Windows 7 - black screen with blinking cursor

[TheOldMan]

I have not seen a bad video driver cause the "blinking cursor upper left".  It could result in a balck screen however.  I think canuck169 got the discussion topic confused.

[CraigMak]

I fixed the problem! This problem is caused by a corrupted Master Boot Record. Basically this means that your computer no longer knows where Windows is installed. To fix the problem boot up your computer from the recovery disc. Then get to DOS also knowns as your command prompt. Once you are there simply type in"

Bootrec.exe/fixmbr       

DONE!! This will replace your damaged master boot record with a working one from the recovery disc.

ENJOY!!!

[rick30]

hey i just started to a black screen with blinking cursor and i have a HP Pavilion g7-1070us Notebook PC ive trying reinstalling the bios and restoring the system but im still geting the black screen with blinking cursor what else shoud i try?

[CraigMak]

To fix the problem boot up your computer from the recovery disc. Then get to DOS also known as your command prompt. Once you are there simply type in:

Bootrec.exe/fixmbr      

[Murphy1310]

There is one way you can recover the system, but of course at the cost of the entire data present in all your 'drives' / 'partitions' of your system...

I had tried installing Win7 twice but ended up with the same "blinking-cursor-black-screen" .

I doubt it has anything to do with the multiple hardware plugged-in.

In my case too, as TheOldMan suggests, the bootmgr got confused and couldn't actually detect the partition where OS had been installed. If you want to confirm the actual problem, try clicking the 'Repair' option and read through the "repair-results", which will reveal you the issue saying "OS could not be found" or something like that.

Solution :

Now you've got to install your OS once again for the last time (hopefully, if there isn't any other prevelant issue already).

Go with the regular procedure of installation "Install Now" ->> "Next" .... blah blah...

When you come to the "Partitions Page", if you observe that you have more that one partitions of considerable size (by that I mean partitions excluding the one that says "reserved for the system" which is usually in MB's), then you are in luck!!

In my case I had 3 partitions with sizes --> P1-[[xx MB]] , P2-[[10 GB]] , P3-[[270 GB]].

So obviously I had "Two" partitions of considerable size !!

Voila!! This is the root cause of your problem !!

In my first two attempts, I had installed the OS in P3 partition and left P1 and P2 undisturbed.

So, despite completing the installation "successfully", it would throw a blank screen with the blinking cursor, all because the bootmgr was looking for the OS in the partition P2, whereas that fool should have looked into P3 !!!

So, all you've got to do now (while installing for the last time) is delete the three partitions and make one single partition.... that way the fool of a bootmgr can have no trouble looking into the "right" partition, 'cos now there is only ONE !!  XD

And after you get your installation done, you can carry on with your lives and later if you feel like you need two partitions or more... you can easily split the one single partition (more partitioning info at --->>> http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/magazine/gg309170.aspx)... This way you don't have to be troubled by the foolish bootmgr, nor would you have to see the demonic-black-screen-with-the-perpetually-blinking-cursor.

The only downside to this is that you will have to forego all your data.

Alternatively, in case you have P4 partition present too, then you may try to save one of P2,P3 or P4 data,( say P3), by cleaning P2 and P4 and trying to install OS in the new combined partition and hope that it works (i.e. hope that bootmgr detects the OS in the correct partition). If not, then just clean out and combine all the partitions and go for the procedure above.

🙂     (y)

ciao

And yeah, do not forget to hit KUDOS to the left !!  🙂

[ismailmd]

Hey thanks Murphy1310! Useful info! Cheers!

[Dokie]

Hi! I would like to add my 2 cents, which goes along with every thing that has been posted. I use Macrium Reflect to make back up images of my OS. You will see in my screen shots, if I click where it says.

Create an Image of the partitions required to back up and restore windows, two partitions are checked. The first partition contains my MBR. The second is my C drive. The third is my recovery partition;not needed for this,however I have a image of all 3  partitions on a external drive if I ever need it. I hope this adds to and confirms what has been posted on this subject:smileywink:

Dokie!!

[Murphy1310]

🙂 (y)

[Dokie]

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@Murphy1310 wrote:
🙂 (y)

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Hi Murphy! Does that mean you agree? Please remove your email address. That is against the forum rules to post your address.

Dokie!:smileywink:

[Murphy1310]

Hi Dokie!
Your post is helpful, thanks, but only as a 'preventive measure'...
If v have backup somewhere, then there would be no problems 🙂
However, people here need a solution, a 'cure', if they do not have any kind of backup and hit by this issue...

And yea, thanks for letting me in on the rules 🙂 I've done the needful...

Also, my earlier acknowledgement was for 'ismailmd' 🙂  

Thanks..