son broken his new computer!

Nilrem

Aye with some keyboards the F keys are dual function, so you may need to press another button on the keyboard first/as well (IIRC on a lot of logitech keyboards they have a function key FN* that toggles the F key setting, so you may need to press that once, then keep pressing F8 like mad).

Changing resolution can't do anything to kill the PC unless there is already a problem, but it can stop the display from showing if the monitor doesn't like it and goes blank because it can't cope.


*On one of my Logitech keyboard it's a round F in the upper row (I can't remember if it's to the far left, or far right), on the one i'm using at the moment it's next to the right crtl button on the lower right of the main keys and is labled with a small box with FN on it (I can never find it without looking as I only use it once in a blue moon).

debitcardmayhem

One thought came to me (only have one a day) is it a USB keyboard, and is it an older PC ie it may need a PS2 keyboard until Windoze loads.... didn't suggest it was a good Idea of course:D

goldndelicious

i did exactly this once at work i got round it by doing the following.

using an entirely different xp machine i turned it on, and didnt touch the mouse. Then by using only the keyboard worked out the exact key sequence needed to get from the normal desktop screen, then into control panel, the display settings, then to the resolution tab, then to the resolution drop down and then to the apply button.

once i had the exact sequence written down for every tiny key stroke, i then repeated it 'blind' on the broken machine and it worked.

it was long and tedious and you really have to be wise as to how you navigate the desktop and the pop up tab windows. each tab or button tends to have a letter that is underlined, press alt + the letter is the same as clicking it.

i would go through the steps for you but i no longer have an xp machine

goldndelicious

or depending on your hardware set up.....

remove the graphics card and default back to the onboard graphics. this should revert to a standard resolution

or

move the graphics card to a different slot (this might not be possible as there tends only to be one slot)

or

borrow a graphics card and use that


the aim being to trick windows to recognise a new peice of hardware and give it the default 800 x 600 resolution.

not entirely sure on the success rates of them, but might be worth a try if you are really struggling

bengalknights

Windows safe mode can be accessed using either F8, F11 or Delete button if neither are those are working then the button has been changed or your keyboard is not being recognized

prowla

Surely if you power off the machine during boot, the next time it will pop up a menu offering safe mode?
However, doing it repeatedly may bork the disk contents.

JimmyTheWig

goldndelicious wrote: »

i did exactly this once at work i got round it by doing the following...

Good plan. (See post #18!)

fiddiwebb

OPs finger must be dropping off by now.

Hope you told OP when to stop :eek:

BARGAINHUNTER!

Thank you all for the brilliant advice! Im now able to get it into safe mode screen by timing the pressing of the F8 key. HOWEVER - I cannot toggle up to the safemode bit - the keyboard just does not respond! Strange as it responds when I press F8 initially. I connected a spare keyboard and mouse and the same thing happened - the keyboard is working when im pressing the F8 key, but when the screen to get it into safe mode comes on no power to the keyboard!!!! Both keyboards and mouses are USB if this makes a difference!

Please can someone help before I throw the thing out of the window!!

spakkker

Use a ps2 keyboard and mouse -posted already -#23