Help needed with a laptop running Windows XP

Help please
1. When the machine is switched it goes on to start Windows but then it just displays a black screen and the cursor and nothing else! I can start Windows in Safe Mode and all seems OK.
2. What I have tried before the above occurred is to uninstall Comodo Free Firewall but there is no uninstall button in Control Panel > Programs and Features! Comodo Firewall is now corrupted and cannot reinstall as it says it is already installed
3. I have run Malwarebytes which only found 3 PUP which were quarantined.
4. I am in the process of scanning with Vipre Rescue, which is still in the scanning process so I am unable to do much until it finishes.
Although I will not be able to do anything until the scanning finishes I would appreciate replies to the following questions for starters;
Any ideas on how to uninstall Comodo Free Firewall?
Why when Windows runs normally it only displays a black screen and cursor?

It sounds like the graphics driver is dodgy in some way. Never heard of Comodo Firewall.

I would save yourself a lot of time and just re-install Windows, especially as some dodgy stuff has already been found - you don't know how far its gone.

Edited by deleted (Thu 19-Jun-14 11:18:01)

My 2 XPs show a black screen with cursor for a few secs between the Windows XP splash screen with progress bar and the multi-user Welcome screen.

Are you using the Welcome screen? You could try switching that OFF/ON and also Fast User Switching OFF/ON.

Hi XRaySpex, Thanks for your reply. I will try your suggestions once Microsoft Safety Scanner has finished scanning which I am running in Safe Mode.

XRaySpex. After switching the Welcome screen all that changed in normal mode was the colour of the screen from all black to blue! Problem still ocurrs.

I would normally at this point re-seat the memory and the hard disk into the laptop case. I would then in safe mode uninstall/delete the video driver, mouse driver, keyboard driver, and another hw type driver that on the next reboot I would expect windows to re-initiate. In the past for me that has normally brought the equipment back to life.

Thanks iand, I already had re-seated the hdd. When I boot in normal mode Windows XP starts to load and the crashes, same happens in Safe Mode when it gets to load the drivers it stops and crashes. As the laptop belongs to a friend I have told him to take it to a computer repair shop to see if it can be fixed or at least try to retrieve the data.