Computer only starts in Safe Mode

[1984]

Hello all. I'm so annoyed right now. My laptop has given me problem after problem. I had Vista reinstalled (yes i thought i would give it another chance...to save from spending like 300 bucks on xp) and its still giving me problems.

 

I was having problems connecting to the internet. The computer showed it was connected, but when i hit ie or firefox it wouldnt connect to them. And then explorer wouldnt work. i dont know why, but i couldnt access help and support, or any other explorer kind of stuff (and yes the services were started and enabled).

 

So now, i turn on the computer, and its in safe mode. i didnt want that, so i turned it off and restarted. safe mode again. so i tried every kind of configuration i could think of, but it always starts in safe mode.

 

im ready to just go to the store, buy an xp disk and install it. i hate vista now. but thats a lot of dough to drop. i looked on ebay and i could get an xp home edition for about a 100 bucks, but i dont want some cracked or scam copy so im a bit leery of getting anything there. how annoying.

 

all the programs (which are very few) that i installed on the vista laptop are vista compatible, and i have on my desktop. as well, there is no spyware or virus on the laptop. so i cant figure this out.

 

so a couple of questions. first, any suggestions to get it to start in normal mode?

 

and second, if i get rid of the vista and put in the xp, what is the exact process? do i completely format the drive and then insert the new xp disk, hit F2 while computer starts and then select cd drive and let it do the deal? im used to having a separate boot partition on my desktop which i just restore from. as well, can i (and how do i do it) get a separate partition to put the xp on? thanks guys.

[rridgely]

Sounds like your boot preferences are screwed up. Try going to ms config and make sure its set to boot to normal.(if vista even has msconfig..) If not then I would try a system restore from safe mode.

 

To install xp all you should need to do is put in the disc and run it. It will format the computer during the install process.

[New_Age]

just to clear things up MSCONFIG is in Vista and the process of formatting and installing Xp is simple AND easy

 

as long as the devices in the notebook will be detected with Xp then you should be fine. go to the company's site of your noteook, find the right model and make sure their are drivers for Xp. to install Xp just insert the disk and follow on-screen.

[1984]

Cool thanks guys. I'm going to shop around for a good deal on xp home (cheapest) and then do an install. i think ive had enough with vista. ill wait till the next operating system comes in, and if its any good will give it a try.

[New_Age]

heh, i heard Vista is a complete failure next to Windows ME and i agree with that regardless of what Microsoft trys to do later on.

[xbrianx]

Yeah, I agree. Vista is probably the crappiest Windows I've ever used. I take a IT Fundamentals class in school(I'm smarter than the teacher, which doesn't surprise me though) and we have Windows 95. It may take a long time to load, but we haven't had any problems and I know they are full of useless services running...because I've disabled a few

 

If anyone reads this and is still deciding on getting Vista, don't...unless you have a fast computer. This 2.2GHz, 768MB ram can BARELY handle the 32 bit version.

[New_Age]

yeah, Vista needs at least a 2.2GHZ CPU and 2GB of RAM just to run like a basic computer would run on Xp. it's a shame and Microsoft has messed up. they should have just stayed with Xp. i see why not. doesn't have that many problems and plus all the switching around and shortcuts on Vista just make it all confusing.

[xbrianx]

Yeah, the start menu is annoying too, the way it's ordered. The whole graphics idea behind Vista is pointless as well, when we could just download a similar looking theme for XP.

 

Too many to list, although...Inkball is fun

[JAGO]

You should give Kubuntu a whirl . KDE4 is turning out to be something amazing.

[rridgely]

You should give Kubuntu a whirl . KDE4 is turning out to be something amazing.

 

Thats like recommending someone with cancer have a heart attack instead.

If he thinks hes having problems now just wait until his sound, video card, wifi, power management, and various other things dont work. I know he is on a very similar toshiba laptop to mine and the ubuntu based distros wont even boot. I installed them all(u/k/x) and they just boot into a blank screen. Strangely linux mint will work but I've never been able to figure out why(it is based on ubuntu after all.)

[1984]

well the cheap side of me just went ahead and reinstalled vista. i couldnt get a copy around here for less then two hundred and its christmas and all sooooo....ill live with the frustration. for now.

 

just a side note. there is an option to make the start menu in vista work just like the xp start menu....which was one of the first things i did.

[craigathus]

heh, i heard Vista is a complete failure next to Windows ME and i agree with that regardless of what Microsoft trys to do later on.

My old machine has (Windows ME) what a nightmare!

This machine has (XP Home SP2) and thats what I'm staying with

It seems that you here more bad things about (Vista) than good.

[YoKenny]

My old machine has (Windows ME) what a nightmare!

I have an old PIII 500MHZ 256MB RAM system and it runs WinME real fast.

 

I don't do gaming of any kind and from what I have read that WinME does not include the needed programs for DOS that's why people don't like WinME