Unable to get into safe mode when there is a problem

[hdbg62]

Have not been in here for some time but due to what happened today (2nd time this month), I find myself compelled to do so. Stumbled on a now archived thread “http://www.vistax64.com/vista-general/134724-system-hanging-unable-start-safe-mode-fubar.” and am finding myself in the same boat. I too have a Dell Inspiron, a (530) PC and have been experiencing the same problems mentioned in this thread ever since I got my machine about four years ago. It’ll slow waaaaay down very unexpectedly and eventually freeze up for no reason to the point where a normal shutdown is impossible. Today it did do a very, very slow shutdown but as usual on restart, all I got is the blinking dash in the upper left corner and also as usual F8 to put it in safe mode will not work. Luckily I got a generic boot disk which allows me to do a system restore but the time that takes, about 1 ½ hours really gets to be a pain in the butt. This machine has done this ever since I got it, about 3-4 a year, lately more frequently. When not in trouble I can put it in safe mode just fine but when it does have problems it’s impossible to do so. Happens whether or not while I’m on the Internet in IE or Firefox or just on the system. When I choose repair option from the boot disk it tells me there’s no problem and system started just fine but it won’t do so. Always have to revert to restore from a previous point in time and it never, ever will let me get into safe mode while there’s a problem. With the security systems I got installed (avast, comodo, spybot, malwarebytes, spyware blaster I have never found any malware. Why can’t I get into safe mode when there’s a problem but can when there’s not? Any help?

 

[richc46]

Welcome
Lets see if we can get your computer to perform faster.
Here are my suggestions, see if you can start with the clean boot. That would help a lot
Here are my solutions to freezing, and an excellent article, which I hope is of some help
Go to search type device manager and look for any yellow warning markers
Download and run malwarebytes, a full scan after you update
Run antivirus scan
Check memory with memtest86
Make sure that you are not over heating.
Try in safe mode; report back if it works properly.
Try a clean boot
Make sure PSU is working properly
If overclocking, restore to original
Test hard drive at company website.
Test in safe mode, does it still happen?
Try with clean boot..
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/929135
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/929135
http://malwarebytes.org/
http://www.almico.com/speedfan.php
http://www.geekstogo.com/forum/topic...ing-memtest86/
http://ezinearticles.com/?Troublesho...blems&id=39981

I think the problem slows you down so much that you cant get into Safe Mode.
This will also be of great help
http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/81176-speed-up-performance-vista.html

 

[hdbg62]

Device Manager is ok; there is no problem with getting into safe mode unless there is a problem; always ran scans with malwarebytes, spybot, avast; temperature is what the archived thread is about, referencing Dell Inspiron specifically; can't get into safe mode after just shutting the thing off because it won't shut down by itself except for the first time today.

 

[richc46]

The thread in your post, leads nowhere, but the Forum Index.
Try all the other suggestions.

 

[townsbg]

When you try is safe mode, what happens? Does it blue screen or freeze? If it freezes what is the last file listed? If it is a blue screen what is the error code? Just saying that you can't get in with safe mode doesn't help us.

Also do you have both avast and comodo installed? Having more than antivirus running at a time is not recommended since they can conflict. Please uninstall one of them. Also have you ever used registry cleaners/optimizers/defraggers, etc? If so don't. Since getting your system have you done a OS reinstall? Do you clean your computer by clearing temporary files?

 

[hdbg62]

Here's the link one more time, works for me.

http://www.vistax64.com/vista-general/134724-system-hanging-unable-start-safe-mode-fubar.html

When I try to go into safe mode while having a problem, after the setup and boot options window it just goes to a blank page with a dash blinking in the upper left corner. There does pop up ever so fast a message between the two which I'm unable to read or stop with pause/break because it is so fast. Like I said, when there is no problem with the machine, I don't have a problem getting into safe mode; like now. Comodo is firewall only. Am using Auslogic registry cleaner and defragger along with CCleaner. Did a couple of reinstalls couple of years back. Am dumping my temp files once a month.

 

[Cytherian]

Did you leave a USB drive in your computer? The same thing happened with me... my mind was boggled as to what was the problem. Turns out my HP D530 was trying to boot from the USB drive which had no operating system on it.

 

[hdbg62]

No, I did not. Got an HP laptop with same system, same everything on it and never have had a problem with it.

 

[townsbg]

Am using Auslogic registry cleaner and defragger

Also have you ever used registry cleaners/optimizers/defraggers, etc? If so don't.

Such programs rarely make a noticeable difference but they are notorious for causing problems. I strongly suggest that you stop using them.

If you are getting a message that goes away too fast hit F8 like you are going into safe mode and select disable automatic restart. Then try again. Also please confirm that you aren't getting a blue screen or freezing upon safe mode with files being listed. If during safe mode files are being listed what is the last one at the time that the system freezes. This is potentially a useful piece of information.

Unfortunately if you have done reinstalls considering that this has happened about since you got the system I am inclined to to think that you have hardware failure. Possibly a defective motherboard. A new computer shouldn't be crashing so when that started I would have taken it back for an exchange.

 

[hdbg62]

Never have gotten a blue screen. My whole point is that I'm unable to get a response to F8 when I start my computer after it freezes, crashes. Each time I have this problem I have tried to catch that message but just am unable to do so. For the last couple of days the machine has been running fine and I am able to get into Safe Mode. Also, I've been shutting it down rather than letting it go to hybrid sleep as per instructions from "Brink" a few years ago.

 

[Cytherian]

If a very brief line of text appears in character display mode (black screen) then the computer shuts down from there, then I think townsbg is probably right that there is some hardware issue. You say your computer does this about 3-4 times a year? I have to wonder if there's something wrong with your hard drive. You may want to do a USB boot and then run some diagnostic tools on your hard drive to thoroughly scan it for issues.

 

[dal987]

Hi, Cytherian's right.. it would be great if you can get some specific information rather than doing a system restore. Use a bootable CD or USB drive.. set the option in your BIOS so the boot order is appropriate and your PC boots first from your external medium. There are several free downloadable bootable CDs with diagnostic tools.

Boot from that and first see if you can read your hard drive, then run some tests.

Also try to get that message if possible.. even the colour could help! (Blue or black screen). If you're desperate, try a video camera.. you might be lucky enough to catch it.

Otherwise as above, to catch a BSOD:
Help Troubleshoot the Blue Screen of Death by Preventing Automatic Reboot - How-To Geek

If there are no apparent hardware related issues, what happens if you just do a system restore? - booting first from your Windows disk or Restore disks e.g. (Unlikely to help here, methinks..).

I'm just wondering if you have a partition table corruption..

(As an aside, as I doubt it's this, I tried Comodo's firewall on 2 or 3 occasions, different versions, but it was always unreliable, including BSODs).

 

[hdbg62]

Got a generic, bootable CD; repair option only tells that there is nothing wrong but I still can’t start unless I go and do a restore from an earlier point in time.

Once more, I am unable to catch the message, it’s too fast, it’s on a black screen and it comes up between the first start-up window with setup and boot options and then the second window which in case of trouble is blank with an forever blinking dash in the upper left corner.

Am leaning towards a possible different source for the problem as I have an identical OS in every detail on my laptop, yet never experience any problem. The laptop is used only when I travel but updated regularly as my PC; as I said, everything is the same except for the fact that it does get shut down and never enters a sleep mode as does the PC. The sleep mode settings on the PC are for hybrid sleep as per the instructions by “Brink” on http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/63567-power-options-sleep-mode-problems.html. Just can't shake the feeling that at times the PC does not come out of sleep mode as it should.

 

[dal987]

Hi, sorry I misunderstood sthg. I'd thought you'd meant you'd restored your PC as in System Restore disks..

Ok, so using a system restore point allows you to reboot. So that suggests something has got misconfigured, overwritten or updated on disk... maybe.. but that brief msg on a black screen could be oh so helpful.

That leaves the mystery of why the PC slows down- which is the first symptom.

So some random thoughts in no special order, as I'm necessarily playing guessing games..
1. Has the laptop ever been modified? RAM e.g.? (mismatched RAM timing..type?)

2. If you can't somehow capture that message, you need to try to separate hardware and software issues by trial and error. If you have a spare HDD you can swap for the one in your laptop, try a clean build Windows install and see if the problem ever occurs. (Ok, if it doesn't, that still leaves a question over the original HDD).

3. If nothing goes wrong, clone your original HDD and try again. If the problem recurs, it's in your Windows configuration.

4. Check your driver versions carefully. Make sure you have the versions from your manufacturer's site.

5. Has some automatic update occurred - leading to the slowdown - which system restore reverses?

6. Consider the effect of System Restore. This restores a number of things including the registry. Separate the effect. Get a copy of Erunt (e.g.) and set it up to automatically back up your registry (there's an easily configurable program included to do that). When the problem occurs, try ONLY restoring the registry, instead of using System Restore.

That will tell you if what changes is in the registry.. or somewhere else- like drivers.

I've been there with the flashing hyphen- but for different reasons I think.. good luck.

 

[hdbg62]

Added 1GB RAM from Dell right after purchasing the unit. Will give your points 2 and 3 consideration. My drivers have been updated regularly. Last crash happened right after the latest Windows Vista update from Microsoft but also have occurred without any updates prior to crashing. Will check into what you’re talking about in item 6. As of now, the system runs just fine and I am able to get into Safe Mode if I choose to do so; albeit, I have not let it enter into sleep mode.

 

[dal987]

Another thought..
I don't think you mentioned which version of Windows you're using.
Are you using Bitlocker? (or any other form of drive encryption e.g. Truecrypt). These change the boot process..
You might find something here:
http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/163316-how-remove-bitlocker-repair-boot-manager.html
bitlocker
http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/186998-boot-process-windows-vista-vs-windows-xp.html

 

[townsbg]

The op's specs say home premium which doesn't have bit-locker. Bit-locker is only on Ultimate and Enterprise.

 

[dal987]

.. agreed.. now finally noticed the O/S.. however Truecrypt (or similar) is freeware. That said, presumably the disk isn't normally encrypted - else System Restore would be infeasible. What I had in mind was the possibility of the disk not being encrypted, but the boot sequence still being there. Just a suggestion thinking about things that might complicate booting.

 

[townsbg]

Yes with a full disk encryption a password has to be entered before the disk is accessible. I doubt that most people do that. If you think that there is a second entry in the boot loader that can be controlled by msconfig.

 

[Cytherian]

Stupid me, I forgot to tell you... if you can get to your desktop, run the Event Viewer. It should have a log of all issues that the O/S has detected, and that start-up problem might be logged there. Check System, Setup, Application, and Security. Note your boot-up time and then look in the log around that time (before and after).