# my hp computer starts up right but goes to a blank blue screen



## jinx867 (Jun 29, 2010)

my hp computer starts up right but goes to a blank blue screen but i can still see the mouse and it runs on windows vista. what can i do?:sigh:


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## reventon (Oct 16, 2009)

What happens when you press *Ctrl + Shift + Esc* ?


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## genetics_jo (Jul 16, 2010)

jinx867 said:


> my hp computer starts up right but goes to a blank blue screen but i can still see the mouse and it runs on windows vista. what can i do?:sigh:


Any help for this problem? My wife's computer just started doing this. She runs Vista Home premium on an HP laptop. We can boot into safe mode and everything seems to work in this mode. I ran the "sfc /scannow" command prompt in Administrator mode and no problems came up.

The one question I had was she has windows Liveone care on it and this of course was discontinued by windows just recently (within the last week). Could this be the problem? I've tried deleting this while in "Safe Mode" but the computer won't allow me to.

I didn't think I should start a new thread as this title seems to fit exactly what we are battling.


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## reventon (Oct 16, 2009)

Hi,

Boot into Safe Mode with networking.

Download this Windows Live OneCare removal tool to your desktop.

http://download.microsoft.com/download/4/c/b/4cb845e7-1076-437b-852a-7842a8ab13c8/OneCareCleanUp.exe

Then right-click on it and select run as administrator.

Remove any traces of the AV still on your system.

Reboot, and if you get to the desktop normally install Microsoft Security Essentials instead: http://www.microsoft.com/security_essentials/


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## genetics_jo (Jul 16, 2010)

Thanks for the suggestion. I just tried that (downloaded liveone care remover) and unfortunately, when I tried booting into Vista regularly, I came up with the same blank blue screen (with mouse pointer). I _can_ do CTRL ALT DEL and get the task manager to load up. 

Would love to get this thing solved without re-loading Vista. My buddy suggested Ubunto but my wife would not appreciate that


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## reventon (Oct 16, 2009)

> I can do CTRL ALT DEL and get the task manager to load up.


Boot back into it. Get the Task Manager up.

Go to *File* -> *New Task (Run)*

Type *explorer.exe* press enter.

If that works then it makes the rest of the troubleshooting much easier.


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## genetics_jo (Jul 16, 2010)

reventon said:


> Boot back into it. Get the Task Manager up.
> 
> Go to *File* -> *New Task (Run)*
> 
> ...


OK...I'll try that and get back to you. Thanks!!


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## genetics_jo (Jul 16, 2010)

I tried what you suggested but nothing happened. Still have empty blue screen.


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## genetics_jo (Jul 16, 2010)

OK...this is weird! While trying to boot normally...still getting the blank blue screen after logging in...I performed <CTRL> <ALT> <DEL> and pulled up the task manager. I clicked on processes and then on a lark clicked on "explorer.exe" and clicked "end process". Low and behold, once I did that, the computer loaded up a bunch of procresses (like normal) and my screen went to the normal bkgrnd with icons and with a workable START button on lower left hand side.

Does this give any more hints as to what might be the problem? Is my explorer.exe warped?


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## reventon (Oct 16, 2009)

Save this program to the desktop: http://live.sysinternals.com/autoruns.exe

Right-click on it -> Select run-as-admin.

Go through and un-tick the boxes beside as many 3rd party start up programs as you can. (So, any program that you *know* is not crucial to the system start-up).

Then restart and see if it loads normally.

If it does load normally, then simply re-enable one of the start up programs and restart again, then see if it loads normally. Repeat this step until you find the program at fault.


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## genetics_jo (Jul 16, 2010)

Reventon,
First off, thanks for your suggestion and link!! I wanted to back-up all my wifes important docs and pictures before beginning...as well as having a family day at the county fair . Now I'm back in the thick of it with her computer.

I have a quick question. I'm working on my wifes computer using the program you provided the link for. I cannot run it in "normal mode" as administrator...even after I've done the little trick of stopping "explorer.exe" using the task manager (it never opens up...just hangs after clicking on it). So, I've been running it in "safe mode" as administrator.

My question is more of one of reassurance. How does this program work? Once I click on the processes that I want to not load up, does the program change the command programs on my wifes computer so that the processes that I clicked off are not loaded up? If so, what do I need to do to ensure that the program will actually do what it's supposed to do? In other words, do I have to "save" what I have just unclicked in the program and if so, what directory should I save it?

Should I leave the program open when I hit "restart"?

Just a bit unsure that anything I've done with the program has actually done anything with her computer's command lines.

Cheers!


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## genetics_jo (Jul 16, 2010)

Bumping up...


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## reventon (Oct 16, 2009)

> My question is more of one of reassurance. How does this program work? Once I click on the processes that I want to not load up, does the program change the command programs on my wifes computer so that the processes that I clicked off are not loaded up? If so, what do I need to do to ensure that the program will actually do what it's supposed to do? In other words, do I have to "save" what I have just unclicked in the program and if so, what directory should I save it?
> 
> Should I leave the program open when I hit "restart"?
> 
> Just a bit unsure that anything I've done with the program has actually done anything with her computer's command lines.


Once you untick the boxes in Autoruns the unticked programs will not launch on the next re-boot - you do not have to save anything. You can close the program once you have made your changes.

In case you are wondering, Autoruns is a Microsoft endorsed application (see here: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/bb963902.aspx )

In Autoruns, go to *Options* -> *Hide Microsoft and Windows Entries*

Then, press F5 to reload the page. Once reloaded, if you want to you can save the page (*File*->*Save*) for me to have a look at (so I can tell you what is most likely the cause.. as if your system is like mine there are about 120 non-MS entries)

Regards


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## genetics_jo (Jul 16, 2010)

reventon said:


> Once you untick the boxes in Autoruns the unticked programs will not launch on the next re-boot - you do not have to save anything. You can close the program once you have made your changes.
> 
> In case you are wondering, Autoruns is a Microsoft endorsed application (see here: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/bb963902.aspx )
> 
> ...


OK. Thanks! Will get back to you later today. I wasn't worried about autoruns doing something bad to my wifes computer...just concerned that I was missing a vital step to make "autoruns" actually do what it was supposed to do. 

Cheers!


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## genetics_jo (Jul 16, 2010)

reventon said:


> Once you untick the boxes in Autoruns the unticked programs will not launch on the next re-boot - you do not have to save anything. You can close the program once you have made your changes.
> 
> In case you are wondering, Autoruns is a Microsoft endorsed application (see here: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/bb963902.aspx )
> 
> ...


Reventon,
I did what you suggested...hiding all the MS and windows load-ups and unchecked almost everything else. I'll attach the autoruns file to this message as a zip file (it was too big to attach otherwise). When I rebooted after unchecking almost all of the 3rd party modules, low and behold it booted right into Vista!! Woo hooooo 

Now comes the hard part and I would definitely appreciate any suggestions you can think of to start with on backtracking. 

Cheers!


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## reventon (Oct 16, 2009)

Hi,

To start with, on the same Autoruns Window as before (with non-MS entries) select the *Drivers* tab and re-enable everything listed in the driver tab. Then reboot and test.

If your system can still boot then the next thing to enable is everything under the heading *HKLM\Software\Classes\CLSID\{083863F1-70DE-11d0-BD40-00A0C911CE86**\Instance*

Then next enable everything under heading *HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Print\Monitors*

Then anything that mentions *Yahoo* in the name (Yahoo messenger and it's associated drivers)

Then everything under the following headings:

*HKLM\SOFTWARE\Classes\Protocols\Handler*

*HKLM\Software\Classes\*\ShellEx\ContextMenuHandlers*

*HKLM\Software\Classes\Folder\Shellex\ColumnHandlers*​
Next: Anything that mentions *Open Office*

By now you may have noticed that I have left everything related to HP off the list. This is because I think that their start up programs are most likely where your problem lies.

If your system can still boot once you have enabled all those things then upload the new *Autoruns* file so I can see what is left.


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## genetics_jo (Jul 16, 2010)

Reventon,
I got really ambitious last night and weeded through all the programs and pinpointed the "launcher" file from Soft Thinks as being the culprit for making the login hang. Now with that pinpointed, I can boot normally into Vista BUT cannot pull up a Control Panel (just gives a blank box without anything in it--if I click on the box it tells me it isn't responding). Also, networking doesn't work as well as a number of things. So, I went back and disabled all the Hewlett Packard stuff like you said and I'm still having the same problem. One other thing...I kept all the files for MS LiveCare One (that no longer works) disabled since the program isn't on my computer anymore either. I'll attach what I have from autoruns.

Is the reason nothing really works in normal mode because the "autoruns" program is still sorta controlling the system? Once we've pinpointed what's wrong, do I need to delete the program and re-boot?

One other thing...I tried loading up an antivirus program from a CD and the CD would not automatically load up. It's like I have a computer but I can't run any programs on it???


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## genetics_jo (Jul 16, 2010)

bumping up


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## reventon (Oct 16, 2009)

Hi,



> Is the reason nothing really works in normal mode because the "autoruns" program is still sorta controlling the system? Once we've pinpointed what's wrong, do I need to delete the program and re-boot?


You do not need to delete everything, just enable everything *but* the Soft Thinks Launcher and reboot.

Here is some good info about the Soft Thinks program: http://www.vistax64.com/vista-general/142718-what-windir-sminst-launcher-exe.html#post1053156

It does not appear to be "mission critical" to me.



> One other thing...I tried loading up an antivirus program from a CD and the CD would not automatically load up. It's like I have a computer but I can't run any programs on it???


This is probably due to the still disabled drivers/services in Autoruns. Test it again once you have enabled everything but that Soft Thinks launcher.

Regards,
Reventon


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