Dell laptop screen issue

[Iffy]

My Dell laptop (Windows 7) starts to load up as normal on startup, however, rather than go to the desktop, the screen goes grey and all I can see is the cursor and occasionally a timer.My initial thought was the computer was busy with perhaps an update or some such but it's been sitting like that for 4 hours now.Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[dx100uk]

hold the power buttn in and crash the shutdown

reboot in safemode with cmd prompt. [keep hiting F8 key upon re-powering]

type
chkdsk c: /v /f /r [hit return/enter key]

dx

[Iffy]

Thanks for that dx100uk but I've tried as you've suggested and tapping F8 during boot up just leads to the same screen as previous.

[dx100uk]

make sure you do it right from power up
or after the POST 'beep' if you hear one on your lappy.

dx

[Iffy]

make sure you do it right from power up
or after the POST 'beep' if you hear one on your lappy.

dx

Again, thanks for the help. I tried as suggested a number of times and actually started hitting F8 before power up but I still end up with a greyish screen with cursor and timer.

[dx100uk]

can you get into the bios?

you sure you are getting through to windows?

dx

[Iffy]

On power up, I see the brief Dell screen and then a flash of the large microsoft icon and then the screen as described.

[dx100uk]

as it goes from dell screen to windows keep hitting f8 key

dx

[Iffy]

Dx100uk, thanks for all your help but F8 just isn't working. I had hoped to get some work done on it tonight but I'm just going to leave it for now. My OH is home later in week and I'll let him sort it (since it's his laptop!!!!). He'll no doubt be in touch. Again, thanks for your help.

[dx100uk]

ok always available
phone if you want

i'll help via the phone if its better.

dx