Black Screen after a Clean Install of Windows 7?
September 22nd, 2013
I’m reformatting my friends computer because he broke it some how by turning off the computer by the power button and not shutting down properly. Once he turnt on his computer after doing this, it loaded the BIOS and “Windows is starting..” but stays on a black screen.
Luckily, he was able to go into safe mode and back up all his files. I tried to reformat his computer to Windows 7 Home Preimum x86, but after the first restart, it leads to “Windows is setting up computer for the first time” then just stays on a black screen for about 30 seconds and does a automatic restart.
Then it says “Windows could not start properly insert your windows disc and repair and choose language”. I tried to do this, but the computer didn’t successfully install the OS in the first place so it doesn’t detect a OS to repair. I also can’t go into safe mode as it says the same thing, no OS detected.
It lets me choose “Start Windows normally” when the screen comes up, but again it leads to a black screen, which sometimes pops up a blue screen just before for about 2 seconds max. One time, I was able to capture the word it said on the blue screen, “collecting dump.. information” blah blah “%”. It was so quick.
Also, the computer is a HP Pavilion Slimline S3110. I also noticed before reinstalling Windows, his first POST Bios boot screen the words not in English its all !!! dCYS !!! random exclamation marks and odd letters blah blah. I ran memtest which usually test the RAMs in English, but for some reason its all weird “!! Ddfd!! !!!jg! ! !!tew !b” etc. Don’t know what it is. I also set the language to English in the BIOS settings as well still no solution..
I reseated the graphics card, ram and cleard the CMOS tried to reinstall Windows 7 several times and Windows Vista to no avail.
So yeah, I really need help with this.
HP Pavilion Slimline S3110
Edit: I forgot to add, did some research and they said something about because it’s small and compact some heat issues that might have damaged the motherboard? And that non English BIOS sounds like a BIOS virus? I’m just trying to add as much information I can for you readers.
The BIOS looks similar to this, but its worse and everything is filled with !!!! !!! ! ! !!. When I try to bring up the boot menu to boot from list it’s full of exclamation marks. I will take a photo of it later, but the one below looks similar:
you check the hard drive’s health
if you disconnect all drives & remove all add-in cards duz the bios still look funny
it have on-board video that you can use to test it with
And that non English BIOS sounds like a BIOS virus?
doubt it’s a virus
I tried on board video, but that doesn’t work. I just get a black screen no signal and have to reset the CMOS.
For the hard drive, just disconnect all the hard drives and run the computer? I don’t think it has any add-in cards?
BIOS Updating Guide:
http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/Document.jsp?lang=en&cc=us&taskId=125&prodSeriesId=3440811&prodTypeId=12454&objectID=c00007682
If the BIOS data is corrupt then the Operating System is going to have problems aswell from the screen shot it appears that the BIOS is corrupt.
I’d highly recommend you download the latest BIOS from the HP website and reinstall it some computers BIOS can only be updated using a Floppy disk however newer computers can update from the desktop.
But your going to need a reinstall the firmware into the BIOS and then i’d try again with installing Windows 7.
For the hard drive, just disconnect all the hard drives and run the computer?
yup, to see if that clears the bios corruption
and a BIOS update might help, but a warning, when flashing a problem BIOS you may screw the mobo but if that’s your only option ……
Thanks a lot, I’ll try this out first thing tomorrow!
Try flashing your BIOS.
I have a problem, how can I re-install the BIOS? I can’t get onto the desktop and I don’t have a floppy disk drive!
Edit: Do you think this method would work?
http://www.biosflash.com/e/bios-boot-cd.htm
Do you think this method would work?
it should
will the PC boot from a USB flash drive
if so google “usb bios flash” for other options
I can't get onto the desktop
so it’s getting worse ?
you may have a bad mobo, possibly blown capacitors
see aything like this on the mobo
what a blown capacitor looks like
the bad ones have the “split” top, seen some that ooze a brown material
The BIOS files that HP provides are .exe that you run on Windows. But remember, I haven’t even installed Windows because every time the computer restarts, it leads to a black screen. So I need to flash the BIOS by CD or USB.
Edit: Alrightt, I followed this site: http://forum.notebookreview.com/sager-clevo/246530-how-flash-your-bios-dos-using-usb-stick.html everything is working, but my BIOS is so corrupt it’s not in English and I followed the exact steps, but the messages I can’t read it!
My boot menu:
DOS:
cd\ clevo:
this time it will reboot to the usb stick and you are now at a c: prompt. for our example we will need to move to the directory where we put or bios files to flash with which was "clevo". to do this we type cd\ clevo and then hit enter. now you will be at a prompt the says c:\clevo>
this is where our files are we need.
now you will type at the c:\clevo> prompt "refresh" without the quotes and hit enter. this will automaticaly start your flash. sit back and wait and enjoy the annoying beeps and when it finishes hit any key to reboot. if for some reason it does not reboot when prompted to hit any key simply turn off the system and turn it back on.
if for some reason the refresh command does not start your flash you will need to use the phlash16 command.
to do this again we will need to be at the c:\clevo> prompt and now simply type "phlash16" again without the quotes and hit enter. this method is used usually only if the version you are flashing is newer than what is on the system. but normally the refresh command works either way.
I followed the exact same steps but when I type in cd\ clevo, those gibberish text comes up and I can’t tell if its a question its asking me to flash it? Y or No..
This is pi**ing me off hardcoorrE!
get Hiren’s BootCD and use the “custom CD” option the and put the HP EXE into the ISO
then burn the ISO and boot from it to MiniXP and run the EXE from there
My friend couldn’t wait and so he went to the PC repair shop and they said the graphics card is damaged. They told him he just needs to buy a new one? I did take that blue BIOS pic on top from another site who had a very similar problem, and they said the problem was reinstall drivers for his graphics card or the graphics card has been damaged..
What do you think? Graphics card broken? Or BIOS?
well if you have a pc why dont you put your GFX into his and see.
His is half size graphics cards. My graphics card won’t even fit in his computer.
I tried on board video, but that doesn't work.
His is half size graphics cards. My graphics card won't even fit in his computer.
you said you tried the on-board video and i did not work
try getting that to work 1st
not working indicates a mobo problem
working indicates a video card problem