# Well, I've mucked up my computer and can't access safe mode. **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 15, 2005, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-ive-mucked-up-my-computer-and-cant-access-safe-mode/321864 "2005-09-15T21:59:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Toxiquae](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c2a13f/32.png) [@Toxiquae](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Toxiquae)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2005, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-ive-mucked-up-my-computer-and-cant-access-safe-mode/321864/1 "2005-09-15T21:59:38Z")
So I’ve been logging in and out of my Windows XP PC using my Admin account. I know I shouldn’t have been doing this, I really do. I’ll also admit to not having restarted my computer in a month or so, though I don’t know if that has anything to do with my problem. I’m not able to get into either the Admin account or the guest account. When I restart my computer, the “Log in to Windows” box appears, with Administrator entered into the Login field and little dots representing my password are automatically entered into the password field, just as it should be. There’s nobody at my house who would fiddle with my computer, so I was content to leave it that way. Today, though, when that box appeared, I wasn’t given a chance to hit enter to start up Windows. Without touching anything, the “Incorrect User or Password” message box appears. I am 100% sure of what my password should be. I haven’t changed my password. When I try to log into the guest account, which has no password associated with it, I’m given a message about not having the rights to access it. I was advised to try and start the computer in safe mode - but when the screen giving the various safe mode options appeared, I wasn’t able to select anything. I was forced to continue to load Windows normally. Anyone have any ideas that might help me get into my computer, even if it’s just to figure out a way to save a few of my important files to a CD or flash drive? ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2005, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-ive-mucked-up-my-computer-and-cant-access-safe-mode/321864/2 "2005-09-15T22:10:20Z")
I don’t think you can boot in safe mode for that. That is a security issue and it is hard to get around for obvious reasons. This recent thread may help: [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=332559&highlight=Administrator](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=332559&highlight=Administrator) ---
**Author:** ![Jayrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Jayrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jayrot)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2005, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-ive-mucked-up-my-computer-and-cant-access-safe-mode/321864/3 "2005-09-15T22:12:51Z")
I’m not clear what you mean when you say: > [@Toxiquae](#): > > but when the screen giving the various safe mode options appeared, I wasn’t able to select anything. I was forced to continue to load Windows normally. Are we talking about the screen that you can normally get from pressing F8 on startup? What do you mean you aren’t able to select anything? No options appear? ---
**Author:** ![Toxiquae](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c2a13f/32.png) [@Toxiquae](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Toxiquae)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2005, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-ive-mucked-up-my-computer-and-cant-access-safe-mode/321864/4 "2005-09-15T22:40:09Z")
> [@Shagnasty](#): > > I don’t think you can boot in safe mode for that. No, I didn’t think I’d be able to use Safe Mode to get around the Admin password, I was just trying to find another way to log in other than the windows login dialogue since I was sure of what the password should be. Not that I had much hope of it working. ☹ I just thought I’d mention the issue in case it was somehow related to the problem. Thanks for the link, I’ll be sure to try the things mentioned there. > [@Jayrot](#): > > Are we talking about the screen that you can normally get from pressing F8 on startup? What do you mean you aren’t able to select anything? No options appear? Well, on my PC, F8 didn’t do anything. F12 brought up the black screen with options like, “Boot in Safe Mode”, “Boot in Safe Mode with Network support”…and a third option I can’t recall at the moment. Below those options was a “Start Windows normally”, followed by a countdown to start normally. I wasn’t able to highlight any of the Safe Mode options, and once the countdown was over Windows began loading as it normally would. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2005, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-ive-mucked-up-my-computer-and-cant-access-safe-mode/321864/5 "2005-09-15T23:10:10Z")
Hmmmm… passwords don’t work… can’t control text menu cursors… What kind of keyboard do you have? Do you have access to a spare PS/2 keyboard you try? ---
**Author:** ![Jayrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Jayrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jayrot)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2005, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-ive-mucked-up-my-computer-and-cant-access-safe-mode/321864/6 "2005-09-16T00:50:37Z")
Indeed, on a recent Linux installation, I found that my keyboard wasn’t recognized in as PS2, but was in the USB port. I’d totally have expected it the other way around, but there it was. Can you get any keyboard response at all? Perhaps getting into the BIOS immediately on startup (usually the DEL key)? ---
**Author:** ![Toxiquae](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c2a13f/32.png) [@Toxiquae](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Toxiquae)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2005, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-ive-mucked-up-my-computer-and-cant-access-safe-mode/321864/7 "2005-09-16T18:29:55Z")
Thanks all for the replies! **Mangetout** - I’ve got a Gyration wireless USB keyboard. The keyboard works once Windows loads, since I’m able to retype the password. I assume it works in the BIOS as well, but I’ll try it once I’m back home at my computer. ---
**Author:** ![GusNSpot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gusnspot/32/436_2.png) [@GusNSpot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GusNSpot)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2005, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-ive-mucked-up-my-computer-and-cant-access-safe-mode/321864/8 "2005-09-17T04:29:56Z")
On a black DOS screen, you can’t high lite in the normal sense, you remember this? You have to use the keyboard and not the mouse… Just in case yer forgot that… But the keyboard being the problem sounds good as first to try… ---
**Author:** ![Toxiquae](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c2a13f/32.png) [@Toxiquae](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Toxiquae)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2005, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-ive-mucked-up-my-computer-and-cant-access-safe-mode/321864/9 "2005-09-17T21:12:57Z")
> [@](#): > > On a black DOS screen, you can’t high lite in the normal sense, you remember this? You have to use the keyboard and not the mouse… Just in case yer forgot that… Nope, I got that, thanks. I’m not trying to highlight using the mouse.