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Add Safe Mode to Windows Boot Menu

January 18, 2004 Views (43,517) /  Comments (17) /  Trackback (0) / Digg/Share


When in trouble on Windows (not a rarity?) you need to boot into the “Safe Mode”, where you have to boot the machine, then pounce on the F8 key to get to the hidden menu etc etc. Here’s how to simply add the Safe Mode to the Windows boot menu so you can easily select it while starting your machine.

Some simple steps:

  1. Right-click My Computer, and choose Properties (or press Windows Key & Break together).
  2. On the Advanced tab, click the Settings button, which brings up the Startup and Recovery window.
  3. Click the Edit button, which will open the boot.ini file in Notepad.
  4. Look under the [Operating Systems] for your default OS. Copy the entire line, and paste it on the line below.
  5. Change the description in the quotations to say “Safe Mode” or whatever description you want. Then add the following to the end of the line you just copied: /safeboot:minimal /sos /bootlog
  6. If you want networking support, then change “minimal” to “network” without the quotes.

That’s it. When you reboot you’ll see the Safe Mode listed under your boot menu. Just FYI, here is what my boot.ini file looks like: 

[boot loader]
timeout=5
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS=
      "Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS=
     "Safe Mode" /safeboot:minimal /sos /bootlog

Note that the stuff after the “=” sign in the above example is on the next line, but in the boot.ini, it should be on the same line. Be careful while editing your boot.ini.

(307 Words | )

 
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What readers have asked/said/added.

^1 MJ said on April 30, 2004 3:32 AM:

If one neglected to selected “network” when setting up safe mode, could it affect the login?

I did this to try to repair an infected computer and now cannot get past the login screen. Any suggestions?

^2 seven said on August 30, 2004 6:31 PM:

in internet

^3 sam austin said on September 28, 2004 3:34 PM:

i tried that boot.ini to start in safe mode. what an horrible experience. i can’t get past through selecting the operating system and safe mode; it’s looping continuously. can anyone help me out? i didn’t even back-up my hd.

Thanks

^4 Shashank said on September 29, 2004 3:52 PM:

Sam, don’t worry.

Did you copy the boot.ini exactly as mentioned in the above article? If so, the timeout specified is 5 seconds, so you may need to act quickly: when the OS boots, don’t you get asked for the options? Press the F8 key.

When you see SAFE MODE, just select the other option and start normally, and remove the SAFE MODE line from your boot.ini. It’s necessary only if you need to boot into safe mode often.

Shashank

^5 C G Hakes said on September 30, 2004 8:53 PM:

Thanks, very helpful; but I think you should add a rider that no way will this work with a Gateway USB keyboard, and presumably any other USB keyboard, because one can’t use the keys . O.K. with a PS2. Perhaps that is why I can never get into Safe Mode. Will have to obtain a PS2 keyboard, or maybe MS can be persuaded that they should update their OS to allow modern technology to be used.
Geoplay

^6 mac53 said on October 27, 2004 5:25 AM:

I have a question not associated with the “Safe Mode” topic you have listed here, but it’s an issue that has been plaguing me for a while. Back when I was running Windows 98se I could access MS DOS sub-system simply by holding two keys upon rebooting. I,like many others of you folks, I am now running Windows XP, mine is the Home Version. The the MS DOS that I know how to access is through this OS is the GUI command prompt. I have DOS applications that I would like to run on my computer, but does not function properly as long as windows is running.
I tried the xp start-up disc, but there is no way I know of to change Drive commands. I’ve the cd & chdir commands and both don’t work. Does anyone know how to access the MS DOS sub-system with Windows xp on their computer? I’d sure appreciate some help.

Thank you ;)

^7 pepo said on December 8, 2004 6:01 AM:

i just want u ask 4 some help i have xp pro sp2 and i can’t start my comp. in safe mode. i press f8 i have the options and when i press start in safe mode my comp restarts and i have the options again .every time i press start in safe mode it restarts , if i press start in normal mode it works.

^8 pakalolo said on January 12, 2005 7:17 AM:

Win98SE has no file named boot.ini

:^)

^9 poorak said on February 4, 2005 6:35 PM:

i want to know that if i can start windows installer during safe mode in XP.Another thing which i wanted to know that can i get my 800*600 setting during the safe mode .If this is possible then i do want to know that- is there any diagnostic utility other than MSCONFIG (as i hav to reboot several times to find the real error)?

^10 UFO said on February 12, 2005 2:01 AM:

Does this work with Win98SE? When I right-click “My Computer” and “Properties,” there is no “Advanced” tab - only General, Device Manager, Hardware Profiles, and Performance.

?

^11 e said on May 13, 2005 11:15 AM:

mac53: Yes you can, goto www.bootdisks.com and download the Windows98SE boot disk, install it on a floppy disk, restart computer w/ floppy inside, select “Start Windows w/ CD Support” Voila!

^12 swifty said on June 17, 2005 11:50 AM:

it worked great, but I cannot select Safe Mode using my usb keyboard. Does anybody know how to make usb keyboards to select? thanks!!!

^13 walid hunoon said on January 2, 2006 5:13 AM:

I have NEC laptop type F M500c,when I go to the bios,I found that IDE secondery is Disable,and ther is not way to change to Enable statue,that mean I could not boot from CD-room,can you help me please

^14 walid hunoon said on January 2, 2006 5:21 AM:

how can chang the statue of the IDE secondery in NEC laptop Bios from Disable to Enable

^15 Barbara said on September 28, 2006 11:23 AM:

I have a Gateway running Windows 98SE. It will not come up beyond the Gateway screen. I have data that needs to be rescued in some way. Any suggestions?

Thank you.

^16 chrissy said on May 4, 2007 2:17 AM:

Hi I also trid this safe mode in boot.ini but ba’t use the up/down arrow to get into the safe-mode option/ Here is my file:
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS=”Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition” /noexecute=optin /fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS=”Safe Mode” /noexecute=optin /fastdetect/safeboot:minimal /sos /bootlog

^17 Al said on July 29, 2007 2:37 PM:

I have a “Stop: c0000135” and “winsrv was not found” , which is described here: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/885523; with one exception, after F8 and entering safemode I see a page full of system32 drivers, and then it reboots and flashes the same error ” STOP: c0000135 {unable to locate components} This application has failed to start because winsrv was not found. Re-installing the application may fix this problem.” and then the same reboot cycle and never allowing me into safemode to repair the comp. This is a friends comp which was her late hubbys comp, which I was updating for her to use and set it for automatic microsoft updates for her, and am sorry now I allowed it to start updating xp sp2, which error’d out half way through. She has no xp cd or recovery cd. Can you help me at least somehow get into safemode? Thank you for any assistance.

 

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