Has to be a better way. . .

[Redfallon]

Wondering if there's anyway to force 98se to shutdown and reboot to safe mode via the command line? The only possible solution I've found is to create a file in the windows directory called wnbootng.sts which forces windows to boot to safe mode if a normal boot fails. Is this the best way or do one of you 98 ace's know a command line switch? Thanks in advance.

[glc]

I don't have a 98 box here, but try looking around in the advanced section of msconfig. I'm pretty sure at the very least you can force the boot menu so you don't have to sit there tapping F8 and hoping to catch it at the right time.

[GaryRouth]

I haven't tried the tip below myself, but I've seen it mentioned a few times here and there.
____________________________________
Per PC World, May 2004 edition
For win98
Safe mode is a great way to troubleshoot your computer. You enter it usually by having to reboot your PC pressing Control and F8 to see the boot menu and using the arrow keys to select Safe mode and then pressing enter.

Below is a method to create a shortcut that restarts windows in safe mode in a click or two.

First open the folder you will keep your the shortcut, If you want to put the shortcut on on the start menu, right click start button and choose Open or Explore. Navigate to the subfolder corresponding to the menu you want to use for your safe mode shourtcut, right click in this folder and choose new shortcut. In the command line box type win/d:m and next. Type a name for your shortcut and click next again. Finally select and appropriate icon and click finish.
Now right click your new shortcut icon and chose properties. Select the Program tab and then the advanced button. Check the MS-DOS mode box and uncheck warn before entering MS-DOS mode. Click ok twice. From now on you simply have to choose your shortcut for its start menu location or double click if on desktop and sit back until windows has finished the switch to safe mode.
________________________________________

. . . sounds pretty straightforward. Let us know how it goes in case anyone else out there wants to give it a go . . .

. . . Gary

[Eaglefeather]

Good morning Gary & PC Mech team,

Nothing seems to be "straight foward", when it comes to Windows.

I tried to make the shortcut and managed to get to, quote: "In the command line box type win/d:m and next." unquote. After typing in win/d:m and hitting the next button I got one of those sweet little error pop-ups, (the rue of my life it seems) that stated C:\win/d:m could not be found, (windows added the C:\). Of course windows will not let me proceed beyong this point. Could there be something missing from the instructions? (I am running 98se).

Safe Mode has been a life saver on more than one occassion but as glc mentioned it can be a real pain trying to boot into Safe Mode. Having a method of getting there from windows would be a great asset. Sure hope there is a way to get this to work.

[glc]

Try c:\windows\win /d:m

Note the space in between win and / .

[Redfallon]

I'm trying to set up the windows defrag program to run *and* actually complete on our 3 win98se boxes at the office. I want them to run over the weekend, unattended. The only way they'll reliably complete defrag is in safe mode with nothing running (including network). Anyway, I found out about the file generated by windows to force a safe mode boot, and I was thinking if I could get a batch file to create the file before running, set itself to run on the reboot, reboot, run, delete the file and reboot again to normal mode it would work best. I'm having trouble getting the batch to create the file. Would copying another anyname-file to c:\windows\wnbootng.sts work? Then I also need to figure out how to get the batch file to run on *only* the next reboot.

[Eaglefeather]

Thanks again, glc, that space and / solved the problem. Completed the remaining instructions with no problems. Ummmm....I haven't tried clicking on the shortcut yet to see if it works....Ummm..... just call me Old Yeller.

[GaryRouth]

I'll be working on a Win98se machine later this weekend & give that shortcut a try then & post my results. Seems like it has a good chance.

Redfallon - I haven't used a Dos/Windows batch file in a long time, but I think for what you want to do, it won't need to create/delete any files - you'll just make a batch file that will run your string of programs in the order you choose, then quit & reboot. Hopefully one of the folks with batch experience will drop by and give us an example file.
. . . Gary

P.S. -- you might be able to do what you want with Task Scheduler, too.