Windows 10 to temporarily lock up during boot

[DeannaPoe]

I have a Pavillion DV7T-6000 laptop running Windows 10 64-bit.  When I boot up the laptop, I get the window pane graphic and the swirling dots.  A few seconds after that shows up, the screen goes black for 30 to 45 seconds, then the window pane graphic and swirling dots returns.  It completes the boot sequence and I am able to use the laptop.

What could be causing the blank screen during the Windows 10 boot up sequence?

[WAWood]

@DeannaPoe 

Ff your PC boot process does not get beyond the swirling dots, this could be an indication that the hard drive is failing -- as it then would not be able to find or load the Windows boot files.

If your PC is new enough to support UEFI, you can use these steps to test the hard drive: http://support.hp.com/us-en/document/c00439024

If not, to check the drive you have to follow these steps:
1) Press Esc key repeatedly, several times a second, while rebooting the laptop. Do NOT hold the key down, just press it over and over.
2) Eventually, you will see an HP Startup Menu.
3) press the Function key for testing the hard drive (usually F2) and let it run.

Please report back the test results.

[DeannaInIdaho]

Mr Wood, this is Deanna's husband.  I ran the tests you mentioned above, including the Memory Test, and both HDD and Memory Tests returned 0 errors.  But I just want to make sure the issue is clearly stated.  When she boots up, she sees the Windows graphic and the swirling dots.  About 15 seconds into that, the screen goes black for about 30 seconds, then the swirling dots reappear and it completes the boot up process.

So the boot process in Windows is hanging up for 30 seconds or so and during that time the screen is blank.

Thanks,

Marshall

[WAWood]

@DeannaInIdaho 

the blank screen time is most likely when Windows is loading all the boot stuff, including all the apps and drivers that are set to be loaded by default.

You can check this out to some degree by starting in Safe mode and seeing if you have the same problem -- as that will not load apps or drivers, and should be a lot quicker.

Here is how to get into safe mode in Win10:  https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/12376/windows-10-start-your-pc-in-safe-mode

[DeannaInIdaho]

Okay, starting in Safe Mode the laptop boots normally, with no delay or black screen.