Safe Mode and MS Dot Prompt

  • Thread starter Thread starter dwn
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dwn

I am really new to Thinkpad T30 with Win XP Pro and I need help. I have so many
trivial questions and unable to find the answer in the Thinkpad help or in
Internet.

How to boot up in Safe Mode or MS Dot Prompt?

Due to different time zones, I may be posting in the wrong time of the day,
please excuse. I really appreciate it. Thank you.
 
When you startup your laptop and the screen shows it loading, before the OS
loads, press F5 or F8 I think its F8 if not try F5 (press many times) untill
it shows the screen to choose what you want to do ie boot into safe mode,
that should work.

To boot into Dos Prompt use a bootdisk either from a floppy disk or make a
bootdisk on a cd. there are many bootdisk making programs for free on the
internet. Google "bootdisk" I use one for Win98 and works great for things
like fdisk, format and scandisk.

GK
 
Thanks, really appreciate it. I will try again. I have a Win98SE boot diskette
but cannot find it in my bag must have misplace it.
 
Thanks, really appreciate it. I will try again. I have a Win98SE boot diskette
but cannot find it in my bag must have misplace it.
Click to expand...

You will need to note that XP does not have a separate DOS part. The
DOS Prompt window is a separate emulator "process" that requires XP to
run.

You can access the Safe Mode setting by using the MSCONFIG utility.
 
In
dwn said:
I am really new to Thinkpad T30 with Win XP Pro and I need
help. I have so many trivial questions and unable to find
the answer in the Thinkpad help or in Internet.

How to boot up in Safe Mode or MS Dot Prompt?
Click to expand...

To get into Safe Mode, start pressing the F8 key repeatably
the instant the POST completes (you get that single-beep and
then windows starts to load). So it's early in the boot
process that you press F8. Press it at about 1/sec. If XP
boots, you missed the window and will have to try again, maybe
pressing F8 a bit faster.

The only way to "boot" into a DOS prompt would be to boot from
a DOS-based disk like win98 or 95.
There is no DOS mode to boot into in XP like there was in
win98 et al. There IS the Command Prompt, however, which will
give you a DOS type window and allow you to use DOS commands.
Start; Programs; Accessories; System Tools; Command Prompt to
get to it.
Due to different time zones, I may be posting in the wrong
time of the day, please excuse. I really appreciate it.
Thank you.
Click to expand...

Time of day doesn't matter here.

What exactly is the problem you have, or what are you trying
to do? Just curious.

HTH,

Twayne`
 
Thanks, really appreciate it. I will try again. I have a Win98SE boot diskette
but cannot find it in my bag must have misplace it.
Click to expand...

You can always make a new one. However, if the C: drive is using NTFS
structure, you will not be able to access it directly.
 
Assuming your disk has been formated for ntfs a win98 boot disk aint going
to work
As others have pointed out WinXP does not feature ms dos but a feature that
can be accessed from Start>command prompt
 
OK, it rreally work Just keep on press F5 key even if I get an error message in
black screen (try a few times). You get many options, including network, dot
prompt..... etc. Than press F8 to go to whatever....

I need to find if there is a fdisk to make the recovery active and find
boot.ini and two other files. it's a long way to recovery my T30 back to factory
original.

Thanks a million!!!
 
You will need to note that XP does not have a separate DOS part. The
DOS Prompt window is a separate emulator "process" that requires XP to
run.

You can access the Safe Mode setting by using the MSCONFIG utility.
Click to expand...

I am now looking for files in Dot Prompt mode,
looking for the three file NTLDR, NTDETET.COM and Boot.ini.
I am Posting using another laptop.

My ultimate objective is to use the hidden recovery partition to
recover Thinkpad T30 to it's original condition.

BTW where is MSCONFIG?

Thanks
 
In

To get into Safe Mode, start pressing the F8 key repeatably
the instant the POST completes (you get that single-beep and
then windows starts to load). So it's early in the boot
process that you press F8. Press it at about 1/sec. If XP
boots, you missed the window and will have to try again, maybe
pressing F8 a bit faster.

The only way to "boot" into a DOS prompt would be to boot from
a DOS-based disk like win98 or 95.
There is no DOS mode to boot into in XP like there was in
win98 et al. There IS the Command Prompt, however, which will
give you a DOS type window and allow you to use DOS commands.
Start; Programs; Accessories; System Tools; Command Prompt to
get to it.


Time of day doesn't matter here.

What exactly is the problem you have, or what are you trying
to do? Just curious.

HTH,

Twayne`
Click to expand...

Thanks, for your explanation. I know you can get to Dot Prompt via Accessories.
Would you believe, I am in Dot prompt on the T30 while I am posting on another
computer?

I got there by pressing F5 and keep pressing, than the black screen came up and
give various option. I choose safe mode Dot Prompt. Than another black screen
and I press F8 and in safe mode, window, I choose administrate button rather my
button.

Wow! It's Dot prompt. The long process began finding the three file NTLDR,
NTDETET.com and Boot.ini. I need to revovery to factory condition. Very, very
slow line by line and I dunno why so slow. Slower than the early vintage IBM
computer. Thanks.
 
dwn said:
I am now looking for files in Dot Prompt mode,
looking for the three file NTLDR, NTDETET.COM and Boot.ini.
I am Posting using another laptop.

My ultimate objective is to use the hidden recovery partition to
recover Thinkpad T30 to it's original condition.

BTW where is MSCONFIG?

Thanks
Click to expand...


Thinkpad T30 and others - How to use the pre-boot service partition to
recover your software
http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/MIGR-4UFUYK.html
 
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