Windows 7 - Isolated inability to boot into safe mode

Asked By srdiamon

15-Mar-09 04:22 PM

I am unable to boot into safe mode, although a normal boot is unproblematic.
Also, my system can enter DOS mode to accomplish specific tasks, like chkdsk.
But when I tap F8, the system bypasses safe mode. The list of drivers
appears, the disappears and Windows is starting up, presumably in safe mode,
but the process is suddently interrupted, without error message, as the
system begins booting into normal mode.

I've tried setting msconfig to safeboot, with potentially disastrous results
where the system goes into an endless loop. I recovered only by restoring
from a complete disk image backup.

15-Mar-09 04:32 PM

There is no "DOS mode".. There is a command prompt type interface - but it
is *not* DOS. ;-)  And why do you need to enter that to run CHKDSK - or do
you just mean the pre-GUI CHKDSK necessary for CHKDSK to scan your system
partition?

What version/flavor of Windows XP do you have?
Why are you trying to get into Safe Mode?
So this has been a problem for a while - assuming your disk image is not
'new'...?

--
Shenan Stanley
MS-MVP
--
How To Ask Questions The Smart Way
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html

15-Mar-09 04:55 PM

Yes, the last is what I mean. I take it you're implying this pre-GUI state
only looks similar to safe mode.

Windows XP Home, SP3

Actually, I don't recall. Nothing major. But I became concerned that I
wouldn't be able to enter safe mode when I need it.


The disk image is recent. The problem has existed for several weeks. Not more.

Stephen R. Diamond

15-Mar-09 05:13 PM

Hi,
Can you please send me your Boot.ini input by copy and paste in your next
message.
How to edit the Boot.ini file in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/289022

How your arrangment for Anti-virus and antimalware?
HTH,
nass
--
http://www.nasstec.co.uk

15-Mar-09 05:40 PM

Boot ini:

[boot loader]
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" /fastdetect /NoExecute=OptIn

I'm going to guess the timeout is short.



I use the McAfee anti-virus AOL gives away and check at least weekly for
malware, using various utilities including Windows Defender. I never find
anything except tracking cookies. I don't think that's the problem. (More
likely, the result of my amateurish tweaking efforts.)

15-Mar-09 05:56 PM

Hi,
No, your timeout not short it is normal I have it set for 30 secs.
Try to run this command:
sfc /scannow
Does it help?

Downlaod this Anti-spyware:
SuperAntispyware - Free
http://www.superantispyware.com/superantispywarefreevspro.html

Can you post the Event Viewer log if the above didn't help.
Open a Notepad, customize or minimize to the taskbar as you will need it
later for this step to copy the error message on it.
Open a run command and type in:
eventvwr.msc click [OK] you will get the Event viewer control Panel.
click on each of these:
Application
System
Security
Look in the right Pane/window for error message with red (X) or Yellow
exclamation mark /!\ , double click each one to get more info about the
causer.
On the Event error properties message you will see:
Up Arrow
Down arrow
Two pages
Click on the two pages to copy the error message then bring up the Notepad
you opened earlier and right click on the first line and select Paste from
the list, this will paste the error message on a Notepad.
Please don't duplicate the error message one of each kind will be sufficient.
HOW TO: View and Manage Event Logs in Event Viewer in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/308427/en-us

HTH,
nass
--
http://www.yahoo.co.uk

16-Mar-09 04:24 AM

srdiamond

results where the system goes into an endless loop." Were the Error messages
with this endless boot?

What do you mean by this comment "(More likely, the result of my amateurish
tweaking efforts.)"?


--


Hope  this helps.

Gerry
~~~~
FCA
Stourport, England
Enquire, plan and execute
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

20-Mar-09 08:01 PM

On Sun, 15 Mar 2009 14:56:01 -0700, nass <nass@>

The Super Anti-Spyware found a few malware traces but didn't affect the
problem. Neither did scannow. Here are the five Event Viewer Error
Messages:

While validating that \Device\Serial0 was really a serial port, the
contents of the divisor latch register was identical to the interrupt
enable and the receive registers. The device is assumed not to be a serial
port and will be deleted.

For more information, see Help and Support Center at
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/events.asp.
The ghstwall service failed to start due to the following error:
The system cannot find the file specified.

For more information, see Help and Support Center at
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/events.asp.
The RAM Driver service failed to start due to the following error:
The service cannot be started, either because it is disabled or because it
has no enabled devices associated with it.

For more information, see Help and Support Center at
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/events.asp.
The Universal Plug and Play Device Host service depends on the SSDP
Discovery Service service which failed to start because of the following
error:
The service cannot be started, either because it is disabled or because it
has no enabled devices associated with it.

For more information, see Help and Support Center at
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/events.asp.
The Windows Media Player Network Sharing Service service depends on the
Universal Plug and Play Device Host service which failed to start because
of the following error:
The dependency service or group failed to start.

For more information, see Help and Support Center at
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/events.asp.

21-Mar-09 12:44 AM

The Super Anti-Spyware found a few malware traces but didn't affect the
problem. Neither did scannow. Here are the five Event Viewer Error
Messages:

While validating that \Device\Serial0 was really a serial port, the
contents of the divisor latch register was identical to the interrupt
enable and the receive registers. The device is assumed not to be a serial
port and will be deleted.

For more information, see Help and Support Center at
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/events.asp.
The ghstwall service failed to start due to the following error:
The system cannot find the file specified.

For more information, see Help and Support Center at
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/events.asp.
The RAM Driver service failed to start due to the following error:
The service cannot be started, either because it is disabled or because it
has no enabled devices associated with it.

For more information, see Help and Support Center at
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/events.asp.
The Universal Plug and Play Device Host service depends on the SSDP
Discovery Service service which failed to start because of the following
error:
The service cannot be started, either because it is disabled or because it
has no enabled devices associated with it.

For more information, see Help and Support Center at
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/events.asp.
The Windows Media Player Network Sharing Service service depends on the
Universal Plug and Play Device Host service which failed to start because
of the following error:
The dependency service or group failed to start.

For more information, see Help and Support Center at
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/events.asp.

Stephen R. Diamond

21-Mar-09 07:49 AM

Stephen

Select Start, Control Panel, Administrative Tools, Services and right click
on SSDP Discovery Service and select Properties. The StartUp type should be
Manual. Is it?

Do you have installed one of the applications coming with Ghost Security
Suite or have you uninstalled and left a start up item behind?
http://www.ghostsecurity.com/products/

The reference to \Device\Serial0 suggests a configuration error.

Are any devices malfunctioning? Select Start, All Programs, Accessories,
System Tools, System Information. Open Components under System Summary
and click on Problem Devices. Is anything listed there?

Are there any yellow question marks in Device Manager? Right click on
the My Computer icon on your Desktop and select Properties,
Hardware, Device Manager. If yes what is the Device Error code?

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/112584

When you post Event Viewer Error Reports in future please post complete
reports.

A tip for posting copies of Error Reports! Run Event Viewer and double
click on the error you want to copy. In the window, which appears is a
button resembling two pages. Click the button and close Event
Viewer.Now start your message (email) and do a paste into the body of
the message. Make sure this is the first paste after exiting from
Event Viewer.

--


Hope  this helps.

Gerry
~~~~
FCA
Stourport, England
Enquire, plan and execute
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

22-Mar-09 12:42 AM

I cured the errors but one; problem remains. The remaining error involves
the "RAM Driver Service." Here's the error message:

Event Type:	Error
Event Source:	Service Control Manager
Event Category:	None
Event ID:	7000
Date:		3/21/2009
Time:		8:11:17 PM
User:		N/A
Computer:	JQ0ARM4
Description:
The RAM Driver service failed to start due to the following error:
The service cannot be started, either because it is disabled or because it
has no enabled devices associated with it.

For more information, see Help and Support Center at
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/events.asp.

I find no "RAM Driver Service" in services.msc. A Google search found
several complaints in computer forums of errors involving the "RAM driver
service" but no solution.

Stephen R. Diamond

22-Mar-09 05:40 AM

Stephen
Did you look in the device manager for malfunctioing devices or IRQ conflict
as per Gerry instructions in his last Post?

What make/model the motherboard? Is it ABIT?

Does this issue cropped recently? And what has been changed
recently(software/hardware)?

Do you have the Motherboard CD/drivers?

This can happen if there is a conflict between the mouse and the modem or
any other serial devices installed and  also if the motherboard drivers
corrupted/damaged!

Also, if your machine infected with malware/viruses (specially sassar worm).

Give us the details about your machine by answering the above and post them
here.
1. Go to Start | Help And Support.
2. Under the Pick A Task heading on the Help And Support Center page,
click Use Tools To View Your Computer Information And Diagnose Problems.
3. On the Tools page, select My Computer Information in the Tools column.
4. On the My Computer Information page, select any of the links to view a
graphical report of your system.
or:
To access you system information in Windows XP go to the Start menu, select
All Programs, Accessories, System Tools, and System Information.

22-Mar-09 07:42 AM

Stephen

The RAM Driver Service is new to me. Research took me into a number of
directions.

This link explains one use:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Live_CD

However, that link does not explain it's presence on your system or those of
others complaining of the same problem.

It is obvious that a number of companies are involved in the technology
including Easy Creator, Nero and Panasonic. Also some Linux products seem to
use the technology. This McAfee Site Advisor link is interesting as it
highlights the location of the Panasonic Start Up entries:
http://siteadvisor.pl/sites/panasonic.com/downloads/7972489

Another source of information could be a HijackThis report as they reveal
StartUp items. The error is of course a StartUp item that is failing and to
disable the entry would stop the error. Try using Autoruns to locate the
item.

Many programmes are set to load on StartUp when they this is not
necessary. You should look within the programme to see if you can change
it so that they load on demand when needed. To identify what loads when
you boot use Autoruns (freeware from Microsoft).

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/sysinternals/ProcessesAndThreads/Autoruns.mspx

With Autoruns you can uncheck an item, which disables it from
starting,or you can right click an item and then delete it. If you
uncheck youcan recheck to re-enable the item. It is a much safer
approach than editing the Registry and better than using msconfig..
Another useful feature of the programme is that you can right click an
item and select Search Online to get information about the item
selected.

We might make more progress if you could identify which product is
installed. It could be an Add On for a third party DVD software. For the
moment I cannot see the connection to the inability to boot into safe mode.
Oh you might at the list in Add / Remove Programs -Start, Control Panel for
third party DVD software.


--


Hope  this helps.

Gerry
~~~~
FCA
Stourport, England
Enquire, plan and execute
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

22-Mar-09 02:00 PM

Stephen

To revert to your inability to boot into safe mode.

Are you using a wireless keyboard? With my keyboard I have to press the F
Lock key before using a Function Key. You need to press the F Lock once only
until you restart the computer. If you depress the F Lock key a second time
it turns the function keys off. If you are trying to access safe mode using
the F8 function key then not pressing the F lock key first could be the
cause. Not all wireless keyboards work this way.

--


Hope  this helps.

Gerry
~~~~
FCA
Stourport, England
Enquire, plan and execute
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~