I recently attempted to reinstall Windows 11 on a brand-new 2TB SSD using a USB installation drive. However, after restarting my computer, I was faced with a frustrating black screen displaying a static text cursor in the corner—no BIOS or manufacturer logo appeared, and pressing keys like Del and F12 didn't seem to work. I couldn't even access the BIOS! This machine was working fine just a day ago. I had only deleted the old Windows installation from my previous SSD. Now I'm worried that my motherboard might have failed for no reason. Can anyone help me figure out what might be causing this issue and how I can resolve it?
2 Answers
Hey, I had a similar situation before. The root cause might have been that you left a USB device plugged in that your BIOS was trying to read. Recently, I had a USB headset adapter plugged in, and it caused my system not to boot properly. Try disconnecting any USB devices except for your keyboard and see if that helps.
Glad you figured it out! Sometimes these little things just drive us mad.
It’s possible that the key to access the BIOS might be different. Instead of Del or F12, try pressing Esc, F2, or F10 when the computer boots up. Sometimes it varies by motherboard. Also, make sure your keyboard is properly connected and try different USB ports if that’s an option.
Good call! I’ve had different motherboards that required different keys to enter the BIOS. Just keep trying those other keys at startup.
I’ve tried other combinations and nothing seems to be working—it just goes right back to that black screen.
That's exactly what happened! I found out it was my headset's USB transceiver in the firmware update slot that caused the issue. Once I took it out, my computer booted up normally. Thanks for the tip, though!