# Solved: black screen with white unblinking underscore



## enigmadragon (Aug 4, 2011)

Hello,

A few days ago I made a clean wipe on my Toshiba laptop, and installed Windows 7 Home Premium x86 as my OS. After installing the OS on my laptop, I proceeded to let windows update check for automatic updates and install them. After installing some updates, I clicked to have my computer reboot. After rebooting it showed the Toshiba screen with the F2, F12 options but after that it goes straight to a black screen with a white underscore. I pressed the power button to turn off then back on my computer and proceeded to press first F2 but it went back to the black screen with a white underscore, then restarted again pressing F12 went to the black screen again, restarted one more time pressing F8 for safe mode but nothing works. I've looked up on Google what to do, but couldn't find a defendant answer.

I hope someone can help me.


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## enigmadragon (Aug 4, 2011)

Could someone please help me with my situation.


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## techmonkey74 (Aug 4, 2011)

Have you tried to repair using the WIndows 7 Disc? Since you just loaded the WIN 7 OS you can always just try to reinstall the entire OS. You probably do not have nay person files on the computer yet so you got nothing to lose.


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## enigmadragon (Aug 4, 2011)

I burned the iso image onto a dvd disc, put in my dvd drive and restarted my computer. The yellow light was flashing meaning it was reading the disc, but it still went to the black screen again.


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## techmonkey74 (Aug 4, 2011)

Is this a full version legal Win 7 retail disk? Where did you burn the iso from?


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## enigmadragon (Aug 4, 2011)

Yes, it's a legal version. I've used it twice before. The ISO is on a Western Digital 60GB portable HDD.


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## techmonkey74 (Aug 4, 2011)

Did you try a complete reinstall?


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## enigmadragon (Aug 4, 2011)

From the disc or from the portable HDD? I tried to reinstall from the disc, it didn't work. I haven't tried the portable HDD yet. I can't get to the "Setup Utility" option, or the "Boot Manager" option, I also can't boot into safe mode. That's why I signed up in this forum, so I could find out if it can be fixed or if I need to buy a new laptop computer.


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## techmonkey74 (Aug 4, 2011)

Yeah I meant from the disk. Might be a corrupt directory but that does not fix the problem. you can try the HDD but doubt it will work. IF you can get the disk to work, make sure you have it set to boot from disk(DVD) in BIOs then I don't have any other ideas myself.


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## parttimetechie (Jun 19, 2009)

Do you have your BIOS set up to boot from the CD drive? Probably an F2 option then look under boot order or boot devices


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## enigmadragon (Aug 4, 2011)

Is there another way to get into BIOS other then pressing F2? Because I already tried holding F2 and it still goes to the black screen.


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## jrbuergel (Jan 17, 2004)

To enter your system BIOS just tap the F2 key quickly, no need to hold it down. You should be able to boot to the DVD disk by just press your enter key several times quickly early on during boot up.


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## enigmadragon (Aug 4, 2011)

jrbuergel said:


> To enter your system BIOS just tap the F2 key quickly, no need to hold it down. You should be able to boot to the DVD disk by just press your enter key several times quickly early on during boot up.


Can't do either one. This is very frustrating!!!!


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## parttimetechie (Jun 19, 2009)

Well, maybe it is not F2 then. What does the splash screen say is the "BIOS" entry button? Tap that button like crazy until you get into the bios setup page


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## enigmadragon (Aug 4, 2011)

The splash screen says it's the F2 button.


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## kris141087 (Jul 7, 2011)

What model of Toshiba laptop do you have?


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## enigmadragon (Aug 4, 2011)

Satellite L305-S5944


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## parttimetechie (Jun 19, 2009)

When you button mash F2 do you hear a clicking sound each time the button is pressed?


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## Mark1956 (May 7, 2011)

Sounds to me as if your boot sector somehow got corrupted during the installation.

Try this method:
you can rebuild the BCD store by using the Bootrec.exe tool in the Windows Recovery Environment. To do this, follow these steps: - Get your Windows 7 installation DVD and put it into your drive.
- Then restart your computer.
- Press a key when you are prompted.
- Select a language, a time, a currency, and a keyboard or another input method, and then click Next
- Click Repair your computer
- Click the operating system that you want to repair, and then click Next
- In the System Recovery Options dialog box, click Command Prompt
- Type bootrec /rebuildbcd and then press ENTER
&#8226; If Bootrec runs successfully, it will present you with the installation path of a Windows directory. To add the entry to the BCD store, type Yes . A confirmation message appears that indicates the entry was added successfully.
&#8226; If Bootrec cannot locate any missing Windows installations, you must remove the BCD store, and then you must re-create it. To do this, type the following commands in the order shown below: (Remember to press ENTER after each command)
bcdedit /export C:\BCD_Backup
ren c:\boot\bcd bcd.old
bootrec /rebuildbcd
- Restart the computer.


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## enigmadragon (Aug 4, 2011)

parttimetechie said:


> When you button mash F2 do you hear a clicking sound each time the button is pressed?


I hear no clicking sound at all.



Mark1956 said:


> Sounds to me as if your boot sector somehow got corrupted during the installation.
> 
> Try this method:
> you can rebuild the BCD store by using the Bootrec.exe tool in the Windows Recovery Environment. To do this, follow these steps: - Get your Windows 7 installation DVD and put it into your drive.
> ...


Which key do I press? I don't have a manufactured disc copy of windows 7. I bought it over the internet, so I have an ISO which I burned to a disc.


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## parttimetechie (Jun 19, 2009)

It will be dependent upon your computer. You will need to first set it in the BIOS..probably F2 or F12


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## enigmadragon (Aug 4, 2011)

parttimetechie said:


> It will be dependent upon your computer. You will need to first set it in the BIOS..probably F2 or F12


I doesn't mater which F key or any button for that matter, nothing seems to work. I've pressed F2, F12, F8, Enter, nothing works. Is there any other way to get into the BIOS settings?


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## parttimetechie (Jun 19, 2009)

No, you need to tap the apropriate key until you get into the bios, do not press it once, do not hold it, tap it and tap it and tap it until you see results.


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## enigmadragon (Aug 4, 2011)

parttimetechie said:


> No, you need to tap the apropriate key until you get into the bios, do not press it once, do not hold it, tap it and tap it and tap it until you see results.


Ok I started my computer and taped F2 for twenty min. still have black screen. I think I'm SOL with my laptop.


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## parttimetechie (Jun 19, 2009)

Very probable. Not sure what else to tel you man


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## Mark1956 (May 7, 2011)

> Which key do I press? I don't have a manufactured disc copy of windows 7. I bought it over the internet, so I have an ISO which I burned to a disc.


My instructions should work fine from a burned copy of Windows 7.

When it prompts you to press a key, any key will do.

If you put the disc in and reboot does it boot from the disc?

Were you having any problems with the PC before you did the clean install of Windows 7 if so please describe the symptoms.

When you have been trying to use the F2 or F12 keys are you starting to tap the key from the same second that the POST screen appears? If not you may be trying to tap the key when it is too late.


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## enigmadragon (Aug 4, 2011)

Mark1956 said:


> My instructions should work fine from a burned copy of Windows 7.
> 
> When it prompts you to press a key, any key will do.
> 
> ...


No it doesn't boot from the disc. My laptop is reading the disc it just doesn't boot from it.

I had malware on my laptop before I did the clean install.

Immediately after I press the power button, I'm tapping the F2 or F12 key repeatedly.


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## enigmadragon (Aug 4, 2011)

Bump


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## Mark1956 (May 7, 2011)

No need to bump, any person who has contributed to this thread gets email notifications whenever a new post is added to the thread. Helpers will answer when they have time.

I want to go back to something you said earlier in this thread that you have already used the burned copy of Windows 7 on two occassions. Does this mean you have already installed it with the purchased licence key on another PC?


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## enigmadragon (Aug 4, 2011)

Mark1956 said:


> No need to bump, any person who has contributed to this thread gets email notifications whenever a new post is added to the thread. Helpers will answer when they have time.
> 
> I want to go back to something you said earlier in this thread that you have already used the burned copy of Windows 7 on two occassions. Does this mean you have already installed it with the purchased licence key on another PC?


I only bumped so anyone could take a look at this thread and contribute. Not just the ones who have already contributed. Not everyone gets email notifications whenever a new post is added to the thread. I have turned them off for my account because they were flooding my email provider with not only new posts to this thread, but others I have contributed.

I have been using Win7 for almost 2 yrs. now. In that time I've had to wipe my laptop with a clean install twice because of malware. That's what I meant, my copy of Win7 is genuine and has worked before.


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## Mark1956 (May 7, 2011)

Ok, see what happens if you try this, then report back with any messages that appear on screen.

You must disconnect from the power supply and remove the battery first. Then remove the hard drive from the laptop. This will be held in place by just three or four screws from underneath or it may be concealed by one of the removable covers on the base of the laptop. Make sure you have earthed yourself to kill any static electricity before touching the drive.

Reconnect the power and the battery.

Then try to boot the PC and see what appears on screen, don't hit any keys.

Follow this by inserting the Windows disc into the CD drive, see if the installation process tries to start, cancel it and then reboot. Report what you see.


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## enigmadragon (Aug 4, 2011)

Mark1956 said:


> Ok, see what happens if you try this, then report back with any messages that appear on screen.
> 
> You must disconnect from the power supply and remove the battery first. Then remove the hard drive from the laptop. This will be held in place by just three or four screws from underneath or it may be concealed by one of the removable covers on the base of the laptop. Make sure you have earthed yourself to kill any static electricity before touching the drive.
> 
> ...


OK, I will work on this as soon as I get home. I am currently at a community library, doing some job research.


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## enigmadragon (Aug 4, 2011)

Mark1956 said:


> Ok, see what happens if you try this, then report back with any messages that appear on screen.
> 
> You must disconnect from the power supply and remove the battery first. Then remove the hard drive from the laptop. This will be held in place by just three or four screws from underneath or it may be concealed by one of the removable covers on the base of the laptop. Make sure you have earthed yourself to kill any static electricity before touching the drive.
> 
> ...


I removed my HDD from my laptop, reconnected the battery and plug. The instillation disk was already in my laptop before I removed the HDD. Started my computer and it first showed the splash screen, then went to the black screen but this time the underscore was blinking. Then it began reading the installation disc and went to the install Win7 screen.

Should I put my HDD back into my laptop and see what happens then?


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## Mark1956 (May 7, 2011)

That's an encouraging result but I also wanted you to try and boot the PC without anything in the CD drive, try it and tell me what appears on screen.


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