Windows 10 Accounts - Taskbar Issues and Black Screen with Mouse Cursor

[writhziden]

I have experienced the black screen with mouse cursor issue on occasion. On my laptop PC, it is usually after installing a video driver while also running applications that require the display device to continue working (Windows Update thought updating the display driver at that time was a good idea; it was not a good idea). On my desktop PC, my entire user account is magnafoozled when I login. I have tried the workaround of restarting explorer.exe, but that just starts a second instance of explorer.exe without fixing my problem with the desktop. Ending task with explorer.exe and restarting it also still leaves me with a black screen and mouse cursor.

Additionally, on that same desktop machine, my fiancé's user account loses start menu and search functionality. A repair install of Windows 10 fixes the issues temporarily. My fiancé's account is usually fine for several weeks before the start menu and search feature again go on the fritz. My user account will come up after the repair install, but it immediately has issues with the start menu and search feature. Upon restarting, my user account is back to the black screen and mouse cursor. I have already tried creating two new user accounts, and then manually fixing the corrupted one by transferring my files to a new one.

I had to do a clean install of Windows 10 on my fiancé's laptop due to her system becoming very slow and task bar items being completely unresponsive, including opening the File Explorer through the taskbar. Something did not go well with her Windows 7 to Windows 10 upgrade.


I have a laptop that works flawlessly with a Windows 8.1 to 10 upgrade, so I know Windows 10 doesn't always have issues. The desktop was also a Windows 8.1 to Windows 10 upgrade, so the issues with that machine have me puzzled.


Has anyone else encountered any of the above? Any solutions beyond doing a clean install of Windows 10?

 

[Digerati]

I intermittently have a similar problem with my Toshiba notebook. But typically, all I have to do is press the space bar, and the notebook comes out of whatever sad state it was in and takes me to the log in screen - though it may take 3 or 4 minutes to get there. Rarely, it does not come out of that state but a reboot has always worked then.

But most of the time, it boots or wakes out of sleep mode in just a few seconds as expected. I hate intermittent problems. I have found no permanent solution. However, running sfc /scannow then dism /online /cleanup-image /restorehealth/ then sfc /scannow one more time resulted in the problem recurring 1 in every 15 or so boot/wake cycles compared to 1 in every 3 or 4.

For your PC, do you use a local account or a MS account? I have seen several users have similar problems when using a MS account. I use a local account.

Sorry I am not of more help.

 

[Corrine]

Hi, Mike.

Could it be an incompatible AMD Radeon (or other) driver? See #1 only in this article published today: Windows 10 : Black Screen With Cursor Issue. In the event that (or another incompatible driver) is the problem, I suggest running wushowhide.diagcab from How to temporarily prevent a Windows or driver update from reinstalling in Windows 10 to hide the update from reinstalling.

You may also want to change the driver update setting: Go to Control Panel > Devices and Printers > right-click PC > select Device Installation Settings > Toggle "Never install driver software from Windows Update" & check "Automatically get device app and info provided by device manufacturer."

 

[Tekno Venus]

Additionally, on that same desktop machine, my fiancé's user account loses start menu and search functionality. A repair install of Windows 10 fixes the issues temporarily. My fiancé's account is usually fine for several weeks before the start menu and search feature again go on the fritz. My user account will come up after the repair install, but it immediately has issues with the start menu and search feature. Upon restarting, my user account is back to the black screen and mouse cursor. I have already tried creating two new user accounts, and then manually fixing the corrupted one by transferring my files to a new one.

Highly doubt this, but you're not on a domain are you?

This is caused by a corrupt profile, as you have figured. There doesn't seem to be a resolution at the moment. The most common cause for this occurring is when deploying an image using sysprep, but you're obviously not doing this.

Are you running the RTM build or an insider preview (10565)?

I am highly hoping this will be fixed in the upcoming "Threshold 2" update...

Sorry I can't be more help

 

[writhziden]

I intermittently have a similar problem with my Toshiba notebook. But typically, all I have to do is press the space bar, and the notebook comes out of whatever sad state it was in and takes me to the log in screen - though it may take 3 or 4 minutes to get there. Rarely, it does not come out of that state but a reboot has always worked then.

But most of the time, it boots or wakes out of sleep mode in just a few seconds as expected. I hate intermittent problems. I have found no permanent solution. However, running sfc /scannow then dism /online /cleanup-image /restorehealth/ then sfc /scannow one more time resulted in the problem recurring 1 in every 15 or so boot/wake cycles compared to 1 in every 3 or 4.

For your PC, do you use a local account or a MS account? I have seen several users have similar problems when using a MS account. I use a local account.

Sorry I am not of more help.

It is an MS account, and it is the same MS account I use on my laptop that experiences no repeating issues :huh:. Considering that a repair install of Windows didn't fix it for more than one reboot, I'm not too hopeful of your other suggestions, but I will try them anyway and post back.

Hi, Mike.

Could it be an incompatible AMD Radeon (or other) driver? See #1 only in this article published today: Windows 10 : Black Screen With Cursor Issue. In the event that (or another incompatible driver) is the problem, I suggest running wushowhide.diagcab from How to temporarily prevent a Windows or driver update from reinstalling in Windows 10 to hide the update from reinstalling.

You may also want to change the driver update setting: Go to Control Panel > Devices and Printers > right-click PC > select Device Installation Settings > Toggle "Never install driver software from Windows Update" & check "Automatically get device app and info provided by device manufacturer."

I doubt it would be a driver issue since it is only occurring on one account out of two. I would expect the behavior to happen on multiple accounts if it were a software/operating system glitch.

Highly doubt this, but you're not on a domain are you?

This is caused by a corrupt profile, as you have figured. There doesn't seem to be a resolution at the moment. The most common cause for this occurring is when deploying an image using sysprep, but you're obviously not doing this.

Are you running the RTM build or an insider preview (10565)?

I am highly hoping this will be fixed in the upcoming "Threshold 2" update...

Sorry I can't be more help

Nope, no domain or deployment on this system.

I am using the Windows 10 version I upgraded to (fully updated via Windows Update), so I do not believe it is an Insider Preview. I'm currently running 10240.

 

[writhziden]

"Running sfc /scannow then dism /online /cleanup-image /restorehealth then sfc /scannow" did not work. However, I did find something out. I logged in and walked away from the system for a bit. When I came back, the desktop appeared (~5 mins later) and I could access my apps. The Start and Search options were still nonresponsive, though. I have recreated my user account a third time. We will see if it is more successful after the repair install.