Unable to boot to Safe Mode

[dev]

mgl said:

On my XP Pro machine at work, I can no longer get the thing to boot into
Safe Mode. I can get it to the initial text screen that displays the
options on how exactly I want the computer to boot, but keyboard inputs to
scroll the cursor to the appropriate listing are not accepted (i.e., it
stays stuck on the 'Boot Windows Normally' in this BIOS). I don't know when
this occurred, but I do know that I used to be able to get into Safe Mode as
needed.

Making the assumption that I really DO need to be in there, what should I
consider doing (short of reinstalling the OS) to get Safe Mode to be
accessible again. Any advice would be appreciated

Try an alternative to method...

START|RUN
Type "msconfig" (no quotes) <enter>
Click the BOOT INI tab
Checkmark the SafeBoot box
Reboot

When done with Safe Mode retrace those steps, and UNcheck the box

 

[mgl]

On my XP Pro machine at work, I can no longer get the thing to boot into
Safe Mode. I can get it to the initial text screen that displays the
options on how exactly I want the computer to boot, but keyboard inputs to
scroll the cursor to the appropriate listing are not accepted (i.e., it
stays stuck on the 'Boot Windows Normally' in this BIOS). I don't know when
this occurred, but I do know that I used to be able to get into Safe Mode as
needed.

Making the assumption that I really DO need to be in there, what should I
consider doing (short of reinstalling the OS) to get Safe Mode to be
accessible again. Any advice would be appreciated

 

[Alex Nichol]

On my XP Pro machine at work, I can no longer get the thing to boot into
Safe Mode. I can get it to the initial text screen that displays the
options on how exactly I want the computer to boot, but keyboard inputs to
scroll the cursor to the appropriate listing are not accepted (i.e., it
stays stuck on the 'Boot Windows Normally' in this BIOS). I don't know when
this occurred, but I do know that I used to be able to get into Safe Mode as
needed.

Making the assumption that I really DO need to be in there, what should I
consider doing (short of reinstalling the OS) to get Safe Mode to be
accessible again. Any advice would be appreciated

If in Normal mode, you Start - Run - MSConfig then on the Boot.ini page
select /SAFEMODE and OK to reboot, it will come up in Safe Mode. You
will have to run it again, and uncheck, to return to normal.

Sounds to me like you have a USB Keyboard and the legacy USB side has
come unset in your BIOS. This *may* mean you get no keyboard support in
Safe Mode anyway

 

[Darrell]

You are using the keys that take you into your BIOS setup. That's not what
you want. Computers differ but try continually hitting the F8 key during
your initial bootup sequence.