Changed the SATA mode on HDD, Windows won't start up properly(cursor on black background)

Miau Frito · Sep 5, 2014

Update below ??
So I had an SSD caching my HDD but one day my PSU failed which caused my PC to enter an infinite reboot loop which in turn locked it from booting at all because of that safety feature(there is a safety feature, right?)
After replacing the PSU, I cleared the CMOS for my PC to be able to boot.
I logged in and windows warned me that it had to shut down to finish some updates. Before doing that, I remembered that clearing the CMOS might have disabled SSD caching so just to be safe I opened the Intel Rapid Storage Technology program and disabled and re-enabled the HDD cache. After rebooting, I remembered that I had to change the SATA mode on the HDD to RAID for the cache to work, so I went into the BIOS and did so. [strike]I saved the changes and rebooted which caused a BSoD half-way through the Windows logo. I went back to the BIOS and changed the HDD back to AHCI and I still got the BSoD on the Windows logo. Tried RAID again and the same happened.
I know you're not supposed to just change SATA modes like that but I though I should have reverted back to RAID since that's how I installed Windows
What could I do to resolve the issue?[/strike]

UPDATE:
After running startup repair and a chkdsk I was finally able to get through the Windows logo, however, I still can't get to the login screen instead seeing only my cursor in a black background
I will create a new thread since this problem seems to have derived from a different origin

drtweak · Sep 7, 2014

do you know what error code you are getting on the BSOD?

Miau Frito · Sep 7, 2014

drtweak :

I wrote it down the first time I got it:

0x00000024 (0x0000000000190494, 0xFFFFFA800D52D8F0, 0xFFFFFFFFC0000102, 0x0000000000000000)

|A800D| Might be A8600 or A8000 or A860D

drtweak · Sep 7, 2014

Ah! Yea stop 24 is a NTFS Error. 99% of the time you run a chkdsk on the drive and that will fix your problems.

I would start up the PC, keep pressing F8 to get the advanced boot menu. Then select Startup Recovery. The recovery might just do a check disk for ya. If not once it does its normal stuff choose adavanced options and then open up a command prompt and run a

chkdsk c: /f

and then reboot. If you can't get there then you would need some kind of bootable disk that gives you access to a command prompt and also access to the drives.

Miau Frito · Sep 8, 2014

drtweak :

I just did the Startup Recovery, after reboot I got a different STOP code: 0x0000007B (0xFFFFF880009A97E8, 0xFFFFFFFFC0000034, 0x0000000000000000, 0x0000000000000000)

I have now opened a command prompt and entered "chkdsk c: /f"

The chkdsk has finished, what am I looking for? It says on the last line "An error occurred in the transfer of registry messages to the event registry with status 50" (bad translation from portuguese)

After reboot I got the same error code 0x0000007B

drtweak · Sep 8, 2014

Hmmm...don't know why it is now 7B which is SATA Controller Driver missing/corrupt. Try changing the setting from RAID back to AHCI or even IDE if you have it (IDE Would be best for the time being)

Also that STATUS 50 stuff ignore. When you normally run a CHKDSK in windows it saves the log to the windows Registry and also the event logs. Because you were in Startup Recovery you don't have access to that so its just saying hey it completed but couldn't save the log of what it ifxed.

And for the CHKDSK above the "Summary" part it should say if it Found and Fixed errors or found no errors. But try changing it back to AHCI or IDE and see if you can get it to start up. Sounds like something for corrupt during this power outtage thing.

Miau Frito · Sep 8, 2014

drtweak :

I had it in AHCI already so I changed it to IDE and the bluescreen still occurred, then I tried RAID and I finally got through the Windows logo - but now all I see is my cursor on a black background... and apparently I can't turn off the PC by pressing the power button... I had to hold it down

I rebooted and the same thing happened, cursor alone in the vastness of space

I guess I should mention that I had earlier deactivated caching on a menu accessible through a keyboard shortcut "Ctrl+I" which can be pressed before the motherboard logo shows up and only with RAID mode enabled.
Could it be that I'm still trying to load something from the SSD?

It also shows me that both the HDD and SSD are "non-RAID drives" before the motherboard's logo although I'm not exactly sure what was displayed there before

drtweak · Sep 8, 2014

Yea not 100% with the whole Casheing part but maybe try disconnecting the SSD all together?

Miau Frito · Sep 8, 2014

drtweak :

Same thing: cursor is forever alone(meme not intended)

drtweak · Sep 8, 2014

lmao. Hmm. Have you tried booting into safe mode? This will help tell us if its a windows problem or another software that is causing the issue.

Miau Frito · Sep 9, 2014

drtweak :

It was loading all the Windows files and then I think it got stuck on something
Guess what happened next? The same black screen except with a bigger, lower resolution cursor

drtweak · Sep 9, 2014

Hahahaha sorry just the way you said that was funny.

Hmmm. Maybe try running CHKDSK one more time. I know windows startup issues can be a pain.

Miau Frito · Sep 9, 2014

drtweak :

Ran it again, didn't work
Is it time to start thinking about re-installing Windows?

Miau Frito · Sep 12, 2014

I also ran a chkdsk c: /r which took a very long time and also had no effect.
I appreciate the help getting rid of the blue screen but I think I'll create a new thread for the current problem since they seem to be unrelated(and you were the only one who replied)

EDIT: Here's the new thread: http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/answers/id-2296260/win7-black-screen-cursor-boot-login.html

drtweak · Sep 13, 2014

Try one other thing. When you get the black screen with the cursor try pressing

ctrl+alt+del

see if you get a task manager? If you do big the new task button and type in explorer.exe

Miau Frito · Sep 14, 2014

drtweak :

That didn't work either, I had tried it before
I've begun re-installing Windows
Thanks for the help

drtweak · Sep 15, 2014

Yea start-up issues can be the worst. Sorry couldn't help ya out man!

Changed the SATA mode on HDD, Windows won't start up properly(cursor on black background)

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