PCTechNotes :: PC Tips, Tricks and Tweaks » Startup

How To Remove Duplicate or Incorrect Entry on XP Boot Menu

slavezero — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 15:37:26 +0000

My college friend called me asking for some advice about the computer she inherited from his brother. She said that whenever she boots she is presented with two boot options. She was annoyed that she doesn’t have a choice but to hit the enter key or wait 30 seconds to open Windows.

This issue has two ways to resolved one is editing the boot.ini or disabling it through the startup and recovery screen. The first option is a bit risky especially for non tech savvy users so we will just tackle the second option which is also the easiest way.

Ok, let’s start. First, right click on My Computer then select properties or go to Start –> Run then type sysdm.cpl. Either way will both present you the System Properties dialog. Once there go to Advanced then click the settings under Startup and Recovery.

In the Startup and Recovery dialog, make sure the default operating system is correct. Uncheck the option for “Time to display list of operating systems”, then close the dialog.

The menu should now be gone after you reboot your computer.

Hard Drive Failure Signs

slavezero — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 12:53:24 +0000

Knowing hard drive failure signs is very important. Hard disk failure is the number one cause of computer data loss. If you know the signs and symptoms you can therefore prevent your computer from crashing and also help you to prepare a data backup plan before it’s too late.

Backing up your files on a regular basis is a necessity, but the fact is only few users actually do that. The very best thing you can do is to know the warning signs so you can make a backup of your precious files.

Here are some signs of hard drive failure that you should know to help you avoid any disaster that can happen to your computer.

The Frozen Computer – Your computer screen is stuck, you can’t type, use your mouse or even use the Ctrl+Alt+Del combination. You can’t do anything aside from turning it off manually or reboot, which of course makes the computer yell at you for not shutting down properly.

Missing Files – Of course you know it when you delete a file, but what if the you start loosing your files randomly without you knowing it. Start to worry when this begins to happen on your computer don’t wait before any of the integral system file to go AWOL.

Old Man Syndrome – When you notice that your computer is running very slow especially when you access your hard drive then this is the right time to take a look on your hard drive or it is much better to get some technical help.

Stuck – When your computer doesn’t seem to perform like it should be or just can’t seems to remember what your computer must do on startup. Sometimes it hangs a little bit then continues and sometimes your computer just freezes. This is a big alarm that you are heading for a big trouble.

A failed hard drive is not that hard to spot. It’s just like any other dead machine, it just don’t work. But don’t worry, even if your hard disk failed there is still a lot of possibility that you can recover all or some of your files. However, the process of recovering your lost files is very expensive and there is still no guarantees that you’ll get a 100% recovery.

It’s always best to always take all the necessary preventive measures to protect your precious data. Don’t wait before your hard drive dies, implement a backup plan now!

How to Start Windows in Safe Mode

slavezero — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 03:14:44 +0000

This is a common question of my clients, friends and blog guest to me so I decided to create a guide on how to start windows in safe mode. Many times in order to remove a piece of spyware or for troubleshooting and diagnostic purposes, you’ll have to start Windows in Safe Mode. While in Safe Mode, only specific programs and files needed to run the operating system are loaded. Some functions, such as connecting to the Internet, will not be active in a standard Safe Mode and a standard video driver will be loaded causing a washed out look and a possible change in resolution.

However, because just the essential programs and files are loaded in Safe Mode, this allows us to remove some spyware, adware, viruses and such that cannot be removed in Normal Mode. Follow the instructions below to Start Safe Mode for your specific version of Windows. If you are trying to delete a file that is not allowing you to delete it (even in Safe Mode), you may want to read my article on How to Delete an Undeletable File.

Included at the bottom of the article are instructions for starting Windows Vista in Safe Mode too.

Windows 95

Restart the computer.

Just after the POST diagnostics and memory count, start pressing the F8 key

On the Startup Menu, choose Safe Mode

Windows 98/Me

Restart the computer.

Just after the POST diagnostics and memory count, start pressing the F8 key

On the Startup Menu, choose Safe Mode

or you may use the System Configuration Utility Method.

While in Normal mode, Close all programs.

Click Start, Run and type MSCONFIG in the box and click OK

In the System Configuration Utility, on the General Tab, click the Advanced Button

In the Advanced Troubleshooting Settings dialog box, check Enable Startup Menu. Click OK. Click OK again when the System Configuration Utility reappears.

You will be prompted to restart the computer. Click Yes. The computer will restart in Safe mode.

When you are finished with troubleshooting in Safe mode, open MSCONFIG again and uncheck “Enable Start-up Menu.” under the Advanced Menu, then click OK and restart your computer

Windows 2000

If the computer is running, shut down Windows, and then turn off the power

Wait 30 seconds, and then turn the computer on.

When you see the black-and-white Starting Windows bar at the bottom of the screen, start tapping the F8 key. The Windows 2000 Advanced Options Menu appears.

Ensure that the Safe mode option is selected. In most cases, it is the first item in the list and is selected by default.

Press Enter. The computer then begins to start in Safe mode.

When you are finished with all troubleshooting, close all programs and restart the computer as you normally would.

Windows XP

If Windows XP is the only operating system installed on your computer, booting into Safe Mode with these instructions.

If the computer is running, shut down Windows, and then turn off the power

Wait 30 seconds, and then turn the computer on.

Start tapping the F8 key. The Windows Advanced Options Menu appears. If you begin tapping the F8 key too soon, some computers display a “keyboard error” message. To resolve this, restart the computer and try again.

Ensure that the Safe mode option is selected.

Press Enter. The computer then begins to start in Safe mode.

When you are finished with all troubleshooting, close all programs and restart the computer as you normally would.

To use the System Configuration Utility method

Close all open programs.

Click Start, Run and type MSCONFIG in the box and click OK

The System Configuration Utility appears, On the BOOT.INI tab, Check the “/SAFEBOOT” option, and then click OK and Restart your computer when prompted.

The computer restarts in Safe mode.

Perform the troubleshooting steps for which you are using Safe Mode.

When you are finished with troubleshooting in Safe mode, open MSCONFIG again, on the BOOT.INI tab, uncheck “/SAFEBOOT” and click OK to restart your computer

Windows as part of a multiboot system

Use this method ONLY if you have multiple operating systems installed on your computer.

If the computer is running, shut down Windows, and then turn off the power

Wait 30 seconds, and then turn the computer on.

When the Boot loader menu (list of the available operating systems) appears, use the arrow keys on the keyboard to select the version Windows what you want

Press Enter, and then immediately begin tapping the F8 key. The Windows Advanced Options menu appears.

Scroll to and select the Safe mode menu item, and then press Enter.

Windows Vista

Windows Vista is similar to Windows XP for starting in Safe Mode.

Turn the computer on or Restart the computer

Start tapping the F8 key. The Windows Advanced Boot Options Menu appears. If you begin tapping the F8 key too soon, some computers display a “keyboard error” message. To resolve this, restart the computer and try again.

Ensure that the Safe mode option is selected (the top option)

Press Enter. The computer then begins to start in Safe mode.

When you are finished with troubleshooting, close all programs and restart the computer as you normally would.