OK. Let's try this.
1) Run the installer for version 4.2.4 and make sure the start menu works before restarting
2) Open regedit and go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\IvoSoft\ClassicStartMenu\Settings. Create a new DWORD named "LogStartup" and set it to 1
3) Restart and see if you get the black screen
4) While the black screen is on, run the Classic Shell Utility (
http://www.classicshell.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=5010) and select the first option to save a log file. Save it in a place you can remember, like the Desktop
5) Then run the utility again and uninstall.
Do not check any of the options to remove the settings. The utility should save a file ClassicShellReport.txt in your Desktop
6) Restart again. Go to the folder %LOCALAPPDATA%\ClassicShell (for example C:\Users\<your name>\AppData\Local\ClassicShell) and look for a file named StartMenuLog.txt
Send me the 3 logs files - the system report from step 4, the uninstall report from step 5 and the startup log from step 6