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I can't boot into safe mode?

Why can't I boot into safe mode? What could be the cause? My computer is new. No problems that I know of. I just wanted to check some things in safe mode but no go. Why???????????

ingeborgdot@yah
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465 posts since Dec 2004
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What OS do you have? Since you said it's new, I'll assume it's XP.

There are two ways to do this:

The most common is to reboot your computer and then repeatedly hit F8 while it's booting up.

The other way to to go to Start, Run, type in msconfig, and click OK. When the System Configuration Utility window comes up, click the BOOT.INI tab, select SAFEBOOT, and then OK. You will get asked to reboot and when you do, it will come up in Safe Mode.

When you're done in Safe Mode, go back to msconfig and remove the checkmark from SAFEMODE.

dlh6213
Posting Maven
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wow dlh, got it in one there, lol im curous though, what did u try when attempting to go in to safe mode ingetborg? and if it wasnt working with F8 then dlh, what could b the cause 4 tht?

Danniboy.

Danniboy
Junior Poster
112 posts since Nov 2004
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If you're trying F8 and it's not working, it's most likely a matter of timing. I prefer the msconfig route myself, I've never even tried the F8 (but that is the most common way).

dlh6213
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I hit f8 and get into the screen with safe mode and all the other modes you can use but when I go into safe mode it reboots and then comes back to the screen of f8 and not into safe mode.

ingeborgdot@yah
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Try msconfig and see if it will work that way.

dlh6213
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Oh yeah, I tried the msconfig way and now it just keeps going in circles. I can't get the dang thing to boot back up because the dang box is checked. Now what do I do?????????????????????????????????????????????????????
I should have known better than to have checked that box.

ingeborgdot@yah
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465 posts since Dec 2004
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I'm not sure what you mean by 'going in circles,' does it keep rebooting itself? You can't get into msconfig to uncheck SAFEMODE?

Can you boot to your XP CD? (Still assuming you have XP)

dlh6213
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It would go to the choice screen and I would try safe mode and it would boot then come back and start all over. I did a reinstall ahhhhh and then reinstalled all software. I found out it was a software issue. Nero (InCD4) was the culprit. I had to spend a lot of time finding it but that is what caused it. I don't know why but it did. I uninstalled it and safe mode worked. I reinstalled and safe mode quit. I uninstalled and now safe mode works again. HMMMM> :mad: I don't have Nero any longer.

ingeborgdot@yah
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That's interesting... I wonder if Nero or Microsoft are aware of this problem... :confused:

Glad you got it figured out and thanks for letting us know what it was in case it comes up again :)

By the way, there's nothing wrong with using msconfig to boot into Safe Mode (usually), that's what the option is there for.

dlh6213
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Probably, but with my problem there was no way to get back in without a lot of work. Also, I like to find out what the problem is so, start from the beginning and problem solve.

ingeborgdot@yah
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Probably, but with my problem there was no way to get back in without a lot of work. Also, I like to find out what the problem is so, start from the beginning and problem solve.

how did you determine it was specifically Nero?

aeinstein
Team Member - aka kaynine
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What OS do you have? Since you said it's new, I'll assume it's XP.

There are two ways to do this:

The most common is to reboot your computer and then repeatedly hit F8 while it's booting up.

The other way to to go to Start, Run, type in msconfig, and click OK. When the System Configuration Utility window comes up, click the BOOT.INI tab, select SAFEBOOT, and then OK. You will get asked to reboot and when you do, it will come up in Safe Mode.

When you're done in Safe Mode, go back to msconfig and remove the checkmark from SAFEMODE.

btw, F5 works as well booting Win9.x/ME machines directly into safe mode rather than the selection mode F8 boots to, but in WinXP it's the same as F8.

aeinstein
Team Member - aka kaynine
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I had exactly the same problem - my PC would not boot in safe mode, it just kept resetting during the boot. It would boot in normal mode absutely fine though. So, I used msconfig as mentioned to force safe mode, and then it would not boot at all. As I'd forced safe mode, I couldn't get back to normal mode. Obviously using msconfig to force safe mode is a VERY BAD IDEA when you know safe mode has a problem.

So, I put in my viglen XP disc thinking I could repair. But (unlike every other rebuild disc I've ever seen) it went straight into a fresh installation, without giving me any options or warnings at all, starting with a format of my hard drive. ARRGGH!

So I had to go and buy a new hard drive, reinstall windows on that, and then buy an undelete program to recover as much as I could off of my old hard drive. I got most of it, but it took me hours and hours and hours.

Of course a little googling revealed Nero to be the culprit, as above. I will never use Nero again, that's for sure.

mercer77
Newbie Poster
3 posts since Jan 2006
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Here's a link with a little information about the Nero problem:
http://club.cdfreaks.com/showthread.php?t=107809

mercer77
Newbie Poster
3 posts since Jan 2006
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:mad: J have the same problem , But j dont use nero , never had it on this harddrive,
J getting nuts of trying too fix this ,any ide?

waterfrom
Newbie Poster
18 posts since Jan 2007
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What type of of dvd burner or rom do you use?

ingeborgdot@yah
Posting Pro in Training
465 posts since Dec 2004
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hey.
J use Cyberlink PowerGo.
This follow my pc when j by it

waterfrom
Newbie Poster
18 posts since Jan 2007
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I mean like lite on or benq brand of burner not software.

ingeborgdot@yah
Posting Pro in Training
465 posts since Dec 2004
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is it this you mean?
dvd-PHILIPS PBDV1640P
PHILIPS PCDV6116
Caption RADEON 9250
AdapterDACType Internal DAC(400MHz)
Chip Type RADEON 9200 Series AGP (0x5960)
intel Pentium(R) 4 CPU 3.20GHz
Phoenix - AwardBIOS v6.00PG
Model SiS-661
Silicon Integrated Systems (SiS)
Chipset Model SiS661FX CPU to PCI Bridge
Maxtor Maxtor 6B200P0 203 GBytes
Device 7012h SiS7012 Audio Codec
Windows XP (Personal) Service Pack 2

waterfrom
Newbie Poster
18 posts since Jan 2007
Reputation Points: 10
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This question has already been solved

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