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Question

System Boot

Aug 29, 2016 10:46AM PDT

My Dell Inspiron 1720 easily accomplishes a Pre Boot Assessment successfully. When it boots I see the Bios starting the system, but I wind up with a cursor on a blank screen. Left alone the screen saver comes on, but there is still no desktop visible. Is there a remedy/

Discussion is locked

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Answer
A few weeks ago
Aug 29, 2016 10:50AM PDT

My brother brought me a Dell with a too similar issue. The OS was "blown" but we were lucky that he was running W10. Using the stick made with Microsoft's Media Creation Kit I reinstalled the W10 OS and it's fine now.

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Answer
Like Bob says
Aug 30, 2016 3:55AM PDT

If you are not using Windows 10, then that symptom could mean the boot loader has lost is way or is corrupt. Windows 8 and Windows 10 use a similar method to repair this but Windows 7 might need some additional help. What Windows version is this?

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System Boot
Aug 30, 2016 7:19AM PDT

Thank you for responding. It was Windows Vista.

I found a Windows 7 Professional disc and started rebuilding the drive. It seems to be working, as the computer has been updating since last night. Do any concerns remain?

Thanks.

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Only for those that fret a lot.
Aug 30, 2016 7:56AM PDT

To me it sounds as a blown boot area or OS. This happens a lot but I see it from the view of the repair shop. On my own machines I think it's happens about once a decade. Just enough to keep you on a regular backup regimen.