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Technical Help & Discussion => General Tech Discussion, News & Q&A => Topic started by: Kaz on September 21, 2007, 09:28

Title: Safe Mode Wont work?
Post by: Kaz on September 21, 2007, 09:28
Hi Everyone,
Since I had that Virus Iv been cheeking everything ''think I'm getting a bit paranoid now', anyway I have to run a AVG spyware in safe mode I tried doing this yesterday and it caused all sorts of problems anyway Iv sorted that out now, but I still  can't boot up into Safe Mode I go to F8 and get the menu
Safe Mode
Safe Mode Networking
Safe mode ????????

Iv tried all of them and It just keeps going back to the menu until I say go back to windows then it boots back to windows, any ideas as to what I can do please :dunno:
Title: Re: Safe Mode Wont work?
Post by: Simon on September 21, 2007, 09:41
Not sure if this will work, but you could try it, Kaz.

Go to Start > Run, and then type in msconfig and hit Enter and the system configuration utility box comes up.

You should see several tabs across the top. One of them, when selected, has a box you can tick that says "Safe Boot".  Tick that box, and then click Apply and OK and it will prompt you to restart the computer, which should then start in safe mode.

To change it back so that it boots into normal Windows, you have to go back into this same box to untick the "Safe Mode" box or it will continue to boot in Safe Mode.

However, there does seem to be an underlying problem as to why it won't boot into safe mode via the normal method, which hopefully someone will come up with an answer to.  I just hope that the virus you had, or the removal of it, hasn't damaged Windows, in which case, you may have to consider a repair or re-installation of Windows.
Title: Re: Safe Mode Wont work?
Post by: Kaz on September 21, 2007, 10:13
Hi Simon,
Have done that and that's what gave me the big problem couldn't still get into safe mode and couldn't get back into windows to uncheck safe mode I had to go back to my very first backup that came with PC and then use a backup I did day before yesterday to get it back on line again
''thank god for backup's'' :laugh:

When I went back to my first backup I did a test to see if it would go into safe mode and it did, but I have so much stuff on my PC a the moment I really don't want to go down that path just yet if I don't have to Iv tried repairing for the win CD that didn't work either, so I am looking around for ideas at the moment haven't got anywhere yet :dunno:
Title: Re: Safe Mode Wont work?
Post by: Reno on September 21, 2007, 18:55
I think you should look into registry repair software. Ccleaner has an average one, but the best i've come across is called registry mechanic. I don't know if it will solve your safemode problem, but I'd say half the time i have a funky windows problem like this checking the registry will resolve it.
Title: Re: Safe Mode Wont work?
Post by: Kaz on September 21, 2007, 19:44
I think you should look into registry repair software. Ccleaner has an average one, but the best i've come across is called registry mechanic. I don't know if it will solve your safemode problem, but I'd say half the time i have a funky windows problem like this checking the registry will resolve it.

Thanks Bob,
at the moment Im doing just that :crazy:
and Im trying anything if Im honest I have tried registry Mechanic it found a few things nothing drastic but it hasn't solved my problem, but thanks for the input, Ill carry on trying :dunno: only been on this since 7.30 this morning think it's time for a little drinkypoos!
Title: Re: Safe Mode Wont work?
Post by: Kaz on October 14, 2007, 14:43
Well I am b back on line again now My pc guy couldn't fix the problem with safe mode, he had never seen anything like it, so I have had to do a complete install an start again, but it's fixed now I have one problem now and Im going to post a new topic on it

Thanks for all the help again
Title: Re: Safe Mode Wont work?
Post by: Rik on October 14, 2007, 15:02
I would advise you invest in something like Acronis True Image, and use it regularly to make backups. If you get hit with this sort of problem again, it's the work of minutes to restore your machine to a working state.
Title: Re: Safe Mode Wont work?
Post by: Kaz on October 14, 2007, 15:13
Hi Rik Bean,
I do and have Acronis and make regular backups since I got Acronis, but it would appear that my problem what ever it was that caused this was on my PC before I got to use Acronis every backup I re-installed carried the ''Safe Mode Problem'' I ean it's not every day you use the Safe Mode is it? and it was only by chance that I found it when I did I thought I had a virus so I downloaded some spyware that need to boot up in Safe Mode and thats when I found it I spent hours trying to sort it and with help from my Pals on here, even my computer Guy couldn't fix it, anyway it's sorted now a lesson to be learned
Thanks  ;)
Title: Re: Safe Mode Wont work?
Post by: Rik on October 14, 2007, 15:29
Now you have a clean machine, Kaz, it's worth getting into an Acronis regime. The first time you have to restore the OS, you'll probably suffer a few sweaty palm moments as you wonder if it really works, but after that, the comfort factor is immense.
Title: Re: Safe Mode Wont work?
Post by: Kaz on October 14, 2007, 15:38
Yep,
Im really  happy with it I back up every time I install new prog it just takes minutes :thumbs:
Title: Re: Safe Mode Wont work?
Post by: Rik on October 14, 2007, 16:18
That's the best way, Kaz, plus before any updates, of course. I also have a regime of backing up all data and settings to two external USB HDs daily, plus an internal SATA HD. I put a subset of data onto a DVD-RW (one per day, so I have some rollback available) and another subset on a port-powered USB HD (which I can quickly switch to any machine). Call me paranoid, but I haven't lost any data in more than 18 years.
Title: Re: Safe Mode Wont work?
Post by: Lona on October 14, 2007, 18:22
Quote
Call me paranoid

(https://www.pc-pals.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cheesebuerger.de%2Fimages%2Fmore%2Fschilder%2Fs006.gif&hash=d20a32065393932b33887516bc04ffd3468cfe19) Paranoid.

Paranoid was once known as Rik Bean. (https://www.pc-pals.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.2ni2.com%2Femoticon%2Fserio%2Fdemonio3.gif&hash=bc6d51e3b3f1030e7e5b3ac55f2f7e722f0bbe53)
Title: Re: Safe Mode Wont work?
Post by: Rik on October 14, 2007, 18:26
 :P

 ;D
Title: Re: Safe Mode Wont work?
Post by: Simon on October 14, 2007, 20:37
I also have a regime of backing up all data and settings to two external USB HDs daily, plus an internal SATA HD. I put a subset of data onto a DVD-RW (one per day, so I have some rollback available) and another subset on a port-powered USB HD (which I can quickly switch to any machine). Call me paranoid, but I haven't lost any data in more than 18 years.

Good heavens, no wonder you never leave your PC!   :o ;D
Title: Re: Safe Mode Wont work?
Post by: Rik on October 15, 2007, 09:53
I do it on all three machines, Simon, albeit slightly less on the lappy. It's like painting the Forth bridge. ;)
Title: Re: Safe Mode Wont work?
Post by: Simon on October 15, 2007, 10:03
I have to admit, when I do do mine, it takes half a day, but then I can forget it for another few months.   :)
Title: Re: Safe Mode Wont work?
Post by: Rik on October 15, 2007, 11:31
That's a lot of data you stand to lose. :(
Title: Re: Safe Mode Wont work?
Post by: Simon on October 15, 2007, 16:53
That's a lot of data you stand to lose. :(

Yes and no.  My data doesn't really change all that much, except for emails, of course.  If I download anything, like a music file, or a program, etc, it (the installation file) goes first to my secondary hard drive, then another copy is made to my external drive, so I always end up with two copies anyway.  The rest of my system doesn't change all that much from month to month, so if I were to instigate a routine like yours, Rik, I would more or less be backing up the same data each time, which seems a bit pointless to me.  :)

What I could do with is backing up my emails, and finding a way to synchronise all the emails from my main PC and my laptop to a central backup point.  I'm sure there's a way to do this, but I haven't really given it all that much thought. 
Title: Re: Safe Mode Wont work?
Post by: Rik on October 15, 2007, 17:34
If you use Outlook, then Migo Sync will do the job, Simon, or there's SynchPST - which I use to synchronise across my three machines.

Good backup programs only copy files which have changed, of course. On average, that's about 300 on my machine, so it doesn't take that long.
Title: Re: Safe Mode Wont work?
Post by: Simon on October 15, 2007, 17:45
It's Thunderbird / Sea Monkey on both machines, Rik.  :)
Title: Re: Safe Mode Wont work?
Post by: Rik on October 15, 2007, 17:48
You could look at network-attached storage (NAS) and point TBird at the central disk, rather than the local one.
Title: Re: Safe Mode Wont work?
Post by: Simon on October 15, 2007, 18:11
Mmm....  :)







































 :dunno:
Title: Re: Safe Mode Wont work?
Post by: Rik on October 15, 2007, 18:18
Was that a definite maybe, Simon? :)
Title: Re: Safe Mode Wont work?
Post by: Simon on October 15, 2007, 21:09
I think I understand what you mean, but wouldn't that mean I would have to have two machines running whenever I wanted to access mail?
Title: Re: Safe Mode Wont work?
Post by: Rik on October 16, 2007, 00:01
No, the NAS would run off your router, and be available as a network drive to any connected machine. I doubt TB supports networking, so you would only be able to access the mail from a single machine at a time.
Title: Re: Safe Mode Wont work?
Post by: Simon on October 16, 2007, 00:10
OK, well now I'm completely lost, but it's late, and it's bedtime!  :goodnight:
Title: Re: Safe Mode Wont work?
Post by: Rik on October 16, 2007, 00:35
NAS is just another device plugged into the router, and can be accessed as you would access another computer.

I doubt, but am not sure on this, that TBird is designed to be run as a networking app, so you wouldn't be able to have multiple copies of TBird working with the central set of data files simultaneously. However, when you checked and replied to your mail from one machine, if you then used a second machine later, it would have access to the current data set.