take it to a shop and pay hundreds of dollars.

 

[JoLaRo]

OK, I am sorry if I am not able to be clear. I am doing my best to try and follow. Please know this.

Please also know that when I use F8 I do not get directed to a place where I have 'system recovery options', I don't see a thing that looks like those screen shots. I was never at a familiar screen for system recovery, or repair, or safe mode. I don't know why.

I really am trying. I am sorry if I do not understand all the steps that you do use every day all at once.
Let me say if we switched jobs you might have a hard time doing mine at first, even with steps to follow. I work in a hospital. yes, you could do the lab tests with tutorials, but you would need first to understand what you are reading, yes? And how to operate the machines that are unfamiliar? So perhaps you can understand if I have some confusion, that is all I am asking.



Let me ask you again: My computer has been now, sitting since 7 hours ago or more, stating it is trying to do a disc repair. Although I now have a cancel button on this screen, I cannot cancel the operation, this is what it says.

I question whether anything at all is happening, since it apparently took the computer an hour to get to this screen, and now it has been here 7 hours. Do you think I should power off the computer and attempt all the steps I can in the tutorials or just leave it alone overnight to see if anything changes. I do not know if it is really 'repairing' anything. What would you do?

 

[JoLaRo]

Computer has now sat overnight, 18 hours, still on startup repair. I do not know if it is actually repairing a thing.

Should I leave it for a day or two or try something else? What would you do?

 

[gregrocker]

Power down by holding the power button, then reboot into BIOS setup to perform Step One of the tutorial you haven't started on yet. The key for BIOS setup (F1, F2, ESC, etc) should appear on the first BIOS screen. We could give you this information if you had provided your PC make and model. Fill in your specs now in the bottom left corner of post.

What is the result of Step One of http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/219533-troubleshooting-windows-7-failure-boot.html? You must start at Step One, checking if the hard drive is detected anywhere in BIOS setup - normally under storage, BIOS Boot Priority order, etc. It may appear as a serial number you can google to find the make/model.

If the hard drive is not detected then it needs to be replaced. A video probably can be found via Google for how to replace the hard drive on your model PC, or how to disassemble your PC. It's normally under a small door on the back with a HD symbol. It may only need reseating to get it detected.

If the hard drive is detected then proceed with the steps in tutorial. I would also test the HD with the maker's HD Diagnostic extended CD scan to learn its exact condition. If you can't determine the HD maker by googling its serial from BIOS, use Seatools ISO burned to CD with Windows Image Burner to test the HD.

 

[JoLaRo]

What is the result of Step One of http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/219533-troubleshooting-windows-7-failure-boot.html? You must start at Step One, checking if the hard drive is detected anywhere in BIOS setup - normally under storage, BIOS Boot Priority order, etc. It may appear as a serial number you can google to find the make/model.

If the hard drive is not detected then it needs to be replaced.

If the hard drive is detected then proceed with the steps in tutorial. I would also test the HD with the maker's HD Diagnostic extended CD scan to learn its exact condition. If you can't determine the HD maker by googling its serial from BIOS, use Seatools ISO burned to CD with Windows Image Burner to test the HD.[/QUOTE]


**The hard drive is detected in the BIOS under boot priority order. If I try to run the HDD diagnostic tool thing from the set up screen I reach via Thinkvantage button, it does not run it gives an error message.

Computer is now hung up again at the startup repair screen.

I am currently unable to do steps 2 or 3 as I have no safe mode access and no burner for any antivirus scan but as I mentioned, it was scanned the day before it became non-responsive. It had not had much use inbetween. Basically it went into hibernation and crashed when it tried to wake up.

I have no working burner so am off to procure a USB stick to continue with step 6 in the tutorial.

The hard drive is easily accessed.

T410 Model 2537-23U
sorry I don't know if the "Make" is Lenovo or Thinkpad but it says both.

 

[gregrocker]

I'd write Windows Defender to Flash stick to boot to check infection first since it may not repair if infected.

Then write Seatools ISO to stick after reformatting to test HDD

Then write Win7 ISO to stick to do other repairs.

If you get to the steps for Partition Wizard and can take a camera snap of the drive map with all listings shown we can sometimes spot the problem. http://www.sevenforums.com/software/217114-how-do-i-boot-partition-wizard-bootable-cd-my-usb.html

At any point you can skip to rescue files and do the Reinstall in my links below. You'll have the best install of Win7 possible if you stick with those steps only.

 

[JoLaRo]

OK so skip to the steps in your most recent reply (i.e. Defender, SeaTools, W7 ISO?

Seatools for Window or Dos??

 

[gregrocker]

Dos is the ISO burned to disk or written to stick.

You don't need to skip any steps.

 

[JoLaRo]

uh, you can go ahead and close this thread. I'm completely overwhelmed by tutorials inside tutorials and steps I don't understand and can't figure out if I've started or finished. Startup 'repair' (startup liar) is simply sitting as it has been for hours, and whaver that recovery iso thing is, is still downloading, apparently it's more than 3 gigs.

I don't understand what I'm supposed to do or where I was before the next 59 steps got added, so thanks for demonstrating that you're really smart about this, but I can't follow it.

 

[gregrocker]

All you need to do is ask back for any questions you have and we'll answer them. I've answered all the questions you've had in a timely manner.

It takes more patience than trying a few steps and then giving up in anger. If you have that patience then you will not fail because we won't let you, because we do not fail or quit and always get the problem resolved when their is cooperation and an eagerness to learn and not quit. If you can't summon the patience then you'll need to take it to a shop which often costs hundreds of dollars, even more than the PC is worth.

A Startup Repair that drags on for hours like you're experiencing often means a failing HD with such a scrambled file system the Disk Check being run cannot piece it back together or gets lost. That's the reason I asked you to check if the HD is even detected. When you said it was detected in Boot Order, I suggested next you test it to see if it is functional. I also suggested that if you get to the Partition Wizards steps in tutorial you post back the drive map shown by the booted PW disk, so we can see if the partitions are intact. You can also rightclick on each partition to see if the files are intact which is a very good sign.

From there it is just a matter of trying everything possible to start it, or skipping to the steps to rescue your files and then either run Lenovo One Key Recovery (the button next to the power button) or do the Clean Reinstall since you've made the Win7 disk to do repairs.

If you'll go to the Lenovo Support Downloads webpage for your model you should be able to find a Manual or further information about running Recovery.

Suppose that everything else fails including Recovery: If you stick with it and do the Clean Reinstall Factory OEM then you end up with the best possible install of Win7 one can have. There is no amount of money one can pay to have a Win7 install this flawless.

 

[gregrocker]

Power down, unplug charger and battery. Hold power button down 30 seconds. Now try power adapter to power up. Then battery.

Next boot into BIOS Setup to check SATA controller setting, then reset BIOS to defaults. Start? Check SATA setting to see its same.

 

[JoLaRo]

If you understood how not angry (0) and completely confused 100%) I am you'd understand how confused I am.

I asked in the beginning I was understanding to run the repair thing 3 times. Well it is just hanging, I asked many times, do I just get out of this? No answer, but links to tutorials.

When you add different things to try, I have utterly no idea if I am supposed to stop what I was doing and start them or wait or what? The last thing I thought I understood was getting some iso thing onto a usb stick. Then there was another post about not to do that yet, but to do somehting else.

Then I read a tutorial that jumped to another and another. NO idea where that got left. I am on an old netbook, it is not so easy to get 10 tabs open at once.

So I have no idea where I am or what on earth is next.

You might as well be speaking Russian, because I am L.O.S.T. I don't get it. Do you want me to go back and run some windows defender thing or stick the iso onto a disk, I don't get it, now you are talking about the BiOS. Last I heard I was on step, like 2 or something way back there. Now I don't know anymore.


I don't get it.

 

[JoLaRo]

What do I do now?

Tried the set up repair option - all the computer did was hang for hours. For 3 days.

Tried to run SeaTools. All I get is a black screen that says Free DOS or something, could not find any command that works.

Tried booting from USB and using many different tools to create bootable USB incase that was the problem but nothing has changed.

Sorry but am totally lost as to what to do next.

 

[gregrocker]

Reboot into Lenovo Thinkvantage Button to access BIOS setup. Do you see settings for CSM, Legacy BIOS or boot, Secure Boot on any tab?

Look for Reset to Defaults, choose this and save.

You need to burn a Windows 7 DVD or write to 4+ gb flash stick using the ISO and tool from Step 6 of Failure to Start tutorial. Use this to rescue any files, run Startup Repair and if necessary System Restore from the Repair choice on second screen. If any of these will run then proceed with the steps to wipe the HD to reinstall given in Overcoming Installation Failures tutorial below pic below.

Ask back any questions. Someone will try to help as I am traveling now.