I think I figured it out.
If the Recovery Console is installed on your machine, F8 opens the
Recovery
Console instead of the Windows Advanced Options Menu. Or by having the
Recovery Console installed, you just plain do not get the option for the
Windows Advanced Options Menu.
The Windows Advanced Options Menu is where you can choose...
-----
Safe Mode
Safe Mode with Networking
Safe Mode with Command Prompt
Enable Boot Logging
Enable VGA Mode
Last Known Good Configuration (your most recent setting that worked)
Directory Services Restore Mode (Windows domain controllers only)
Debugging Mode
Start Windows Normally
Reboot
Return to OS Choices Menu
-----
Either way, try this.
Once you have booted into Windows...
Start | Run | Type: msconfig | Click OK |
Boot.ini tab | Check All Boot Paths button |
A dialog box will open detailing the location of any invalid operating
system locations | Confirm you want to remove the entry and reboot
[[Check All Boot Paths - This button will check the boot paths for all
operating systems listed in the BOOT.INI to ensure they point to a valid
operating system. ]]
A dialog box will open detailing the location of any invalid operating
system locations.
Similar to this...
-------------------
It appears that the following line in the BOOT.INI file does not refer
to
a
valid operating system:
C:\CMDCONS\BOOTSECT.DAT="Microsoft Windows Recovery Console" /cmdcons
Would you like to remove it from the BOOT.INI file?
-------------------
Click on YES.
C:\CMDCONS\BOOTSECT.DAT="Microsoft Windows Recovery Console" /cmdcons
is the line that needs to removed from the boot.ini file.
Since you do not have an XP CD, you will not be able to re-install the
Recovery Console. The Recovery Console is a sort of last resort if Safe
Mode will not help in fixing problems.
If the msconfig Check All Boot Paths did not get rid of the Recovery
Console, post back and we can see about manually editing the boot.ini to
get
rid if the Recovery Console.
Also...
How to delete the Recovery Console
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;307654#XSLTH3183121125120121120120
--
Hope this helps. Let us know.
Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User
In dfrog <
[email protected]> hunted and pecked:
Wes,
XP Home came already installed on this Compaq Presario 5100UK PC that
I've
had for approx 2 years (I've never had an XP CD)
The first thing I see when starting is a Compaq background with the
option
to press 'Esc' for Boot Menu - 'F1' for Setup or 'F10' for System
Recovery
( I have in the past used 'Esc' & 'F1' but not 'F10')
If I don't select any of these (which is 99.999% of the time,
thankfully )
then the second screen appears giving an option to boot into XP or by
using the 'up' arrow key on keyboard, to boot into Windows Recovery
Consol
(something I've never needed to do in the past, thankfully ), or to
press 'F8' to Boot into Safe Mode.
My issue has been, that along with 'esc' 'F1' 'F10' ''up' key on
keyboard', selecting 'F8' does not work (just as tho' the keyboard is
not recognised at this stage despite USB devices being enabled in BIOS)
Having followed your last message advice in disabling NumLock, then
when
this second screen appears, I can use the 'up' key on the Numeric Pad
(not
the 'up' key on keyboard) to select Windows Recovery Console, which
then
goes into the 'Command Prompt' screen, but, at this stage I can go no
further because I cannot type anything into this prompt, ie my main
keyboard is still not working (even tho' the Numeric Pad just allowed
me
to get
here - does this make sense?)
I've tried to explain this issue as accurately as possible and really
do
appreciate your efforts to help, and do want to solve it, but I do
still
have the option of using an old PS2 keyboard to get me into Safe Mode
(should the need ever arise - you will remember that I stumbled upon
this problem by accident rather than a 'need' to use Safe Mode)
dfrog
keypad to go up to choose "Windows Recovery Console" rather than
booting
into Windows, but all I am left with is a screen with a flashing
cursor top left that I cannot influence in any way, so unfortunately
I am no
Either you're booting form the XP CD or you have installed the
Recovery
Console as a startup option.
The screen with the flashing cursor is the Recovery Console, similar
to
a
command prompt.
Recovery Console
[[A command-line interface that provides a limited set of
administrative commands that are useful for repairing a computer.]]
--
Hope this helps. Let us know.
Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User
In dfrog <
[email protected]> hunted and pecked:
Further thanks Wesley,
have looked thro' these topics (and Related Topics) and they all
refer
to going into Safe Mode by pressing F8, and this is exactly my
problem, with this Belkin USB keyboard, even with Legacy USB enabled
in BIOS, F8 does nothing (along with the other keyboard strokes at
this stage)
By turning Numlock off (new info for me), I am now able to use
numeric
keypad to go up to choose "Windows Recovery Console" rather than
booting
into Windows, but all I am left with is a screen with a flashing
cursor top left that I cannot influence in any way, so unfortunately
I am no further along.
dfrog
[[NUM LOCK must be off before the arrow keys on the numeric keypad
will
function.]]
To start the computer in safe mode
http://www.microsoft.com/resources/documentation/windows/xp/all/proddocs/en-us/boot_failsafe.mspx
--
Hope this helps. Let us know.
Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User
In dfrog <
[email protected]> hunted and pecked:
Wesley, thank you for that, you will see from my last reply that I
had
come to a similar conclusion to this M/Soft Support article
resolution
(that I had been unable to find myself :-( )
The difference being that apparently my BIOS does support USB
devices and has them 'enabled' and my difficulties start "before"
getting into
Safe Mode rather than the articles suggestion that "once in the
BIOS
the
keyboard doesn't work."
Thank you again for your help with my problem
dfrog
Universal Serial Bus Devices Do Not Work in Safe Mode
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;310496
--
Hope this helps. Let us know.
Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User
In dfrog <
[email protected]> hunted and pecked:
Thanks for response R McC
It's USB. Just been into BIOS (via msconfig etc & reboot) and
Legacy
USB
is set at 'Auto' which tells me that if there are USB devices
connected it
works but if no USB devices are connected it switches off so I
have not changed it.
If that is one thing eliminated I could still do with more help
dfrog
Which type of interface does the Keyboard receiver plug into ?
(PS2/USB).
If USB, then you may need to enter BIOS setup and ensure that
support
for
USB Keyboard/Mouse or Legacy USB is enabled.
I have an HP Presario desktop with Win XP home running nice and
smoothly
with no problems, except :-
For a reason I cannot remember, last week decided to boot up
into Safe
Mode, (maybe just to do it because I hadn't for a long time),
but failed. I have since then also failed to find a solution
myself, lots of
information available for booting up into Safe Mode, but not
able to
find any info when that doesn't work.
On the initial screen I have the options of 'Esc' for Boot Menu
- 'F1'
for Setup - 'F10' for System recovery (none of these work)
Next screen lets me choose 'Windows Recovery Console' or 'Boot
into Windows' (change selection with up/down arrows - doesn't
work) or 'Press
F8' for Safe Mode (doesn't work)
Windows boots up just fine. If I then go to 'msconfig' select
the BOOT.INI tab, select /SAFEBOOT and Minimal, select
'restart'
Windows
shutsdown and restarts in Safe Mode OK.
No matter whether I select 'Normal Startup' or 'Selective
Startup'
in msconfig, on the next & successive boots I'm back to No
'Esc'
'F1' 'F10'
or 'F8' options again, and my head is begining to hurt now !
In case I have a need to do any of this in the future, I'd
really like
to feel that I could, and so I need to fix it.
I would appreciate some help at this stage............
dfrog
PS having read this, it makes me think that maybe my
keyboard
(fairly
new Belkin cordless and working perfectly well to my knowledge)
is
not
operational at this stage (but I'm sure that it used to be)
