Black screen on XP startup

[Preka]

It's actually XP home, but this looked like the closest I was going to get.

My understanding is that this began immediately after some software was installed (user isn't sure exactly what, I think an image viewer of some kind).

System makes it through POST fine and loads windows. The green progress bar appears, and after that, nothing.

The power button is mapped to hibernate, and pressing that does appropriately put the machine into hibernate mode (and displays the hibernate progress bar while doing so).

Safe mode starts fine. I've tried using system restore to roll back to a previous date with no success. I haven't seen anything especially noteworthy in the event viewer.

Any ideas?

 

[lhuegele]

Could be a graphics setting issue. I've seen this before with some other application installs.

In Safe mode, adjust the video settings to their lowest and then reboot to see if that helps.

If not, try uninstalling the new application from Safe mode to see if that helps.

Good luck.

 

[Preka]

I've managed to decipher that when they said they had 'installed' something, they had really just been pulling a picture off of a camera phone over USB. I tried dropping the graphics settings, but no luck.

Tried going into msconfig and switching to diagnostic startup - still no dice.

I'm just about out of ideas here.

 

[AcquisitiveOne]

I had a very similiar issue once where Windows XP Home would never pass the Windows XP Logo w/ the green progress bar. It would infinitely scroll the progress bar but would never load the desktop. I too could boot it into safe mode and didnt notice any obvious problem. I fixed it by unplugging all the USB devices connected to the computer and then rebooting it. It booted up right away and quickly progressed past the Windows XP logo splash screen.

Acquisitive - 1. Characterized by a strong desire to gain and possess. 2. Tending to acquire and retain ideas or information

 

[linney]

I too would try "AcquisitiveOne's" suggestion.

If that fails to fix the problem consider this fact. Safe Mode is similar to a clean boot: they both disable non-essential programs and services. Safe Mode also disables non-essential drivers. Therefor if it boots in Safe Mode but not MsConfig's diagnostic startup, it might indicate a driver problem?

HOW TO: Verify Unsigned Device Drivers in Windows XP

http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q308/5/14.asp