Safe Mode Login Problem

[Allen Wadsworth]

I changed msconfig to boot to safe mode and restarted the computer. Ends up
I don't know any password to login to safe mode. Everytime I reboot the
machine it is stuck in safe mode. Read online that I should try a Win XP
repair. That did not fix it. Now i am stuck in a loop because everytime the
machine boots it comes up in safe mode and says Windows Xp Setup cannot
continue in safe mode. Please reboot the computer. Then the loop starts
with the same messages. Can anyone help. Can I take out the hard drive and
slave it to another machine and change the boot.ini file. If so please tell
me where that file is and how to edit it.
Thanks,
Allen

 

[ERA Guy]

I changed msconfig to boot to safe mode and restarted the computer. Ends up
I don't know any password to login to safe mode. Everytime I reboot the
machine it is stuck in safe mode. Read online that I should try a Win XP
repair. That did not fix it. Now i am stuck in a loop because everytime the
machine boots it comes up in safe mode and says Windows Xp Setup cannot
continue in safe mode. Please reboot the computer. Then the loop starts
with the same messages. Can anyone help. Can I take out the hard drive and
slave it to another machine and change the boot.ini file. If so please tell
me where that file is and how to edit it.
Thanks,
Allen

Some of the tools listed here
http://www.petri.co.il/forgot_administrator_password.htm
will not only allow you to change passwords, you can edit
the boot.ini file (after you've booted from the CD).

 

[Jose]

I changed msconfig to boot to safe mode and restarted the computer.  Ends up
I don't know any password to login to safe mode.  Everytime I reboot the
machine it is stuck in safe mode.  Read online that I should try a Win XP
repair.  That did not fix it.  Now i am stuck in a loop because everytime the
machine boots it comes up in safe mode and says Windows Xp Setup cannot
continue in safe mode.  Please reboot the computer.  Then the loop starts
with the same messages.  Can anyone help.  Can I take out the hard drive and
slave it to another machine and change the boot.ini file.  If so pleasetell
me where that file is and how to edit it.  
Thanks,
Allen

There seems to be some recent malware that prevents booting in Safe
Mode (through a registry modification).

By manually changing your boot.ini file to force a boot in Safe Mode
you could be (are) stuck. Since you can't boot in Safe Mode to run
MSCONFIG to undo the change to the boot.ini, you are further stuck.

If you have a bootable XP CD and can enter Recovery Console, you can
fix your boot.ini with that so you can boot on your HDD and run
malware scans to detect and remove any threats. This is the least
intrusive solution.

Using your bootable CD you could also rename your boot.ini, reboot on
you HDD (XP will properly complain - but who cares), and then use
MSCONFIG to undo your changes you made to relieve you of your
unspecified problem.

If you do have this infection, you can be delighted in knowing that it
is working perfectly.

Fortunately, fixing the booting issuer is fast and easy with Recovery
Console. That leaves your original problem to resolve.

There is probably no need for "Repair Installation", "Restore Points",
or "slaving"... (ugh - requires a screwdriver).