Black Screen after boot on Envy 4-1030US Ultrabook

[TerryQ]

The computer starts up, allows a user logon screen, then after entering the password, it seems to start normally for a few seconds, and then the screen goes black and stays that way.  I can bring up the task manager screen with a Contrl-Alt-Delete, but it won't display any information with the task manager.

I've also tried these ideas:

Removed power cord, removed dongle for wireless mouse.  Nothing else connected.   Shut computer off, hold power button down for 15 seconds and then let it start.  Problem still there.  Tried 30 seconds, still there.

Suggestions are to remove battery and do same.  This computer does not have a removable battery. 

>> Should I open the computer and unhook the battery and then try above?

Right now I am running a system diagnostics (was able to get to it after starting the computer and tapping ESC).  The startup test came up OK

Now running the Run-In test:  Processor Check "Passed"

Hard Disk Smart Check:  "Passed"

Memory Test and Hard Disk DST:  Both are running and message is "Test in progress . . ."   It has been running for over 12 hours and has completed 286 interations. 

>> Should I stop these tests?  If not, how long should I wait before I stop it? 

Thanks in advance for any help.

Terry

[iomare]

Hi Terry,

Did you make any changes to the PC before this happened? Software, hardware, drivers?

When you open taskmanager can you click on more details in lower left and open completely?  Basically I want to see if we can launch CMD as administrator to activate another account (it could be your user account is corrupted)

If you click on WinKey + R are you able to see the RUN window?

Let me know,

David

[TerryQ]

David,

Thanks for your rapid response.  We've been out doing volunteer work all day, and a class this evening, so I'm just getting back on emails.

There have been no changes to her computer, including software, hardware or drivers for months if not over a year (other than Windows updates, one of which was recent). 

I'll want to take another look at the Task Manager.  (Computer is currently running some more diagnostics tests.  So far everything tested is "PASSED."  When that completes, I'll look at the Task Manager again).  But from my recollection, when I do the Control-Alt-Del, it lists the options of "Lock, Switch User, Sign Out, Change a Password, and Task Manager."  And when I clicked on "Task manager,"  The screen stays black. 

I'll also try the WinKey + R. 

I should be able to do these things tomorrow when the current diagnostics complete.  I'll get this information back to you then.

Thanks,

Terry

[TerryQ]

David,

I completed the full suite of the HP built in hardware diagnostics.  All of them "PASSED."  This is the list of systems that passed:

Battery

Memory

Hard Disk

Tuneup (runs several things in one diagnostic)

Start-up

Run-in (four of those)

another Start-up

That being done, I was able to address your two question: 

Question 1:  "When you open taskmanager can you click on more details in lower left and open completely?  Basically I want to see if we can launch CMD as administrator to activate another account (it could be your user account is corrupted)"

Answer:  When clicking cntrl-Alt-Del, the normal menu pops up like this:

Lock

Switch User

Sign Out

Change a Password

Task Manager. 

With respect to Task Manager, when I click on that, the screen goes back to black.  For a long while (10 minutes or more) it stays black.  Sometime after that, a small white window pops up in the upper left of the screen with the words "Personalized Settings." Cclicking on that with the mouse does nothing.    After an additional time, a popup comes up over the first popup, and says

"Windows Explorer

Windows Explorer is not responding

If you close the program, you might lose information.

--> Close the Program

--> Wait for the Program to respond."

Clicking on that box closes both pop ups and takes it back to the black screen.

Other options from the cntrl-alt-del menu:

Lock   :  Results in locking up the computer.  No password box shows up.  Required shutting down the computer with a 5 second push of on/off button.

Switch User:  Goes dark for a few seconds, and comes back to the user logon screen

Sign Out:  Signs out the session, takes back to password screen

Change Password:    Brings up the normal password change screen.  Hitting cancel takes it back to the cntrl-alt-del menu. 

Given all of that, there is no option given through the cntrl-alt-del menu that would get me to a RUN command.  That is because there is no window showing "File  Options  View"  where I  could get the run command.

Your other question2 :    "If you click on WinKey + R are you able to see the RUN window?"

Answer:  Hitting WinKey + R on the black screen does not do anything.  That is also true if I bring up the contrl-alt-del menu.  Nothing happens if I do a WinKey + R there.

The only idea I have right now is to do the power down of the computer, with the internal battery disconnected from the motherboard.

I'll wait a bit to see if you or anyone else has some other suggestions to try.    Then I'll try the power down with disconnected battery.

If anyone has any other ideas, they would be apprciated.

Thanks in advance for any help,

Terry

[iomare]

Ok Terry.

Try turning off the PC by holding the power button. Start the PC and continue pressing ESC until startup menu appears. Next press F11 > Troubleshoot > Advanced Options > Command Prompt and insert your password. 

As you can see there are some other options you could try such as Reset PC, Recovery manager, System restore.

However first I would like to create a new admin account and see if it works (still thinking your old user account is corrupt)

So with CMD open type

net user XXXXX /add             this will add another account without password (you can always create a password later for the account. Instead of the XXXXX you can type any name, just do not leave any spaces in the name. 

net localgroup administrators XXXXX /add          this will make the new account we just created an administrator account

now type exit and go back and boot Windows normally, at login choose the new account and see if it works.

Let me know,

David

[TerryQ]

David,

On this computer, when I hit the ESC, it comes up differently.  The Startup Menu is comprised of the following options:

F1  System Information

F2 System Diagnostics (this is where I ran the diagnostics last night)

F9 Boot Device Options

F10 BIOS Setup

F11 System Recovery (which is a different title than you would expect of "Troubleshoot")

Inside of F11 on my wife's computer is an HP-labeled page with three column of boxes to select.

The first column titled "I need immediate help" has:

Microsoft System Restore (Restore your system to an ealier date)

System Recovery (Restore your computer to its original factory condition)

Minimized Image Recovery (restore operating system, drivers and slect software only (clean image)

The 2nd column titles "I'd like to perform maintenance tasks" has

Run Computer Checkup (Use the hardware diagnostics to diagnose your computer's memory, HD, etc.  This sounds like what I've already done).

Below that it has a title "Id like to contact HP Customer Support"

Show Contact information (Show contact information for HP Customer Support)

The 3rd colum is "I'd like to take safety measures"'

File backup (Back up your personal data).

As you can see, none of these options seems to show the command prompt option, unless it is buried at a lower level, but none of the topics seem like a good fit for that.

Do you have any other suggestions on where to look to get to a command prompt?

Terry

[TerryQ]

Here is a photo of the menu:

[iomare]

Ok. Yes, the screen is different probably because it is in MBR and not EFI.

Anyway, we can try to get to the same place in a different way. I will make it quick as I am going for a night dive here in Italy.

These two you can try:

At logon screen, in lower right corner click on the icon to turn off the PC and now press Shift and hold and click on restart this should take you to the menu where you can enter the command prompt as shown above.

A different way is to turn on the PC then hold the power button until it  turns off when at logon screen or while Windows is loading. You need to do this three or four times until at the next boot you will see the Windows logo and below it written preparing for automatic repair. Let it run and it will take you to the troubleshoot screen I talked about above.

Let me know,

David

[TerryQ]

Okay, I'll  give those options a try.  Enjoy your late night dive.  You'll see feedback from me on what happened tomorrow morning (your time). 

[TerryQ]

Okay, I tried the first approach using the command net user xxxxxx /add, and something happened, but it also inferred that there might have been an error.

So then I did the second line, and it acted like that worked.

So I shut the computer down, rebooted,  and it came up with the original named account (Joann), without the new one (mabel).   

After logging into the only visible account (Joann), it just went back to the black screen.

Should I try the other method of getting to a command line, or retry what I just did to see if I can make "mabel" stick?

Terry