XP Home will not boot into safe mode...just bluescreens !

[Barnaby]

Built a new system and did a new install on a brand new HDD and Windows now
refuses to boot into safe mode. I like the option of safe mode as it is
sometimes need for various reasons such as running the recovery console. I
had it booting into safe mode as a test with the EXACT SAME hardware except
for an older HDD. Is my new HDD defective ? Can "SpinRite" fix a HDD with an
OS already installed ?
BTW...I also as a test removed SP3 so I could use the install disk to run
CHKDSK , etc. and it didn`t help. What a hassle , SP2 Windows disk won`t work
with SP3 installed. But I did all this work just so I can say I have tried
everything possible.
I even tried it with the video card removed and used the onboard video , and
that didn`t help. HELP !!! My HDD is a brand new Seagate Barracuda with a 5
year warranty , not a cheapie. Do I need to wipe the drive and then run
SpinRite before I install Windows , or just get a new HDD ?

 

[philo]

Built a new system and did a new install on a brand new HDD and Windows now
refuses to boot into safe mode. I like the option of safe mode as it is
sometimes need for various reasons such as running the recovery console. I
had it booting into safe mode as a test with the EXACT SAME hardware except
for an older HDD. Is my new HDD defective ? Can "SpinRite" fix a HDD with an
OS already installed ?
BTW...I also as a test removed SP3 so I could use the install disk to run
CHKDSK , etc. and it didn`t help. What a hassle , SP2 Windows disk won`t work
with SP3 installed. But I did all this work just so I can say I have tried
everything possible.
I even tried it with the video card removed and used the onboard video , and
that didn`t help. HELP !!! My HDD is a brand new Seagate Barracuda with a 5
year warranty , not a cheapie. Do I need to wipe the drive and then run
SpinRite before I install Windows , or just get a new HDD ?

First off, you do not "run the recovery console" by entering safe mode.
You can install it as a separate boot option
or run it by booting from your XP cd.

But of course I'd still be concerned with your inability to run in the safe
mode environment.

If you are in doubt about your new HD it should have come with a diagnostic
utility...
but if not...you should be able to download if from the mfg's website.

If it's bad, you will of course want to get an RMA
and have it replaced...but do not waste your time running spin rite on a new
drive.
It's new and it should be in good working order.


Also. I recommend that you create a new XP install cd with SP3
slip-streamed.

Plenty of hits on Google for instructions on how to do so.

Also
as to why the machine crashed is safe mode
have a look in event viewer

 

[Barnaby]

I did run the recovery console from within Windows. That is why I had to
uninstall SP3. I ran HD Tune and it shows no errors. This is just baffling to
me as it boots into "Windows normally" and runs just fine. I researched the
bluescreen errors and no luck. From what I can tell , I would have to have a
programmer at MSFT to read and decipher the error. It looks like the
bluescreen I used to get years ago (Win2K) with Video related issues. IRQL
Not Less Than Or Equal
Barnaby

 

[Barnaby]

I did a wiwndows Live search and found a PC World post that fixed it !!!
The post stated...IRQ_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL STOP: 0x0000000A can be caused by
Nero InCD 4300. A side effect is that, very strangely, you cannot boot in
safe mode, but you can boot in normal mode. You can try to update InCD to the
latest version. There are conflicting reports about version 4303. If you keep
having the problem, uninstall the program altogether.

Scroll down to "General Blue Screen of Death information" and see if there
is anything helpful in there. Just in case it happens again.
I uninstalled it and voila , it went into safe mode. I DL the newer version
but havn`t tried it yet. I prefer Roxio for obvious reasons (DirecCD) Damn
that Nero software !

 

[philo]

I did run the recovery console from within Windows. That is why I had to
uninstall SP3. I ran HD Tune and it shows no errors. This is just baffling to
me as it boots into "Windows normally" and runs just fine. I researched the
bluescreen errors and no luck. From what I can tell , I would have to have a
programmer at MSFT to read and decipher the error. It looks like the
bluescreen I used to get years ago (Win2K) with Video related issues. IRQL
Not Less Than Or Equal
Barnaby

Very interesting. If you still have your old HD...the one that does not have
the problem
with safe mode, I'd think there must be something different...
or is your new one just a clone of the old?

BTW:

How did you run the recovery console from within Windows?

You can run it by booting from the cd.
You can install it and boot to it if necessary...
but there is no way( I have ever heard of) where it could be run from within
Windows.

Just for example: chkdsk /r from the recovery console
could never run from a running version of Windows

 

[Barnaby]

No it was not a clone , but problem is solved. Please read.
did a wiwndows Live search and found a PC World post that fixed it !!!
The post stated...IRQ_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL STOP: 0x0000000A can be caused by
Nero InCD 4300. A side effect is that, very strangely, you cannot boot in
safe mode, but you can boot in normal mode. You can try to update InCD to the
latest version. There are conflicting reports about version 4303. If you keep
having the problem, uninstall the program altogether.

Scroll down to "General Blue Screen of Death information" and see if there
is anything helpful in there. Just in case it happens again.
I uninstalled it and voila , it went into safe mode. I DL the newer version
but havn`t tried it yet. I prefer Roxio for obvious reasons (DirecCD) Damn
that Nero software !

 

[philo]

No it was not a clone , but problem is solved. Please read.
did a wiwndows Live search and found a PC World post that fixed it !!!
The post stated...IRQ_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL STOP: 0x0000000A can be caused by
Nero InCD 4300. A side effect is that, very strangely, you cannot boot in
safe mode, but you can boot in normal mode. You can try to update InCD to the
latest version. There are conflicting reports about version 4303. If you keep
having the problem, uninstall the program altogether.

Scroll down to "General Blue Screen of Death information" and see if there
is anything helpful in there. Just in case it happens again.
I uninstalled it and voila , it went into safe mode. I DL the newer version
but havn`t tried it yet. I prefer Roxio for obvious reasons (DirecCD) Damn
that Nero software !

Good that you found that!

Though I do use Nero I have never installed the InCD feature

nor will I ever after hearing about your experience...
so thanks for the tip!