Loading

×Sorry to interrupt
CSS Error

Refresh

Cookie Preference Center

General Information on cookies

When you visit our website, we use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience. This information does not usually directly identify you, but it can give you a more personalized web experience. Because we respect your right to privacy, you can choose not to allow some types of cookies by clicking on the different category headings to find out more and change your settings. However, blocking some types of cookies may impact your experience on the site and the services we are able to offer. Further information can be found in our

Cookie Policy.

Strictly Necessary

Strictly Necessary

Always Active

Strictly Necessary

Strictly necessary cookies are always enabled since they are essential for our website to function. They enable core functionality such as security, network management, and website accessibility. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but this may affect how the website functions. For more information please visit www.aboutcookies.org or www.allaboutcookies.org.

Cookie Details‎

Performance

Performance

Performance

Performance cookies are used to analyze the user experience to improve our website by collecting and reporting information on how you use it. They allow us to know which pages are the most and least popular, see how visitors move around the site, optimize our website and make it easier to navigate.

Cookie Details‎

Please confirm your settings by refreshing the page.

Functional

Functional

Functional

Functional cookies help us keep track of your past browsing choices so we can improve usability and customize your experience. These cookies enable the website to remember your preferred settings, language preferences, location and other customizable elements such as font or text size. If you do not allow these cookies, then some or all of these services may not function properly.

Cookie Details‎

Advertising

Advertising

Advertising

Advertising cookies are used to send you relevant advertising and promotional information. They may be set through our site by third parties to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant advertisements on other sites. These cookies do not directly store personal information, but their function is based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device.

Cookie Details‎

Advertising Cookies

Consent Leg.Interest

Select All Vendors

Select All Vendors

Select All Hosts

Select All

Clear Filters

Information storage and access

Apply

Confirm My Choices Reject All Allow All

Skip to main content

My Subscriptions

Loading

Knowledge Base

A Black screen with an exclamation icon appears when logging in to a Windows 2003 virtual machine (1005710)

Last Updated: 6/19/2020Categories: TroubleshootingTotal Views: 19392Language:
English

Subscribe to get an email
newsletter with new updates

Please provide article feedback:

Symptoms

The Windows splash screen comes up but it displays a black screen and an exclamation point

You cannot see the log in screen

This issue can be seen either on VirtualCenter or ESX host

When the Windows virtual machine boots and reaches the logon screen, the screen appears black

Pressing Alt-Ctrl-Del displays the password field and when you enter the password, you are able to log in to the virtual machine

You experience this behavior on a virtual machine remote console and during a RDP session to the affected virtual machine

Resolution

Warning: Ensure to backup the registry before making any changes suggested in this article.

The black screen with an exclamation mark appears when the colors for the default user are all set to black (0 0 0).

It can also be caused by the system drive running out of space.

To resolve the color issue:

Connect to the virtual machine using an RDP or a console session.

Log in as a user with administrative privileges.

Click Start > Run.

Type regedit.

Navigate to HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Control Panel\Colors.

Export the key to the virtual machine.

Double click the .reg file. The changes are added to the registry entry.

Restart the virtual machine for the changes to take effect.

When the screen is black, it can effect RDP connections and result in the inability to use the guest on a visual console. If this occurs, follow these steps:

Add the virtual disk from the guest to a helper virtual machine (running the same operating system) and give it a drive letter within Windows on the helper virtual machine.

Click Start > Run.

Type regedit.

Highlight HKEY_USERS, click File, and choose Load Hive.

Navigate to the newly added drive and in the system32/config directory (for example, e:\windows\system32\config\), select the file default and load it. Enter a temporary name such as Temp.

There is now a folder in HKEY_USERS called Temp. Navigate to the subfolder Control Panel\Colors.

Navigate to HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Control Panel\Colors.

Right-click on Colors, click Export and choose a name and location.

Open the exported file (.reg) in a text editor.

Edit the line [HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Control Panel\Colors] line to match the path of your temporary hive ([HKEY_USERS\Temp\Control Panel\Colors]).

Save the file, then right-click on the .reg file and choose Merge. This corrects the loaded Hive.

In regedit, press F5 to refresh the registry. Navigate to HKEY_USERS\Temp\Control Panel\Colors and verify that the contents have been corrected.

Highlight the Temp folder path,click File, and choose Unload Hive.

Remove the virtual disk from the helper virtual machine.

Caution: Be sure to remove the virtual disk from the virtual machine. Do not remove it from the disk.

Attach the virtual disk to the original virtual machine and power on the original virtual machine.

Detectable by VMware SkylineTM

Actions

Copy

link to clipboard
copied!

Print

Language:
English

Attachments

Additional Resources

KB
•
End Of General Availability of the Free vSphere Hypervisor (ESXi 7.x and 8.x) (2107518)

KB
•
运行 Windows 2003 的虚拟机中的 CPU 使用量随机每隔几分钟激增至 100% (2004508)

Results 1-2 of 2

Ask The Community

Get answers quickly from VMware experts in the community

Post Subject

CONTINUE IN COMMUNITIES

Related Products:

VMware vSphere ESXi

VMware VirtualCenter

VMware vCenter Server

VMware ESX Server

Related Versions:

VMware vSphere ESXi 5.1

VMware vSphere ESXi 5.0

VMware VirtualCenter 2.5.x

VMware VirtualCenter 2.0.x

VMware vCenter Server 5.1.x

VMware vCenter Server 5.0.x

VMware vCenter Server 4.1.x

VMware vCenter Server 4.0.x

VMware ESXi 4.1.x Installable

VMware ESXi 4.1.x Embedded

VMware ESXi 4.0.x Installable

VMware ESXi 4.0.x Embedded

VMware ESXi 3.5.x Installable

VMware ESXi 3.5.x Embedded

VMware ESX Server 3.5.x

VMware ESX Server 3.0.x

VMware ESX 4.1.x

VMware ESX 4.0.x

view all

Take Our Survey

Was this article helpful?

YES

NO

Copyright © 2005-2024 Broadcom. All Rights Reserved. The term “Broadcom” refers to Broadcom Inc. and/or its subsidiaries.

Terms of Use

Your California Privacy Rights

Privacy

Accessibility

Cookie Settings

Support Assistant