I hate to admit defeat but I need (computer) help!

[cmantis]

My windows 7 laptop recently crashed and I am stuck with the black screen of death. I am good with computers but can't seem to fix this.

I made a bootable recovery usb but it can't repair windows, I didn't make a system restore point (there was one but it didn't work) and there is no image to use. When I first got the machine a few months ago I made the AI (asus) recovery disks but I have only gotten them to load once over dozens and dozens of attempts and it failed on disc two. I have done everything in the bios to try to get it to work. I think maybe its the media.

I had someone give me a genuine windows install disc and I can get it to load and I reformatted the drive and reinstalled windows but I still get black screen of death. Right now I am using a linux usb. So I was able to back up my files before reformatting.

I hate to admit defeat but I really need some help as I start classes soon which is an online continuing education masters program. If anyone out there thinks they might be able to help I would REALLY appreciate it!

 

[yogi]

Linux loads fine?
Linux > windows

Just use Linux

 

[cmantis]

I actually like linux but I am much better at windows. For certain things that require it I will run a linux shell. For school I need windows.

 

[Widdy]

Has any drivers been loaded after the clean install of Win7? or is it black screening with a vanilla install?

So we're on the same page, can you describe the black screen you're experiencing? Blinking cursor on upper left? Is mouse cursor visible?

 

[Buck0land]

do you has the dvd that came with your PC? You looking at a full wipe and reinstall. it may archive you old Win install.

 

[thirty5]

Sounds like hardware problem if you did reinstall. I would wipe the disk with the linux utility. They try to reinstall windows again. If that still does not work you have something physical wrong. Could be memory , motherboard , who knows. I would start with fresh disk and reinstall

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk 2

 

[jay1513]

Play with the AHCI setting in the BIOS - either turn it off if it's currently enabled or turn it on if it's currently disabled.

 

[reefman]

1st, determine if the issue is software or hardware.
if linux runs fine then the issue is most likely driver(software) related. If black screen before install complete, its most likely bios settings. if after, system driver software issue.
generally:
if blinking cursor(hardware), with mouse icon(software)

 

[cmantis]

Has any drivers been loaded after the clean install of Win7? or is it black screening with a vanilla install?

So we're on the same page, can you describe the black screen you're experiencing? Blinking cursor on upper left? Is mouse cursor visible?

Black screen with blinking cursor in the upper left.

 

[cmantis]

do you has the dvd that came with your PC? You looking at a full wipe and reinstall. it may archive you old Win install.

It is an Asus laptop I got a few months ago. I made 4 recovery DVD's (burned them) when I first got it but they won't read. One time out of dozens of attempts I got the first to load and then when it asked for the second I had to insert it a few times before it recognized it and then after like 4 hours of doing nothing failed. A friend gave me his genuine windows 7 install disk from his Alienware laptop and that is what I have been trying with. I can get that to load and install windows but when it reboots still black screen with blinking cursor.

 

[cmantis]

Sounds like hardware problem if you did reinstall. I would wipe the disk with the linux utility. They try to reinstall windows again. If that still does not work you have something physical wrong. Could be memory , motherboard , who knows. I would start with fresh disk and reinstall

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk 2

Definitely software but I have heard to take out 4 of the 6 gigs of ram and maybe try that?

 

[cmantis]

Play with the AHCI setting in the BIOS - either turn it off if it's currently enabled or turn it on if it's currently disabled.

Done and done. I think the printing on my F2 key is now wearing off.

 

[cmantis]

1st, determine if the issue is software or hardware.
if linux runs fine then the issue is most likely driver(software) related. If black screen before install complete, its most likely bios settings. if after, system driver software issue.
generally:
if blinking cursor(hardware), with mouse icon(software)

I have the Asus driver disk but how can I load those. When I booted up with the Windows install disk I went to install drivers and tried to search around on the DVD but it wouldn't let me install any. All this happened while I was online reading this forum actually and all of a sudden my computer shut down and black screen. Think it was some sort of virus from what I have read (not related to this site of course).

 

[Widdy]

Black screen with blinking cursor in the upper left.

Does it boot in safe mode? You sound pretty savvy, but in case you need a refresher.

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows7/Start-your-computer-in-safe-mode

Also, were/are you dual booting Linux? Wonder if GRUB is playing a role. The black blinking cursor sounds like Win7 lost its boot path.

 

[nyprdr]

You said the dvd loaded and it began to install correct? If so how far did it get? Just before the desktop loads? I've seen this happen alot. Not hard to fix

 

[cmantis]

Does it boot in safe mode? You sound pretty savvy, but in case you need a refresher.

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows7/Start-your-computer-in-safe-mode

Also, were/are you dual booting Linux? Wonder if GRUB is playing a role. The black blinking cursor sounds like Win7 lost its boot path.

It will not boot into safe mode.

 

[cmantis]

You said the dvd loaded and it began to install correct? If so how far did it get? Just before the desktop loads? I've seen this happen alot. Not hard to fix

Well when I got the computer I burned the AI Recovery disks (4 dvd's) I have only gotten them to load once out of dozen and dozens of attempts and it got to disc 2 and failed. This is an Asus laptop but my friend gave me his Windows 7 disc from his Alienware and that will load and install windows but on reboot it goes back to black screen of death.

 

[Widdy]

It will not boot into safe mode.

You can try using Windows 7 RE to rebuild the BCD.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/927392

Commands:

BootRec.exe /fixmbr
BootRec.exe /FixBoot

 

[nyprdr]

It's not the bootsect... that gets fixed during a clean install.. try installing from a usb drive... my pc does that when i try to install via cd/dvd sometimes i can't even get past the installation screen

 

[AsianChris]

If you can do a boot up in Linux via USB, use a disk utility to check the hard drive. A friend of mine had an Asus netbook and the drive had issues. Check the internal hard drive. It might have gone bad