Vista Black Screen w/ Cursor - Safe Mode WORKS

[goombawaho]

Hi. I posted a similar thread to this one recently, with the difference being that Safe Mode would NOT work. Here's the deal:

Vista won't boot to desktop in regular mode, however it will boot to the desktop in Safe Mode. I get to the login screen and type in the password and nothings happens. It just stops with a black screen and a mouse cursor. If I kill the already running explorer.exe process in task manager and start a new one - boom, I get to the desktop. Here's what I've tried:


System Restore to two different restore points about a week apar - no change.

Malware scan with MalwareByte's Anti-malaware in safe mode - clean.

SFC /scannow

Tried booting to command prompt and running CHKDSK /F - no major problems indicated

Tried Vista Startup repair (shows no problems)



Tried these - not the issue:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\Shell\explorer.exe
there's nothing else in there EXCEPT explorer.exe

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/946532

Service pack 1 was already installed for two months before the problem started


Modify the following key value per the instructions below:
Key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\RpcSs
Value Name: ObjectName
Old Value: LocalSystem
New Value: NT AUTHORITY\NetworkService


This is really making me angry - there has to be a fix other than reload Vista!!!!!!!!!

 

[linney]

The major difference between Safe Mode and something like the following diagnosis troubleshooting article is that Safe Mode will not load drivers. Try MsConfig (from Safe Mode) and then attempt Normal Mode after the restart. See if you can get it to boot successfully. If you end up disabling everything and it still wont boot start looking for a dodgy driver.

310560 - How to Troubleshoot By Using the Msconfig Utility in Windows XP (or Vista)

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;310560&FR=1&PA=1&SD=HSCH

How to troubleshoot a problem by performing a clean boot in Windows Vista

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx/kb/929135

HOW TO: Verify Unsigned Device Drivers in Windows XP (or Vista)

http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q308/5/14.asp

Another thing you can perhaps try via Safe Mode is creating a new user and see if he suffers the same problems?

Have you tried the Last Known Configuration option too?

 

[goombawaho]

I basically have nothing starting up at all now - using Autoruns.

One thing I forgot to mention. Every time I kill explorer, launch explorer and get to the desktop, I see the final bit of the installation of Kodak software. The "give us your e-mail request" prompt.

Is it possible that the windows installer is damaged and is preventing the launch of explorer due to pending installation "finalizations"?

 

[goombawaho]

I got to the desktop without having to kill explorer after disabling just about everything in Autoruns (from safe mode) But..... I can't run any programs. It just sits there - no spike in memory utilization and no spike in process utilization and my program (process explorer, autoruns, etc.) will not start - even invoking from task manager.

The hard drive light is not lit at all. It's like Vista is in a coma if you're not in safe mode. In safe mode - everything works and responds normally.

I'm baffled.

 

[sggaunt]

Have you check the state of the device manager in safe mode?
See if anything is flagged as a problem device?
As Linney says safe mode is just windows without the third party device drivers.
And if you disable too many start up process, you will hobble windows.



Steve: N.M.N.F.
If something is popular, it must be wrong: Mark Twain

 

[goombawaho]

I gave up - ran Factory Restoration from HP Partition.

Nothing wrong in DevMan by the way.

I don't like Vista much - second laptop I've seen with these "unfixable" black screen issues. And I busted my hump trying everything I could.

XP I could always fix - it was just a question of whether it would be QUICKER to do a reload or fight the fight to get it working.

Thanks for the help - case closed but not solved.