trouble booting into safe mode

[Briab Guy]

Hi,
I have a 140G HD partitioned. Vista, and xp-sp2 with all updates. (read below for something funny).
When I boot I get the option for Vista or "an earlier ver of windows". It used to be if I held F8 and hit the earlier ver of... I'd get xp safe mode. But not now, it just goes to a normal start up. I can go into msconfig and under BOOT.INI tic the /safeboot, it will start in safe mode, all the time that is.
What gives?
Any help asppreciated
B

[ITlover]

Originally Posted by Briab Guy Hi, I have a 140G HD partitioned. Vista, and xp-sp2 with all updates. (read below for something funny). When I boot I get the option for Vista or "an earlier ver of windows". It used to be if I held F8 and hit the earlier ver of... I'd get xp safe mode. But not now, it just goes to a normal start up. I can go into msconfig and under BOOT.INI tic the /safeboot, it will start in safe mode, all the time that is. What gives? Any help asppreciated B

If you change your boot.ini file and write "safe mode", your computer will boot in safe mode when ever you start it. Keep the boot.ini file setting in default, change it back to what it was before.

There is something else that is troubling your computer to boot into safe mode.
Are you able to boot to safe mode with win vista?

[pink_tractorbeam]

If you've gone into msconfig and changed the boot.ini to /safeboot, as ITlover said, it's going to do this all the time until you go back to boot.ini and uncheck the /safeboot box. Do that and it should run normally again.

[EDIT] Just read glc's post and I understand the issue now. My dad has a PC with Vista on it but not me so I don't know the keyboard functions specific for it. Glc's answered your question though.

[glc]

I think both of you are misreading the question. He is intentionally using msconfig to get him into safe mode and he understands how that works.

I believe he is wondering why pressing F8 is not giving him the boot menu.

You have to choose "earlier version", hit Enter, THEN immediately hit F8 a few times.

[Briab Guy]

Thanks GLC. Am I really that bad at explaining things? I'm sorry. But thats the problem. And that is what I do, and it just won't go to safe mode. Its not the end of the world, I can use msconfig when I have to (rather not). I want to know whats stopping it. I havn't checked mny other pc to see if its happening there also. That was the funny thing I forgot to mention, I have a Plll with xp-sp1 on it along with 2000 and 98snd ed. xp-sp1 has never I repeat never had any updates installed, and obviously not sp2. The funny part is I've been running that box since 98 came out and have never had to reformat it (knock on wood).
And I use it as a guinea pig for software, demos, going to places that you just know there is a lot of junk, no, not just smut.
So I am open to any ideas.
thanks
B