unable to get into safe mode

[Guest]

When I try to get into safe mode I can only get as far as the login screen.
The PC immediately freezes at this point. It doesn't matter if I click on
user or adminstrator or even the" turn off computer"option. Cntrl alt delete
won't get me out so I'm forced to shut down the PC manually. I'm running
XPHome/Sp2. and have attempted to access safe mode 3 times today with
identical results. Any idea's would be appreciated.

 

[Sharon F]

When I try to get into safe mode I can only get as far as the login screen.
The PC immediately freezes at this point. It doesn't matter if I click on
user or adminstrator or even the" turn off computer"option. Cntrl alt delete
won't get me out so I'm forced to shut down the PC manually. I'm running
XPHome/Sp2. and have attempted to access safe mode 3 times today with
identical results. Any idea's would be appreciated.

If you are unable to boot at all, your choices are limited.

Any changes to the system right before this behavior started?

Running System Restore might be possible. Choose a restore point that
predates the problem that you are having.

How to start the System Restore tool at a command prompt in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=304449

If no luck, you're going to have to start thinking about a repair or
reinstall of the operating system. If there is irreplaceable data on the
drive, that needs to be considered as well. The choice will depend on what
you have available to work with - retail CD, generic OEM CD or OEM
recovery/restore program.

OEM recovery/restore programs have very specific directions and may be
limited to "factory state" restore only. Check your documentation carefully
for details.

If you have a retail CD or a generic OEM CD, the following option would be
good to try:
How to perform an in-place upgrade (reinstallation) of Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=315341

If this does not work, you'll need to do a clean reinstall.