Windows 98 stuck in safe mode

[Katrina]

Hi
I've just moved and unpacked the computer and discovered some problems
with my windows 98 machine: halfway through startup it starts over and then
it hangs with an hourglass cursor for a long time and then when it finally
loads up, it's stuck in safe mode. Part of the problem is that the computer
only takes a serial mouse because the PS/2 port broke off a long time ago.
The serial adapter and mouse came up missing in the move (I'm sure I packed
it somewhere safe - a little too safe). The computer has worked fine without
the mouse in the past so I don't think that's the problem.

I've tried a clean boot, but it doesn't reveal any problems with
config.sys or autoexec.bat or the advanced troubleshooting settings either.
I've set the display adapter to standard VGA. I've set everything to the
defaults in BIOS, too. I can't check for hardware conflicts in the device
manager without the mouse. I tried ALT+down cursor to "click" on the arrows
next to the devices which works in other programs, but it's not working in
device manager for some reason.

What can I try next? Any suggestions on navigating the device manager
without the mouse?

Thanks!

 

[Katrina]

"Katrina" wrote:

> Hi
> I've just moved and unpacked the computer and discovered some problems
> with my windows 98 machine: halfway through startup it starts over and then
> it hangs with an hourglass cursor for a long time and then when it finally
> loads up, it's stuck in safe mode. Part of the problem is that the computer
> only takes a serial mouse because the PS/2 port broke off a long time ago.
> The serial adapter and mouse came up missing in the move (I'm sure I packed
> it somewhere safe - a little too safe). The computer has worked fine without
> the mouse in the past so I don't think that's the problem.
>
> I've tried a clean boot, but it doesn't reveal any problems with
> config.sys or autoexec.bat or the advanced troubleshooting settings either.
> I've set the display adapter to standard VGA. I've set everything to the
> defaults in BIOS, too. I can't check for hardware conflicts in the device
> manager without the mouse. I tried ALT+down cursor to "click" on the arrows
> next to the devices which works in other programs, but it's not working in
> device manager for some reason.
>
> What can I try next? Any suggestions on navigating the device manager
> without the mouse?
>
> Thanks!

PS I also tried scanreg /restore but after restoring the last good registry
it still only gets halfway through startup then starts over and boots to safe
mode.

 

[Rick Chauvin]

After you unplug the unit and take the cover off the chassis - check and
reseat any/all pci slot cards (video, etc...) that you can see. Check every
plug connection too and be sure all is seated properly, since the likely
problem in transit would have been something jarred loose. Also you have
to find the mouse too of course to make things more convenient.

Rick

"Katrina" <Katrina@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:578BF271-4DAC-44DB-8215-43D6234D796D@microsoft.com
> Hi
> I've just moved and unpacked the computer and discovered some
> problems with my windows 98 machine: halfway through startup it starts
> over and then it hangs with an hourglass cursor for a long time and then
> when it finally loads up, it's stuck in safe mode. Part of the problem
> is that the computer only takes a serial mouse because the PS/2 port
> broke off a long time ago. The serial adapter and mouse came up missing
> in the move (I'm sure I packed it somewhere safe - a little too safe).
> The computer has worked fine without the mouse in the past so I don't
> think that's the problem.
>
> I've tried a clean boot, but it doesn't reveal any problems with
> config.sys or autoexec.bat or the advanced troubleshooting settings
> either. I've set the display adapter to standard VGA. I've set
> everything to the defaults in BIOS, too. I can't check for hardware
> conflicts in the device manager without the mouse. I tried ALT+down
> cursor to "click" on the arrows next to the devices which works in other
> programs, but it's not working in device manager for some reason.
>
> What can I try next? Any suggestions on navigating the device
> manager without the mouse?
>
> Thanks!

 

[Ben Myers]

"Katrina" <Katrina@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message news:578BF271-4DAC-44DB-8215-43D6234D796D@microsoft.com...
> Hi
> I've just moved and unpacked the computer and discovered some problems
> with my windows 98 machine: halfway through startup it starts over and then
> it hangs with an hourglass cursor for a long time and then when it finally
> loads up, it's stuck in safe mode. Part of the problem is that the computer
> only takes a serial mouse because the PS/2 port broke off a long time ago.
> The serial adapter and mouse came up missing in the move (I'm sure I packed
> it somewhere safe - a little too safe). The computer has worked fine without
> the mouse in the past so I don't think that's the problem.
>
> I've tried a clean boot, but it doesn't reveal any problems with
> config.sys or autoexec.bat or the advanced troubleshooting settings either.
> I've set the display adapter to standard VGA. I've set everything to the
> defaults in BIOS, too. I can't check for hardware conflicts in the device
> manager without the mouse. I tried ALT+down cursor to "click" on the arrows
> next to the devices which works in other programs, but it's not working in
> device manager for some reason.
> What can I try next? Any suggestions on navigating the device manager
> without the mouse?

If you are using a Windows keyboard, hold down the Windows key and press
"Pause". Use the right arrow key to get into Device Manager, then use
"Tab" to navigate the window and the arrow keys to select the problem items.

Ben

 

[Katrina]

Thanks, I did that, but everything is the same. I wore an ESD wrist band,
too, just to make sure I don't zap anything with static.

"Rick Chauvin" wrote:

> After you unplug the unit and take the cover off the chassis - check and
> reseat any/all pci slot cards (video, etc...) that you can see. Check every
> plug connection too and be sure all is seated properly, since the likely
> problem in transit would have been something jarred loose. Also you have
> to find the mouse too of course to make things more convenient.
>
> Rick
>
> "Katrina" <Katrina@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> news:578BF271-4DAC-44DB-8215-43D6234D796D@microsoft.com
> > Hi
> > I've just moved and unpacked the computer and discovered some
> > problems with my windows 98 machine: halfway through startup it starts
> > over and then it hangs with an hourglass cursor for a long time and then
> > when it finally loads up, it's stuck in safe mode. Part of the problem
> > is that the computer only takes a serial mouse because the PS/2 port
> > broke off a long time ago. The serial adapter and mouse came up missing
> > in the move (I'm sure I packed it somewhere safe - a little too safe).
> > The computer has worked fine without the mouse in the past so I don't
> > think that's the problem.
> >
> > I've tried a clean boot, but it doesn't reveal any problems with
> > config.sys or autoexec.bat or the advanced troubleshooting settings
> > either. I've set the display adapter to standard VGA. I've set
> > everything to the defaults in BIOS, too. I can't check for hardware
> > conflicts in the device manager without the mouse. I tried ALT+down
> > cursor to "click" on the arrows next to the devices which works in other
> > programs, but it's not working in device manager for some reason.
> >
> > What can I try next? Any suggestions on navigating the device
> > manager without the mouse?
> >
> > Thanks!
>
>
>
>

 

[Katrina]

Thank you! thank you! thank you! I was able to poke around in the device
manager. I deleted a few devices. Quite a few have problems. Also during
step-by-step confirmation, if I don't allow any vxd. files to load, then I go
through to normal mode, finally. I guess I have to figure out which one is
the problem.
Thank you!


"Ben Myers" wrote:

> "Katrina" <Katrina@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message news:578BF271-4DAC-44DB-8215-43D6234D796D@microsoft.com...
> > Hi
> > I've just moved and unpacked the computer and discovered some problems
> > with my windows 98 machine: halfway through startup it starts over and then
> > it hangs with an hourglass cursor for a long time and then when it finally
> > loads up, it's stuck in safe mode. Part of the problem is that the computer
> > only takes a serial mouse because the PS/2 port broke off a long time ago.
> > The serial adapter and mouse came up missing in the move (I'm sure I packed
> > it somewhere safe - a little too safe). The computer has worked fine without
> > the mouse in the past so I don't think that's the problem.
> >
> > I've tried a clean boot, but it doesn't reveal any problems with
> > config.sys or autoexec.bat or the advanced troubleshooting settings either.
> > I've set the display adapter to standard VGA. I've set everything to the
> > defaults in BIOS, too. I can't check for hardware conflicts in the device
> > manager without the mouse. I tried ALT+down cursor to "click" on the arrows
> > next to the devices which works in other programs, but it's not working in
> > device manager for some reason.
> > What can I try next? Any suggestions on navigating the device manager
> > without the mouse?
>
> If you are using a Windows keyboard, hold down the Windows key and press
> "Pause". Use the right arrow key to get into Device Manager, then use
> "Tab" to navigate the window and the arrow keys to select the problem items.
>
> Ben
>
>

 

[PCR]

"Ben Myers" <benjmyers@mindR-e-m-o-v-Espring.com> wrote in message
news:OxnzvCb4HHA.1188@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl
| "Katrina" <Katrina@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
| news:578BF271-4DAC-44DB-8215-43D6234D796D@microsoft.com...
|> Hi
|> I've just moved and unpacked the computer and discovered some
|> problems with my windows 98 machine: halfway through startup it
|> starts over and then it hangs with an hourglass cursor for a long
|> time and then when it finally loads up, it's stuck in safe mode.
|> Part of the problem is that the computer only takes a serial mouse
|> because the PS/2 port broke off a long time ago. The serial adapter
|> and mouse came up missing in the move (I'm sure I packed it
|> somewhere safe - a little too safe). The computer has worked fine
|> without the mouse in the past so I don't think that's the problem.
|>
|> I've tried a clean boot, but it doesn't reveal any problems with
|> config.sys or autoexec.bat or the advanced troubleshooting settings
|> either. I've set the display adapter to standard VGA. I've set
|> everything to the defaults in BIOS, too. I can't check for hardware
|> conflicts in the device manager without the mouse. I tried ALT+down
|> cursor to "click" on the arrows next to the devices which works in
|> other programs, but it's not working in device manager for some
|> reason. What can I try next? Any suggestions on navigating the
|> device manager without the mouse?
|
| If you are using a Windows keyboard, hold down the Windows key and
| press
| "Pause". Use the right arrow key to get into Device Manager, then use
| "Tab" to navigate the window and the arrow keys to select the problem
| items.

To this I'd add... use the numeric keyboard plus (+) & minus (-) to
open/close a device category (such as "Mouse"), WHEN sitting on that
category. Then, arrow keys traverse the devices(s) under the category.
When on a device under the category, TAB to the button of choice (such
as "Properties"), BEFORE hitting the ENTER key.

| Ben

--
Thanks or Good Luck,
There may be humor in this post, and,
Naturally, you will not sue,
Should things get worse after this,
PCR
pcrrcp@netzero.net

 

[PCR]

"Katrina" <Katrina@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:593726FB-6D65-49CF-B1C9-5F4890E32A03@microsoft.com
| Thank you! thank you! thank you! I was able to poke around in the
| device manager. I deleted a few devices. Quite a few have problems.
| Also during step-by-step confirmation, if I don't allow any vxd.
| files to load, then I go through to normal mode, finally. I guess I
| have to figure out which one is the problem.

My guess is you have broken the poor computer's heart by losing its
mouse adapter! That .vxd may not know what to do-- until you plug it
back in!

| Thank you!
|
|
| "Ben Myers" wrote:
|
|> "Katrina" <Katrina@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
|> news:578BF271-4DAC-44DB-8215-43D6234D796D@microsoft.com...
|> > Hi
|> > I've just moved and unpacked the computer and discovered some
|> > problems with my windows 98 machine: halfway through startup it
|> > starts over and then it hangs with an hourglass cursor for a long
|> > time and then when it finally loads up, it's stuck in safe mode.
|> > Part of the problem is that the computer only takes a serial mouse
|> > because the PS/2 port broke off a long time ago. The serial
|> > adapter and mouse came up missing in the move (I'm sure I packed
|> > it somewhere safe - a little too safe). The computer has worked
|> > fine without the mouse in the past so I don't think that's the
|> > problem.
|> >
|> > I've tried a clean boot, but it doesn't reveal any problems
|> > with config.sys or autoexec.bat or the advanced troubleshooting
|> > settings either. I've set the display adapter to standard VGA.
|> > I've set everything to the defaults in BIOS, too. I can't check
|> > for hardware conflicts in the device manager without the mouse. I
|> > tried ALT+down cursor to "click" on the arrows next to the devices
|> > which works in other programs, but it's not working in device
|> > manager for some reason. What can I try next? Any
|> > suggestions on navigating the device manager without the mouse?
|>
|> If you are using a Windows keyboard, hold down the Windows key and
|> press "Pause". Use the right arrow key to get into Device Manager,
|> then use "Tab" to navigate the window and the arrow keys to select
|> the problem items.
|>
|> Ben

--
Thanks or Good Luck,
There may be humor in this post, and,
Naturally, you will not sue,
Should things get worse after this,
PCR
pcrrcp@netzero.net