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Question

Black screen w/ cursor startup... BIOS black screen

by Jun 14, 2018 10:07AM PDT

Last night I woke up to my computer starting itself up. I wandered over and turned it off at the plug.

The next day I attempt to turn my computer on. I get a black screen with a blinking cursor. Obviously, I then try to enter the BIOS, but regardless of which BIOS key I press on startup, it takes me to a completely black screen.

I’ve tried booting without the HDD plugged in. I’ve tried without any USB devices plugged in. I’ve tried without the disc drive plugged in. I’m completely stuck. I’m reseated the CMOS battery.

Any help is appreciated.

Windows 10.
Motherboard: H77-D3H

Thanks a lot.
Josh.

Discussion is locked

12 Posts
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Answer
One of W10's annoying things
by Forum moderator Jun 14, 2018 10:31AM PDT

Is it can wake up and update. If you remove power during updates you can trash the OS.

So the first thing I'd do is make sure the owner's files are safe. I use a number of methods from booting any other OS to removing the HDD and having them copy out the files on another PC.
These methods are well discussed and I'll pause here.

Now about the OS repair. We get out our Windows 10 Repair and Install media we created with the Microsoft Media Creation Kit and try it's automatic repairs. For most this is all you can ask. Then after that you just install W10 again and restore from backups.

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Answer
Black screen
by Jun 14, 2018 11:57AM PDT

If you can not get into the bios with whatever key use to work.....looks like the delete key on power up.....then forget about windows.

You have some deeper problems.

Unplug the disk and disc and mouse......you must be able to get access to that bios.

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Black screen
by Joshdunya Jun 14, 2018 2:45PM PDT

Hi.

Yeah without mouse, hdd, disc drive, It still doesn’t get me access to the BIOS. Just a bright black screen.

I’m using a USB keyboard which is definitely powered up (capslock light works).

I assume something is wrong with both the hdd and motherboard? Seems a but sudden and drastic from one plug offswitch use though? It’s not like my computer even had chance to start updates I literally powered it off two seconds after it powerered on. Maybe I short circuited something?

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Doesn't sound like an OS issue.
by r. proffitt Forum moderator Jun 14, 2018 2:50PM PDT

The OS is on that HDD so with all this removed and you can't see or get to the BIOS the machine needs repair.

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Msg
by Joshdunya Jun 14, 2018 6:59PM PDT

Hey man.
I replied to the message below.

Any help is really appreciated.
Thanks.

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Keep making it smaller
by Bob__B Jun 14, 2018 3:39PM PDT

If the cpu has an igp plug the monitor into the mobo and remove the gpu.

Use one stick of ram.

Try a different keyboard.

You must get access to the bios.

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Progress?
by Joshdunya Jun 14, 2018 6:57PM PDT

Hey.

So I removed the gpu and plugged the monitor into the mobo.

BIOS pops up saying it has been reset... i assume from when I removed the CMOS battery before.

I plugged the hard drive back in. I can now access the BIOS on startup now aswell. However, booting into windows from the drive makes my computer continually restart on the windows loading screen. Occasionally the error screen of ‘windows was unable to load correctly what do you want to do blah blah’ shows on restart.

What do you reccomend to do from this point?

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Bios
by Bob__B Jun 14, 2018 9:47PM PDT

Enter the bios and set the proper date and time......save and exit.....test.

If still bad can you boot into safe mode?

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Safe mode
by Joshdunya Jun 15, 2018 7:14AM PDT

Yep restarts continually. I can enter safe mode though.

I disabled ‘reboot on critical failure’ both in repair options and manually in safe mode, but it is still rebooting.

I attempted to rollback to a previous installation of Windows but that rebooted midway too.

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Since the installed W10 is munched.
by r. proffitt Forum moderator Jun 15, 2018 9:52AM PDT

Removing power when Windows is updating is dangerous so to save this install you have some work to do.

FIRST you have to be sure your files are safe. There are many posts on the web about this from booting another OS and copying them out, using the HDD in another PC or just going ahead with your planned SSD upgrade where you pull this HDD out for later use and start over with the SSD.

SECOND, after the files you can't lose are safe you boot up your W10 Repair and Install media made with the "Microsoft Media Creation Kit" and try it's automatic repairs. If the automatic repair fails you can reset W10 and try the option to not remove your files.

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As mentioned
by Bob__B Jun 15, 2018 1:00PM PDT

If there is any of 'your stuff' you want to save then you do that first.

Once that's done boot into safe mode and run a chkdsk with the 'R' option....use google.

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turn off the "Wake On" settings in BIOS
by James Denison Jun 15, 2018 1:06PM PDT

such as WOL, (wake on LAN)

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