Black screen after "starting windows"

weom

Distinguished
May 15, 2011
4
0
18,510
Hello, as stated in my title, I'm having a black screen with a mouse cursor after the starting windows page. I was doing a scan using spybotsd, and I believe it might have accidentally deleted an important file which was mistaken as a virus.

I could not start any program after that, or click any folder as it prompted something about not recognizing the path. So I restarted my laptop, and this problem occurred. Safe mode has the same problem also. I tried the start up repair and windows memory diagnostic from the system recovery options and both showed no error. I do not have a system restore point and I do not have a windows 7 repair DVD. Any solution other then to reformat my computer? Do not want to lose my data...

I'm currently running on a windows 7 ultimate OS(64-bit).
Thanks in advance!
 
Solution
If you do not have a 'Restore' point, do not have a system repair disk, and do not have the Win 7 disk, you are pretty much out of luck!

Connect the HDD to a different computer as an external disk and recover your data.

John_VanKirk

Distinguished
Hi there,

Where exactly in the StartUp process does your computer stop? Sometimes you can replace a file or fix a problem depending on where the computer hangs.

There are 6 phases in the boot up process, with indicator "screens" to tell you where in the process you are. There are: System Init, followed by the BIOS splash screen, followed by the System SetUp. Then the Boot Manager Phase and "Boot menu screen", then the Boot Loader Phase followed by the "OS loading screen", then the Kernel Phase and the "Starting Windows Screen", and the LogOn Phase to log on, then the "welcome screen' and the desktop.

Do you mean you see the "starting windows screen" the nothing after that? Or at a different point in the StartUp process?

If so, did you try the Advanced Boot Options "Last Known Good" choice, or using the Safe Mode with Cmd line, the command line sfc /scannow? That can replace a missing system file if one got deleted by mistake. You could also enable Boot Logging and it will list the files that did not load.

Might be worth a try.
 

kfitzenreiter

Distinguished
Oct 28, 2009
91
0
18,630
The first thing I would focus on at this point are getting copies of your data before they get corrupted.

Get either a Bart PE disk, which if you haven't already made it may be impossible at this point or get ahold of a Debian or Ubuntu "live" cd. Either download and burn a copy from a working pc or buy a linux magazine with an included dvd in it. The download is free, the magazine will run you 8 - 10 bucks usually.

Boot from the cd and mount and copy your data over to an external drive or a usb stick, anything. Save your data first, then you can try to fix or reinstall windows.