I turned on an older Windows PC that had been unused for a while. After signing in, it displayed "Preparing Windows" for several minutes, then finished on a black screen with only the mouse cursor visible. Restarting the computer and resetting the graphics driver did not help. Task Manager opens, but it initially shows no running apps, and clicking "More details" makes the window disappear. I can't find any way to launch File Explorer, so what should I try, and what is likely causing this?
3 Answers
After several unsuccessful startup attempts, Windows should enter its recovery environment. From there, try Startup Repair or System Restore if a restore point is available. You may also be able to roll back the recent update.
This may have happened because an update or the Windows shell failed during startup. Leave the computer running for a while in case Windows is still completing the update, then try restarting it again.
If Task Manager opens, click File, choose “Run new task,” type `explorer.exe`, and press Enter. That manually starts the Windows shell, which may bring back the desktop and taskbar.
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