Windows in Safe Mode I THINK!!!

[Kimmy]

First, let me tell you I have no clue how I stumbled on this forum and Im hoping I find it again in the event I get an answer to my question. Which is the following.
My Son decided to take it upon himself to add software to his computer. It prompted him to reboot, which he did. When the system came back up, it is now a black screen with options such as :
safe mode
safe mode with command prompt
safe mode with networking

and a few others..but regardless of which one I chose it cones back to the same black screen, It wont even do anything if I choose go back to the last time windows performed correctly.. If anyone can help me please do as Im down from 4 computers to 2 with 3 kids and they are beginning to invade MINE!!!. Id be happy to even call you at my expense if you could walk me through a solution.

Thank you
Kimmy

[kc0arf]

Hello,

His computer is booting, and then somewhere in the boot sequence, it is telling the computer to re-boot and reboot again. Into a loop. Usually, when choosing safe mode, the computer comes up to a position that you can repair it. It appears that the computer's OS has been compromised beyond that point.

Time to hand your son the install disks and have him rebuild the machine. It might *MIGHT* be possible for him to repair the configuration using the install disks, but if that option fails, you will need to format, and make a clean system.

This may also help instruct your son (don't know what age he is, but he was old enough to read) about installing software that is of unknown quality and purpose. A lot of games and other "cool" things are great fronts for malicious code beneath them.

Christian

[Catweazle]

Step one: Sell your children! Or at least put the fear of God into them!

Step two: Have a good look at the 4 computers you have to see if they have brand names and model numbers etc. For example, you may have a "HP Pavilion xxxx" or a "Dell Inspirion xxxx" or a Compaq Presario xxxx" or somesuch. Of the PCs are 'brand name ones such as this, they should have recovery CDs or some procedure provided by which you can easily wipe everything and reload the system to get it back to the state it was in when first bought and used.

Let us know what makes and models you have there, and we might be able to work out how to help you find out how it's done for each particular machine.

If any of the computers is a locally assembled 'white box' computer, you will need the Windows CD and all the software CDs to perform that job for the systems which no longer work! This topic http://www.daniweb.com/techtalkforums/thread6632.html will be helpful in learning about what needs to be done to wipe a system and then reload everthing on it. For your sake I hope those systems have a recovery CD or somesuch so that the job is an easier one!

Step three: Wipe those systems which no longer work (sounds like the one which is giving the 'Safe Mode' message and then not booting successfully into Safe Mode is also a 'write-off' for the current Windows installation) and then reload them from scratch. Damn nuisance to lose all the stuff you had set up and stored on them, but it's a damn sight more of a nuisance to have them not working at all!

Step four: Sit down with those kids and have a good talk. Make sure you cover the fact that none of you are being very effective at using computers. Seems the whole lot of you have the belief that you simply turn them on, do stuff, and if something goes wrong it must be the computer's fault. Your talk won't be complete until you've all decided that such is not a very good way to approach things, and that you all need to learn a fair bit about how to use computers and do stuff in a way which won't stuff up the computer!

Step five: When steps 1 to 4 have been successfully put behind you all, come back to us and we'll see if we can help point you in the right direction to start learning the stuff you need to know :D

Footnote: If and when you get all those computers working again, it'd be best not to allow the kids to use them until AFTER that process of learning how to use them properly is well under way!

[Kimmy]

I would like to thank you both for your replies. And yes, if I could sell them I WOULD as they are at the ages where they are more expensive to keep now.LOL as far as the fear of God... well I wish I could...so .... instead I have removed the computer from his room and placed it in my room where it will stay until he and the other 2 are capable of using it without installing or downloading without permission.

Meanwhile... I must tell you I had a computer whiz friend of mine once before format the hard drive and reinstall windows for me.. I hate to ask him to do it again.... so I am going to search for the windows XP installation disk . But when and if I do find it... how will I get this god foresaken machine to stop booting up to the black screen?

[Catweazle]

The topic I linked above contains links to twodetailed articles. Read them thoroughly. Ensure you follow and understand them. Ask questions if you need to.

Do all the preparations BEFORE you begin!