Laptop Won't Load Desktop, Black Screen

Hi there, I need some help, please. Randomly, out of nowhere, my laptop stopped working. It is a Lenovo IdeadPad Flex, Model Name (on the bottom) says 81SQ.

I can boot the laptop up with no problem, and I get the first screen where you enter in your pin/password. The problem is after I enter the password, I have a completely black screen. It won't load to my desktop at all. On that black screen, I can do Alt+Ctrl+Del to get those options for task manager, sign out, etc. If I click task manager, nothing happens - back to black screen. All I can do is sign out and shut off the computer. I tried to figure out how to boot in safe mode to see if that would help, but I have no idea how. Can you help me, please? Is my laptop toast?

 

Assuming that you are running Windows 11:

1. At the Sign-in Screen, click the Power button
2. Hold down Shift as you click Restart

This should get you the Windows Recovery Environment, where you can find a number of options to work with.

(This was taken almost verbatim from Microsoft Press' Windows 11 Inside Out, pg. 561 © 2023. If something has changed, I am unaware of it.)

Hope it helps.

 

Hi there,

Thank you! I did try searching and hadn't found that. That did give me another screen, but I have no idea what to do to try to fix the computer.

The options are:
Continue (exit and continue to Windows 11)
Use a device
Troubleshoot (Reset your PC or see advanced options)
Turn off your PC

I did click Troubleshoot to see what it had there. The options are:
Reset this PC
Advanced Options

Under Advanced Options, it has
Startup Repair
Startup Settings
Command Prompt
Uninstall updates
UEFI Firmware Settings
System Restore

I did try startup repair, but that didn't fix it. It's still the same issue.

 

Assuming that there's a saved restore point on the machine, you could try System Restore.

Did this happen after an update, perhaps 24H2? If so, look at Uninstall Updates, and see if you can remove it.

Failing these, and depending on if there's any irreplaceable data on the machine or not, you could use Reset This PC, which should reset the entire thing back to its factory state.

 

I looked but it says there's no restore point, unfortunately.

I'm honestly not sure. I hadn't used it in a few days, when I opened it up to use it, it wasn't working. I don't know if it did an update while I wasn't using it.

I tried uninstalling updates. There's two options: Uninstall latest quality update and uninstall latest feature update

I tried the quality update first, and it says "We ran into a problem and won't be able to uninstall the latest quality update of Windows."

I tried the feature one next, and it says the same thing and says to try resetting my PC instead.

Is there any option other than losing all my information? I definitely have things on there I'd like to not lose and, unfortunately, didn't back up.

 

This does sound similar to what folks were discussing in another forum: 24H2 has managed to cause some people endless grief.

Perhaps someone else here can weigh-in on this, but I'd be considering taking it to a shop and seeing what they might have to say.

Sorry I couldn't offer a solution.

 

Unfortunately, with no saved restore points, and the fact you have tried everything but reset, that may be your only thing left to try for a DIY'r. If you have information you want to save, you can try booting up with something like Hiren’s BootCD and transfer your info onto a portable drive.
https://www.majorgeeks.com/files/details/hirens_bootcd.html

 

Thank you both, I appreciate you trying to help me out with this. I'll look at Hiren's BootCD to see if it's something I can do/figure out.

 

No desktop, when you C-A-D, select Task Manager, then File> New Task and type in explorer & enter.
Now what is it doing? If you get the desktop try running the usual - SFC, DISM repair..

 

Ok so this is new! Before, when I did C-A-D, task manager - it just took me back to the black screen.
Now, I can actually SEE the task manager!
I don't have file but I do see "Run a new task" at the top. I clicked that ,typed explorer, enter. Nothing happens.

 

If you end up having to reset Windows, you might be able to remove the drive from your laptop, install it as a secondary drive in a working machine and extract your data. Put the drive back in your machine and do the reset routine.

I do not know if this is possible, being unfamiliar with your machine, but I used this method to rescue data from problem drives...albeit many years ago.

 

Ok, try CMD instead of explorer, then try repairing it..

Yeah, what OS was this running before it crashed?

 

I just went to do this and it is now randomly loading my desktop. Do you think it's ok? Should I do anything?

 

try repairing it.. what OS is it? try SFC (system file checker) or DISM repair - depending on if the OS supports its - try Googling the commands.

 

Hi, sorry I disappeared for so long. Things got hectic with holidays.

Ok so, the laptop worked a little while. I shut it down to take it with me. Tried to turn it on and it's back to the same issue. No desktop, but I CAN pull up task manager. I did
Task Manager
Run a New Task
CMD

I got the CMD windows prompt. What do I do now?

OS is Windows, I think it's 11.

 

Anyone able to help?

 

If you had at some point set the computer to suspend or hibernate, the following might help:

https://pcsupport.lenovo.com/us/en/...lex-series/flex-14iwl/81sq/solutions/ht508747

If there are requirements for you to be using this particular notebook, and time is a factor, you could always try contacting a local repair shop...rather than continue waiting for help here. While many of us try to be of as much assistance as we can, we can't (or at least I can't) spend all our time here. There will always be times when it's best to just bite the bullet and take it somewhere.

 

Thanks, I haven't ever set it to suspend or hibernate.
I completely understand that everyone is likely busy and won't be here all the time. It's why I replied again just to see if someone might be able to help. I'm on disability so I can't take it to a shop. I appreciate anyone willing/able to help. I guess if nothing else, I don't have a laptop anymore, unfortunately. It happens.

 

It's too soon to give up. I'm fairly certain that someone else will come along eventually and be able to help, far more than I am able to. In the meantime, I will continue nosing around to see what I can find that might be helpful. It won't be tonight, probably, as I've got to get a start on my tax forms, but I will check back as I can.

 

Hopefully so, and thank you, I really appreciate it. Good luck on the tax forms!

 

Thank you. Please enjoy the rest of your evening.

 

If you can open a CMD window again, try typing in "SFC /scannow" (without the quotes). This will only work if you were able to open the command prompt as an administrator.

Please let me know the results.

 

Sorry for the delay, I didn't get the usual email that there was a reply. Ok, it is randomly working again so I'm able to open CMD as administrator. I did the scan since I don't want it to stop working again.

It says:
"Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files and successfully repaired them. For online repairs, details are included in the CBD log file located at windir\Logs\CBS\CBS.log. For offline repairs, details are included in the log file provided by the /OFFLOGFILE flag."

Since it's working for the time being, I was able to get the log file. I attached it here.

 

So, System File Checker found and repaired corrupted Windows files. Does the machine appear to be working more consistently afterward?

 

I'm not sure yet. It just started working last night when I went to run the scan. I can try turning it off and on to see if it works properly.

 

So I tried rebooting it to see if it still works... it doesn't. I have the black desktop again. I call pull up task manager, though I wouldn't be able to pull up anything as administrator (at least, I don't think so or wouldn't know how).

 

In Task Manager, click on 'Run new task'. Type 'explorer' in the box that comes up, and check the 'Create this task with administrative privileges' box; a File Explorer window should open. In the menu bar, click on the three horizontal dots; select 'Properties': a Windows Settings window should open. Even though it opens to 'System', select 'System' at the left. Scroll down and select 'Recovery'.

You could try the 'Fix problems without resetting your PC' option first, but I wouldn't bother. Go down and select 'Reset this PC'. Select 'Keep my files'. This should give you a nice, new, squeaky-clean installation of Windows 11 (24H2, if your hardware supports it) and keep all of your personal files. There are no guarantees, however, and you will have to reinstall any apps/programs that you use.

If this doesn't do the trick for you, I don't know what will. Please let me know how you make out.

 

I tried 'Run a New Task' and typing 'Explorer' with the 'Create this task with administrative privileges' box checked, but nothing happens. It doesn't pull anything up.

 

Just to eliminate the possibility, please try again, typing 'explorer.exe' this time.

 

I just tried it with explorer.exe and it doesn't do anything.

 

At this point, I would go back to posts 2 & 3 in this thread. When you get to Troubleshoot, you have an option to 'Reset this PC'. Click on that, and you will be given the option to either keep or remove your personal files while reinstalling Windows.

This was the route I had to go after a botched attempt to install the update for Windows 11 24H2, and it should take care of this problem.

Please let me know how you make out.