No Windows GUI after the Windows logo/loading animation.

G

Gishank

Bright Spark
So I was playing M&B: Warband (M&M Mod) happily, at which point I decided to ALT-TAB/Minimize, usually this works just fine however this time it didn't - I simply recieved a black screen though I could hear the sound of the game still and people speaking on Ventrilo so I attempted ALT-TAB, Windows Key, CTRL+ALT+ESC, CTRL+ALT+DEL to no avail, nothing worked - I even blindly mashed random keys in hope. I was talking on Vent, telling my fellow komrades that I'll have to restart my PC during which the sound died and I could no longer hear anything or transmit over Vent.

So naturally, I hard restarted. My PC rebooted and went through the normal notions - BIOS, Random BIOS error due to having XSATA port on my case, Windows Loading screen... Now after the windows loading screen I simply get a black screen, I hear the welcome sound play however, I could even type my password and hit enter and hear the logon sound after... I then restarted again thinking this was a random bug after checking my DVI cable, same thing.

I'm presently typing this from Windows' Safe Mode.


Things I've tried to fix it;

1) Did a system restore, apparently Windows updated itself this morning but hadn't yet restarted till I hard-restarted it to yesterday. Didn't help.
2) Tried reinstalling drivers seeming as Safe Mode uses the Microsoft basic VGA drivers it could be the issue, however I've had these installed since their release so I see no reason really why it would cause an issue. Didn't help.
3) Attempted to do a 'system repair' from within Windows' repair thingymajig from the hard-disk, no errors detected.
4) Currently doing a Virus scan just incase, nothing so far.

Now, I must also note I can't try a system repair from the disc as I do not possess a Windows 7 Ultimate disc and I would really love a way to fix this *without* reinstalling Windows.
 
C

Craig

Silver Level Poster
you should try running the western digital diagnostics for your HDD, it could possible be a problem with that.
would need the hardware id for the hdd though to find the correct diagnostics (only would need the one with bootmgr on)
this also might be a problem with gfx, but not too sure. hdd sounds more likely.
 
Rakk

Rakk

The Awesome
Moderator
To me it sounds remarkably similar to when one of my graphics cards died last year, my screens went blank, but I could still hear stuff going on in the background, so it could be that.
 
G

Gishank

Bright Spark
If the GPU died, then I don't see how I would be able to type this? Given my motherboard has no onboard GPU as I should've stated prior.
 
Sleinous

Sleinous

Author Level
It could be the display output is damaged but the gpu is fine, in which case u could boot up normally without a screen. VGA is odd, no idea how, but, even when a gpu is dead u can still get a display through vga :/
 
Rakk

Rakk

The Awesome
Moderator
When my card was dying, I could load into windows but as soon as I tried to do anything that required the graphics card to do anything too complex (like starting up a game), the whole lot went blank again, so it could theoretically be that, though dunno (note, after a few tries it did completely die and wouldn't work at all).
 
G

Gishank

Bright Spark
As stated, I see the BIOS screen & the windows loading screen, I can also access Safe Mode which I am currently using so it can not be a hardware issue. D=

EDIT;
@Rakk;
I've experienced no issues with my GPU before and I really fail to see how something hardware related graphically would specifically target a certain aspect of Windows, seeming as the only graphical difference between Safe Mode and Windows 7 itself is Aero.
 
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Sleinous

Sleinous

Author Level
Yes it can be. Safe mode uses vga adapter which works regardless. Two of my gtx 470s have died previously but i can ALWAYS see a display in safe mode
 
G

Gishank

Bright Spark
Yes, but as such it still requires an onboard GPU to be able to display an image?... Else I don't see how it can work.

Anyhow, this thread can safely be ignored - after a reinstall I discovered that for some odd reason, the top resolution that my monitor uses (1680 x 1050) appears to no longer be supported (provides a black dead screen) for some odd reason. So I don't know wether that's my GPU playing up, my monitor playing up. Bah!
 
Sleinous

Sleinous

Author Level
No idea how it works, cpu emulating some low res image? special vga chip? no clue, all i can say is it works without an onboard gpu as u can see im using an asus r3 mobo - no onboard gpu
 
Gorman

Gorman

Author Level
Gishank said:
seeming as the only graphical difference between Safe Mode and Windows 7 itself is Aero.
Click to expand...

For clarity, the difference is that safemode is windows without any drivers loaded and some services disabled.

Generally if something works in safemode and not in windows proper, its a software / driver issue.
 
Sleinous

Sleinous

Author Level
Gorman said:
For clarity, the difference is that safemode is windows without any drivers loaded and some services disabled.

Generally if something works in safemode and not in windows proper, its a software / driver issue.
Click to expand...

Generally but not always as we found out with my GPU :p

On a side-note, how is it now? Behaving 100% again?
 
Gorman

Gorman

Author Level
Yes generally. The exception proves the rule.

And i suspect your issue was software all along with a few carbon based errors.
 
Gorman

Gorman

Author Level
Computer components are built with silicon.

The carbon component of a computer is you.

Wheres my polarbear facepalm pic when i need it.
 
Sleinous

Sleinous

Author Level
I stole it. Nope, no carbon error, the new GPU worked straighta way with no new driver and same Windows installation. Sorry to disappoint but the facepalm will have to wait sir ;)
 
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