CPU stuck in safe mode options screen?

[bryce777]

My sons' CPU is stuck in the safe mode options screen (where you get the 30 sec timer). No matter what option we select it will only reboot us back to the same options screen and counter. He did not install new hardware but has done some downloads. CPU just started to do this. I have tried all the options thru F8 but without success. His os is XP pro. Any ideas as to what to do? Any other way to get in?

Thanks.

[Gregor976]

You need to do a disk check. That might sort it. Boot from your windows cd. Get to the command prompt and run chkdsk /f

That's "chkdsk /f" without the quotes. If that doesn't work just boot from the CD again and do a repair.

[Mr Bigman]

Try to find a live cd that can read explorer code and go into system volume information and go to a folder with snapshot in the lines and look for 5 keys HK software, HK System, HK Sam, HK Security, and HK Default.

Rename these all to System, Software, Sam, Security, and Default
and copy all 5 entried in windows\system\config and allow to all.

Make sure before renaming these to look at the folder dates their will be many according to the calender and time. look for the one with the closest date when this issue occured.

You should be able to reboot and go into normal mode now and do maintenance on system.

What we did is copy all 5 registry hives from a time when everything worked in the config folder. Its like system restore but we can't get to system restore cuz of menu.

This can't be done withought a bootable live CD like Linux or windows PE.

The folder usally shows empty but that was done on purpose but this only works if you haven't turned off system restore or the hives will be dated when the os was installed.

You can do this in the recovery console but is more daunting cuz of renaming at the command line.

Been nice if they had rescue disk like 2k did where you do your bakcup of registry and use floppy for restore. pop in your 2k cd and follow instructions and boom you were back up.

Good luck
Bigmans.

[bryce777]

That's "chkdsk /f" without the quotes. If that doesn't work just boot from the CD again and do a repair.

No go, still wont get past the safe mode etc option screen.

[Gregor976]

You aren't booting from the CD then. Watch for the "To boot from CD Press any Key" then press a key! :)

If you don't get that prompt before it gets to the boot option screen, then you need to go into the bios by pressing the Delete key or possibly F1 during the boot process "again that's before it gets to the boot options screen.

Change the 1st boot device to CD then save and exit. Reboot and wait for the "To boot from CD Press any Key".

[bryce777]

You aren't booting from the CD then. Watch for the "To boot from CD Press any Key" then press a key!

Done all that, it then prompts R for repair but then proceeds to return me to the save "options" safe mode etc screen. Doesn't fix anything.

Iam running a disc check through the XP CD at present. I'll see if that helps.

[bryce777]

All fixed, thanks for your help. Check disc through XP CD did the trick.

[Gregor976]

Excellent. Glad to hear it and welcome to the forum.