XP wont't boot to safe mode with command prompt

[kwinsw]

Hi,

I'm trying to boot to safe mode with command prompt so I reboot, press F8 and get the menu - so far so good. I select the option to boot to the command prompt.

The boot menu then asks me what OS I want to boot to - of course there's only one option, XP - so I choose XP. Every time, instead of booting to safe mode with command prompt it boots to plain old safe mode.

Can anyone tell me what I'm doing wrong?

Any and all help much appreciated.

Thanks

kwinsw

 

[linney]

Do you have this Registry entry?

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\SafeBoot

and this value?

"AlternateShell"="cmd.exe"

When Safe mode with Command Prompt is selected it should also create this key (which may not be seen or created in/from Normal Mode?).

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\SafeBoot\Option

and these values.

"Optionvalue"= 1
"UseAlternateShell"= 1


So what you can try is to see if the Access Permissions in the Registry at the above locations allow for Administrators or System to create and read the keys. Also make sure that the "AlternateShell" does indicate cmd.exe.
If it does, you may have to look at the Path you have set in your Environment Variables.


It might just be easier to load the Cmd.exe when you get to Safe Mode using the old fashioned way.

 

[wolluf]

and why are you trying to do this? presumably you have a problem - you can run a command prompt from safe mode - so why do you need it not to load the gui?

have you tried recovery console?