black screen with white mouse cursor

[johnyb98]

Hi all.

Please, I would like your help.

On windows 7 64-bit, after a windows repair, in next restart, it runs windows logo, and then at the point of desktop, I see just a black screen with mouse cursor. Mouse runs normally. Not stuck. But no background image, no icons, nothing.

 

Tried to make a dvd repair with chkdsk, scf scan, bootloader fix, to make windows run again, but with no luck.

Of couse there is solution of backup and reinstall. But I must make windows run again, for seeing data that I cannot see in backup data.

 

Could you give me some advice?

 

Thank you for your time !

[homeap5]

Use bootable Paragon Adaptive Restore 2010 (find it somewhere, use Rufus to made it usb) and use fix boot.

 

EDIT: ok, I uploaded it to my server, so catch: http://www.files.xs.com.pl/Paragon_Adaptive_Restore_2010.iso

[NunoLava1998]

Ctrl+Shift+Esc

Create new task/launch explorer.exe

[johnyb98]

1 minute ago, NunoLava1998 said:

Ctrl+Shift+Esc

Create new task/launch explorer.exe

Ctrl + Alt + Del : sees nothing in screen

Ctrl + Shift + Esc : sees nothing in screen

5 times shift : sees nothing in screen

[johnyb98]

7 minutes ago, homeap5 said:

Use bootable Paragon Adaptive Restore 2010 (find it somewhere, use Rufus to made it usb) and use fix boot.

 

EDIT: ok, I uploaded it to my server, so catch: http://www.files.xs.com.pl/Paragon_Adaptive_Restore_2010.iso

Thank you a lot, sir !!

[NunoLava1998]

1 minute ago, johnyb98 said:

Ctrl + Alt + Del : sees nothing in screen

Ctrl + Shift + Esc : sees nothing in screen

5 times shift : sees nothing in screen

Ctrl+Shift+Esc launches Task Manager, and if you boot with explorer.exe not launching you will literally get a black screen with only a cursor. However, in this case you can't even do that, so I'd likely reinstall Windows

[johnyb98]

1 hour ago, homeap5 said:

Use bootable Paragon Adaptive Restore 2010 (find it somewhere, use Rufus to made it usb) and use fix boot.

 

EDIT: ok, I uploaded it to my server, so catch: http://www.files.xs.com.pl/Paragon_Adaptive_Restore_2010.iso

Please, I would like some more help. On fix boot wizard, it has choices:

 

a. correct installation

b. correct mbr

c. edit/view sectors

d. correct boot parameters (boot.ini , BCD)

 

What should I choose?

 

 

[homeap5]

I mean "adjust os", not fix boot. Adjust os automatically (apply the changes physically). Sorry - my bad.

Option "adjust os" changes few little things so your computer will boot and then automatically adapt drivers. Two restarts and you will be fine.

[johnyb98]

I made all this automatically and applied fixes, but nothing. It rebooted, and now for about 20-25 minutes has stuck in screen:

 

"Setup is preparing you computer for first use".

[homeap5]

4 minutes ago, johnyb98 said:

I made all this automatically and applied fixes, but nothing. It rebooted, and now for about 20-25 minutes has stuck in screen:

 

"Setup is preparing you computer for first use".

 

It should be almost instant, not 20-25 minutes! Something may be wrong with your hardware.

 

Maybe wait a little longer. If not - make reset and boot again. After few resets Windows should start repair procedure.

[johnyb98]

I think nothing is wrong with hardware. And I say that because, I have also 4 hard drives, with different o/s on each one, connecting specific I need to work with, and they are all working perfectly. Hard drive with windows 7, windows 8.1, ubuntu 15.10.

 

The only hardware part that might be wrong is hard drive itself.

Let's label specific drive I want to fix windows is "A" and I have another drive "B". I have already made a ghost of "A" to "B". So, I will try to work with Paragon on "B". If drive "A" has itself hardware problem, drive "B" will work with paragon.

 

ps I have not manually loaded any driver via Paragon for pc hardware. Automatically means just that.

[homeap5]

Few days ago I fixed similar problem using that method (with Paragon) and it was not the only time that it helps. Strange is that I never must wait for preparing system after that operation.

 

Automatic repair (after few resets) doesn't help too?

[johnyb98]

What do you mean by "Automatic repair (after few resets)"?

 

At the point it says "Setup is preparing you computer for first use", to press reset button, and make it for some times? If you mean that, each time I press reset button for another startup, it stacks at "Setup is preparing you computer for first use". . .

[homeap5]

It's more method for win8 / 8.1 / 10. After few resets Windows start different repair.

But in Win7 that may not work. At least you should see advanced options at start and try "last good know configuration" or at least safe boot.

 

Anyway - 20 minutes seems to be very long, but sometimes it may takes long time - who knows. As long as Windows says that trying to prepare computer for first use, I'll wait. With lan cable unplugged.

[johnyb98]

In wizard of Paragon, I see message "There are no network or boot critical devices requiring drivers. No drivers are planned to be installed. Only system HAL will be checked and corrected".

 

What is this message about?

[johnyb98]

I do not know if it will be helpful if I give you following information.

 

3-4 times, disk made a BSOD with error 0x00000024. I have googled and seen that, 0x00000024, has some reasons causing it as BSOD. One of them is hard disk corruption/damage. But, there is some strange in the whole case. In a specific PSU connector, the last about 5 times I connected the hard drive to it, hard drive did not boot. At the moment hard drive needs some more current to make all its inside mechanisms work, in that drive, from the inside, some tik tik tik sounds. I thought that drive has problem. But, the strange is that, if afterwards, I connected the drive to another PSU connector, it always booted, with no problem.

Also, the connector with tik tik tik, is the connector that I connect all other 4 drives of this lab pc (it's an open pc, for making these hdd changes easy and quickly). With this PSU connector, all 4 drives work perfectly.

 

Another piece of information is that the last thing I made before windows crash, was to install vmware 15 workstation, and work on it for about 5 days. Not so much work. Work with vmware for about 1-2 hours per day.

[homeap5]

Hmm, do you have good PSU?

Bad PSU can have voltage drops if you connect too much drives. And - if drive can't get enough power, it may be a problem.

 

[johnyb98]

The 4 drives that I have, with a different o/s on each, I never connect more than one on psu.

Either only one with windows 7, or only one with windows 8.1, or only one with ubuntu 15.10.

 

What is your opinion that, if I connect anyone of these three drives, and only one drive, there is no problem, and the drive works perfect?

[homeap5]

Seriously, I don't know. Or understand. You mean that this win7 single drive works good too then?

 

If this drive boots normal when other drives are disconnected, you may try:

 

1. Boot with single drive.

2. Open regedit.

3. Delete everything inside: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\MountedDevices

4. Reboot (so your Windows assign proper C partition).

5. Shut Down.

6. Connect rest of drives.

7. Boot again - Windows rebuild rest of Mounted Devices (you need to assign drive letters again).

 

You may backup that MountedDevices first just in case.

[johnyb98]

Yes. Exactly what you say. It is the extremely strange thing I analyze in previous answer.

 

The totally strange point in the whole case:in a specific PSU connector, the last about 5 times I connected the hard drive to it (drive with defective windows now), hard drive did not boot. At the moment the drive needed some more current to make all its inside mechanisms work, in that drive, from the inside, some tik tik tik sounds. I thought that the drive may have a problem. But, the very strange is that, if afterwards, I connected the drive to another PSU connector, it always booted, with no problem.

At this point, the first thought that someone would make is PSU problem or specific connector problem. But things is not like that. Because, in the connector with tik tik tik, if I connected any of other 4 drives on just its own, with this PSU connector, all 4 drives work perfectly.

 

Conclusion:

In specific connector:all 4 drives work perfect - only the drive with problematic windows does not work

In other connector:drive with problematic windows works fine

 

Strange, strange, strange. . .

[homeap5]

It looks like PSU problem, even if you think it is not. Or even some drive problem. Or both.

You still don't answer on my question about PSU - what power supply do you have?

 

[johnyb98]

7 hours ago, homeap5 said:

You still don't answer on my question about PSU - what power supply do you have?

 

Oooops. Sorry. I didn't understand it is a question.

CoolerMaster G550M

[homeap5]

Hmm, not the worst one.

You know, I must say - I don't know. I think something is for sure wrong with hardware and your HDD or PSU may fail very soon, but it's not that I must have right about that.

[johnyb98]

It is time to replace PSU.

 

Molex connectors do not work properly for a long time. I mean, in three molex connectors that PSU has, I have used them a lot by connecting-disconnecting some old HDDs, that for over 1,5 year now, it is very hard to connect a hard drive, and make it boot up.

To give you an example, I must give over 10 connect-disconnect efforts to an ATAPI drive, to make it boot up. They do not work from big usage. And sometimes, over 10 efforts, is not sure that ATAPI drive will take current. Sometimes, that I needed to give molex current to a drive, I give up from many tries.

 

I know that it is time for PSU replacement.

 

And that's what the conversation did, if PSU is fine, and just one let's say power sata cable needs replacement, where do I buy that? I think common market, does not have right cables. To give you an example, let's say I need to replace following power SATA cable:

 

 

Somewhere I have read that there are conventional cables and there are specific CoolerMaster cables, and for specific CoolerMaster models. But, from the other hand, cables of each company (I take CoolerMaster as an example) are very expensive. It is kind of a complex thing.

Could you tell me something about all that?

 

[homeap5]

Is not worth to buying extra cables - they're most times too expensive. You may try to use one good sata power (if you have any) and buy some cable expander with good connectors. But I would buy new PSU - some nice BeQuiet for example.