Always Back To Xp Blinking Curser Top Left No Boot
Feb 11, 2008
I have a Dell laptop Inspiron 8500 that I used extensively for work. 2ghz cpu P4m, 2gig ram, 160gig hitachi HD.A couple of times in the past few months it has occasionally came up with only a flashing cursor in the top left. Now it does it once a week at least( update: even more frequent ). I've cannot boot into safe mode. The bios settings seem ok. I can only boot when it's like this from a bootable ISO CD.( ie Acronis rescue disk or XP setup ). To workaround so far, when this happens: I remove the laptop drive then use another computer to read the drive using a usb to mini IDE adapter to read off my recent work, I then re-insert and run the Hitachi factory tests for this drive via bootable ISO: It always passes fine. The drive reads fine too via the usb or in the laptop using a boot disk.Then I use "Acronis True Image home" to restore the drive back to the last backup( which I do 2 times weekly now because of this ) It takes 3hours to restore the image, and then I copy back my recent work , and all works fine for about a week( or now hours ).
I bought "ASO advanced Sytem Optimizer" and cleaned up the registry, and defragged the drive using "AShampoo Magic Defreg". I was excited because I thought it was a registry problem or fragmentation issue.It worked fine all week and seems faster even. I was happy.Today it did the same no-boot thing when I when to to boot up. Blank screen with flashing cursor in the top left.It really seems like something is killing or malwaring either the registry, mbr, or bootloader on powerdown. ( I have bitdefender 10 running when it's running.)I'm running the Dell diags disk and it all passes. I can boot and restore the partition using Acronis . I'm at a loss... Thanks for any help. I enabled shutdown event logging and no errors show in the system logs, but the applicationo event log shows userinit.exe could not run a script event ID 1000 at the timestamp that I did the shutdown.
View 7 Replies
ADVERTISEMENT
May 4, 2010
DELL XPS 410 XPSP2 - system will not boot past the blinking cursor in the corner. I can't get to the BIOS and the PC will not boot from CD. I have tried to hit F1, F2, F8 andF12 at startup to no avail. I replaced the Video card with a known good card, still no luck.I tried the unplug/plug method for the I/O panel with no changes.The fans are working correctly, so I don't think it was an overheating issue and the power supply is up and running.
View 8 Replies
View Related
Jun 16, 2005
I forgot to pull the plug during a thunderstorm and XP home won't boot into the GUI anymore. When trying to start in fail safe mode files seem to be loaded as usual, but at the point where the GUI should be loaded the computer halts and the cursor is blinking in the upper left corner.Have searched MS KB but only found articles about running Fixmbr, chkdisk and fixboot. None worked.
View 12 Replies
View Related
Jan 15, 2007
One of my computers started having somwhat an erratic behaviour so i formatted it and reinstalled windows. The erratic behaviour (such as firing "invalid/corrupt file" at me all the time, and rebooting spontaneously) didn't stop, so i tried mounting the HDD in another computer and do the whole thing again.It went fine, and i got all the security updates, installed all my programs.When I plugged it back into it original place, windows won't load (not even in sec mode) - all i see is a white underscore blinking on the top left corner.Can you guys help? Father Google doesn't seem to have an answer for me.
View 9 Replies
View Related
Sep 27, 2008
I believe I got a virus it was stuck on a warning screen. I tried to reinstall window XP now it goes to choose Window XP Professional or Home on Black screen white lettering. It will not let you choose XP is highlighted. Then it goes to black screen with cursor in left hand corner.
View 1 Replies
View Related
Dec 5, 2006
I have two HDD. In the 1st one XP and Ubuntu and in the 2nd one FC5. Suddenly the XP is not booting. As I choose XP from boot loader [I use Acronis Boot Manager] it is giving me a blank screen with the cursor blinking at the top left corner. Just that no movement, no XP logo nothing.
I tried fixmbr, fixboot and chkdsk; but in vein. sfc scannow is not supported. Fixmbr and fixboot succeeded but it is giving me the same result. I reinstalled FC5's Grub in the hdb5 [location of FC5's installation] but it does not give me boot option. I then reinstalled FC5's grub in hda1 and atleast now I can access net and look for immediate help from you. I know reinstalation is the last option but I just don't want to do that unless I do not have any more avenues left.
View 6 Replies
View Related
Oct 18, 2009
I'm using a Dell 9300 Inspiron laptop that was working just fine yesterday. I shut it down and now it won't boot into Windows XP Pro SP3, it goes past the Dell screen then goes all black except for a curser on the top left of screen. It will not boot into Safe Mode (F8). I can boot into the BIOS (F2) but see no discrepancies and can change the boot from the HD to the CD drive. What I've done so far:
1. Inserted the Dell Utilities CD and run full diagnostics-no problems found.
2. Inserted the OS disc and ran XP repair, it finished with no problems shown and then reverted to the black screen with the curser.
I have access to a SATA dock and could check it there but there must be something else, especially since I can't even get into Safe Mode.
View 10 Replies
View Related
Sep 9, 2009
i have ONE hard drive with partitions. I had a really bad setup first, I had 1 partition with 3 windows installs on it, folders like WINDOWS, WINPRO, WINN, I never took the time to delete them or whatever, and I was using winpro as my main OS. When I was running the above setup, when I boot up it would ask me: Select what OS to load Windows Pro, Windows Home, Windows Home
I decieded to install Windows 7 Ultimate 64 bit, worked flawlessy, but I wanted to go back to windows xp pro 64 bit. So I made a new partition and installed windows XP pro 64 bit onto it. when I tried installing windows xp with my CD, the first part would work fine, but then when it restarted to continue the setup, it would load my MOBO logo and then after, it would just show a blinking underscore "_" on the top left corner, and nothing else.
I managed to install a fresh windows xp from my USB flash drive, but when booting up normally it still does not let me select what OS to log on to, it just shows the blinking underscore in the top left after the MOBO logo passes, I actually have to boot by USB drive to boot this fresh install of windows. I think something is wrong with my boot loader, but have no idea how to fix it.
View 1 Replies
View Related
Aug 24, 2005
When i go to a particular website for web learning at my university and enter my sign in detailsand click ok it crashes the web browser and im left back at
my desktop
View 1 Replies
View Related
Sep 25, 2006
when I edited my boot menu I left off the NoExcute=OptIn at the end of the boot menu line to load my system and was wondering if I can add this now without messing everything up ? I just found out what this option does and looks to me like a have to option. This is on XP Pro.
View 14 Replies
View Related
Feb 8, 2005
I was working on my friend's computer and I had to switch the hard drive over to his new computer to try and get it to work on the new computer. It didn't work, so I tried to put the harddrive back in its original computer and now I have a problem. When I try to start up the computer, everything runs fine through the POST and then, before it goes to the Windows screen with the little bar that goes sideways, it stops on a black screen with the blinking underscore (_). I've restarted it many many times and it all ends up the same, stopping at the flashing underscore. I've tried to boot to a Win 98 boot floppy to get it to the command prompt but I get an error saying that it is the incorrect disk. I've also tried to reset the bios by taking the battery out for a while. It reset the bios good and all but I still got the same problem. I think it has to do with the MBR cause I know the harddrive works (as a slave in another computer) and I know the RAM is new. I don't think those are the problems because before I put the harddrive in the new computer to try and boot off it, it worked fine. I can't get into the start up menu either by pressing F8. The only thing I can think of that might work that I haven't tried is to boot off the XP cd and do the recovery console thing. Unless I know that it will abosolutely fix it, I'd like to stray away from it. If you think otherwise, I'll gladly try it. I think I had a problem like this before and I got past it somehow, but I don't remember how I did it.
View 14 Replies
View Related
Jul 10, 2007
When I turn my computer on it goes to the blue hp logo and then to a blank screen with a blinking cursor in the top left corner. If I hit f8 when booting it gives me 2 options...f1 to setup and f2 to resume. It won't let me go into safe mode or anything. I have tried booting from the xp cd, but nothing happens. I have tried replacing the battery and that hasn't done anything. It started when trying to open a program, the computer just went blank. When trying to reboot, this mess started.Also, I just got this error message, which is new.i got it after I unplugged the computer for awhile.. warning 251: system cmos checksum bad dafalut config used
View 11 Replies
View Related
Feb 3, 2010
Just wanted to give a solution for an issue that I had on a Dell Optiplex GX270, where it was having problems hanging when a couple of peripheral USB items were plugged in. After I had installed an HP printer, I plugged in an 8Gb thumb drive. It would hang for a very long time until I finally had to reboot. When it went through the short Dell setup screen, it just went black with a flashing underline in the top left corner instead of going to the first Windows startup screen. The funny thing is that I would unplug the HP printer's USB cable while the computer was still powered, and it would immediately start Windows. Through several different test cycles I found that A) Leaving the printer USB cable plugged in during a restart brought up the blank screen w/flashing underscore. B) Not connecting the printer USB cable during a restart brought Windows up properly. That told me that there was a problem with BIOS. I went to the Dell website and flashed my BIOS with the latest update for my computer. That resolved the issue immediately.Hope this helps others resolve similar problems, because it seemed like there
View 1 Replies
View Related
Mar 22, 2010
This is my first post on this site, I know that there have been posts on this topic becfore, however mine is different than the rest of the posts. In the other posts,this has occured on a modified computer, but when it happened to me, it was my unmodded computer. So heres what happened. I boot up, and after the HP screen, instead of going to the windows loading screen, I get a message with alot of text, but the main point was that "a failure was imenent", F1 to continue, F2 to enter setup. So i hit F1 to continue, and after a minute of a blank screen and the blinking text dash, the DISK BOOT FAIlURE, INSERT SYSTEM DISK message. But I have never modified my coputer, and never used a setup disk before on this machine. BTW:I tried resetting BIOS, but to no avail.
View 6 Replies
View Related
Sep 11, 2010
Without knowing how I have moved the Desktop toolbar from the left side to the right side of the Taskbar
How do I get back to the left side of the Taskbar
View 1 Replies
View Related
Jul 28, 2007
For the last week and a half my mouse arrow tends to float all over my screen. ( only on the internet - not in loaded programs )While it floats I can't do anything. Not ALL the time but certainly enough to be very annoying.Then it will stop and all is well. Later it will start to float around again. When it floats I cannot stop it. I must wait for it to stop on it's own. The mouse is a Logitech wireless.I cleaned the mouse and changed the batteries.Then I tried a logitech WIRED mouse. Same problem.I tried the Logitech website without any success.I tried lowreing the Hardware Acceleration.
View 13 Replies
View Related
Feb 15, 2005
i was wondering if anyone can give me a hand with what i think is a virus.everytime i go to open a folder (my computer, my documents, c drive etc.) my curser goes to the waiting stage for about a second, then nothing comes up. i push trl+alt+delete, to bring up task manager, and when i try to open the folders, it tells me, in processes, that a program called "drwtsn32.exe" is running, and i think that is what is not letting me open my folders. could anyone tell me how to get rid of it, so i can get rid of ANOTHER virus.
View 14 Replies
View Related
Jun 30, 2008
I'm hoping some can offer some advice on this rather troublesome problem.I have a Dell laptop that was recently formatted, XP Home was re-installed from the original Dell ReInstallation CDs.Everything has been working perfectly for the past month. However, this past weekend, we're now unable to boot into Windows.
When powering the machine on, the Dell logo appears as normal. When the Dell logo disappears,instead of the Windows splash screen appearing, a flashing cursor appears in the upper left hand corner. Nothing else. After letting the machine sit for approximately 30-minutes, an error message never appears.
I've already attempted a few things Removed the drive, attached it to a working computer via USB adapter. There, I performed a scan disk. No error messages appear. Placed the hard drive back into the Dell laptop. Inserted the Windows XP ReInstallation CD to access the recovery console. FIXMBR completed successfully, however the problem continues Verified that the system BIOS recognizes the drive and correct drive size/parameters.I really don't know what to do. Apparently the repair install function is not available with the Dell OS ReInstallation CD. Can someone throw a hint or two? I'm almost out of gas on this one and need to have it running again ASAP.
View 13 Replies
View Related
Dec 26, 2005
Whenever I restart my system, not every program in the Start Group loads. I have to log off and then log back on, and then most of the applications load. McAfee VirusScan, however, list as "disabled", and I have to reun servicesmsc to disable and then enable. WordPerfect DAD can only load manually even though it's in the start group. I don't think a System Restore will work because this has been going on for many months, and virtually immediately afer the system was built.
View 6 Replies
View Related
Aug 16, 2006
I installed Windows XP Home Edition with SP1 on a brand new home built computer and downloaded the beginning programs, firefox, spyware blaster, I visited microsoft.com to install all the updates; SP2 I believe among other things, and when I shut the computer down to finalize the installation of the updates it did not boot back up. It just stays on the Windows XP screen with the moving blue bars then goes black and goes to the first boot screen again. I system restored to before the updates and tried to install them before I installed all my other programs and when I restarted it after the installation it failed to boot up again?
View 3 Replies
View Related
Aug 15, 2007
The latest error I'm getting is this. Sorry it's so big but it's a photo of the screen.This is happening virtually every time I try and load in any programs to Windows. If I use Windows restore to roll back to before the program installation then it becomes stable again (usually).Windows update, spyware scans and antivirus etc. Left the machine doing a virus scan over night and next morning it was locked up. Turned it off and back on, and no boot. No hard drives found. So located and reinstalled SATA drivers, and then managed to see the hard drives, but just after POST the machine fell down and restarted. With the help of some other tech guys I managed to use ERD to get onto the install, and tried to use Windows restore, but it told me I needed Service Pack 2 and wouldn't.
View 5 Replies
View Related
May 22, 2007
My OS is Win2K Pro and when attempting to boot yesterday my computer hung on the Go Back app and would go no further. During several subsequent attempts I got far enough in the boot process to get an error saying my keyboard wouldn't work. Using a third keyboard I somehow got a full boot with my Windows CD and quickly ran a virus scan showing no infection and thought everything was okay, took out the CD and changed the boot sequence back.Now I'm stuck on the Go Back screen again. While in BIOS I discovered it said the year was 2002 and thought that was why Go Back hung but reset the clock and still nothing works. I can't boot to safe mode (only beeps when I tap the keyboard), now the windows CD will not boot the machine. I've tried to do a reinstall, but am told two small partitions are too small (no option for changing their size) and for some reason can't install on the primary partition, just a note saying I can't, nothing else. I can only get to Set-Up and BIOS. I've tried burning different boot disks to CD (no floppy drive)on another computer but only get Retry Boot when using them.Various times I can get far enough to get Go Back to load then try to revert, but just get a Wait notice from the app and nothing further.No sounds when booting unless I tap F5 or F8, sometimes F12 beeps every time I tap. Of course I haven't backed up my documents and WAB, etc. so I'm trying not to delete partitions and start over.
View 9 Replies
View Related
Mar 6, 2007
My Dell Dimension 8400 suddenly won't boot up, and Dell told me I would have to reinstall the OS (XP Media Center Edition). I would rather try to repair the boot files first in order to save all of my apps, drivers and files. But before trying this, I would like to move my SATA HDD to another PC and make it a slave so that I can backup my files to an external HD. Is this a complex task? Dell also told me that all of my OE apps are stored on a partition in my HDD, so a reinstall will put me back to the way my PC was when I first got it, but I would then have to try to find all the drivers for everything I have since installed.
View 12 Replies
View Related
Sep 11, 2005
I used the backup utility that comes with XPPro/(i am running sp2) and used the wizard process.I chose the one that says you will be prompted to make a floppy once the back-up is done.The back up is done(i copied the whole of "C" drive onto another drive on my machine) but there was no prompt to make a floppy.I guess i have two questions..
1. what happened to the prompt, how do i get the wizarfd to work etc etc
2. to make my own floppy, what files should i put on it?
View 2 Replies
View Related
Jul 9, 2009
i wanted to dual boot windows 7 with XP. I partitioned my HDD with the built in utility and waited for it to format. I then restarted my computer with the XP disc in the DVD-Drive and waited for it to install on my newly made partition. After it restarted for the first time i got a "Disk read error - Press CTRL + ALT + DEL to restart" and this continues to happen so i cannot get into windows.
View 3 Replies
View Related
Apr 5, 2008
i have a windows xp system. it is a desktop (gateway). yesterday my computer crashed, and it wont load windows at all. it comes to the black screen with the options off booting windows normally, last known config, safe mode and the others. i cant boot windows in any of these config's.i have everything for school, my bills, my music and pictures. i need to back up all of my data but i cant get into windows at all
View 2 Replies
View Related
Apr 5, 2008
i have a windows xp system. it is a desktop (gateway). yesterday my computer crashed, and it wont load windows at all. it comes to the black screen with the options off booting windows normally, last known config, safe mode and the others. i cant boot windows in any of these config's.i have everything for school, my bills, my music and pictures. i need to back up all of my data but i cant get into windows at all
View 2 Replies
View Related
Jan 14, 2006
I had a missing "Windowssystem32configsystem" upon restarting my comp last Saturday. Couldn't boot into safe mode at all. Used HP's recovery console to run chkdsk and it fix errors on the volume. Wouldn't let me run the recovery disks I had to get from HP since they are not given with a new computer. Great I thought.Upon starting now, my antivirus won't run and a lot of Windows programs(Search adn System Restore just a blank page, Media Player, etc) .I can get IE to open up but no active X although it says it is enabled, also my home page doesn't show up at all but it is set to it. Those are some of the things I have found wrong so far as I am sure I have more.
View 14 Replies
View Related
May 23, 2005
I've tried a lot of the spyware, virus stuff, that one guy tried to help me out with but my screen still isnt fixed. It blinks grey and white and cant get to my desktop properties.
View 1 Replies
View Related
Feb 28, 2005
I deleted some startup files from a WindowsXP Pro machine it was originally a Win98. Which files do I need to get it going XP, 98 or Compaq restore(hope not)? I can only access BIOS. I have no backup!
View 7 Replies
View Related
Jul 22, 2005
As I try to load XP it gets past a couple of screens and then just stays with this black one and the cursor blinking in the top left hand corner.Now ive had this problem once b4 but a mate of mine fixed it up and said if it ever happens again to put this floppy in and fix it. Now its happened again and i dont know what he did with that floppy (he is overseas atm).
View 1 Replies
View Related
