Member Avatar for theashman88

i recently purchased a Dell 17 (3721) Inspiron and when I turn it on recently I've been getting a blank black screen after i enter my password and click log in. I have to press ctrl + alt + delete shut down explorer then turn it back on to get to the main screen. Also another issue I've been having is when I turn on the pc my touch pad won't automatically do the scrolling when I use two fingers. It used to work now it doesnt. Any ideas?

Thanks a lot

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The ctrl+alt+del workaround (killing explorer.exe and restarting it) strongly suggests Explorer is not being launched automatically at logon rather than a pure display hardware failure. 's pointer about drivers was a sensible first check; given 's note that drivers were already updated, the next steps should focus on startup items, the user profile, and the Winlogon shell registration.

Try this diagnostic sequence (least invasive first):

  • Boot to Safe Mode (F8 on many Windows 7 systems; use the recovery options on Windows 8+) and log in. If the desktop appears normally in Safe Mode, a third‑party startup item or driver is likely at fault.
  • When the black desktop appears, use Ctrl+Alt+Del → Task Manager → File → Run new task and enter explorer.exe. If that restores the desktop, the automatic launch of Explorer is failing (startup item, shell value, or profile issue).
  • Perform a clean boot (msconfig) to disable non‑Microsoft services and startup items, then reboot to isolate conflicts.
  • Run an elevated System File Checker: 
sfc /scannow
  • Create a temporary local admin account to test for profile corruption:
net user TestUser TempPass123 /add
net localgroup administrators TestUser /add
  • Check the registry key HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon and verify the Shell value is explorer.exe (edit only after backing up the registry).

Touchpad notes and fixes:

  • Confirm the touchpad vendor in Device Manager (Synaptics or ELAN). Uninstall the device and choose “Delete the driver software for this device,” then reboot and install the latest OEM driver (clean install).
  • Open Control Panel → Mouse (or the Synaptics/ELAN control panel) and re‑enable two‑finger scrolling; also check for a hardware Fn key that toggles the touchpad.

Cautions and next steps:

  • Back up the registry before edits and avoid BIOS updates unless a specific Dell release addresses these symptoms (use Dell’s support site and follow instructions). If event log errors or Explorer fault codes appear, those error messages will help narrow the cause; if hardware fault is suspected and the system is under warranty, Dell support is the appropriate escalation path.

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Member Avatar for caperjack

make sure you have latest drivers{from dell's driver support site } for video and touch pad

Member Avatar for theashman88

The drivers are up to date

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