Norton Internet Security / Norton AntiVirus

[johnv28]

Hi

I can´t initiate safe mode in win XP sp2 (I´ve pressed f8 and nothing). A friend of mine suggested that I run a DOS (not windows ) scan with Norton, so I´ve bought NIS 2012. But I don´t know how to do it. Can u help me, please?

Thx in advance.

João 

[XPSuser]

You can make a Norton Bootable USB stick by downloading Norton Recovery Tool onto another pc. But I highly doubt it's malware related.

[XPSuser]

You need to tap F8 several times when your pc is booting.

[johnv28]

XPSuser

At first, thank you for the answer.

But I have a doubt - what other reasosns for not accessing safe mode could exist besides malware?

PS: I´ve tapped f8 and f5. no results.

Thanks in advance. 

João 

[DaveH]

Wireless keyboard maybe?

[johnv28]

No, Dave. wired keyboard.

[DaveH]

See if you can get into the BIOS.  If you can't enter the BIOS then it's a problem with the keyboard.  I have seen systems with USB keyboard that could not enter the BIOS until a setting was changed.

If you can't get into the BIOS that explains why you can't get into the F8 safe mode menu either, that happens before you get full driver support.

You can also check it by pressing the <pause> button during the boot, if the pause and enter button don't stop and continue the boot process then the keyboard signals are not getting to the system.

Dave

[dickevans Super RootKit Eradicator]

Peanut gallery here,

Are you starting to tap BEFORE there's anything on the screen? AND continuing until the windows splash screen appears?

just a thought

[johnv28]

Dick and dave

I´ve made both tests (enter setup and use pause) and both worked. 
But´I can´t enter in safe mode with f5 nor f8. Pressing the key several times and pressing and holding generated no results. 
And when i go to boot options (f12) it shows options but i can´t use the keyboard, since it doesn´t responds.

Any other ideas?

PS - My win is XP SP 2. To make a boot recovery tool in other pc, does it need to have the same SO as mine? or could it be an vista, xp sp3, for example?

Thanks in advance

João 

[DaveH]

You can set the system to boot into safe mode using MSCONFIG but I am very reluctant to tell you how because if your keyboard didn't work in safe mode or if your system for some reason didn't make it all the way into safe mode you would be stuck in nowhere land.

But to answer your other question, you can make the Norton bootable recovery tool in any other operating system.

It actually uses windows 7 boot files, the files don't come from your existing system so it doesn't matter what system you make it on.

When you first boot the CD you get a screen "press any key to boot from the CD"

That happens very early, if your able to get into the BIOS I am confident you will be able to get it to boot to the CD.

After the disk loads all the way you will be in a small version of windows 7 and keyboard and mouse drivers will already be loaded at that point.

Using that disk may be better than scanning in safe mode anyway since you will be completly outside of your version of windows.

Dave.