Windows Vista start menu - It's time to say Wow!
"My system got crashed... it is getting restarted
repeatedly..." I called my friend. He told me to
start in Safe mode. I asked him where that mode is.
He told me to press some keys to get into the safe mode
and remove off some software. I did so. To my surprise
the system started working fine after that. It was the
startup option menu which enabled me to enter into the
safe mode.
Startup options in Windows
The startup options in Windows family of operating
system are used to recover from some major problems.
The common problems that can be solved by using the
startup menu include driver problems, recovery of corrupted
system files etc. Microsoft made this menu available
from Windows 95 onwards. Till then Windows was just
an operating environment. Windows 95, 98, ME had fewer
number of options in the startup menu. The options started
increasing from Windows XP, the previous version of
Windows Vista.
The startup menu options enable Windows operating system
to load in a reduced mode. This causes some drivers
getting not loaded. This enables one to replace the
driver files if corrupted. The cause behind files getting
corrupted is improper startup and shutdown process.
Some times a new software installation can also cause
problems such as new version of files getting replaced
by their older versions. The problem starts when a new
program tries to access the functions which were present
in the new version. These problems can be solved sometimes
in normal mode itself. If not, one needs to try using
startup options.
Advanced startup options in Windows Vista
Windows Vista, the next generation of Windows provides
well advanced startup options to its users. Using these
startup options one can reset configuration settings
about the hardware or software, troubleshoot various
conflicts present in the system.
In normal circumstances, windows vista starts normally,
loading the various drivers in to memory. However, there
are chances that drivers get corrupted, system files
of windows getting damaged etc. in the event of power
failures, and some other circumstances like installation
of some programs. In such cases, Windows Vista fails
to start normally or starts slowly. The advanced startup
options acts as diagnostic and repair tool in windows
environment.
Press F8 key for advanced startup options before Windows
logo appears
The advanced startup options are made available through
a menu, which is displayed, whenever, the user presses
down the F8 key immediately after the computer is turned
ON. One can bring this menu, after selecting restart
option in the shutdown menu, by holding down the F8
key immediately after screen gets blanked. Press F8
key before Windows logo appears on the screen or one
need to restart the computer again to press F8 again.
12 Startup Options in Windows Vista
The menu consists of list of options which are used
to start Windows Vista, in the selected modes. The menu
options are,
- Repair your computer
- Safe Mode
- Safe mode with Networking
- Safe mode with Command Prompt
- Enable Boot Logging
- Enable low resolution video (640x480)
- Last Known Good Configuration (advanced)
- Directory Services restore mode
- Debugging Mode
- Disable automatic restart on system failure
- Disable driver signature enforcement
- Start Windows Normally
The "Start Windows Normally" option will
start windows in normal mode. The option has been given
in the menu for use of those who mistakenly pressed
F8 during booting.
Repair your computer option with system recovery tools
Repair your computer option displays a list of system
recovery tools to recover from startup problems. It
also includes options to run diagnostics or tools which
can do system restore. This option is made visible,
if the tools are preinstalled into the system hard disk.
The startup repair is a windows repair and recovery
tool which is used to repair damaged or copy the missing
system files that are need to start windows normally.
This tool scans the computer for problems and tries
to fix the problem by copying or overwriting some system
files, such that, the computer starts correctly and
normally during the next startup.
If one experiences problems with running System Repair,
then they should check out for computer manufacturer’s
manuals, or need to reinstall Windows. The startup repair
tool cannot fix hardware failures or virus attacks.
It is used to fix only certain files which are needed
to start windows. It will also not fix up problems which
are caused with the personal files. It is not a backup
and recovery tool which can create backups of personal
data and recover the same in the event of data getting
corrupted.
Safe mode for troubleshooting Windows
The next option in startup menu is the Safe mode. Safe
mode is an option for troubleshooting in Windows, which
starts the computer with limited drivers and files loaded
in to RAM. The computer starts in safe mode directly,
if there is a major problem with the Windows exists.
One needs to remove or uninstall the softwares one by
one with restarts, to analyze the problem and fix them.
After uninstalling the suspected software, one need
restart the computer to check the problem got aggravated
or fixed. One can use system restore to bring the system
back to a state where it worked normally, if one cannot
still find a solution to the problem. In safe mode,
some programs such as display drivers, CD-ROM drivers,
DVD-ROM drivers, and certain devices will not get loaded
or recognized. The access to the network will also be
disabled. The display will be of low resolution (640x480)
in safe mode.
Safe mode with networking
The option "Safe mode with networking" will
enable one to make use of network services and allow
them access the computers that are part of network.
The mode is useful when one needs network access to
fix the problems. For example, if the required driver
programs or required files to restore computer are kept
in some other system, then one can use this option to
retrieve the files from the network and fix the problem.
Safe mode with command prompt option
The safe mode with command prompt option in the startup
menu brings a command prompt window instead of usual
windows interface. This mode is used by system administrators,
IT professionals. The command prompt window enables
one give a set of commands which are of MS-DOS age along
with some advanced system related commands.
Enable Boot Logging
The option "Enable boot logging" creates
a file called "ntbtlog.txt" and logs all events
that took place during Windows Vista booting. This enables
the administrator to know the exact problem area, such
as which device driver failed to load during startup
and what the causes of failure are.
Enable low resolution video (640x480)
The next option in the above list is "Enable low
resolution video (640x480)". This option is used
when there is a problem with the display card, display
drivers, such as Windows trying to load corrupted display
driver into memory. This mode is also used while resetting
the display properties.
Last know good configuration
The "Last know good configuration" starts
windows vista, with the last configuration and driver
configuration settings that worked fine without any
problem, previously.
Directory Services restore mode
The "Directory Services restore mode" is
purely for administrators and IT professionals. Windows
Vista starts running Windows Domain Controller with
Active Directory such that Directory services get restored
in this mode.
Debugging mode
The debugging mode is also purely meant for IT professionals
and administrators for troubleshooting windows vista.
Disable automatic restart on system failure
The next option is the "Disable automatic restart
on system failure" prevents the system to restart
if Windows vista fails to load in to the memory. This
mode is useful when windows vista fails attempts to
restart over many times.
Disable Driver Signature enforcement
The next option on the startup menu is "Disable
Driver Signature enforcement". This will enable
one to install drivers containing improper signatures
to get installed. This option is useful where there
are older devices to be installed.
As said above, one can use the options available for
troubleshooting windows vista problems. If the problems
persist, in spite of trying out the options in the startup
options, one may need to reinstall or clean install
windows vista and all other programs to solve the problem.
The startup menu options provide a better way of handling
troubled areas in Windows vista environment. Compared
with XP, Windows Vista startup menu has got new option
in terms of repair option, through a set of tools such
as system restore in Windows Vista. |
