Black screen in XP after installing 3120

C

cuddapah

Junior Member
I uninstalled stable version and installed 3120. When I started xp, it started loading and finally showed a black screen in XP. Desktop is not visible. I had to reset the VM, uninstall and install the stable build. Stable build is working fine. Only 3120 shows a black screen. Any having this problem ?
 
I have the same problem... even after restarting my Mac.

I'm using a MacBook Pro 17" Intel Core 2 Duo.

I had this problem with the previous betas as well. I have to use build 1970 for me to be able to see the desktop. I had at one point used build 3036 and was able to use it for a bit, but I can't use that build or any other at this point. : ( I'm real anxious to use the new build darn it. : D


Danny Figueroa
AUDIOMIDIMALL.com
520-690-0095
 
So why is it happening? We had changed the guest video card between betas for some reason. This new video card requires new drivers. The old driver with new video card produces that black screen. The new driver is installed with new Parallels tools

For some reason, Windows sometimes doesn't detect hardware change and still uses that old video card driver. Normally, upon boot, it should understand the video card had changed and use generic video driver until a better one is installed with Parallels Tools. This happens with most upgrades, but sometimes...

So, we need to remove that old driver. This is easily done by uninstalling Parallels Tools in safe mode. Here's what you need to do:

1. Boot into Windows safe mode. To do that, restart (start) the VM and immediately keep pressing F8 repeatedly.
2. Windows prompts to choose the way to boot. Choose the top option - Safe Mode.
3. After booted, browse to Start->Control Panel->Add or Remove Programs.
4. Remove Parallels Tools.
5. Reboot and start Windows normally.
6. Install Parallels Tools again via Actions->Install Parallels Tools... menu.

Best regards,
Tim
 
I have the same problem. I was on a previous beta 30(something) before going to 3120.

I noticed when I booted XP the first time, it asked me to re-install the Parallels tools. During that process, it asked me to choose between 3 Parallels video drivers. I selected the first one in the list.
After finishing and rebooting, I get a small black screen. I am not able to click in the window and have the mouse cursor "locked in" to Parallels.

I shut down my PC, and started back up. At that point, now I have a LARGE black window, but I still cannot click inside the window.
 
I did try to get into Safe mode, but I could never click inside the guest OS get it to allow me to press F8. What I had to do, was wait for the Windows XP logo with the little Cylon bar below, and then press the reset button. That caused XP to bring up the safe mode menu when it rebooted (because the previous boot was interrupted). After un-installing, then re-installing the tools, it works now.

Thanks.
 
shubb said:
I did try to get into Safe mode, but I could never click inside the guest OS get it to allow me to press F8. What I had to do, was wait for the Windows XP logo with the little Cylon bar below, and then press the reset button. That caused XP to bring up the safe mode menu when it rebooted (because the previous boot was interrupted). After un-installing, then re-installing the tools, it works now.

Thanks.
Click to expand...

Interrupting Windows boot is rather dangerous. In the worst case you could damage your filesystem, especially if you're using FAT32 partition. Better wait several minutes to get Windows to finish booting and reset then.

And you don't need to click inside to be able to press F8. In RC, the VM has keyboard when it is in focus. So, just press F8 without clicking inside.

Written for those who are yet to perform the uninstall-install tools process.

Best regards,
Tim
 
I know thats not the best way to do it, but for me, that was the only way to bring up safe mode. Even though I could not click, I still tried fn+F8, and it would never break into safe mode.
 
I had a similar issue with the black screen. It was somewhat tricky to get into safe mode because it boots so quickly once you start the VM. I did remove the old parallel tools in safe mode and I found after several trys that I also had to install the new parallel tools in safe mode. Once I did this it worked as expected. I can use USB 2.0 and I was also able to use a SanDisk 2G Cruzer U3 Sync USB to sync my office WIN XP with my Mac's WIN XP running on the Parallel VM. Nice....
 
I have found it useful to add a "safe mode" option in my boot.ini file, with a 5 second timeout that selects the normal boot.

[boot loader]
timeout=5
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Windows XP Pro" /fastdetect /NoExecute=OptIn
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Windows XP Pro (safe mode)" /fastdetect /NoExecute=OptIn /SafeBoot:Minimal
 
Before installing 3120, I removed parallels tools from xp, uninstalled stable, installed 3120 and started XP. So there is no parallels tools in xp. Still I see black screen ...
 
worked !

I got it working now. Here is what I did:
1. In stable, uninstalled tools from XP
2. Uninstalled stable
3. Installed 3120
4. Booted XP into Safe Mode
5. Installed tools
6. Restarted XP :)

I noticed there is a problem burning CDs from within Windows Media Player. It was there in the previus beta and is not yet fixed :(
 
Last edited:
Recovery method

For me the boot into Safe Mode technique described in this thread didn't work as, for some reason, Windows XP refused to recognise my password. However, booting into VGA Mode (another of the choices when you hit Fn + F8) did work, and enabled me to log on, uninstall Parallels Tools, then reboot normally and reinstall them.
 
still having trouble

I tried booting in safe and in VGA mode under Parallels 3120 and latest stable (1970). In all configurations I still get the black screen.

My last successful use of the VM was with Beta 2, where I do not have the dmg anymore. Would it help to try starting it with that Parallels version? If yes, could someone pls point me to a place where I could download it again (I guess it was build 3094)

Any ideas?
 
Before I was aware of this forum I, too, downloaded and installed 3120. Not having seen Tim's instructions to hit F8 and remove parallel tools, I moved the 3120 app to trash. 1970 was still on my drive. Now, though, when using 1970 programs on XP don't recognize my usb snowball microphone; the menu does not have parallel tools greyed out, but all the parallel tools features seem to work and once XP boots up I am stuck with a very large window until I shut it down. HItting F8 in 1970 during the XP boot has had no effect.

I would like to give 3120 another shot, but don't want to make things worse. What should I do?
 
It worked perfectly for me! just had some trouble hitting the f8 button for it has function in osx. you need to click your mouse on window and then hit f8... worked flawlessly. I'm happy again.

jw
 
Black Screen

I finally found this thread ... Tim's suggestions worked ... I'm now back in operation using 3150.
 
Ditto on the above. I've had this same black screen problem with each beta upgrade since 1970 and just found Tim's post about deleting the old Parallels Tools through the Safe Mode restart. That should be made a sticky post! Thanks!

Patrick
 
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