Windows XP Won't boot into Safe Mode

I have a virus/bug that I need to get into Safe Mode to remove but when I press F8 the computer doesn't load and stays on a black screen.

I cannot use MSCONFIG as the virus causes the PC to restart as soon as I enter into MSCONFIG so I need to use the F8 option which for some reason hasn't worked for quite some time(so I don't think it is virus related).

Any ideas?

 

Boot into normal mode then

 

You could try editing your boot.ini to include /safeboot:minimal switch.

Right-Click My Computer>Properties>Advanced>Startup and Recovery>Edit

Add /safeboot:minimal on the same line after /fastdetect

 

The second I go into MSCONFIG the virus causes my PC to reboot preventing me from using it to get into safe mode

I was thinking of doing this but I'm somewhat concerned that if I edit the boot.ini to automatically boot into safe mode and then safe mode won't load, that I would be unable to load at all?

What would I do if it was stuck on safe mode and upon restart I got stuck in a black screen that I get when I use F8?

 

I'd get a boot disk that has virus removal on it...such as Avast Bart. That way you can remove the viruses before actually booting your system.

 

You would need Recovery Console or other boot CD (Linux) to edit the boot.ini back to original state. (The change in boot.ini in my post is just a manual way of doing MSconfig safe mode, so you will have the same problem if you were to get into msconfig).

Do you have an XP installation CD with Recovery Console?

When you Press F8 you get no list of options such as safemode? Or you choose safemode and then get stuck at a blank screen?

 

I have a Reinstallation CD but I don't know about the "Recovery Console"

As to pressing F8, I never get to the list of options I simply get a black screen

 

If it is a full XP installation disk go ahead and install recovery console according to this article http://support.microsoft.com/kb/307654

This way you can make sure you have recovery console available as a boot option before doing any editing to boot.ini. If it installs OK then test it by choosing Recovery Console at boot and then just make sure you can get into your Windows installation past the Admin password.

 

I installed the Recovery Console but I cannot access it..

Unless I am mistaken it is accessed via the Boot Menu but I don't "see" the Boot Menu.

I restart and it goes directly from black screen to the Windows Profile where you log in to your profile.

 

Can you check what your boot.ini looks like? You can get into regular mode correct? Right-click My Computer>Properties>Advance>Startup and Recovery>edit. Do you have an option for "Recovery Console"? Is the timeout 30 seconds?

 

This is my boot.ini

 

So I selected the option to boot in the recovery console and the computer wouldn't boot.

I plugged in the monitor into the video drive and not the harddrive and Bingo, I was able to see the boot screen and was able to select Safe Mode and boot into Safe Mode where I believe I fixed the virus problem

So apparently I can boot into Safe Mode, I just have to plug the monitor into the video drive.

Is that a problem with the HD or with my monitor?(For future reference)

Thanks for your help, I really appreciate you taking the time to help me figure this all out

 

Are you saying that you had your monitor connected to your hard drive :confused

 

I had a long post explaining how to get into recovery console from the CD and edit the boot.ini for safemode, ready to post but was giving it a few hours to proofread to make sure I didn't make any errors in my instructions.

My first note was a possible display problem but it may have done you no good if text was not displaying pre-Windows:

I'm glad you figured things out. I too am confused about where you are plugging in your monitor. Are you saying you moved it from the Motherboard connection to the video card connection? Either should should display the boot screens. I hope someone can give you advice on correcting the problem.

 

Yea I moved the monitor plug from the motherboard connection to the video card..I have no idea why it worked but for whatever reason it did

Thanks again for your help