can't boot into Safe Mode since installing SP2 (running XP Home ed

[Guest]

Since installing SP2 I am no longer able to boot into Safe Mode. For
example, when I click Safe mode, it goes into a Safe Mode w/command prompt
and stops, the last line including reference to a video driver (agp.sys). I
upgraded to XP from Win 98 2nd ed, which was an upgrade from Win 95. I
change video cards, too, but this did not help (from Mad Dog Geforce MX400 to
Mad Dog FX 5000.

 

[Ted Zieglar]

If you're looking for a long term fix, here it is: You have too many
upgrades. Just think what might happen if you built one house on top of
another on top of another on top of another. All that plumbing, wiring,
insulation etc. from four generations. And don't be mistaken: SP 2 is as
much of an upgrade as your other upgrades; it may as well be "Windows XP
Second Edition".

And it's not just software that'll get you into trouble: If your computer is
old enough to have run Windows 95, it has hardware that won't work well (or
at all) under Windows XP SP 2.

Time to bite the bullet and do a clean install of Windows XP and all your
software. But first, make sure that all your hardware and software are 100%
compatible with XP SP 2.