Enter Safe Mode

[Rich]

Can anyone tell me how to boot into "Safe Mode" when the F8 key doesn't do
it? I have a Shuttle AV49PN motherboard using XP home and Shuttle hasn't
answered that question. The F8 key brings up a small menu of disk drives to
boot from but "Safe Mode" is not one of the choices.

 

[Kevin]

Are you sure the F8 key is the key used to get into Safe Mode? Some other
common keys are the Delete key or the Escape key. The proper key(s) will be
identified as your system is going through POST on normal bootup. This
appears as a message in text usually displayed in a lower corner of the
screen. It may only be up for a few seconds, so pay close attention to
catch it.

 

[Guest]

try pressing F8 after post and just when the booting process starts

Cheers,
Costea Bogdan

 

[Rich]

Thanks for the reply, Kevin, but the Delete key brings up the setup utility
(no safe mode there) and the Escape key does nothing. The Tab key enters a
RAID array menu (and again no safe mode there.) The POST you mentioned only
shows the Delete and Tab keys, not even the F8. No others are mentioned,
and I really did try to watch very carefully -- many times. On any of the
above keys, it makes no difference how many times or when I press the key --
same results.

Any more ideas, anyone?

 

[Guest]

Hi! Running Gericom laptop, reacts like your machine when I press F8. So I
believe you could do as I do:

First F8 brings BIOS manufactures boot menu, as you described. Choose the
same hd-partition where you installed your Windows. Then, press enter and
then F8 once more. Now you should see Windows boot menu.

Thing is, Windows boot menu can not be run before BIOS has done it's job.
BIOS boot menu overrides it, because it runs before Windows is started.

 

[Rich]

That was it! Thanks for the info.

Hi! Running Gericom laptop, reacts like your machine when I press F8. So I
believe you could do as I do:

First F8 brings BIOS manufactures boot menu, as you described. Choose the
same hd-partition where you installed your Windows. Then, press enter and
then F8 once more. Now you should see Windows boot menu.

Thing is, Windows boot menu can not be run before BIOS has done it's job.
BIOS boot menu overrides it, because it runs before Windows is started.

 

[Rick S]

For Kevin:
What machines have you Ever seen that required you to press Delete or
Escape key to get to Safe Mode??
That is a new one. I have not heard some one make up
such an answer in a long time.
(except for some of David Candy's off the wall comments)

 

[Alex Nichol]

Can anyone tell me how to boot into "Safe Mode" when the F8 key doesn't do
it? I have a Shuttle AV49PN motherboard using XP home and Shuttle hasn't
answered that question. The F8 key brings up a small menu of disk drives to
boot from but "Safe Mode" is not one of the choices.

You are hitting too early - that is a BIOS boot choice menu. Wait until
it starts to access the HD *then* hit F8