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???????????

[dlh6213]

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.

[Danniboy]

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.

[dlh6213]

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).

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.

[dlh6213]

Try msconfig and see if it will work that way.

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.

[dlh6213]

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)

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.

[dlh6213]

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.

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.

[aeinstein]

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]

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.

[mercer77]

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]

Here's a link with a little information about the Nero problem:
http://club.cdfreaks.com/showthread.php?t=107809

[waterfrom]

: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?

What type of of dvd burner or rom do you use?

[waterfrom]

hey.
J use Cyberlink PowerGo.
This follow my pc when j by it

I mean like lite on or benq brand of burner not software.

[waterfrom]

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

Try this. Unhook all dvd rom and burners. Try it and see what happens when you try safe mode. Maybe, maybe not.

[waterfrom]

hey. hmmm starnge, that work , j get in to safemode now .
Thanks .
your the best. great solution

[waterfrom]

hey . thats work , got into safemode now.
Great. Your the best, thanks again and again:cheesy:

Now you will have to find which dvd drive causes the problem. I don't know for sure how many you have but one will have to go or you will never be able to boot into safe mode with it hooked up. I wonder who makes the dvd drive you have? Is it Phillips or who?

[msmenagerie]

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)

I am running XP on a SONY VAIO PCVRXZ . I have the same problem and am now stuck in this loop. It just keeps booting back to screen that asks me if I want to start in Safe Mode (which it won't do ) or Normal Mode (which it won't do now that I used the MSCONFIG way. HOW THE HECK DO I GET OUT OF THIS CYCLE??? I have some sort of worm or trojan that is messing everything up and I can't even Reformat with the OEM disks. I can't understand how the PC got infected, I run SpyBot, Adaware and Avast with constant updates, but it still got through. Now I've run Spyware Terminator like the previous guy here and it says I have W32 trojan Picrate.M and some darn pop up creating "Adware Security Toolbar" bogus program. Can't get rid of either since they are "being used by someone else or another program." Thus the need to get into Safe Mode. I used to think I was computer saavy but I hit mid thirties and its whupping me! HELP!

[imcanadian]

I am new to this forum and need your help with my laptop, Compaq Presario M2000 series (M2105CA). Had a problem with my laptop and all they do is to restarting in the same circle over and over. I did tap the key F8 for getting into Safe Mode but got the black screen with four corners in white background with the word " Safe Mode "

and the top line

Microsoft (R) Windows XP (R) Build 2600)

So I wait to see if I can get into Safe Mode to do something to correct the problem but can't. Because the laptop went back into restarting again.

I am not sure what is the next step to solve this??

Thank you,

John P. Mackay
Belleville, ON Canada eh?

[danixx]

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???????????

try Safe Mode Fixer, cheap and wors:

http://www.moonvalleysoft.com/product_info.php?products_id=29

i had the same problem, i guarantee to you that works and saved my xxx

[suavesttiger]

Hey there people.I had a trojan on my system that I got off of a friends jump drive. I have three systems that the only one that wouldn't boot into safemode was a laptop that had InCD from nero to.I came across a thread here on this site and I wanted to thank everyone involved with that thread.XP Pro will not boot into safe mode through msconfig with incd on the system.It just reboots over and over.You get the XP screen and then it reboots.The only way to solve that problem was I have a USB Connector that connects to a laptop ide connection.I hooked it up to a desktop and opened the drive.open the boot.ini file and on the last line,starting from the end delete back to fastdetect.save changes to the file and unplug from usb and reinstall in laptop.Boots rite up.I know thats a long way to go around but if your a tech I dout you'll mind it at all. the other thing is it will not boot into safemode with F8 either.it gives you the options but it blue screens and gives you an error.So incd was the culprit.I removed it and both ways work jst fine.I was able to save all my info,files,and pics that I didn't want destroid.I did do a clean sweep in the end just to get rid of all the junk and start fresh,but I didn't have to lose anything. Hope that helps anyone else.

[koerakoera]

Just use this program for the cycle safemode-reboot caused by msconfig, i just had a same problem and finished it with paragon! download it, its free!!
hope this could help..

[JonPurdue]

I did the ms config and I have the same problem. it won't boot in safe mode and keeps kicking out to that screen..over and over!! There is some virus that won't let it boot in safe mode, so I tried to force it per the msconfig, but not it won't boot at all, just continuously loops back to the same screen just like the previous poster said.