On boot: black screen with white cursor + mouse all frozen

Martin Dude

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Sep 30, 2014
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First some basic details about my almost 2 year old system:
OS: Windows 8.1
MoBo: Gigabyte GA-Z77X-D3H
CPU: Intel Core i5 3570K
Video: Asus HD7950-DC2T-3GD5-V2
RAM: Corsair Vengeance LP CML8GX3M2A1600C9
Power: Super Flower Golden Green SF-550P14XE

My problems started yesterday, I rebooted my desktop and Windows installed some updates before rebooting. After the reboot it froze on the windows loading screen. I could see windows loading for a second and then it went to a black screen with the white cursor and mouse pointer.

I started reading up, pulled out my graphics card and decided to take out the battery for a small half hour. When I inserted it again my system froze even earlier. Now I could only see the mobo splash screen for a fraction of a second before it would freeze itself again - to the black screen with white cursors. I tried removing all of the not necessary hardware, switched my memory around different slots and trying it with one of each stick separately. I disconnected the hard drives, even took out the internal usb connectors, literally anything I didn't need. I also took out the cpu for a second to take a look at it and it all seemed ok. But all of it didn't help me any.

Then after a night of sleep, I turned the pc on this morning and it got a little bit further. I saw a menu telling me the BIOS had been reset and it showed me 3 options to choose (reset to best settings and continue or reboot or just enter BIOS) but before I could choose one it froze again - staying on the menu screen. After rebooting a second time the black screen with cursors came back again.

Anyone with any more ideas I could try? I can't boot anything, nor enter bios so I don't really know how to test more.

Thanks in advance!

Kind regards,
Martin
 
Solution
Try -

1) The switch at the back of the power supply, turn it off, then on again.

2) Press the reset switch on your case if it has one

3) CMOS battery may be dying, you may have to replace it. If the battery is dead that will prevent boot.

4) Clutch (Forum user) Suggestion on a similar issue - Install just the CPU/HSF, **1 stick of memory**, PSU, and connect the monitor. See if you can boot to BIOS by shorting the 2 pins the PWR button plugs into.

5) Take out all USB devices and attempt boot

6) Try putting in your OS disk on startup

7) If you have an old HDD or spare lying around replace your current with that, if it works then you may have to erase all data on your old disk and re-install everything.



Try -

1) The switch at the back of the power supply, turn it off, then on again.

2) Press the reset switch on your case if it has one

3) CMOS battery may be dying, you may have to replace it. If the battery is dead that will prevent boot.

4) Clutch (Forum user) Suggestion on a similar issue - Install just the CPU/HSF, **1 stick of memory**, PSU, and connect the monitor. See if you can boot to BIOS by shorting the 2 pins the PWR button plugs into.

5) Take out all USB devices and attempt boot

6) Try putting in your OS disk on startup

7) If you have an old HDD or spare lying around replace your current with that, if it works then you may have to erase all data on your old disk and re-install everything.



 
Solution

Martin Dude

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Sep 30, 2014
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First of all thank you for replying.
I will quickly comment on your points:

1) I have done this several times, since I removed some hardware etc. To no avail.

2) The reset switch actually doesn't work anymore - before it did, I'm sure of that - but now when it's frozen it only responds to a hard power off (5 second power button or the switch in the back).

3) It is 2 years old, but anything can happen of course. I'll keep that in mind! But this would make the whole system freeze?

4) I have tried it with only this hardware connected, not even any hard disk connected. I haven't tried it with the pins though. I always took out the battery for a while.

5) I have done this, even the internal cables for USB, but no effect.

6) I tried that with a bootable USB, but it doesn't seem to reach the 'booting' moment. I can try it with a random bootable DVD I have lying around somewhere, but I don't think that should really matter though.

7) I tried booting without any hdds connected, but it doesn't even reach to the error message that it can't boot from any disk etc. It freezes before that.

Thanks again!
 
"But this would make the whole system freeze?" Most certainly it can.

More options -

1) Change the Boot drives SATA port

2) Query of me (Does the board POST?)

3) Did you remove on ram stick and try boot, then try vice versa?

You will need to get hold of another HDD/SSD, this can test if your current drive is corrupt after bad windows update install. If problem still persists I will conclude with motherboard issue, you will have to go to a repair shop to get that tested as you don't want to invest in parts which may not solve your problem.
 

Martin Dude

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Sep 30, 2014
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Thanks again for your time and excellent options

1) The thing is that I have no drive connected at this moment and it still freezes. In total I have one SSD and two normal drives, so if I come any further I will try this.

2) Query of me, how can I do this? Honestly never heard of this. Generally I am thinking of buying an internal pc speaker since I am kind of missing all the little beeps and bops they can give right now...

3) I tried booting without any ram and it enters in a reboot loop, no on screen messages. I tried it with one stick in different slots and again with the other stick in different slots. Sadly, no change.

I won't have time to go to a repair show until somewhere next week, but if things don't get any clearer before then I will most definitely do this too.

Why do these things always have perfect timing? Just this month I'm extra tight on money .. ghehe .. damn you Murphy!
 

Martin Dude

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Sep 30, 2014
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Ok, thanks a lot for all of your help so far. I hope to find some time to try some more things tonight and maybe go to a store this weekend. I'll let you know more when I know more!
 
It would be great on hearing an update on what you are trying and the results from a store. Currently as well as posting on this forum, I am trying things with my system that could be a possible explanation to your issue, or also the solution. My Board is a Gigabyte X79 UP4 for reference.
 

Martin Dude

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Sep 30, 2014
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Quick update though. This has not been solved yet. My motherboard has been sent to the store and has been replaced with a new motherboard. After installing it the problems quickly returned, I couldn't boot in any kind of windows - neither 8.1 that I have installed nor the usb windows boot to make a clean install. I made a Ultimate Boot CD (well .. usb) which did boot, being a DOS boot. The general problem, again, was that I couldn't get in to my BIOS. After trying several times I took out the battery again for a CMOS wipe and from that moment all I got was a black screen, since it was trying to get in to the BIOS but couldn't.

A week a go I sent my my motherboard, cpu, memory, ssd, gpu, power supply and cpu cooler to the store and my thought now is that my power supply is faulty. Yesterday I received an e-mail that everything was received correctly and we'll have to wait and see what comes out of it ...

Sorry for not giving any update for so long, but it was all still on-going. Although the current 'best answer' isn't the final answer you did deserve the 'forum cred' it gives!

and before I forget; happy hollidays ;)