Hello,

I have a Windows XP Pro Safe Mode problem. I have a Dell Dimension 8400 Desktop (nearly three months old).

First let me say I religiously keep my antivirus up to date. I have Spybot Search & Destroy, Ad-Aware SE, Spy Sweeper, PestPatrol, Microsoft AntiSpyware and I use HijackThis. I only use one of the Spyware programs for active protection. I can account for all of my running processes and startup entries including those starting from the Registry.

I scan my system (Spyware and viruses) after turning off system restore then I booted into safe mode (that was my routine before this problem). I keep my web surfing to a minimum. I use my banks site, news sites etc. This problem only recently happened. I have no problems booting up into Windows and every thing runs great. I never have had a virus or been hit with spy ware etc because of that routine.

The problem only when try to boot into Safe Mode. I press F8 then select Safe Mode. It runs the process of booting into Safe Mode all the way to the Welcome screen where it displays the picture for my Administrator Account and my personal Account (also an Administrator Account).

My mouse works fine, it moves freely around the screen to mouse over what ever account I choose to log into but when I click the picture and the password box comes up for me to type into my system freezes right there. The password box has that blinking line like its ready for me to type in my password but when I type none of my key strokes work, nothing goes into the box.

I type and it doesn’t respond. My mouse cursor is frozen right were I last clicked (it looks like a little glove not an arrow), I can’t move it. I am sitting there locked up and the only way I can get out is to unplug my computer (were it it boots up perfectly into Windows). I have my system setup so when I press the power button the box pos up for me to shut down or restart but that doesn’t work because I can’t press enter or move my mouse over.

Dell’s solution as it is for any thing big and small is to restore the system back to it factory shipped state using their restore function (wiping all my programs and settings out). Windows Restore did nothing either I forgot to mention. I am hoping some one has had this happen or heard of it and has a solution other than starting from zero. Any way or thing any of you may have to offer would be greatly appreciated. I’ll try it first before I use any drastic measures.

Windows performs flawlessly, all programs, functions, applications, drivers and hardware run perfect it’s just this ‘Safe Mode’ debacle that’s got me.

Thanks for your help.

Hello once more,

I have an update on my Safe Mode freezing problem. I was able finale able to boot into Safe Mode. Even though successful how it did it it still raises a question. I will explain below.

If you read my original post at the top of this thread you will remember the point it froze at was as soon as I clicked my cursor on my Admin account picture at the welcome screen. The password box popped up and my cursor wouldn’t move and when I tried to type none of my key strokes came up (PS2 mouse & keyboard).

Well after I unplugged the PC and plugged it back in to get out of the big freeze like usual I though about were it froze at each time, after I clicked and the password box popped up and decide to try something.

I went to User Accounts and got rid of needing a password at logon. Then I booted to safe mode and at the welcome screen simply clicked on the picture to logon and instead of freezing it worked.

Why would not requiring at password at logon solve the freezing up in Safe Mode? I don’t really need as password on either account as it is just my wife and I who use it but if at some point we do want or need to put logon passwords on the accounts we won’t be able to get into Safe Mode like before.

Can any one shed some light on this new twist?

Thanks

Hello,

I have a Windows Dimension 2300. When I start it up, my computer freeses causing my mouse not to work, and causing my keyboard to freese.

Please I need HELP, I have so many documents on that computer!!

Is there any way out of re-installing the OS?

Please help Quickly!

E-Mail: [email protected]

Hello,

I have a Gateway 500S and I'm having the same problems as mentioned above. My mouse and keyboard freezes and in addition I am no longer able to return to windows XP normally because I used an MSconfig and requested that safe mode be enabled every time during Window XP loads so now I'm just trying to figure out if I should re-install windows XP or perhaps maybe there's someway to disable safe mode via command prompt. All I have is a windows 98 emergency disk and I seriously think there's no way for me to get into the desktop so I might delete Windows XP if I'm not offered any suggestions. I'm at the library at the moment so please reply within a week. Any suggestions will be appreciated. Thanks in advance.

Just before the Windows booting screen comes up, press F8. This should bring up a menu, where you can select to boot normally.

Note: You must be fast to Press F8, otherwise you will miss it.

When in safe mode, shouldn't you me able to run msconfig? and change it back.

Well, unfortunately I wasn't able to return to windows normally using the F8 key, I even tried to use the last known good configuration feature with no success simply because Windows XP remembered my original command which was to start Safe-mode each time during system start-up. I suppose my hard drive has errors on it and maybe that's way it it froze on safe mode because I re-installed Windows XP (good thing I always back up my hard drive every 3 months) and now I'm able to go into safe mode. I thank god that I had my Windows 98 Emergency disk because without it, I seriously would have been screwed.

Anyway to help other people out, it's very important that you use a recover console and back up your hard drive in a periodic basis because you'll never know when XP or your hard drive is going to hang or crash during safe mode.

I think my hard drive had a lot of errors caused by registry and pirated software so maybe that might have contributed to way my XP wasn't able to load safe mode.

So if you think you might have errors on your hard drive, make sure you get Registry Mechanic 6.0 (or the latest version out there).

Thanks for the suggestion HVAC888

Good day.

Hi

If you set safe boot on Xp ,and it doesn't boot up correctly you can undo this by remove the hard drive and using it as en external drive for another computer... then open notepad and copy and paste below...

[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOW S
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /fastdetect /noexecute=optin

Then save this to the external drive as boot.ini , It should as if you want to replace you answer yes.. then all you have to do is replace the drive back in original PC and away you go..

Wow, that's a great idea. To bad I never thought of that when I had the problem, but that would have fixed it if another hard drive was available.

Thanks King 26_1

Good day. :)

I still have that problem when I go into safe mode. I used to have it on normal Windows but fixed it by unclicking my TweakUI logon buttons.