How can I start my system in safe mode (?F8? gives some kind of boot menu)?

[jaffa]

I want to start my system in safe mode but when I press F8 at the splash screen I only get the options to boot from floppy, optical drive, USB or hard drive. I want to get the safe mode menu where I can choose ?safe mode?, ?safe mode with network?, ?last known good configuration??well I guess you know the rest ?

I know that I can start the computer in safe mode by first starting it normally and then run the ?msconfig? and change the settings for the ?boot.ini? tab, but the point is that I want to get the safe mode menu without having to use this workaround.

Any suggestions on how I can get to the safe mode menu without having to change the settings for the ?boot.ini? by using msconfig?

If it is not possible to get to the safe mode menu without starting windows normally first and doing the msconfig-thing, how can I start the computer in safe mode if the computer one day refuses to start in normal mode?

 

[imported_Kiwi]

You're just waiting to long to press that F8. You want to do it before the hard drive starts to access any splash screen, and it will abort that particular screen in favor of the one you want. If you just let one finger tap dance on the F8, that usually works, or on some systems, start holding down a "CTRL" key from near the end of the POST.

 

[ChonChon]

yea, as soon as it turns on, just press F8 a few times man, it will go.

 

[mechBgon]

Originally posted by: ChonChon
yea, as soon as it turns on, just press F8 a few times man, it will go.

Based on my experience with my Asus boards, it sounds to me like the opposite problem, he's pressing F8 too early.

jaffa, try to wait until juuuuust before you know the first Windows boot screen is about to show, the black one with the scrolling bar.

Or select your boot drive from the mobo's menu, then immediately resume tapping the F8 key like crazy, as the system begins booting from the boot drive.

 

[Tu13erhead]

Originally posted by: mechBgon

Originally posted by: ChonChon
yea, as soon as it turns on, just press F8 a few times man, it will go.

Based on my experience with my Asus boards, it sounds to me like the opposite problem, he's pressing F8 too early.

jaffa, try to wait until juuuuust before you know the first Windows boot screen is about to show, the black one with the scrolling bar.

Or select your boot drive from the mobo's menu, then immediately resume tapping the F8 key like crazy, as the system begins booting from the boot drive.

Yep. I generally start hitting F8 after the BIOS screen has disapearred.

 

[Cipherfaction]

start up the comp, or restart, you see the first page, what ever ie: Emachines symbol or dell symbol then after that tap F8 fast, before the windows icon comes out

 

[Scott66]

Also make sure your f-lock is on if your keyboard uses the special function keys