What's the difference between Safe Mode and Selective Startup

[AJR]

Safe Mode bootsWindows with only basic drivers (for instamce does not load
CD/DVD drivers) - basic services - and uses standard VGA for video display
(not installed card drivers). Diagnostic startup option via msconfig is a
close cousin. If computer boots in Safe Mode but not normallly - a driver
is suspect.

Selective startup via msconfig provides an option to "selectively" pick
which services and startup items will load - and whether or not the
system.ini and win.ini files will load (these are required for backward
conmpatility).\

Safe Mode more prominently used for troubleshooting when Windows will not
boot normally - Selective startup for diagnosing sluggish operation or
erratic behavior.

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

I have a program which stopped working.

It works if I boot into Safe Mode.

But it doesn't work if I do MSCONFIG to get the System Configuration
Utility, and select "Selective Startup", and uncheck all the boxes, and
reboot.

What does this minimal boot do that Safe Mode doesn't do?

It loads all the drivers that safe mode doesn't. It loads in your
selected screen resolution instead of the minimum one. There are
likely other things, but those are the main ones that come to mind at
the moment.

 

[Susan Rice]

I have a program which stopped working.

It works if I boot into Safe Mode.

But it doesn't work if I do MSCONFIG to get the System Configuration
Utility, and select "Selective Startup", and uncheck all the boxes, and
reboot.

What does this minimal boot do that Safe Mode doesn't do?

(When starting this program I started getting the error, "Error while
unpacking program, code LP5. Please report to author." Researched the
error and a lot of people said it might be anti-virus software causing
it. I tried rebooting without starting my Kaspersky anti-virus, but that
didn't help. Minimal boot using MSCONFIG, and it still doesn't work. But
if I boot into Safe Mode, it works.)

 

[bojimbo26]

I have a program which stopped working.

It works if I boot into Safe Mode.

But it doesn't work if I do MSCONFIG to get the System Configuration
Utility, and select "Selective Startup", and uncheck all the boxes, and
reboot.

What does this minimal boot do that Safe Mode doesn't do?

(When starting this program I started getting the error, "Error while
unpacking program, code LP5. Please report to author." Researched the
error and a lot of people said it might be anti-virus software causing
it. I tried rebooting without starting my Kaspersky anti-virus, but that
didn't help. Minimal boot using MSCONFIG, and it still doesn't work. But
if I boot into Safe Mode, it works.)

Is the program compatable with your system ?