Safe Mode fails to load Windows at boot: plese help

[John Butler]

Hi,

I recently installed SP2 from the Microsoft Retail free CD both on my PC and
my Laptop which is on a local wireless network when at home.

Both installations were OK, but for the Laptop I can no longer boot in safe
mode neither by using the F8 mode for boot selection nor from a boot.ini
script, which causes Safe mode to appear as the second option when Windows
is about to load.

Both installations use Windows XP Pro but have different Windows Cd's, the
laptop copy having been purchased in June 2004 whereas the PC is an original
gold release.

John

 

[Mark L. Ferguson]

If you run an XP "Upgrade"setup, from the original, or "Gold" version of the
setup CD, and you have SP2 installed, it will go into a setup loop, and you
will lose your install. Uninstall SP2, BEFORE you do a Upgrade setup from CD
(that lacks sp2 on it.)

To uninstall sp2, use the Add Remove app, in Control Panel

Perform a Repair Installation:
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/helpandsupport/learnmore/tips/doug92.mspx