Some Windows 7 users have reported a problem with the operating system that they were experiencing after installing the latest Microsoft security update on November 25 although there are some incidents where this problem seems to have been reported earlier than that. What happens is that the operating system will display a black desktop after startup with no options to interact with the operating system at this point.
Microsoft is currently investigating the issue. Good news though for users who have been experiencing the black screen of death after a Windows 7 update. Security company Prevx have released a fix for the issue. They do state that it will fix the most common cause for the issue which means that it will most likely fix the problem for most users but not for all.
Here are the instructions courtesy of Windows 7 News:
To fix the Black Screen of Death Windows 7 issue:
1. Restart your PC
2. Logon and wait for the black screen to appear
3. Make sure your PC should be able to connect to the internet (black screen does not appear to affect this)
4. Press the CTRL, ALT and DEL keys simultaneously
5. When prompted, Click Start Task Manager
6. In Task Manager Click on the Application Tab
7. Next Click New Task
8. Now enter the command: ”C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\iexplore.exe” “http://info.prevx.com/download.asp?GRAB=BLACKSCREENFIX”Note this command assumes that you are using internet explorer as your browser, if not substitute your browser path and file details for those of iexplore.exe or use the Browser option of Task manager to locate it.
9. Click OK and your browser should start up and begin the download process
10. When prompted for the download Click run, the black screen fix program will download and run to automatically fix the issue.
11. Now restart your PC and the black screen problem will hopefully be gone.
The Prevx blog goes into more detail of the causes of the black screen of death:
By the way – the cause of this recent crop of Black Screen appears to be a change in the Windows Operating Systems lock down of registry keys. This change has the effect of invalidating several key registry entries if they are updated without consideration of the new ACL rules being applied. For reference the rule change does not appear to have been publicised adequately, if at all, with the recent Windows updates.
In researching this issue we have identified at least 10 different scenarios which will trigger the same black screen conditions. These appear to have been around for years now. But our advice is try our tool first. If it works great. If it doesn’t you are no worse off.
Users who are not able to fix the issue with this procedure might have to wait for an official fix issued by Microsoft.
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Wow! So much for the “easiest Windows yet” rhetoric. I don’t remember anything like this with Vista. So, Win 7 is still in beta and unless you’re a sadist you should wait a couple more months before up/downgrading. Then again, XP is the best MS product yet and that’s where I’ll be for years to come.
You do not? The 1.5 million entries for vista bsod speak a different language :P http://www.google.com/search?ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&sourceid=navclient&gfns=1&q=windows+vista+bsod
Martin, there is a huge difference between BSOD (blue) and black screen of death.
Well then look at http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&source=hp&q=windows+vista+black+screen+of+death&aq=f&oq=&aqi=g2g-m1
Windows 7 is apparently not the first operating system that experienced that. Oh, and Computerworld reports that the Black Screen of Death is not only affecting Windows 7 systems but also other Windows operating systems.
http://blogs.computerworld.com/15170/black_screen_of_death_fix_for_windows_xp_vista_7
seeing i am running out of time i want to post this. I have tried everything to stop the black screen. But i turned off the following windows services windows internet explorer, xps services and xps viewer and it now just flickers between log on and desk top no problems. But i still have issues at initial start up. I believe there is an issue with internet explorer. But what the hell do i know really.
My main issue was with Windows 7 when i started up my pc it was a black screen, but powered off the monitor and wallah i had log on screen,after logging on then it went black again, so i turned off my monitor again and re-powered it and it went to the desk top. After that no problems.
But all the forums i have visited i have tried their ideas and no joy.
Mention of Prevx already starts to ring a bell and not a good one.
And situation exploded in their face as it should.
http://blogs.zdnet.com/Bott/?p=1575
blue screen
i installed windows 7 on my computer but when i turn it on i get a black screen with no cursor.
I’ve been having a mild version of the black screen for a while. My screen would go black with cursor after login. I could log out and then log back in and the desktop would appear normally.
I tried all the fixes from all the forums with updating display drivers, the Prevx shell fix above, the display switch bat file, and others. Nothing helped.
I eventually I got lucky and noticed I had a RunOnce process in task manager that kept coming back. If I used TaskMgr to kill that process while at the black screen, my desktop would appear. I eventually did a Find in the Registry for all RunOnce keys and found a lingering one with an entry for “wextract_cleanup0″. I deleted that key and my system is finally back to normal. That file is apparently legit but I have no idea what install left it behind.
Windows 7 Ultimate, 64-bit
Two week of reading solutions that didn’t work and finally I found out how to fix the Windows 7 Black Screen – when I logged on I had no icons and no task manager available.
My Solution:
1. Get to the black screen in windows 7
2. Press SHIFT five times rapidly so that the disability box shows
3. Select: Go to the Ease of Acces Centre
4. Browse My Computer > C: > Windows : explorer.exe (desktop appears)
5. Download MalwareBytes from here http://www.malwarebytes.org/
6. Install and run it
7. Let it scan and remove all infections it finds
8. Reboot
That should be it – if your PC had the same issue mine did, and nothing else seems to fix it, give this solution a go. It worked like a charm for me.
I’m just glad I didn’t give in a re-install WIndows 7, which seemed the only solution after I had tried all the other ‘solutions’ out there.
Hi,
I to was having this problem on a Dell Lat D830. Downloaded the ISO from Microsoft website and burned to CD. I could login fine with the local account but when I added it to a windows domain I got the black screen when I logged in using a network account… Tried various fixes all to no availe… We have 4 other laptops with the same spec they work fine..
So After reinstalling again and still having the same problem I used an other DVD (different ISO) and All worked fine and has been for few weeks now…. Strange one
Hope this helps
Thanks
This is a bad solution… if you are experiencing the following error, you can actually do the following… if it is after doing a force restart.
1. Check your DVD Drive if there is a cd inserted in it, or if there is a flash drive connected to the computer.
or there is not…
1. Restart the computer and then Go to safe mode.
2. Once already booted on the safe mode, right click on computer–> Manage–> go to device manager.
3. Locate network adaptor then uninstall it..
4. restart your computer and hopefully black screen will be gone..