when vista opens black screen with only pointed and documents fold

[Guest]

When I start up my brand new HP laptop with vista home premium, the scrren is
black with the mouse pointer active and the documents folder open. If I go
to settings, I can bring back my background picutre and open some programs,
but there is no taskbar or start menu. I have tried almost evertyhting and
even got it running normal once, but with reboot the problem is back.

help please

thanks

 

[Carey Frisch [MVP]]

Right-click on the Desktop and select Personalize > Displaying Settings
and set Colors to 32-bit (highest), adjust the screen resolution and click
Apply.

--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows Shell/User

--------------------------------------------------------------------

"frustrated vista user" <frustrated vista (e-mail address removed)>
wrote in message When I start up my brand new HP laptop with vista home premium, the scrren
is
black with the mouse pointer active and the documents folder open. If I go
to settings, I can bring back my background picutre and open some programs,
but there is no taskbar or start menu. I have tried almost evertyhting and
even got it running normal once, but with reboot the problem is back.

help please

thanks

 

[Guest]

I woke up this morning and discovered the same problem on my HP Pavillion
dv6000. The computer boots but after entering my WIN Vista password I
encounter a blank screen with only my documents folder open. You can not
right click on the desktop. The only way you can get to the display settings
is by navigating through your folders. I did as you recommended and the
problem is still here. Please help.

Thanks.

 

[Chad Harris]

Yo afvu--

I'm going to guess that no Vista DVD was procurred with your HP Pavillion
thanks to MSFT's forcing OEM named partners not to give you one. But maybe
you have one somehow.

Here's what I'd do:

***SFC as a Remedy***:

SFC or System File Checker is a bit like the spare tire in your car or a
backup battery I suppose. In Vista of course, they have changed it somewhat
and come up with a new name--Redmond stands for name it something different
twice a year and now it's part of WRP or Windows Resource Protection. It
scans protected resources including thousands of files, libraries, critical
folders, and essential registry keys, and it replaces those that are
corrupted with intact ones. It fixes a lot of problems in Windows XP, OE,
Windows Vista, Win Mail, IE6, and on Vista or if it is installed on XP, IE7.
It protects these things from changes by any source including
administrators, by keeping a spare of most of them.


How to Run SFC:

Type "cmd" into the Search box above the Start Button>and when cmd comes up
at the top of the Start menu>right click cmd and click "run as Admin" and
when the cmd prompt comes up at the cmd prompt type "sfc /scannow" no quotes
and let it run. This may fix things quite a bit. It replaces corrupt files
with intact ones, if you're not familiar with it.

***Startup Repair from the Vista DVD***

How to Use The Vista DVD to Repair Vista (Startup Repair is misnamed by the
Win RE team and it can be used to fix many Vista components even when you
***can boot to Vista):

http://www.windowsvista.windowsreinstall.com/vistaultimate/repairstartup/index.htm

If you elect to run Startup repair from the Vista DVD (it can fix major
components in Vista--I've verified this many many times; it's good for more
than startup problems, and the Win RE team simply screwed up when they named
it not understanding its full functionality):

Startup Repair will look like this when you put in the Vista DVD:

http://www.vistaclues.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/12/click-repair-your-computer.png

You run the startup repair tool this way (and system restore from here is
also sometimes effective):

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/925810/en-us

How To Run Startup Repair In Vista Ultimate (Multiple Screenshots)
http://www.windowsvista.windowsreinstall.com/vistaultimate/repairstartup/index.htm

It will automatically take you to this on your screen:

http://www.vistaclues.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/12/click-repair-your-computer.png

That will allow you to go to the Vista setup that has a Repair link on
thelower left corner>click it and then you'll see a gray backgrounded list
and I want you to click Startup Repair from it and follow the directions.

The gray screen after you click the first link in the above pic will look
like this:

http://www.windowsreinstall.com/winvista/images/repair/staruprepair/Image17.gif

Click Startup Repair, the link at the top and after it scans>click OK and
let it try to repair Vista. It will tell you if it does, and if it
doesn't, try System Restore from the Recovery Link on the DVD. If these
don't work booting into Safe Mode by tapping the F8 key and using System
Restore from one of the safe modes besides VGA may work. That means you
have the option to try 4 different safe modes to get to system restore, (one
from the Recovery link on the DVD) and sometimes one will work when the
others won't.


You could also try a Repair Install with Vista which is done exactly the
same way as in XP:

***Repair Install Steps*** (can be used for Vista) MVP Doug Knox
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/helpandsupport/learnmore/tips/doug92.mspx


***Using the F8 Environment (Does not require a Vista DVD)***

***Taking Full Advantage of the F8 Options (Windows Advanced Options Menu)
by starting the PC and tapping F8 once per second when the firmware screen
with the pc manufacturer's name shows a few seconds after restarting***:

The F8 options in Vista are the same as XP, and the link for Safe Mode Boot
options is labled XP by MSFT but they are the same for Vista (they haven't
updated to add Vista to the title as they have with several MSKBs that apply
to both).

Again, pressing F8 repeatedly when you seem the firmware screen may be is a
generic way to launch Windows RE on some OEM Vista computers.

You could also:

Think: I have 4 different ways to get back my XP at F8 and try 'em in order.
1) Safe Mode 2) Safe Mode with Cmd to Sys Restore which is simply a cmd
prompt in safe mode 3) Safe Mode with Neworking 4) LKG or Last Known Good
Configuration


Try to F8 to the Windows Adv Options Menu>try 3 safe modes there (I don't
use WGA) and Last Known Good>then I go to Win RE in Vista. That gives you a
choice of Safe Mode, Safe Mode with Networking,and Safe Mode with Command
Prompt.

These methods are outlined in

A description of the Safe Mode Boot options in Windows XP/and Vista
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/315222/

Frequently Asked Questions Regarding System Restore from MSFT:

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/winxppro/plan/faqsrwxp.mspx

System Restore can be run from the Win RE recovery environment from the same
link as Startup Repair, and sometimes it will work from one F8 safe mode
location or from the Win Recovery Environment when it won't work from other
locations.

How to start the System Restore tool at a command prompt in Windows XP

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;304449

Good luck,

CH




"another frustrated Vista user" <another frustrated Vista
(e-mail address removed)> wrote in message

 

[Guest]

Chad,

Thanks for all the tips. System restore and the repair function do not
work. I'd like to run SFC but the problem is that I can't access the command
prompt. Is there another way of accessing it other than through the "Start"
menu. The only thing I can get on the desktop is the "Documents" folder.
Nothing else is there...can't even right click on the desktop. Really
strange.

AFVU

 

[Adam Albright]

Chad,

Thanks for all the tips. System restore and the repair function do not
work. I'd like to run SFC but the problem is that I can't access the command
prompt. Is there another way of accessing it other than through the "Start"
menu. The only thing I can get on the desktop is the "Documents" folder.
Nothing else is there...can't even right click on the desktop. Really
strange.

Try this way instead:

1. Click Start, then All Programs
2. Scroll down until you see the Accessories folder.
3. Click on Command Prompt.

 

[Guest]

Just to clarify. There is no "Start" button/icon in the lower left hand
corner of the screen. There is nothing at all on the screen accept for the
opened "Documents" folder. Nothing else can be opened and once the folder is
closed it cannot be reopened. I am left with a blank screen and the only way
I can shut down is by pulling up Task Manager via ctrl+alt+delete.

 

[Adam Albright]

Just to clarify. There is no "Start" button/icon in the lower left hand
corner of the screen. There is nothing at all on the screen accept for the
opened "Documents" folder. Nothing else can be opened and once the folder is
closed it cannot be reopened. I am left with a blank screen and the only way
I can shut down is by pulling up Task Manager via ctrl+alt+delete.

Try rebooting and sit on the F8 key (repeatedly click it) a few
seconds after BIOS starts but BEFORE you see any sign of Windows
itself so you hopefully can enter safe mode.

 

[Guest]

Mine does this too. What is happening is that vista is not loading windows
explorer on startup. Windows explorer is essential your desktop. Press ctrl
alt del to bring up the task manager. From teh task manager go to file, run
new program, then type some thing like control panel... Once there you can
access the "my computer" do a surch for windows explorer, once you locate the
exe for it, run it and everything will be back. My issue is I have no idea
how to really fix it. So I suggest creating a shortcut to the exe file so
that it is easy to find any time you restart.

 

[DP]

Brand new?
Take it back.
A product you purchase should work. This one doesn't. That's the vendor's or
the manufacturer's problem.
Make them handle it.



"another frustrated Vista user" <another frustrated Vista
(e-mail address removed)> wrote in message

 

[dennis@home]

"another frustrated Vista user"

Just to clarify. There is no "Start" button/icon in the lower left hand
corner of the screen. There is nothing at all on the screen accept for
the
opened "Documents" folder. Nothing else can be opened and once the folder
is
closed it cannot be reopened. I am left with a blank screen and the only
way
I can shut down is by pulling up Task Manager via ctrl+alt+delete.

What happens if you do
ctl-alt-del
start task manager
file > new task
explorer.exe <ok>