Safe Mode

[DeadMansLife]

Is there any way to force a PC into safe mode without a restart?

I still cannot boot into safe mode on my XPHome. Everything is backed-up but I'd rather not do a full restore at this point and cannot restore to an earlier working state.

[Washington,D.C.]

These are best directions I know

http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/XPrepairinstall.htm

Also some instructions here

http://www.windowsreinstall.com/winxphome/installxpcdrepair/indexfullpage.htm

[DeadMansLife]

Thanks DC

It looks like I am going to have to do a full restore, I don't have an XP cd. This system came from HP with a preload partition.

[Washington,D.C.]

Okay I'm not sure how that restores without a cd but I've heard of it.You can download 6 floppies from microsoft and you don't need the XP cd.May be able to put the floppies on a cd.

[Washington,D.C.]

http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=310994

[Sgt. Schultz]

Originally posted by Washington,D.C.
Okay I'm not sure how that restores without a cd but I've heard of it.

I just did a system restore on a friends HP computer. It’s painless … you go to PC Help and Tools folder on the Start Menu and select HP PC System Recovery and follow the prompts. You have the option to do a complete recovery which formats the user partition or a recovery that only reinstalls the OS and all of the applications and claims that you will not loose any data.


The HP recovery works in two parts; first it formatted the partition and installed the OS. After a reboot you go through the "Windows first time ... " MS license, time zone, user name etc ... Second you get a HP screen with a count down clock (9:40) where it installs all of the trash (read ...HP software) ... it took 22 minutes and two reboots.

[DeadMansLife]

DC,

I can get an XPH CD from a friend. Will my product key work with it if I do a full install?

[Washington,D.C.]

If it's the same kind of Windows XP.I'm not even sure if you need product key for just a repair install.

[Washington,D.C.]

There are different XP home CD's."Retail",OEM and brand name.

[DeadMansLife]

I'm not sure which it is. He got it when he took his pc to have it repaired and upgraded. It is a full ver., not the upgrade ver. I am not sure if the repair shop used an OEM or retail. He did give him a CD with it that was still sealed.

[DeadMansLife]

I am thinking if I can use my prod. key with his full ver CD, I may just do a full install and wipe out the HP preload.

[Washington,D.C.]

Try a repair install first.If his CD is an OEM and not HP your product key may or may not work.

[DeadMansLife]

Thanks DC, I ended up doing a full restore anyway. Could not get his CD for the next 2 weeks.