Starting In Normal Mode

On the computer...

Published on December 31, 2005 By pseudosoldier In Windows Software

I was cleaning some malware from my laptop, and it was reccomended that I run msconfig to start in Safe Mode in order to remove everything. However, when trying to restart in Normal Mode:

When I click on Normal under the General tab, /SAFEBOOT is automatically selected under the BOOT.INI tab. When I unselect /SAFEBOOT, Selective Start is automatically selected under the General tab... and so forth. It won't allow me to select Normal Start without /SAFEBOOT. I'm not sure how to fix this.

Because I keep starting in Selective Start, I get a popup window that says:

You have used the System Configuration Utility to make changes to the way Windows starts.

The System Configuration Utility is currently in Diagnostic or Selective Startup mode, causing this message to be displayed and the utility to run every time Windows starts.

Choose the Normal Startup mode on the General tab to start Windows normally and undo the changes you made using the Configuration Utility.

[ ] Don't show this message or launch the System Configuration Utility when Windows start

[OK]

Anyway, thought I'd give it a shot and put it up here...

Comments (Page 1)

yrag

on Dec 31, 2005

I run msconfig to start in Safe Mode

Have no idea why anyone would boot into Safe Mode that way. F8 key works just fine

Selective Start

That's what it's suppose to be. If you didn't make any other changes and Selective Start is checked, re-boot and when the prompt comes up, click OK. Unless you change msconfig, you'll never see it again.

pseudosoldier

on Dec 31, 2005

F8 key works just fine

You're right, I'm not sure why they had me do it this way. When I tried F8, I had all the options I'd have with msconfig...

That's what it's suppose to be.

I'm not convinced of this. I can only change my desktop background to default images in this mode, for example... Also, there is a copy of cmd.exe running in the background, which shouldn't be happening, I think.

My BOOT.INI tab says:

[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(0)\WINDOWS='Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /fastdetect /safeboot:minimal

Hippie

on Dec 31, 2005

If you change anything in the msconfig, it just about always starts in selective mode from then on. It's been that way since Win 98. You can keep checking normal, and it may eventually take, but if you changed something let it go. Doesn't hurt anything. Also at the end of (multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(0)\WINDOWS='Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /fastdetect /safeboot:minimal). Take off /safeboot minimal.

pseudosoldier

on Dec 31, 2005

it just about always starts in selective mode from then on.

That just doesn't sound right, though. I suppose it's believable since it's Microsoft, it's just that's such a terrible answer.

Doesn't hurt anything.

Well, at the least, I can't put up any wallpaper I want and, unless the one modification you reccomended changes this, I still have cmd.exe running in the background.

scorpio-logic

on Dec 31, 2005

Using msconfig is mostly for diagnostic purposes. If you want to get rid of a startup, remove the object from the startup folder. yrag knows what he is talking about, take some advice that you asked for. Good luck.

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Corky_O

on Dec 31, 2005

psuedosoldier,

1 - Your BOOT.INI is definitely changed from a normal file.

2 - The cmd.exe running in the background would suggest that the boot file is attempting to boot to Safe Mode with command prompt to me, and if you are not seeing the command prompt, something has obviously gone sideways.

Here is a link to knowledge base instructions on working with the BOOT.INI file, and restoring to normal http://support.microsoft.com/kb/289022/en-us

Note - just make sure to create a backup copy of the BOOT.INI file first.

As for the cmd.exe, have you tried to kill the process via task manager and verifying you do not have a listing for it in the startup section of msconfig - then selecting Normal Startup > click Apply > reboot?

Talisein

on Dec 31, 2005

Yeah, you should just be installing Ubuntu Linux at this point.

Spc Nobody Special

on Jan 01, 2006

Have you tried threatening it with a large hammer? Usually works for me.

seldomseen

on Jan 01, 2006

I left mine off, with all the system hooked up and powered-to, for 2.5 years...started it up and it works just fine...well, a bit odd here and there...Happy and Prosperous New Year 2005, everyone!

pseudosoldier

on Jan 01, 2006

take some advice that you asked for

I'm not sure what advice that yrag gave me that you're referring to... I was just questioning his apparent statement that Selective Start was the way Windows was supposed to start up. If I misinterpreted what he said, I apologize. However, I know that Selective Start isn't Normal mode, and there are at least minor differences (like I can't select a wallpaper image from My Pictures folder).

In this Link, it was reccomended to me to add to the registry. The suggestion seemed to fix msconfig (I was able to select Normal mode without Safemode enabled), but it continues to boot into Selective Start for some reason.

MasonM

on Jan 01, 2006

Edit the BOOT.INI file and remove "/safeboot:minimal"

Hippie

on Jan 01, 2006

Like I said, open msconfig, when it you're computer starts, and remove "/safeboot minimal", don't remove the whloe line, just that. From what I see, everything else is fine. It's that easy. Also, put a check beside the normal startup button.

Hippie

on Jan 01, 2006

A P.S. on the "Normal Startup". Don't mess with it, unless you know what you are doing.

pseudosoldier

on Jan 02, 2006

The advice in the other thread Link was to add a file to my registry:

REGEDIT4
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run]
"UC_SMB"=-
"windows auto update"=-
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Shared Tools\MSConfig\state]
"bootini"=-
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Shared Tools\MSConfig\state]
"bootini"=dword:00000000

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System]
"DisableTaskMgr"=-
"NoDispAppearancePage"=-
"NoColorChoice"=-
"NoSizeChoice"=-
"NoDispScrSavPage"=-
"NoDispCPL"=-
"NoVisualStyleChoice"=-
"NoDispSettingsPage"=-

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System]
"DisableTaskMgr"=-

This actually removed that "/safeboot:minimal" bit, and allowed me to select Normal Start without /SAFEBOOT... but I still wind up in Selective Start even though I'm telling it to go with Normal. (I still can't change my wallpaper to a file other than those in the base folder, for verification.)

Crazy.

MasonM

on Jan 02, 2006

Just install Slackware and be done with it

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