Why can't I boot into Safe Mode (but can boot normally)?

[Craig]

Hi folks,

This month's PC World magazine tells of the Administrator logon for
WindowsXP Home that can only be accessed in Safe Mode. I tried getting into
safe mode to create a logon password for this Administrator account by
starting the PC while pushing the F8 key. I do get the choice when this
happens to boot in Safe Mode. The booting starts but then stops and the PC
goes into a loop of starting over again. Each time I choose Safe Mode, I'm
returned to the restart loop and never get the PC running. Yet when booting
normally (no F8), I boot right into WindowsXP with no problems at all.

Any thoughts on why I can boot normally but am unable to boot into Safe
Mode? Alternatively, can you offer any suggestion as to what I can do to
track down the cause of this problem?

Thanks.

PS--I also tried getting into safe mode by checking the /SAFEBOOT box in the
boot.ini section of msconfig. This puts me into the infinite restart mode
just as when I start the PC with the F8 key depressed--except that when
doing this, I'm not given the ability to reboot normally, so the PC was
unusable until I rebooted the PC with a Symantec Recovery CD and manually
edited the boot.ini to remove the /SAFEBOOT option. Note that this attempt
to get into Safe Mode was done only after repeated failures using the F8 key
method.

PPS--I'm fairly sure I've had this PC in Safe Mode before so this would be a
problem that's developed some time in the past. It is possible that this PC
has never been able to get into Safe Mode. It's not something I do every day
and although I've had some PCs in Safe Mode, it's possible but unlikely that
this PC has never been put into Safe Mode.

 

[Craig]

I wrote...

Hi folks,

This month's PC World magazine tells of the Administrator logon for
WindowsXP Home that can only be accessed in Safe Mode. I tried getting
into safe mode to create a logon password for this Administrator account
by starting the PC while pushing the F8 key. I do get the choice when this
happens to boot in Safe Mode. The booting starts but then stops and the PC
goes into a loop of starting over again. Each time I choose Safe Mode, I'm
returned to the restart loop and never get the PC running. Yet when
booting normally (no F8), I boot right into WindowsXP with no problems at
all.

Any thoughts on why I can boot normally but am unable to boot into Safe
Mode? Alternatively, can you offer any suggestion as to what I can do to
track down the cause of this problem?

Thanks.

PS--I also tried getting into safe mode by checking the /SAFEBOOT box in
the boot.ini section of msconfig. This puts me into the infinite restart
mode just as when I start the PC with the F8 key depressed--except that
when doing this, I'm not given the ability to reboot normally, so the PC
was unusable until I rebooted the PC with a Symantec Recovery CD and
manually edited the boot.ini to remove the /SAFEBOOT option. Note that
this attempt to get into Safe Mode was done only after repeated failures
using the F8 key method.

PPS--I'm fairly sure I've had this PC in Safe Mode before so this would be
a problem that's developed some time in the past. It is possible that this
PC has never been able to get into Safe Mode. It's not something I do
every day and although I've had some PCs in Safe Mode, it's possible but
unlikely that this PC has never been put into Safe Mode.

I'm using WindowsXP Home with all current Windows Update Critical Updates
and several other recommended updates. I also use AV, firewall and spyware
software and have no indication that a virus or any other malware is
present.

 

[Jack Mc Kenna]

Hi folks,

This month's PC World magazine tells of the Administrator logon for
WindowsXP Home that can only be accessed in Safe Mode. I tried getting
into safe mode to create a logon password for this Administrator account
by starting the PC while pushing the F8 key. I do get the choice when this
happens to boot in Safe Mode. The booting starts but then stops and the PC
goes into a loop of starting over again. Each time I choose Safe Mode, I'm
returned to the restart loop and never get the PC running. Yet when
booting normally (no F8), I boot right into WindowsXP with no problems at
all.

Any thoughts on why I can boot normally but am unable to boot into Safe
Mode? Alternatively, can you offer any suggestion as to what I can do to
track down the cause of this problem?

Thanks.

PS--I also tried getting into safe mode by checking the /SAFEBOOT box in
the boot.ini section of msconfig. This puts me into the infinite restart
mode just as when I start the PC with the F8 key depressed--except that
when doing this, I'm not given the ability to reboot normally, so the PC
was unusable until I rebooted the PC with a Symantec Recovery CD and
manually edited the boot.ini to remove the /SAFEBOOT option. Note that
this attempt to get into Safe Mode was done only after repeated failures
using the F8 key method.

PPS--I'm fairly sure I've had this PC in Safe Mode before so this would be
a problem that's developed some time in the past. It is possible that this
PC has never been able to get into Safe Mode. It's not something I do
every day and although I've had some PCs in Safe Mode, it's possible but
unlikely that this PC has never been put into Safe Mode.

I also have this exact same problem and posted it 6-8 months ago. The only
response I received was to do a complete system restore from CD. Did that
but it did not solve the problem. Hope you get a better answer.

 

[Craig]

"Craig" wrote...

I also have this exact same problem and posted it 6-8 months ago. The only
response I received was to do a complete system restore from CD. Did that
but it did not solve the problem. Hope you get a better answer.

Now, Jack, that's not what I wanted to hear ;-(

A few of the Googled sites I searched suggested the full Windows restore,
too, but I worried about unintended consequences...and now you also have me
worrying that it won't do any good anyway.

I do have a question for ya, Jack. Without any solid reason for thinking
this, I wonder if Symantec (Norton) did this to me. Back when it happened to
you, were you, by any chance, using one of the newer versions (maybe their
Premier variety) of Norton Systemworks which includes Norton GoBack? Or did
you ever install GoBack itself? I half-think GoBack did something. Sadly,
even uninstalling the GoBack from my Systemworks doesn't revert the PC to a
Safe Mode bootable PC.

Craig

 

[Jack Mc Kenna]

...


Now, Jack, that's not what I wanted to hear ;-(

A few of the Googled sites I searched suggested the full Windows restore,
too, but I worried about unintended consequences...and now you also have
me worrying that it won't do any good anyway.

I do have a question for ya, Jack. Without any solid reason for thinking
this, I wonder if Symantec (Norton) did this to me. Back when it happened
to you, were you, by any chance, using one of the newer versions (maybe
their Premier variety) of Norton Systemworks which includes Norton GoBack?
Or did you ever install GoBack itself? I half-think GoBack did something.
Sadly, even uninstalling the GoBack from my Systemworks doesn't revert the
PC to a Safe Mode bootable PC.

Craig

I do not install any Norton program. I have read that Nero InCD may cause
this problem, but since I usually do a format and clean install every 9
months I will wait until then, and see if the problem is solved.