pc black screen when booting up

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dodopc

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Nov 19, 2021
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windows 10 pc. when I turn it on I get a white Acer screen, then the windows icon for a few seconds, then a black screen

can't get it into safe mode as I don't know how

the only options I have are when the acer when appears I can click f12 for boot menu or del for setup

boot menu asks if I want to boot from hdd or c drive. clicking either option just sends me to black screen again

no issues with monitor as I've been using it with another pc

watched dozens of YouTube videos and most of them suggest turning it on and off quickly 3 times to get to the safe mode but this doesn't happen for me. occasionally after turning it on and off I'll get "preparing automatic repair" which then goes straight into the fking black fking screen again! then it refuses to turn off no matter how long I hold the off button so the only way to turn it off is to pull the power cord out
 
turning the PC on, then waiting for the Windows splash screen to show, then holding in the power button to force a shut down - doing that 3 or 4 times will force it to go to the ASO (Advanced Startup Options) screen - which happens right after "preparing automatic repair".

since you are getting to that screen, that's going to be a bugger!

using that other Pc, download the Windows Media Creation Tool and use it to make a bootable USB stick with the latest Windows 10 build.
put that stick into the broken PC and use F12 to boot from the stick.

do you have any data on that PC that you want to save - if so, do that first.
 
Bruce said:
turning the PC on, then waiting for the Windows splash screen to show, then holding in the power button to force a shut down - doing that 3 or 4 times will force it to go to the ASO (Advanced Startup Options) screen - which happens right after "preparing automatic repair".

since you are getting to that screen, that's going to be a bugger!

using that other Pc, download the Windows Media Creation Tool and use it to make a bootable USB stick with the latest Windows 10 build.
put that stick into the broken PC and use F12 to boot from the stick.

do you have any data on that PC that you want to save - if so, do that first.
Click to expand...
I'm confused about the last line of that comment about saving data on the PC. yes there is data I want to save but as I've said I can't get onto the PC because of the black screen issue, so I'm massively confused how I'm supposed to save any data off it?
 
Bruce said:
turning the PC on, then waiting for the Windows splash screen to show, then holding in the power button to force a shut down - doing that 3 or 4 times will force it to go to the ASO (Advanced Startup Options) screen - which happens right after "preparing automatic repair".

since you are getting to that screen, that's going to be a bugger!

using that other Pc, download the Windows Media Creation Tool and use it to make a bootable USB stick with the latest Windows 10 build.
put that stick into the broken PC and use F12 to boot from the stick.

do you have any data on that PC that you want to save - if so, do that first.
Click to expand...
Also as I've said, restarting it 3 times didn't get me into any different start up mode, it just started exactly the same way and continues to go into black screen. I've done this at least ten times and there's no difference apart from like I've said, the recovery mode occasionally kicks in and does again goes straight to black screen
 
dodopc said:
I'm confused about the last line of that comment about saving data on the PC. yes there is data I want to save but as I've said I can't get onto the PC because of the black screen issue, so I'm massively confused how I'm supposed to save any data off it?
Click to expand...
You will need an external usb drive to copy your data to and a usb thumb drive to make a bootable Linux distro.
You have to have the external drive connected when you use the Linux usb.

Do you have any data you need to get off this computer? If yes then make a ubuntu bootable usb or dvd
https://ubuntu.com/tutorials/create-a-usb-stick-on-windows#1-overview NO install needed

Or here is a Youtube on how to make the usb

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Copy your data to an external drive or another computer/nas.

Insert the usb or cd/dvd and boot your system. You may have to change bios settings to boot from the usb or cd/dvd(every computer is different) We can help with this.

If you are copying to another usb drive plug it in before booting.

When the computer boots choose TRY UBUNTU and let the system boot.

When booted look on the left-hand side of the screen and click on Files icon
1680072666038.png



Then click on Other Locations
1680072683735.png



Click on your drive for example Win 7
1680072705754.png



Click on Users Icon

Click on your name listed under users

You should now see your data e.g Documents Pictures etc.

Copy your data to an external drive or another computer/nas.

When finished Click on the shutdown icon in the top right-hand corner Click on Power Off
dodopc said:
I don't know any of the specs never mind complete specs
Click to expand...
All Acer computers come with an SNID number. Post that number.
If you cannot locate the SNID number post the serial number.
 
as Peter has touched on, I'd do it by taking out the drive, putting it into an external caddy then plugging all that into another PC to extract your data.

once you have your files backed up, you can nuke your PC from space - that is, clean install from the above-mentioned USB stick.
 
PeterOz said:
It can be up to 5 times and it is also a timing thing. Most people have trouble with this.
Click to expand...
yes and as I've said I've done it at least ten times and it doesn't do it. is there any ideas on the timing of it or am I supposed to guess?
 
Bruce said:
as Peter has touched on, I'd do it by taking out the drive, putting it into an external caddy then plugging all that into another PC to extract your data.

once you have your files backed up, you can nuke your PC from space - that is, clean install from the above-mentioned USB stick.
Click to expand...
the hdd has windows installed on it so are you sure just putting it into a caddy and connecting it to another PC is going to give me access to the data on the drive? I really can't see how it's going to be that easy, will my 2nd pc even be able to read what's on the hdd?

Also is this the only way to get access to this pc? I don't want to be spending money on a caddy and dismantling the PC when I have no experience doing this, with no guarantee it will even work. surely there's a way just to access safe mode on the PC??
 
PeterOz said:
You will need an external usb drive to copy your data to and a usb thumb drive to make a bootable Linux distro.
You have to have the external drive connected when you use the Linux usb.

Do you have any data you need to get off this computer? If yes then make a ubuntu bootable usb or dvd
https://ubuntu.com/tutorials/create-a-usb-stick-on-windows#1-overview NO install needed

Or here is a Youtube on how to make the usb

To view this content we will need your consent to set third party cookies.
For more detailed information, see our cookies page.

Copy your data to an external drive or another computer/nas.

Insert the usb or cd/dvd and boot your system. You may have to change bios settings to boot from the usb or cd/dvd(every computer is different) We can help with this.

If you are copying to another usb drive plug it in before booting.

When the computer boots choose TRY UBUNTU and let the system boot.

When booted look on the left-hand side of the screen and click on Files icon
View attachment 11760


Then click on Other Locations
View attachment 11761


Click on your drive for example Win 7
View attachment 11762


Click on Users Icon

Click on your name listed under users

You should now see your data e.g Documents Pictures etc.

Copy your data to an external drive or another computer/nas.

When finished Click on the shutdown icon in the top right-hand corner Click on Power Off

All Acer computers come with an SNID number. Post that number.
If you cannot locate the SNID number post the serial number.
Click to expand...

I can't make this ubuntu thing as I have no means to do this. I'm posting comments using my phone as currently this is the only device I own that can get on the internet.
the two pcs I own
pc 1 - won't connect to the Internet. possibly a router issue but it won't connect to the Internet at all. I have an ongoing thread on these forums which I'm getting nowhere with

pc 2 - stuck in black screen mode upon startup. the one time I've managed to get it to start, the Internet was not working on it, exactly the same issue as pc 1.
 
if the drive is readable, then whacking it in a $25 caddy will give you full access to your docs, pics, music, etc.
yes - it really is that easy. on the drive you'll see a Users folder, and within that will be all the users who have logged onto that PC. each user has their own Docs, Pics, Downloads, Desktop, etc folders.

if you have no experience, or confidence, or feel you are out of your depth, that is perfectly understandable. it's not about blindly charging forward, but when to know when to put your hands up!

my logic is to a) get your data squared away first, then we can boldly move on to b) whatever shape that may take. :)
 
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