Restore keeps going to black screeen with mouse pointer showing?

Question

Hi. I am trying to restore my friends Inspiron 1720 laptop running Vista 32, as it was running slow and also when trying to access the hard drive or DVD, a message kept popping up about Windows explorer has stopped working and then trying again kept coming up with the same message.

I know quite a bit about computers and so I said I would restore it for him as he knows nothing about them.

I changed the drives in the bios to boot from the DVD and used the restore disk, formatted the biggest drive (99.2gb) (3 partitions showing) and let it install.

Everything seemed to be going quite well which takes around an hour shutting down and rebooting ETC, then it get to a screen that says "windows is starting for the first time" this is on on a black screen (like a DOS screen).

Then it comes up with the installation screen again and it is saying "Completing installation" with 3 little dots that count up, so it is doing something and this takes around another hour.

Then it closes down and reboots.

I then have a blank black screen but I can see and move the pointer on the screen but nothing else is happening (on your website it says that you should have the windows screen like I expect it to have).

If I then close and restart the computer, I get the screen with the ' START IN SAFE MODE, START NORMALLY, DOS ETC '

Which ever one I select, it just stays like that until I reboot?

Any suggestions as it is baffling me????

Thank you in advance.

Yours hopefully.

Colin.

osprey4 · Answer

Hi Colin,

It sounds like you're attempting a manual installation of the operating system. That Inspiron 1720 came with a built-in utility to restore the factory hard drive image. This can normally be done in 15-20 minutes. Did you already try this? Or is there some reason you wanted to do things the old fashioned way?

droflas · Answer

Thank you for the quick reply.

He gave me the discs that he had and one was called REINSTALLATION DVD.

I put this into the drive, changed the bios so it would boot from the disc, clicked on INSTALL then left it to do its stuff.

I thought this disc put everything onto the laptop so it was as if he had just started using it for the first time.

Have I done something wrong? and is there a way around it?

I have installed Windows on computers before, but these were ones that I bought for computers that I was building for myself and redoing them when I had a problem which always worked

Cheers

osprey4 · Answer

Well, let's try the easy way first. Restoring Your Computer´s Software to the Factory Settings

droflas · Answer

Hi and thank you again, I feel like I am getting some help now although following your advice as in No1, I have got stuck straight away.

When I start the laptop and press F8 when the logo appears, it comes up with the following

Safe mode
Safe mode with network
Safe mode with command promt

Enable boot logging
Enable low-resolution video (640x480)
Last known good configuration (advanced)
Directory services restore mode
Debugging mode
Disable automatic restart on system failure
Desable driver signature enforcement

Start windows normally

I cannot see the one in your advice 'REPAIR YOUR COMPUTER'

I have also tried this with the CD in the drive, but when it comes up with ' press a key to boot from the CD ' it then tries to boot up the disc becauses I am pressing the F8 key.

Is there something else I should be doing?

Thanks again, it is really appreciated.

Colin.

osprey4 · Answer

It sounds as though the OS restore option is no longer available. So I would suggest you follow the Vista manual reinstallation procedure. Make sure you are using a Dell Vista disc.

droflas · Answer

Hi, the link that the above takes me to is the one that I tried and the result is always the same as the one below which I have written down whilst trying again.

The cd's/DVD's he has are
APPLICATIONS - for reinstalling MediaDirect 3.3
Drivers and utilities - for reinstalling portable computer software
Drivers and utilities - for reinstalling Dell Inspiron computer software

OPERATING SYSTEM - reinstallation DVD windows vista home premium 32bit
(this is the one I have been trying to install).

1, I insert the disc
2, I press space to boot from CD
3, windows is loading files
4, blue background (like curtains)and a window pops up Windows Vista
   Language to install (leave it English)
   Time and currancy format (English United Kingdom)
   Keyboard or input method (United Kingdom)
CLICK NEXT
5, Install Now Button (I click this) (please wait)
6, please read licence terms (I accept)
CLICK NEXT
7, Upgrade or Custom Advance (I select Custom Advance)
8, Disk partitions show
                                                             TOTAL        FREE    TYPE
   Disk 0 Partition 2 Recovery         10Gb         4.5     primary
   Disk 0 partition 3        99.2Gb     42,4    primary
      (this went to 99.2 total 99.1 free after format)
   Disk 0 partition 4                             2.5Gb       1.8Gb logical
9, I select partition 3 (biggest)
CLICK NEXT
10, INSTALLING WINDOWS
    COPYING WINDOWS FILES       (TICK) (took milliseconds)
    EXPANDING FILES (0 TO 100%) (TICK) (took 8 minutes)
    INSTALLING UPDATES           took seconds)
(computer rebooted)
    INSTALLING FEATURES         (TICK) (took milliseconds)
(Black Screen) please wait a moment while windows prepares to start for the first time
(Installing windows pop up window comes back on)
    COMPLETING INSTALLATION . .. ...   this carries on for 43 mins then the screen went black and all I could see was the mouse pointer which I could move about but nothing else happened.
I then waited another 30 minutes and shut the laptop down and rebooted which then come up with the safemode - start windows normally ETC.
clicking on any of these starts the windows scroll bar (microsoft corparation) at the bottom of the screen but nothing else happens.

This is where I am upto now (DOH!).

droflas · Answer

Hi, are you still there? if you don't have an answer could you let me know as I am sat here waiting  for your reply.   Thank you very much. Colin.

droflas · Answer

>>>>>>Please post back and let me know if you need more help.

Osprey<<<<<

Hi Ospray. I have just clicked on your name and it came up with a post you posted today 14/1/11 as I thought you might have been on holiday or something.

I have been sat here waiting for your reply for TWO weeks now thinking you were away.

If you could give me some more advice, I would be very grateful, but if you don't have a clue, could you at least please reply and let me know so I can move on and try something else.

At the end of your replies you put "Please post back and let me know if you need more help".

Which I have done but nothing received.

Thank you.

Colin.

Locked Topics – Laptops General

Restore keeps going to black screeen with mouse pointer showing?

Restoring Your Computer´s Software to the Factory Settings

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