Black screen before XP Logon

Devhux · 08-02-2005, 07:12 PM

Looks like I always get the hard problems to solve (this time it's actually one of my own systems).

After one of my systems froze, I rebooted it. The XP startup screen came up fine, but afterwards, I was met with a black screen with just the mouse cursor. In other words, no logon screen -- no desktop, nothing. CTRL+ALT+DEL doesn't work either.

Here's what I've tried

- Booting into Safe Mode
- chkdsk /r in Recovery Console

I'd do a normal Repair installation, but the only problem is, this machine was running SP1, and the only recovery CD's I have now is SP2 (I thought I had already upgraded this machine, but I hadn't).

Any ideas before I do a full reinstall of Windows and hope like mad that all my data stays intact?

JackHammer · 08-02-2005, 08:58 PM

Me thinks it's one of your drivers conflicting with something else. Did you install new drivers recently? Perhaps uninstalling that driver will help.

Devhux · 08-03-2005, 12:11 AM

Well, I've determined that something totally screwed up the OS install. It got to the point where it would freeze as soon as I told it to start Windows normally (or enter safe mode, etc.) Memtest86 and Windows Memory Diagnostic both came up clean, and I did a Spinrite run through to see if all the data on the drive was intact (thankfully it was -- I was almost going to backup the data partition before this glitch happened).

Proof that something REALLY was messed up: Restoring the registry from initial setup did NOT fix the problem. In other words, some file caused the glitch somewhere.

EDIT: No driver installs/updates done recently -- only thing is, the system was moved around a bit (and yes, I did check to make sure everything was seated properly).

JackHammer · 08-03-2005, 04:41 AM

Time to reformat that drive and reinstall Winblows.

Devhux · 08-03-2005, 11:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JackHammer

Time to reformat that drive and reinstall Winblows.

Yup.

Glad I put all my data files in a seperate partition.

08-02-2005, 07:12 PM	#1
Devhux Rear Admiral Lower Half Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: Calgary Alberta Canada Posts: 2,511	Black screen before XP Logon Looks like I always get the hard problems to solve (this time it's actually one of my own systems). After one of my systems froze, I rebooted it. The XP startup screen came up fine, but afterwards, I was met with a black screen with just the mouse cursor. In other words, no logon screen -- no desktop, nothing. CTRL+ALT+DEL doesn't work either. Here's what I've tried - Booting into Safe Mode - chkdsk /r in Recovery Console I'd do a normal Repair installation, but the only problem is, this machine was running SP1, and the only recovery CD's I have now is SP2 (I thought I had already upgraded this machine, but I hadn't). Any ideas before I do a full reinstall of Windows and hope like mad that all my data stays intact?

08-02-2005, 08:58 PM	#2
JackHammer Commander Join Date: Jun 2000 Location: The Toilet Capital of America Posts: 1,328	Me thinks it's one of your drivers conflicting with something else. Did you install new drivers recently? Perhaps uninstalling that driver will help. __________________ "I'm very sorry for your loss. Your mother was a terribly attractive woman." -Royal Tenebaum "Oh yeah. Oh yeah. I would do everything to her, I don't care what she looks like. I would wreck that chick." -Brian from the Family Guy after Peter asked him whether he would have sex with Lois.

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08-03-2005, 12:11 AM	#3
Devhux Rear Admiral Lower Half Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: Calgary Alberta Canada Posts: 2,511	Well, I've determined that something totally screwed up the OS install. It got to the point where it would freeze as soon as I told it to start Windows normally (or enter safe mode, etc.) Memtest86 and Windows Memory Diagnostic both came up clean, and I did a Spinrite run through to see if all the data on the drive was intact (thankfully it was -- I was almost going to backup the data partition before this glitch happened). Proof that something REALLY was messed up: Restoring the registry from initial setup did NOT fix the problem. In other words, some file caused the glitch somewhere. EDIT: No driver installs/updates done recently -- only thing is, the system was moved around a bit (and yes, I did check to make sure everything was seated properly).

08-03-2005, 04:41 AM	#4
JackHammer Commander Join Date: Jun 2000 Location: The Toilet Capital of America Posts: 1,328	Time to reformat that drive and reinstall Winblows.

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