windows 7 - black screen with blinking cursor

17
2014-02
  • JohnMerlino

    I wanted to downgrade a computer from Windows 8 to Windows 7. When I tried to install using Windows 7 installation disk on boot, and I tried to install on a partition, I would get 

    windows cannot be installed on this disk. 
The selected disk is of the GPT partition style.

    So, based on a tutorial I read online, I booted from the Gparted disk I created, and used Gparted to delete all partitions on the hard drive. Under “Device” I chose Create Partition Table to make a new partition table. I created a NTFS partition.

    The instructions then say 

    Then boot from the Windows install disk and install Windows.

    However, when I try to boot from DVD disk, I just get a black screen with a blinking cursor (if I try to boot from hard drive, it says "no boot device available"). So how can I fix this blinking cursor issue so I could boot from the disk and install Windows 7?

    • Answers
    Know someone who can answer? Share a link to this question via email, Google+, Twitter, or Facebook.

    Related Question

    linux - Can't boot OS from USB drive, showing black screen with blinking cursor
  • Bibo

    I have a problem with booting from a USB flash drive. I have Acer TimelineX 3820TG. I have Windows 7 Home from Acer and I installed Mandriva OS from USB(from USB because this Acer doen't have a DVD drive). It was OK, but I want reinstall Windows 7 and so I did. Now I have Windows 7 Professional and it wrote over Mandriva's GRUB.

    It wasn't a big problem. For a while I was just using Windows 7 but now I am thinking that I need some OS with Linux and I am thinking about Ubuntu. But when I tried to boot from USB with Ubuntu I get a black screen with a blinking cursor after the BIOS POST.

    I was trying many applications to create a bootable USB drive and many versions of Ubuntu (and other Linux distributions), but nothing worked. I tried to Google for answers but I found many problems where all booting goes to black screen but in my problem Windows 7 boots fine from disc but from USB doesn't work.
    Can anyone help me?


    • Related Answers
  • Nathaniel Bannister

    Just to make sure I'm getting the right question:

    • Your computer is an Acer TimelineX 3820TG, which as a mobility unit has no optical drive
    • The computer shipped with Windows 7 Home Premium
    • You wiped it with Mandriva which you installed sucessfully via USB
    • You decided you didn't like Mandriva and reformatted the computer with Windows 7 Professional, also from a USB Key
    • You decided that you'd like to dual boot with Ubuntu/
    • However after multiple attempts to create a USB Install disk, including using the Universal USB Installer, you can't get the machine to go past the blinking cursor

    It sounds like your flash drive may be the issue here and it may need to be re-paritioned.

    Did you try checking the Erase flash drive box in the U-USB Installer?