Windiws 8.1 boot to Safe Mode

stevemcol

Hi. My laptop is stuck in a loop of 'Diagnosing your PC' and'Repairing you hardrive'. I've been here once before and resarting through safe mode seemed to do the trick. Trouble is I can't interrupt now to start into Safe. I've tried F8, shift F8, del etc, all no good.

I don't have a recovery disk. Is there anything free I can download onto a USB stick to boot from. I've tried generating a recovery stick from my other laptop but it still doesn't give the safe mode option.I can get into BIOS.

Jivesinger

stevemcol wrote: »

I don't have a recovery disk. Is there anything free I can download onto a USB stick to boot from.

You can now download the Windows 8.1 installation ISO from Microsoft. Have a look here:
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/5109426

You should be able to boot from it, and then hopefully that will let you access recovery options eg. System restore.

RumRat

if you hard power off (Hold down power button until it switches off completely) three times, you should then be offered up repair options.

stevemcol

Thanks all. I eventually got the safe mode option (a trick I got from Bleepingcomputer.com to restore legacy startup via the DOS prompt) but I never got a successful startup. It's a good few years old now and the display's been cracked for a while so I've got myself new laptop. Will see what I can recover from the old HDD via a SATA-USB lead.

danthemoneysavingman

you could get yourself an HDD caddy from ebay for a few quid to put your old HDD in, if you'd like. make sure it has the right interface.
Removing an HDD from a laptop is laughably easy, so fear not.
YouTube vids abound if you require I'm pretty certain

stevemcol

Yas thanks. I've already ordered a SATA USB lead off ebay for a fiver.
I had a caddy but i realised it was IDE so no good.
I've taken the HDD out of my old laptop and await the postman.