Where is my safe mode?

[washefuzzy]

My cp got shut down during the power outage. When I turned it back on all I got was my screen saver no desk top stuff. I tried finding safe mode by pressing F8 which is suppose to give me options in safe mode. I have Windows XP. Instead I get get a page that ask me to select one of my exteranl drives but not my C drive. I manage to get my desktop to open by fooling around with stuff at the opening of my windows but I failed to remember what I had done to open my desktop. So now I's scared of my computer shutting down because I not sure If I can get it to open up properly. 
Help!

[cdylnicki]

try holding down the power key & force your cp off.

Then try powering it on again - the forced shut down should cause safe mode to show up as an option.

[Darth]

if you can get to the task manager go to new task and type explorer.exe that should load your desktop

[JetJumper]

try holding down the power key & force your cp off.

Then try powering it on again - the forced shut down should cause safe mode to show up as an option.

this is not correct.

In order to get the safe mode menu, just before the computer says "Starting Windows XP" with the bar scrolling across you must hit F8.  I find it easy to just mash the F8 key while the computer is starting.

Another option is to follow this tutorial

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3sjGVY3gtI

[dan2x38]

It sounds like you have a CD in the drive take that out, restart and hit F8 several times soon as the PC begins booting up. Then when the computer is booting start tapping F8. If that boot menu shows again then make your drive selection with your finger right over the F8 key and start tapping it soon as you select the boot drive. If there is a disk in the drive when you start up using F8 it thinks there is a boot disk in CD/DVD drive.

[Darth]

you type in the run menu msconfig in the second tab which is boot tick the box safe mode, unfortunately you can mash or hod f-keys, but depending on your system bios it wont work, different boards use different f keys, like mine is f3, if you can get to the start menu go to run msconfig the pc will restart after you run diagnostics you have repeat the process with this time untick safe mode

[Darth]

this is not correct.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3sjGVY3gtI

LOL I guess I should have clicked the link before I started LOL

[cdylnicki]

JetJumper, you can't proclaim that I am wrong... I just have another method to reach the same point.

http://www.computerhope.com/issues/chsafe.htm

[washefuzzy]

My real problem is when my cp starts up it get stuck at my screensaver and no icons or anything show up from my desktop.
Which means I can't use run and task manager won't open either. When I press the f8 key while opening up I do not get the safe mode window option instead I get a window that gives me the choice of booting up using external hard ware which just wouldn't work.
I don't really want safe mode but I was desperate to figure some way of opening up the cp. I did figure a way of opening it because I'm typing but I can't remember what I used so I'm afraid of shutting down my computer and not being able to get in again. Than again it may be that everything is alright but I find it suspicious that F8 wouldn't bring me to safe mode. Sigh!

[washefuzzy]

Since my cp is on for now would it helped any if I went into my System Configuration Utility and clicked on Launch System Restore. I miss the good old days when ones cp came with manuals.

[Darth]

even though there are no icons on your desktop you should still be able to alt ctl del to start task manager, the issue your having is window explorer is not loading. if you can get into task manager you can run explorer.exe

[JetJumper]

JetJumper, you can't proclaim that I am wrong... I just have another method to reach the same point.

http://www.computerhope.com/issues/chsafe.htm

It doesn't always work.  It isn't a good thing to power off Linux / Windows System like this.  When the computer is running there are files are that being constantly written / accessed.  If for some chance that the system is writing to say the System Registry at the time of a hard power off, you run the risk of corrupting your registry.  Which is more difficult to fix then trying to get into safemode.

I don't recommend this method at all.  I am not claiming that I am an expert, but I have been repairing computers for some time now.

[JetJumper]

1) open regedit (start menu > run, and type in regedit)
2) go to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon.

What is the value of Shell?
It should be explorer.exe

Here is the closest picture I can find currently.

[Darth]

.  It isn't a good thing to power off Linux / Windows System like this.  When the computer is running there are files are that being constantly written / accessed.  If for some chance that the system is writing to say the System Registry at the time of a hard power off, you run the risk of corrupting your registry. 

+1 holding the power button to force a shutdown is the worst way to reboot in any mode

[washefuzzy]

I didn't do anything and my computer opened up without any trouble. Yeah!