Thread: How to tame safe mode in 98SE

Jackson wrote:

> I don't want to delete safe mode bootup completely; I know that at
> times it is necessary to use this mode for various purposes:
> correcting problems, defraging, etc. I just want the machine to
> quit choosing that mode for me arbitrarily and to leave that decision
> to me.
>
> Anyone know how to do this? Thanks.

Enable a startup menu...
msconfig
general tab
advanced

A fancier way with some options...
1. Find msdos.sys
2. Remove read only attribute
3. Open file with Notepad
4. In the [Options] section, modify as follows...
a. logo=1
(note: removes windows splash)
b. BootWin=1
c. BootMenu=1
d. BootMenuDefault=1
(note: number corresponds to menu option, 1=normal)
e. BootMenuDelay=15
(note: enter whatever delay in seconds you wish)
5. Save the file
6. Reset read only attribute

Yes, this will delay your bootup by whatever delay you enter unless you
push <enter> when the menu comes up. In return, you always get a menu
letting you choose what to do and you don't have to sit there hitting F8
to get it. Note that the normal default (1) will always be preselected
UNLESS Windows feels a need to boot into safe mode; in that case, the
number "3" will be selected. If you don't want safe mode, use the arrow
keys to move the selection to normal and press <enter>.

--
dadiOH
____________________________

dadiOH's dandies v3.06...
....a help file of info about MP3s, recording from
LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that.
Get it at http://mysite.verizon.net/xico

Jackson wrote:
>
> About one third of my bootups go to safe mode for no apparent reason. I
> just reboot from safe mode and the machine dutifully comes up in regular
> mode. I would like to disenable the automatic safe mode boot so that the
> machine goes there only when I choose safe mode from the boot menu that
> comes up at power on.
>
> I have already disabled scan disk under the advanced button on msconfig and
> that helped a lot, but I can't seem to find how to disable safe mode.
>
> I read lots of posts here that concern shutdown and startup problems.
> Evidently 98SE has some inherent weaknesses here. I have ME on a laptop
> and I don't remember ever having a problem with shutdown or startup there.
>
> Unless you have a problem to be addressed I think that safe mode is a great
> waste of time. Obviously it's not needed since the machine will reboot
> from safe mode to regular mode with nothing being changed, so why boot safe
> in the first place?
>
> I don't want to delete safe mode bootup completely; I know that at times it
> is necessary to use this mode for various purposes: correcting problems,
> defraging, etc. I just want the machine to quit choosing that mode for me
> arbitrarily and to leave that decision to me.
>
> Anyone know how to do this? Thanks.
>
> Jack from Taxacola (formerly Pensacola), Florida

Perhaps it's booting to Safe mode because the graphics card, or other
device isn't seen on startup. With the warm restart, the device is
ready. It's possible a BIOS setting, or some delay in Windows startup
will allow the device time to set itself.. just a thought.

--
Joe =o)

On Mon, 14 Mar 2005 09:15:16 -0500, Elmo <elmogeek@iglou.invalid> wrote:

>Jackson wrote:
>>
>> About one third of my bootups go to safe mode for no apparent reason. I
>> just reboot from safe mode and the machine dutifully comes up in regular
>> mode. I would like to disenable the automatic safe mode boot so that the
>> machine goes there only when I choose safe mode from the boot menu that
>> comes up at power on.

/.../
>
>Perhaps it's booting to Safe mode because the graphics card, or other
>device isn't seen on startup. With the warm restart, the device is
>ready. It's possible a BIOS setting, or some delay in Windows startup
>will allow the device time to set itself.. just a thought.

Thanks for responding. Can I read the boot log and determine where the
regular boot up sequence failed and the machine automatically reverted to
the startup menu all over again having Safe Mode selected as default this
time? Maybe the item that is causing the boot can be identified. The
trouble is I don't know how to read the log; it's greek to me. Here's a
sample from the boot log:

<< LoadFailed = ndis2sup.vxd

Dynamic load failed ICSHARE.vxd : [00009B71] Device refused to
load (multiple instances)

DEVICEINITFAILED = ICSHAREP (multiple instances)

INITCOMPLETEFAILED = SDVXD

<< Dynamic load failed nuwave.drv : [00009C2F] File not found

Anybody know what those things are?






Jack from Taxacola (formerly Pensacola), Florida

Yeah, I've already done that. My problem is that after I press enter so
that the normal bootup starts, the process stops about half-way thru and
starts over. The startup menu now has safe mode as the default altho I can
change it back to 1= normal if I want. If I do this it will boot normally,
or if I let it boot to safe mode and then select shutdown/reboot it also
boots normally.

It's just that approximately 30% of the time the normal boot sequence stops
and the maching wants to boot up in safe mode for no apparent reason.


On Mon, 14 Mar 2005 13:47:18 GMT, "dadiOH" <dadiOH@xmail.net> wrote:

>Jackson wrote:
>
>> I don't want to delete safe mode bootup completely; I know that at
>> times it is necessary to use this mode for various purposes:
>> correcting problems, defraging, etc. I just want the machine to
>> quit choosing that mode for me arbitrarily and to leave that decision
>> to me.
>>
>> Anyone know how to do this? Thanks.
>
>Enable a startup menu...
> msconfig
> general tab
> advanced
>
>A fancier way with some options...
>1. Find msdos.sys
>2. Remove read only attribute
>3. Open file with Notepad
>4. In the [Options] section, modify as follows...
> a. logo=1
> (note: removes windows splash)
> b. BootWin=1
> c. BootMenu=1
> d. BootMenuDefault=1
> (note: number corresponds to menu option, 1=normal)
> e. BootMenuDelay=15
> (note: enter whatever delay in seconds you wish)
>5. Save the file
>6. Reset read only attribute
>
>Yes, this will delay your bootup by whatever delay you enter unless you
>push <enter> when the menu comes up. In return, you always get a menu
>letting you choose what to do and you don't have to sit there hitting F8
>to get it. Note that the normal default (1) will always be preselected
>UNLESS Windows feels a need to boot into safe mode; in that case, the
>number "3" will be selected. If you don't want safe mode, use the arrow
>keys to move the selection to normal and press <enter>.

Jack from Taxacola (formerly Pensacola), Florida

Jackson wrote:
> On Mon, 14 Mar 2005 09:15:16 -0500, Elmo <elmogeek@iglou.invalid>
> wrote:
>
>> Jackson wrote:
>>>
>>> About one third of my bootups go to safe mode for no apparent
>>> reason. I just reboot from safe mode and the machine dutifully
>>> comes up in regular mode. I would like to disenable the automatic
>>> safe mode boot so that the machine goes there only when I choose
>>> safe mode from the boot menu that comes up at power on.
>
> /.../
>>
>> Perhaps it's booting to Safe mode because the graphics card, or other
>> device isn't seen on startup. With the warm restart, the device is
>> ready. It's possible a BIOS setting, or some delay in Windows
>> startup will allow the device time to set itself.. just a thought.
>
> Thanks for responding. Can I read the boot log and determine where
> the regular boot up sequence failed and the machine automatically
> reverted to the startup menu all over again having Safe Mode
> selected as default this time? Maybe the item that is causing the
> boot can be identified. The trouble is I don't know how to read the
> log; it's greek to me. Here's a sample from the boot log:
>
> << LoadFailed = ndis2sup.vxd
>
> Dynamic load failed ICSHARE.vxd : [00009B71] Device refused to
> load (multiple instances)
>
> DEVICEINITFAILED = ICSHAREP (multiple instances)
>
> INITCOMPLETEFAILED = SDVXD
>
> << Dynamic load failed nuwave.drv : [00009C2F] File not found
>
> Anybody know what those things are?
>
>
>
> Jack from Taxacola (formerly Pensacola), Florida

Jack,

Have a look at the following link,

http://support.microsoft.com/default...70&Product=w98

It gives some of the information that you are after with regards to your
bootlog

Hope this helps in some way

Brian G

Jackson wrote:
>
> On Mon, 14 Mar 2005 09:15:16 -0500, Elmo <elmogeek@iglou.invalid> wrote:
>
> >Jackson wrote:
> >>
> >> About one third of my bootups go to safe mode for no apparent reason. I
> >> just reboot from safe mode and the machine dutifully comes up in regular
> >> mode. I would like to disenable the automatic safe mode boot so that the
> >> machine goes there only when I choose safe mode from the boot menu that
> >> comes up at power on.
>
> /.../
> >
> >Perhaps it's booting to Safe mode because the graphics card, or other
> >device isn't seen on startup. With the warm restart, the device is
> >ready. It's possible a BIOS setting, or some delay in Windows startup
> >will allow the device time to set itself.. just a thought.
>
> Thanks for responding. Can I read the boot log and determine where the
> regular boot up sequence failed and the machine automatically reverted to
> the startup menu all over again having Safe Mode selected as default this
> time? Maybe the item that is causing the boot can be identified. The
> trouble is I don't know how to read the log; it's greek to me. Here's a
> sample from the boot log:
>
> << LoadFailed = ndis2sup.vxd
>
> Dynamic load failed ICSHARE.vxd : [00009B71] Device refused to
> load (multiple instances)
>
> DEVICEINITFAILED = ICSHAREP (multiple instances)
>
> INITCOMPLETEFAILED = SDVXD
>
> << Dynamic load failed nuwave.drv : [00009C2F] File not found
>
> Anybody know what those things are?
>
> Jack from Taxacola (formerly Pensacola), Florida

ICSHARE.vxd appears to be part of ICS, Internet Connection Sharing. If
you don't actually use it, you might remove it. I think it might always
fail with dial-up and maybe also with dsl and/or cable if they're loaded
much later; I'm not sure of this though.
http://groups-beta.google.com/group/...1699b8b40d342d

SDVXD should be no Problem
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/q127970/

NUWAVE.DRV Creative Lab ES1370 virtual device driver for SoundBlaster
PCI64/AudioPCI. The driver needs to be in the Windows path, usually
defined by Autoexec.bat. You could copy the file to the C:\Windows
folder to make sure it's seen during bootup. But if it's seen once, it
should be every time.

One test you could try: Do a step-by-step confirmation on many boots.
If all are successful, it could be that a device isn't initialized
quickly enough. I've only seen this actually happen with hd's which is
why there's an option for a few seconds delay before startup in many
BIOS. That gives the hd time to come up to speed.

Maybe a hardware failure could cause the reboot to Safe Mode. Make sure
all cards and plugs are snugly fitted. With the power cord unplugged,
remove, then replace each card and plug. This cleans the connections.

--
Joe =o)

On Mon, 14 Mar 2005 13:47:18 GMT, "dadiOH" <dadiOH@xmail.net> wrote:

>4. In the [Options] section, modify as follows...
> a. logo=1
> (note: removes windows splash)

I think you have a typo there dadiOH. :-) I do it all the time.
I believe Logo=0 (zero) removes Windows splash.

Regards,

Bill Watt
Computer Help and Information http://home.epix.net/~bwatt/