# Windoze98 **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 25, 2000, 6:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windoze98/26739 "2000-07-25T06:01:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![tcburnett](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c5a1d2/32.png) [@tcburnett](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tcburnett)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2000, 6:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windoze98/26739/1 "2000-07-25T06:01:38Z")
There is a software switch in Windoze that can force it to boot up as if you had F8 depressed. But it’s been so long since I used it, I forgot where it is. (OK, the Altzheimers MAY have something to do with it). How do I deselect a normal/safe menu which is defaulted to ON? ---
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2000, 7:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windoze98/26739/2 "2000-07-25T07:24:47Z")
Could it be a line in MSDOS.SYS? ---
**Author:** ![tcburnett](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c5a1d2/32.png) [@tcburnett](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tcburnett)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2000, 7:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windoze98/26739/3 "2000-07-25T07:33:22Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by sailor \* > \*\*Could it be a line in MSDOS.SYS? \*\* No because you can’t modify .sys files. It is almost certainly a line in the register somewhere, or an .INF or .INI file but I loaned my book out and haven’t seen it since. Bloody hell! But thanks for trying…I DO appreciate it… 🙂 Aloha A hui hou T ---
**Author:** ![matt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@matt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2000, 8:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windoze98/26739/4 "2000-07-25T08:14:15Z")
In Windows95, setting Bootmenu=1 in MSDOS.SYS brings up the F8 startup menu. Setting Bootmenu=0 gets rid of it. (Adding the line BootMenuDelay=(1-99) gives you a 1 to 99 second delay before it boots normally from the startup menu. For example BootMenuDelay=30 gives a 30 second delay.) Don’t know if this works for Windows 98, but you can always try. You may have to change the attributes of MSDOS.SYS before you can edit it. You may also want to copy your original MSDOS.SYS to a startup floppy so you can restore it if something typically awful happens! “MS-DOS is a nasty, spiteful operating system” - Windows for Dummies. ---
**Author:** ![matt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@matt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2000, 8:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windoze98/26739/5 "2000-07-25T08:19:30Z")
Oh, and Bootsafe=1/0 toggles forced safe mode bootup on/off Bootwarn=1/0 toggles safe mode warning plus menu. ---
**Author:** ![tcburnett](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c5a1d2/32.png) [@tcburnett](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tcburnett)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2000, 8:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windoze98/26739/6 "2000-07-25T08:42:33Z")
Thank you matt, I will try it on the customer’s machine tomorrow. Bootmenu=0 is the toggle I couldn’t remember. Bootsafe= should probably be blank. Sailor, please accept my most humble and abject apologies for doubting you. You handle the facts and I will joke about them. It will be a symbiotic relationship like the ants that eat mealy bug poop. Er…you get to be the ant. Thank you both for the valuable assistance. Too bad I have Altzheimers or I would never have needed it, but that’s life in the fast lane. ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2000, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windoze98/26739/7 "2000-07-25T14:50:30Z")
F8? Isn’t that a W95 thing? W98 that I have uses the CTRL key. Anyway, fetch the free tweakui program, then you can have it do tons of stuff like this for ya. ---
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2000, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windoze98/26739/8 "2000-07-25T17:03:08Z")
tc, I had a girlfriend for a while who would keep loosing bets to me and she would just not learn to be more prudent. I teased her that betting with her was becoming my primary source of income. It was always from $100 to $200 and she always went for it. Anyway, I seemed to remember it was an MSDOS.sys line but did not remember the details. I thought that lead would be enough to point you in the right direction. I also tend to forget most of this stuff after I don’t use it for a while. It was too late when I posted to look further into it. Check out [/url=“[http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/winresource/dnwin95/S6290.HTM](http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/winresource/dnwin95/S6290.HTM)”]this page for more info. ---
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2000, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windoze98/26739/9 "2000-07-25T17:08:52Z")
Second try: [this](http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/winresource/dnwin95/S6290.HTM) page for more info. ---
**Author:** ![mblackwell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5fc32e/32.png) [@mblackwell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mblackwell)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2000, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windoze98/26739/10 "2000-07-25T19:10:06Z")
Here is how you do it. Click on the Start menu, click on run. Type msconfig and hit enter. In the window that pops up click the Advanced button. Check the box next to Enable boot menu. I think that is what you want. ---
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2000, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windoze98/26739/11 "2000-07-25T20:19:15Z")
That is only for WIN98. Yeah don’t you love it when using a tool makes the chore more complicated than before? Editing msdos.sys with notepad seems easier to me. ---
**Author:** ![tcburnett](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c5a1d2/32.png) [@tcburnett](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tcburnett)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2000, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windoze98/26739/12 "2000-07-26T05:15:36Z")
ROFL…Sailor, I’m not getting into the habit of betting with you until you start believing my line of high quality BS a little more often. But for this OP the trophy for the correct answer goes to: MBLACKWELL !!!(Much mahalos MB).