What about convert it to the NURBS, Curvesect SOP and then convert it back?
Connection between points is maintained.

I modified Joker386's file, look at it.

Hi I had same problem like Wafflemao, completly black GUI
(OS: Windows Vista Bussines 64 bit)
laptop ThinkPad SL500 2476-AEG
nvidia geforce 9300M GS, 4GB ram,etc..

Upgraded to latest driver (version 186 for desktop, version for notebooks doesn't find any hardware)

I tried 64 bit verison of houdini apprentice (build 314) -> black gui
Then I installed build 295 (64bit) -> black gui

So I finnaly tried 32 bit build 295 (V8 ), this works. (every build and version is in different folder)

But great suprise was when I tried run 64 build 314, and GUI works (no more black).

So I suppose that there is something wrong in 64 bit instalation process, that doesn't set something somewhere.

edit: I forgot tell, that I installed Houdini 10