Windows Flashing Cursor and Keyboard Beeps

Oakdale

Hello

I went to switch on my old laptop yesterday after not using it for a while because of a virus infection, but now find it not starting up at all. It is Windows 7 Home edition. All I get now is a black screen with white flashing cursor.

When I try to boot the recovery disk or press F1, ESC etc the keyboard just beeps and the recovery disk options do not appear on the screen. I have been told the recovery disk might not appear because the Bios is not setup to accept the CD Drive as the main bottable device?

Heelllpppp!!!!!

robmar0se

To answer yr specific question, BIOS needs to have the sequence of boot devices changed so that it looks at the dvd drive first, before checking the hdd. To change the sequence, you need to press either the F2 or Delete keys (some PCs may use another key eg some HP = F10?) to enter BIOS then look for the boot sequence and change as necessary.

However reading yr post, There is something that doesn't add up. When you power up, do you see the BIOS or manufacturer flash screen, or nothing apart from a flashing cursor?

Frequently when things go wrong the system would take you straight to the Safe Mode start up screen, you don't get that. Secondly, if there was an issue with the hdd, it would normally automatically look at the DVD for startup options, and it isn't doing this (possible, but not usual that this isn't set), yr system isn't doing that either. Maybe the recovery disk is corrupt/wrong?

These factors would imply a hardware issue.

The first thing to try is to remove any static, remove battery and power supply, press and hold the start button for 10-15 seconds, then re-attach the power lead only, and try restarting.

If you still get nowhere, then post back, and see what else might be tried - tell us what make /model of lappie too.