Black screen in windows 8.1 after login using skype-forced Microsoft account

Question

Last week I installed Skype Metro version on my Windows 8.1 Dell XPS 12. I was frustrated that it made me use a Microsoft account rather than my Skype userid I've used for years. After doing that, I noticed my Office apps were all logged into Skydrive. I guess this is part of Microsoft's plan to force us into their cloud.

Anyway, without realizing my Win8.1 account was entirely different now, especially the password is now the Microsoft one, I failed the new Windows authentication of Chromes's "show password" feature. I had been using a 4-digit PIN to log in to Win8.1 for months, which didn't change when my account was linked to Microsoft after the Skype install. This is why I hadn't realized what Skype Metro had actually done (changed my entire Windows account, not just made me log in to Skype with it).

After struggling with Chrome's authentication (I was using my old local account's password, not my Microsoft account's password), I deactivated the PIN and rebooted. At that point, I saw my email address in the login screen of windows, and then I realized the computer is using my Microsoft account.

When I did finally log in properly using Microsoft.com password (instead of a PIN), I got stuck at a black screen with a mouse that moves. Ctrl-Alt-Del gets me the menu with lock, switch user, etc. The Task Manager won't start, however.

I can reboot in safe mode using Shift-restart and the troubleshoot advanced options, but my system disk doesn't have 16G free to do the refresh option. I cant free up that much.

Is there an easy way to undo the Microsoft account "become one with the collective" operation and return to my local authentication? I suspect something is broken between the two.

[Edit] I am thinking my account got corrupted because the Microsoft linkage occurred while I was using a PIN option in Windows 8.1. I am unable to unlink the account, in Safe Mode with networking, because no "Disconnect" option is presented in the "Your account settings" window. I'm unable to login to my account normally as it hangs at the black screen as mentioned above.

Answer 1

I faced the same problem too and I found out there are 2 possible solutions

Solution 1: Reinstall the video driver in safe mode. If the Solution 1 doesn't work:
Solution 2: Replacing Windows.UI.Immersive.dll file.

1. Go to the Windows subfolder named system32 (typically C:\Windows\System32)
2. Find the Windows.UI.Immersive.dll,check for Date Created attribute (if it is in October 2012, you may have to replace with the recent one.)
3. Go to WinSxS subfolder in Windows folder,search for Windows.UI.Immersive.dll (which is newer version) ](I found it in C:\Windows\WinSxS\x86_microsoft-windows-windowsuiimmersive_31bf3856ad364e35_6.3.9600.16408_none_c6ca1a15ef5e5709)
4. Replace the older file with the newer one in system32 folder
5. There is a hidden folder called Windows Activation Technologies in the root drive(usually C:\Windows Activation Technologies): replace the older file in the above folder too.
6. Then restart. Hopefully this solves your problem.

^{Source: Blank Screen after Installing Windows 8.1? - Microsoft Community}

Answer 2

I solved the problem as follows:

• Created a new account that is a Microsoft Account
• Compared its characteristics to the ones of the broken account. In fact, there are two accounts corresponding to the MicrosoftAccount: a local one and a remote one (I admit I don't understand all the details)

I discovered the local account of the broken Microsoft account was not in the local Users group. Once I added that group to the account, it worked.