Can't Get Into Safe Mode Because Arrow Keys Stop Working

In an attempt to play a new video game my son changed the resolution on our monitor to something too high and now we get a black screen that says "monitor cannot display this video mode". Research online shows I should try to restart windows in safe mode, but when I try this the arrow keys on my keyboard don't work and I am forced to accept the default "normal mode" option (which loops back to the resolution issue above). I have tried two different keyboards that I know have working arrow keys normally, but they stop working when put on that particular PC (obviously I'm not on that PC now

I also tried changing the monitor but had the same resolution issues with it. I also tried the manual set up button on both monitors but could not make the resolution adjust that way.

So, I'm hoping someone can tell me how to get the arrow keys to work during reboot? Or anything else that might help?

Thanks so much for any help,

Kat

 

If you are trying to move the cursor try the 'tab' key.

 

I need the arrow keys to move the reboot mode selection up from "normal" to "safe". Tabbing won't help, but thanks.

 

So you press F8 at a cold boot to get to safe mode and the arrow keys don't work before Windows loads?

Have you booted into the BIOS? Do the arrow keys work in the BIOS?

 

Sorry, plodr, you have a novice here. I have now idea how to boot into the BIOS. Is there a way to get into safe mode that way? Thanks.

 

Which version of Windows are you using?

 

Windows 7, Eldon.

plodr, my son knew how to boot into BIOS and he says the arrow keys work fine there.

On one of our many restarts last night hitting F8 I got a new screen where the default (luckily, because still no arrow keys) was to let Startup Repair run. So we did that and though SR found nothing it could fix, I got a screen with System Recovery Tools and used the command prompt to go into safe mode that way. I uninstalled the Nvidia drivers that my son thought had caused the initial resolution issues mentioned above, reset my resolution to what we normally keep it at, and restarted the computer in normal mode but got the same resolution lockup again. Tried restarting multiple times while hitting or holding F8 and have yet to get the Startup Repair option again. If I can get back in there are a few more Nvidia graphics drivers he installed at the same time that I will delete to see what happens. I just don't get how a resolution conflict can cause such problems with a monitor.

 

http://www.wikihow.com/Get-to-the-BIOS-Screen

 

Can you connect the monitor to the onboard graphics?

 

Is the video an onboard chip or is there a card installed? If you aren't sure, you can usually tell by the video connectors on the back of the case. If there are video connectors at 2 locations, (not 2 connectors side by side or on top of each other), then there is a video card installed.
If you aren't sure and have a phone, tablet or digital camera, take a picture of the back and post it. NOTE: before you put up a picture, be sure a serial number for Windows is not showing anywhere.

If there is a video card installed, move the monitor connector to the onboard chip. This should change the hardware and the monitor resolution.

I asked about the BIOS because there should be something to deal with video in there. Since each BIOS is unique to a computer, I can't tell you what to change.

 

Is this computer on a LAN with other computers? If so, you could try to remote into the problem computer via one of the functional PC's . . . assuming the options to do so have not been blocked on the problem PC. If you haven't ever changed those settings, then you should be ok. This assumes the problem PC is actually booting into the OS and just the display drivers/settings are corrupted.

When you remote into another computer, the video system on the remote computer is largely irrelevant. If successful you could try changing the video settings that way, use msconfig to boot into safe mode, or initiate a system restore point.

You sometimes don't have the option to shut down or restart the remote computer via the Start menu. If a restart is required, you will have to create a shortcut on the remote desktop with:

C:\Windows\System32\shutdown.exe -r -t 00

This will restart the remote computer. You will, of course, lose your remote connection with it.

 

Jumping in a little late but have you tried the On-Screen Keyboard?
Good luck,
s.

 

Stephen_c16, if there is no display, an onscreen keyboard won't be viewable!

 

Apologies

s.

 

Kat,

How are things going?

All of us have blipped over a pertinent fact or two when reading posts. Plodr's post wasn't meant in a negative sense. It's all good