Windows XP won't start in normal mode, only in safe mode.

[katkoehler]

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Hi
My computer (WIndows XP with SP3) will only start in safe mode. I have tried using F8 and highlighting normal mode but this is unsuccessful. I have tried restoring it to another time, but no restoration points are apparenlty available. I have typed: run - msconfig and made sure normal mode is selected and I have also gone to boot.ini and unselected safe mode however when I restart I still return to safe mode and in boot.ini, safe mode is one again selected. Any help would be appreciated.
THanks,
Kathryn K.

[fradual]

Does it boot in Safe mode with Networking?
You could try, msconfig, Service Tab-->Check "Hide All Microsoft Services"-->Click on Disable All, and then try to boot in Normal mode.

[darshit]

i would use that one in the recovery console, just type

/FIXBOOT

also, type

/CHKDSK
this checks the disk and displays a report when finished

if all else fails, try a repair install.

[Adler]

At this time you will need to borrow a genuine windows installation cd....
For more information about the solution please go through the following forum discussion link:
Stuck in safe mode ,cant get in to normal mode
http://forums.techarena.in/windows-x...rt/1074672.htm

[John Butler]

Hi Katherine

I have had this very same problem since I installed Service Pack 3 on my XP+SP2 system. I am an experienced IT pro and have tried many solutions such as eliminating devices that are not essential, fix boot from the recovery console etc. etc. etc................

None of my colleagues who had succeeded on client systems could do it on mine, I had several who tried patiently without success

Eventually I succeeded after creating and using a slip-streamed CD for Windows Pro SP3 from my Retail Windows XP Pro +SP2 CD and the Microsoft Service Pack 3 CD. Then after formatting my backup disk and making it the boot disk I was able to do a clean install to it of Windows XP+ SP3. So I do know the machine can run with SP3 but I was faced with hours of work installing all my applicatons and the restoring data from backup. It is just not worth it.

If you are working efffciently and happily with SP2 and you have installed all the Windows Security Updates as they came along, I recommend you stay with SP2 because the bottom line is that with SP3 the performance is no better than with SP2. Making the slip-streamed CD requires some technical skill and takes around an hour, installing the new system takes about two hours, installing all the applications and settings takes a couple of days. Therefore the SP3 update is, I suggest, only useful to end-users either if it installs straight away without any problem from automatic Windows Update or when installing a new Windows XP system on a clean disk with applications and no hardware installed and then the hardware added and device drivers added as requested by the Windows OS before installing applications.