Black screen with text cursor after POST (after Win7 updates install)?

[supaneko]

I'm totally stuck on this one.

I was restoring a computer (Windows 7 HomeP) when it rebooted and now, after the Dell (Inspiron 1720) POST screen, am presented with a flashing cursor against the DOS-like black screen.

I have run full diagnostics and it is NOT a hardware issue. Originally, the PC was assigned to me because it had startup issues. I ran the Dell restore process and was successful. It booted, I didn't encounter any issues, installed WIndows updates, it rebooted, and now I'm stuck.

I CAN NOT access Safe Mode, I do not even get presented with a Windows loading screen or ANY error messages. It's as if there's nothing on the HD (but I am not given an Operating System Not Found or No Media error).

When i use my Windows 7 Restore Disc to try and restore to an earlier restore point, it fails. I haven't tried to do a full reinstall yet because I want to fix this issue (and don't feel like pulling the hard drive to copy the files I backed up).

Any ideas? Any commands I can run from the console? Perhaps I should try the UBCD? I'm totally stuck on this as I have never encountered this issue before.

[supaneko]

I'm going to cry... *LOL*

I finally discovered that the fixboot and fixmbr is changed for Vista and Win7. It can be performed via bootrec.exe /[appropriate command].

Now, I also discovered by running bootsec.exe /scanos that there are "0 Windows installations detected."

Sad because I just restored the PC, installed some updates, and now i'm getting this message.

There must be something I can do without performing a complete reinstall??

[supaneko]

I don't mean to keep posting replies to my own thread but I wanted to keep you all updated and, in-case anyone else encounters this, here's a KB article you can use.

http://forums.techguy.org/windows-7/...tions-0-a.html

I did have to change the last drive letter to D: to correspond with the Windows installation.

NOW... the system won't boot but I at least got past this blinking cursor!

[BDPCR]

check boot.ini and mbr reinstate the settings, you should be good to go.

[TLE]

Originally Posted by BDPCR

check boot.ini and mbr reinstate the settings, you should be good to go.

Windows 7 doesn't have a boot.ini file.

Now, I also discovered by running bootsec.exe /scanos that there are "0 Windows installations detected."

What diagnostics have you performed on the hard drive? Getting back 0 windows installation would ring alarm bells for me.

Have you tried to run the windows start up repair?

I would also back up and remove the old bcd and rebuild a new one rather than trying to repair it.

bcdedit /export C:\BCD_Backup
c:
cd boot
attrib bcd -s -h -r
ren c:\boot\bcd bcd.old
bootrec /RebuildBcd