Michael;
Safe Mode
From XP HELP:
[[In safe mode, Windows uses default settings (VGA monitor, Microsoft mouse
driver, no network connections, and the minimum device drivers required to
start Windows).]]
[[In safe mode, you have access to only basic files and drivers (mouse,
monitor, keyboard, mass storage, base video, default system services, and no
network connections). You can choose the Safe Mode with Networking option,
which loads all of the above files and drivers and the essential services
and drivers to start networking, or you can choose the Safe Mode with
Command Prompt option, which is exactly the same as safe mode except that a
command prompt is started instead of the graphical user interface. You can
also choose Last Known Good Configuration, which starts your computer using
the registry information that was saved at the last shutdown.]]
A Description of the Safe Mode Boot Options in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;315222
HOW TO: Perform Advanced Clean-Boot Troubleshooting in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;316434