Video malfunction, Windows Black Screen

[Lucrece]

CPU: Intel Core i5-2500K 3.3GHz Quad-Core Processor
Motherboard: ASRock Z77 Pro3 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard
Memory: Mushkin Blackline 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory
Hard Drive: Samsung Spinpoint F3 500GB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive
Video Card: HIS HD Radeon 7850
Case: NZXT Source 210 Elite (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case
Power Supply: OCZ 600W ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer

Windows 7 64 bit OS

I got help to build this computer in these fora 2 years ago for GW2. I also played WoW. Recently, while playing WoW I started having screen glitches, and my screen while in WoW got stuck in brown/small yellow bars.

I had to hard restart the computer, and now am stuck with a black screen every time after "Windows Starting". I've done several disk checks and it keeps prompting me to do a disk check after windows start. After the disk check is done, I don't see anything removed. Sometimes at the end it just says "volume is clean" and I stay at the black screen.

Is my hard drive screwed, or is it my video card? Are the operating system files corrupted? Is it a malfunctioning OS?

I'd try to do a clean install but I worry it will be a waste of time, it's not even giving me the option to enter safe mode after it boots, it goes straight from starting windows to disk check, and i can slam any keyboard keys and it won't skip the disk check.

Maybe it's just a virus, because some days before Norton started removing stuff several times, also removing something called "accelsys.dll" , saying "SONAR has removed...."

Really crappy time for my computer to go die, just as I start school this week =/. I don't want to get scammed by TigerDirect or some other places where I might take my computer for repairs, be it because they want to sell me new pieces or something else.

[Stellarus]

Sounds like you need a new HDD. The hard drive failed.

[Deleted]

Can you boot to safemode?

It should show a menu to select it after a few failed startups.

Might as well try reinstaling Windows if nothing else works. Saves wasting money on a new drive if its just Norton or some other bug broke the install.

[Lucrece]

I'm waiting for the disk check to finish before I can enter safe mode again.

[Realist Phill]

Does your motherboard have an onboard GFX card? If so, you can pulll out your current GFX card and stick the monitor in the onboard one and see if that makes any difference.

Or if you have another GFX sitting around? could try that aswell to see if its the GFX card at fault. If its not the GFX though, its most likely your HDD thats dead.

[Cyrops]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but options for safemode etc. should come before 'windows starting'?

[Lucrece]

Yes, I'm able to enter safe mode. I'll try Realist's suggestion, hoping that if anything's not functioning, at least it's the HDD which is a fraction of what the video card is worth....

For what it's worth, I did test trying a Windows 7 custom install over the other one and it seemed to be allowing me and showing me the disk partitions to choose before I cancelled the installation attempt. Start up repair did nothing though.

[Cyrops]

Yes, I'm able to enter safe mode. I'll try Realist's suggestion, hoping that if anything's not functioning, at least it's the HDD which is a fraction of what the video card is worth....

For what it's worth, I did test trying a Windows 7 custom install over the other one and it seemed to be allowing me and showing me the disk partitions to choose before I cancelled the installation attempt. Start up repair did nothing though.

when you get into safe mod try running sfc /scannow in command prompt

If your anti virus started deleting .dll files it might help.

[Deleted]

Is there any error logs in Event Viewer when in safemode?

Sounds like Norton blew up the install either deleting srs malware or driver files.

Back things up in safemode you need and fresh install.

[Lucrece]

Have not tried the scan now, but just tried Realist's card test, and with the motherboard the log in screen displays and my pc functions, so it may be the worst case scenario about my graphics card. fortunately I bought the card 4-24-2012 and the website says it's a 2 year warranty, but before I deal with a company based in Hong Kong, I will check the scan now suggestion and then a clean install of Windows 7 if that does not fix it.

EDIT: Tried scan now, says "Windows Resource protection could not start the repair service". i simply built the computer so I admit I'm not the most computer literate guy, just made a PC for gaming. I do wonder why it says system 32 when I operate a 64-bit? I'll try a clean reinstall.

Also, I assume that because i deleted all disk partitions during the clean reinstall, I will need to use my motherboard's and video card driver installation cd's again, correct?

- - - Updated - - -

Yeah, did a clean install, everything went okay, until the video drivers were installed. Installed with AMD Catalyst, and by the end the installation said there was an error and after the pc restarted I was back again to that damned black screen.

I already dread having to deal with the video card company (HIS Sapphire) since I see they are based in Hong Kong and the customer support is e-mail tickets, no phone lines...