safe mode

[DagDog]

I use two hardware profiles when I boot up. One for games and the other is normal. I use games if I'm playing a PC game and the other is used all other times.

I want to go into safe mode to check device manager regarding some video driver maintenance.

I know to use F8 - and it goes into safe mode. The screen comes up with safe mode in all four corners, and the windows os version info along the top....but then it continues startup, displaying the log on screen with the appropriate user accounts with administrator priviledges (my name, which I usually log in under, and administrator) regardless of which I click on, or don't click at all, it still drops out of safe mode and back to normal!

I can't get it to stay in safe mode ... what am I doing wrong.

OS Name Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition
Version 5.1.2600 Service Pack 1 Build 2600
OS Manufacturer Microsoft Corporation
System Name S4100NX
System Manufacturer Compaq Presario 061
System Model DF214A-ABA S4100NX NA211
System Type X86-based PC
Processor x86 Family 15 Model 2 Stepping 9 GenuineIntel ~2491 Mhz
BIOS Version/Date 3.24, 14/10/2003
SMBIOS Version 2.31
Windows Directory C:\WINDOWS
System Directory C:\WINDOWS\System32
Boot Device \Device\HarddiskVolume2
Locale Canada
Hardware Abstraction Layer Version = "5.1.2600.1106 (xpsp1.020828-1920)"
User Name S4100NX\Owner
Time Zone Atlantic Standard Time
Total Physical Memory 256.00 MB
Available Physical Memory 12.92 MB
Total Virtual Memory 851.55 MB
Available Virtual Memory 411.52 MB
Page File Space 604.57 MB
Page File C:\pagefile.sys

[frebo]

go to start>run>msconfig and you can get to safe mode that way.

[DagDog]

Thanks....for the msconfig tip.

If I run msconfig. Which I do when I change profiles. I use selective startup and disable all startup items, then click on the Services tap, put the check in "hide all ms services" disable the rest, and under general tab I leave the check in winini, and go with original boot.

I assume to get into safe mode, you want me to go with "Diagnostic Startup". But it won't let me check it. !! ??

Its Normal - or Selective StartUp. Can't do diagnostic startup.