Black screen white pointer

[kayfabian]

I'm trying to fix my laptop which is running Vista. It loads to the black screen with the white arrow on it, but no further. If i wait a very long time it'll eventually bring em to the blue screen. I've tried everything from a recovery disc, safe mode, reloading vista and now finally trying to just install my copy of 7. I have nothing on the laptop so i just want a clean install. I can't even get that now. I put the copy of windows in, boot from the dvd and it eventually brings up the black screen again. Any ideas?

[Pixelkitten]

Don't take my word for it, but if recovery disc, safemode, reinstall, and a new install couldn't fix this, you probably have a hardware error of some kind.

I recommend downloading Hirens boot CD and use the tools on it to find out what the error might be.

 

If someone more acquainted with Vista has another opinion, please reply.

[Jelly Bean]

Are you able to enter BIOS and can you see all your hardware listed?

 

Does it happen in safe mode also?

 

If yes I would sugest setting first boot in BIOS to CD/DVD pop in the FULL install disk save and exit.

 

During the install delete the origonal partition and create a new one so all old data and OS has gone.Then do a full install.

 

Does the machine have a hidden recovery partition you could use and do a full recovery on the machine?

[Dalo Harkin]

The cursor means that the PC is searching for something.

 

Have you set the first boot device to HDD and disabled the rest?

 

Have you made any hardware changes recently?

 

Does the blue screen stay on long enough for you to see the stop message code or what is causing the shutdown.

 

Its most common when an HDD fails/or the file structure does NTFS.SYS

[kayfabian]

From what I'm seeing after giving it more time to load is an "unmountable boot error". Ive downloaded some boot disk, but that still isnt working. Safe mode doesn't work. boot disk doesn't work. Ive downloaded the boot disk from neosmart, and when i put the boot disk in it just sits at a cursor. I can get into bios but thats really it.

[Jelly Bean]

Could you try something for me?

 

Unplug any external adaptors not required for booting such as internet or USB.

 

Enter BIOS and load defaults then set your hard drive to first boot device.Save and exit.

 

Does that get you into windows?

 

You can download a Boot Disk from here:

 

Bootdisk.Com

 

You may need to do a repair install.

 

Are you setting first boot device in BIOS to CD/DVD rom then popping in the disk and save and exit?

[kayfabian]

Could you try something for me?

 

Unplug any external adaptors not required for booting such as internet or USB.

 

Enter BIOS and load defaults then set your hard drive to first boot device.Save and exit.

 

Does that get you into windows?

 

You can download a Boot Disk from here:

 

Bootdisk.Com

 

You may need to do a repair install.

 

Are you setting first boot device in BIOS to CD/DVD rom then popping in the disk and save and exit?

 

It brings me to the windows recovery error screen that then gives me the option to choose safe mode, safe mode with net, start windows normally and last know. Ive tried all of them at least once and and they all result in the same thing "black screen with mouse pointer"

 

what am i looking to download from bootdisk?

[Dalo Harkin]

This normally happens because you have the boot devices set as the MOBO (standard) would see them:-

Floppy (hardly anyone uses these anymore anyway)

CD-ROM

HDD

USB or other

 

what you need to do is set the first one to CD/DVDROM if you are trying to boot any OS disk

 

If you have an OS on a HDD, you 'ideally' need the HDD set as the first boot device and then disable the others...

 

Always remember to SAVE and EXIT the BIOS

 

The windows response for 'unmountable boot error' is here Unmountable Boot Volume

[kayfabian]

This normally happens because you have the boot devices set as the MOBO (standard) would see them:-

Floppy (hardly anyone uses these anymore anyway)

CD-ROM

HDD

USB or other

 

what you need to do is set the first one to CD/DVDROM if you are trying to boot any OS disk

 

If you have an OS on a HDD, you 'ideally' need the HDD set as the first boot device and then disable the others...

 

Always remember to SAVE and EXIT the BIOS

 

The windows response for 'unmountable boot error' is here Unmountable Boot Volume

 

the laptop is currently running Vista, and everything i find is for xp. I have the bios set now for cd/dvd. When I put 7 in OR another copy of vista it still just bring me to the screen. I have no problem formatting the hdd and putting in a clean copy of vista or 7 at this point. Even that it wont let me do. is there a way to format the hdd from the bios?

[Dalo Harkin]

So you go into the BIOS and under the BOOT section, there are listed:-

 

first boot device CD/DVD ROM

second, third, fourth etc are all disabled then you SAVE and EXIT the BIOS and it doesnt even try to load the disk?

[kayfabian]

So you go into the BIOS and under the BOOT section, there are listed:-

 

first boot device CD/DVD ROM

second, third, fourth etc are all disabled then you SAVE and EXIT the BIOS and it doesnt even try to load the disk?

 

yes. When i put in the windows 7 disk or the vista disk, it will load to the splash screen and stay there for about 5 minutes, then go to the white pointer screen. acfter sitting on the white pointer screen for about 10 min it gives em the blue screen with "unmountable vol" and restarts.

[Dalo Harkin]

I would say that the HDD is dead then, if you have it set in the BIOS correctly and havent moved any of the cables in the case.

 

Its not uncommon, how old is the HDD?

[Pixelkitten]

Told you it was a hardware error :D

[Dalo Harkin]

Told you it was a hardware error :D

 

An 'unmountable boot error' is picked up after the POST, if no HDD was detected it wouldnt pass POST :p