Black Screen w/ Blinking Cursor (Too!)

[iamkinetic]

I'm having a "Black Screen w/ Blinking Cursor" problem too. I know it's been "solved" (see thread: http://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Desktop-Operating-Systems/Black-Screen-w-Blinking-Cursor/td-p/1330837). However, I can't get my HP PAvilion Elite HPE to boot from the DVD. For boot options, I only get my internal HDD and my external HDD. 

Any thoughts?

[TheOldMan]

For starters, disconnect the external hard drive.  If that does not solve the problem, perhaps there is more going on.  Use setup at the BIOS splash screen again to see if the DVD can now be the first boot choice.  "Black Screen w/ Blinking Cursor" means the bootloader lost the OS.  BTW: I cannot get the link in the post above to work.

[iamkinetic]

First, thank-you for such a quick reply.

1. I tested the link and it worked for me. I reposted it here, because maybe the original failed during the cut-and-paste process. http://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Desktop-Operating-Systems/Black-Screen-w-Blinking-Cursor/td-p/1330837
2. Removing the USB HDD helped. I also learned that my recovery disc was flawed, so I got a new one to use. I can get into Windows 7. However, once there, the computer no longer sees my HDD.
3. If I run HP Diagonstic Tools, my HDD and DVD both show up - and they "pass".
4. After booting through the Windows 7 disc, my HDD "disappears".

The adsvice in the post linked above gives this advice:

• Hi,

  Boot from the Rescue CD again, select Repair Your Computer and choose the Command Prompt.  When this loads, enter the following commands and hit enter after each one - include spaces as shown.

  Bootrec.exe

  bcdedit /export C:\BCD_Backup

  c:

  cd boot

  attrib bcd -s -h -r

  ren c:\boot\bcd bcd.old

  bootrec /RebuildBcd

  bootrec /fixmbr

  bootrec /fixboot

  Remove the Rescue CD and try rebooting now.

  Regards,

  DP-K

When I get to the second step (), I get two error messages:

1. The store export operation has failed.
2. The requested system device cannot be found.

Any thoughts?

[iamkinetic]

I made an error.

Above I wrote: "If I run HP Diagonstic Tools, my HDD and DVD both show up - and they "pass"."

This is technically true, the diagnostics "Sees" the drive. However I managed to get into the BIOS to check the drive. It shows up as having 0 (zero) bytes.

I'm pretty much lost now.

[TheOldMan]

Now that the computer can boot to a CD, I would run some tests to verify just where the problem may be.  There are a number that can fix the original problem once things are completed.  Try this: http://www.ultimatebootcd.com/

Make the CD on a working computer and then boot the problem computer to the CD.  Run the hard drive test made for the drive brand that is installed.  Another choice would be to make a Linux Live CD, such as Ubuntu.  Boot to that and look at the drive to see if files are showing up in Linux.  Once both of those things turn up good, the the blinking cursor thing can be addressed.

[iamkinetic]

Sorry for the slow reply.

I ran the diagnostic CD. I have a Western Digital WD Cavier Green (model WD10EADS-65M2B0). The Western Digital tests give either a 0132 error code (wrong version of WD Data Lifegaurd Diagnostics) or  "Error - No Drives Found."

Is it likely that my data is gone for good? My kids photos are on there (I thought it was backing up to the external, but it wasn't).

What should my next step be?

[TheOldMan]

Other than really expensive recovery costs from a 3rd party, the next step would be the Ubuntu Live CD.  See here: http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/windows-vista/use-ubuntu-live-cd-to-backup-files-from-your-dead-windo...

Disregard the Vista mention as it will work with any Windows version.  Actually most any Linux Live CD will work just fine for this.

[iamkinetic]

I tried to follow the steps, but the link for Ubuntu downloads version 12.04 (the instructions are for 8.04). I played aeround with version 12.04, but I'm really not sure if I'm doing what is right because it's much different than the screenshots in the instructions.

It's getting late, so I'm going to hunt down a version 8.04 and take another crack at it tomorrow. I hope that the older version will "See" my HDD, because I couldn't find it on the newer version.

Thanks for your patience.

[iamkinetic]

If I use the BIOS to test, I can see my HDD. However, in Linux (Ubuntu version 8 and 12 - as well as MacPuppy), my HDD cannot be detected.

Any thoughts?

I bought a replacement HDD. Would it make sense to install it (Windows) and use that to search for the old HDD?

[TheOldMan]

If the Linux distros do not see the HDD, it is unlikely that a Windows install will.  The next best thing for data recovery would be to mount the drive in an external enclosure or connect it with one one these type devices:

http://www.amazon.com/Drive-Adapter-Converter-Optical-External/dp/B001OORMVQ

Then see if the drive can be detected on a different working computer. OR with it mounted this way try the Linux Live CD again  Either way if the drive data is going to be retrieved easily, this is one of the methods.

Of course, there is other software for an additional step, such as: http://download.cnet.com/1770-20_4-0.html?query=data+recovery&tag=pfindersrch&searchtype=downloads&f...

But first the drive has to be detected.