"Safe mode" option gone from WinXP?

I hope I am posting this in the right forum; if not, then I apologize.

I have lost the "reboot in safe mode" option on my computer. I was going to reboot into safe mode to run all the scans listed in the "READ AND RUN ME BEFORE ASKING FOR HELP" thread in the Malware-removal forum, but I can't seem to do it. I reboot the computer, hit F8, which worked last time, but instead of the black screen where it asks me to choose between normal mode and safe mode, I came to what looked a lot like the boot device menu in the BIOS, and was asked to choose which device I wanted to boot from. I choose the hard drive, and it promptly booted into normal mode. I have tried to reboot into safe mode several times, I even went to look in the BIOS to see if there was something there that had been accidentally disabled. Of course there was no such thing.

The boot spash screen on my computer went weird a few days ago when I installed a Linksys Compact Wireless-G USB adapter. It reversed the "choose an account"-screen to something ugly and pre-XP, and took away the "switch user"-function. A quick trip to Google revealed that this seems to be a universal problem with this adapter. Since there is only; ever one user on this system, the reversal was an simply an annoyance, but now I'm wondering if it could have something to do with this refusal to let me into safe mode.

Help will be greatly appreciated, I really to clean up this machine, as it's sluggish, slow, choppy, and overall I do not feel safe with it right now.

Thanks in advance,
Mimsy

 

I'll do that then, thanks!

I work in a call-center; I can be patient.

/Mimsy

 

F8 is used by many BIOS manufacturers to choose "Device Boot Options" On my motherboard, pressing F8 again while the BIOS "Device Boot Options" screen is showing will then continue to the Windows "Safe Mode".
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Thanks, Prometheos, I'll try that.

I have another question now, and I apologise if it's a bit too much off topic.

I followed the malware removal guide, but couldn't run the Panda scan, for weird reasons. I disabled Avast, but that didn't help. I removed Avast, since it has been very uncooperative lately anyway, and installed AVG instead. Should I try to run the Panda online scan again, and add the log to my posts in the malware removal forum if I manage?

Thanks,
Mimsy

 

The panda scan, were ye using IE (what version 6, 7?) or Firefox? If Firefox, use IE instead.

 

IE of course, since it won't work in Firefox. Version 6 something.

Sadly, the F8 trick did not work. Still no safe mode.

/Mimsy

 

Mimsy try this link for safe mode http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/tutorials/tutorial61.html
Scroll down to your OS and use the instructions for the system config. utility. If your on XP remember you have to undo it when through with safe mode.

 

On my computer (several of them actually, all with the same motherboard) the timing of when I hit F8 is critical, and it is really easy to hit it too late or too soon. Just to make life interesting if it is a fast CPU the time to hit the key slides by incredibely fast.

I took an interest in this thread because it comes close to asking another question about safe mode I'm interested in, but I'll start another thread for that one.

You did ask one question I'm curious about though, does XP have a safe mode? Other posts I've seen elsewhere would suggest yes, but I would like a definitive reply on this question.

 

Yes, XP has a safe mode, and I've used it before. That's why I am so puzzled that it is gone now.

/Mimsy

 

By the way, sach2, thanks for the link. I'm going to try that as soon as the Panda scan is done, and run the "Read & Run Me"tutorial again, in safe mode this time.

Now that Avast has been uninstalled I can run the online Panda scan and it's finding a frightening amount of malware... so I'm starting over as soon as it's done.

/Mimsy

 

The F8 key may require one more step. Some keyboards are now being manufactured with dual-purpose function F-keys. To make them work as a default Function-key, you must press the F-Lock key, each and every time you re-boot your machine. There's even a little LED lamp to verify that it's been pressed. It functions like the CAPS-Lock or the NUM-Lock. Some of these keyboards are branded "Microsoft" but I'll let you make your own judgement on this particular stupidity.
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