'Safe mode'

I'm a little stuck, due to an uninstall problem I tried to reboot in 'safe mode' and nothing works. I am running Win 11 pro (64 bit) 21H2 OS build 22000.2538on an HP prodesk 600G.
Computer goes to 'restarting' and just shuts down, thats it. To bring it back it is necessary to unplug / replug, turn on, then it starts in normal mode, I never see 'choose an option' for troubleshooting.
Any help would be much appreciated.
Thanks.

1 There are several ways of getting into Safe mode. Perhaps one of the other ways will work for you.
Boot to Safe Mode - ElevenForumTutorials

2 What was the 'uninstall problem'?

3 Is there a particulr reason for your being so far behind on Windows updates?


Best of luck,
Denis

Hi Denis,

Thankyou very much for replying,

Re 1)

None of the standard ways worked, I read the tutorial and will now try from ‘command prompt’.

Re 2)

I tried to uninstall ‘Bitdefender antivirus free’ using ‘Revo uninstaller’, it removed some, but left stuff behind, which I then located in C:/ program files / common files..? It would not ‘delete’, and I could not give ‘administrator permission’ Then I found online ‘Bitdefender uninstall tool’, downloaded and it worked fine (phew)!

Re 3)

Have been to Settings> windows update> check for updates…..You are up to date. Am I missing something?



I wanted to get into ‘safe mode’ because I thought it would give me the option of ‘forced uninstall’. Accepting I no longer need to remove it, I would still like to find out how I can get into ‘safe mode’ just in case!

Thanks again for your help.

Terry

Terry,

1 Good luck. I think you should concentrate on that before updating your system [my para 3 below].

2 That Bitdefender uninstall tool was the appropriate tool for the job. Generally-speaking, removing any anti-malware application requires use of their specialist uninstall tool unless they say otherwise. I once had problems that were traced back four years to my failure to have used the Norton uninstall tool.

3 Computers that do not fulfil the Windows 11 system requirements will get routine updates for the Windows 11 Version that they are on - in your case 21H2. But they will not automatically get updates to new Versions. Is that the situation you are in, a non-compliant computer? I also have a non-compliant computer running Windows 11.
Such Version updates have to be done manually by downloading the latest ISO file & following the Repair install [aka In-place upgrade] procedure -
Get ready for Windows 11 version 25H2 - ISO downloads available - Eleven ForumNews
Repair Install Windows 11 with an In-place Upgrade - ElevenForumTutorials
And do make a system image & backup your own files before doing the Version update.


All the best,
Denis

---

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Denis

Thanks again for your help,

As you suggest I think I have a ‘non compliant’ computer. I am very hesitant to do manual upgrades, as I don’t really know what I am doing, auto update is fine. I would probably mess up more than I fix!

Control panel tells me I am administrator, but try to delete stuff, I need administrator permission ?

I don’t really have the confidence to jump into the unknown.

I will leave well enough alone,

Thanks for everything,

Terry

(I’m English, living in Cyprus and 77 yrs old) ✓

Download CPU-Z and check if your CPU has SSE4.2 instructions. If it does, you can upgrade to 24H2 and 25H2, otherwise you can install either Windows 10 22H2 or Windows 11 23H2 maximum and just keep Windows Defender updated. An easy way to restart in Safe Mode is to hold the SHIFT key on the keyboard and restart. Wait a few seconds and you should see the troubleshooting screen. Select "Troubleshoot" and then "Advanced Startup Options". From the list select "4 Safe Mode" or "5 Safe Mode with networking" if you need internet access.

ludlowboy said:

I would probably mess up more than I fix!

Click to expand...

Not if you follow the tutorial procedure.
Try doing the ISO file download first and ask me any questions you want while you're doing it.
Oh - the CPU-Z check Spapakons suggested ought to be done first to check that your computer can handle Ver24H2, 25H2. I can guide you through that - see my next post.

ludlowboy said:

I am very hesitant to do manual upgrades

Click to expand...

I have done manual updates for a decade. You just run a file instead of telling WU to do it for you.

ludlowboy said:

I will leave well enough alone,

Click to expand...

Your computer is currently not being updated & can therefore be vulnerable to intrusion. It went out of support on the 10th of Oct 2023.
The only way to get it updated automatically again is, once a year, to do the Version update manually. Once you've done it once, you'll find it is so straightforward that you'll get bored.

ludlowboy said:

auto update is fine

Click to expand...

You are not getting any auto-updates [except Windows Defender].

ludlowboy said:

living in Cyprus

Click to expand...

Ah. I wondered about the time difference.


All the best,
Denis

Downloading & running CPU-Z

1 Download its portable version from CPU-Z Portable - PortableApps
- "Portable" just means you run it without any formal installation being necessary.
- It will download into the folder you have designated as your Downloads folder as file CPU-ZPortable_2.16_English.paf.exe

2 Double-click on the file.
- It will guide you through "installation" which actually just means copying it to a folder for you after you've agreed to their terms.
- On the final screen [of only 2 or was it 3?], click the box Run CPU-Z portable then click on Finish.

3 CPU-Z runs
- Look down the left and you'll see a label Instructions [meaning what "Instruction sets" does the CPU have]
- Does that line include SSE (..... 4.2 ...) / SSE4.2 / or not?
- If it does then you can update to Windows 11 Version 25H2.
- If you get confused, just post a screenshot of the CPU-Z results screen - but do trim it first because it helps to read it if it is not swamped by the size of your whole screen.
- Here's mine




Denis

I don't know how made the CPU-Z screenshot.....the best I could figure out is attach photo....sorry

ludlowboy said:

I don't know how made the CPU-Z screenshot.....the best I could figure out is attach photo....sorry

Click to expand...

To post a screenshot on this forum...​

1. Take the screenshot, (or camera pic), edit it as desired, save to your desktop as .png or .jpg (max. size = 2MB)
2. Left click in your post, where you want to place the screenshot.
3. Click the Attach Files button at lower left, browse to your image and select it.
4. Then click Insert, I usually choose the Thumbnail (smaller) option, or there is a Full Image (larger) option.

If the "new" PrtSc key function is not to your liking... here is how to set it back to it's classic function...

ludlowboy said:

I don't know how made the CPU-Z screenshot

Click to expand...

Well, you made it.
And you posted it.
And it confirms that your CPU can run SSE4.2 and hence Version 25H2.
So now I suggest you return to my post #7 above and follow the tutorial to download the ISO file.


Denis

ludlowboy said:

None of the standard ways worked, I read the tutorial and will now try from ‘command prompt’.

Click to expand...

Oh, I see we had not finished with the booting into Safe mode issue.
Or is that already solved?


Denis

Thanks Spapakons,
I tried every way to reboot in safe, nothing worked, it said restarting and just shut down.
Is this Speccy thing any help

Made this, working on Speccy

Terry,

ludlowboy said:

Control panel tells me I am administrator, but try to delete stuff, I need administrator permission ?

Click to expand...

I missed this comment before.
It is how Windows works.
- You are an Admin yet Windows will still ask you, when relevant, to confirm that you want to exercise your authority as an Admin.
- And, because it knows you are an Admin, it will just ask you to click on an OK button. If you were not an Admin it would ask for an Admin's username & password instead.
- It will ask when you try to do something that would affect other users [even if there are no other users]. So expect to be challenged if you try to alter / delete a file outside of your own user folders, if you try to alter a Windows setting that will affect others and if you try to run an application that has the capability of doing one of these things.

ludlowboy said:

working on Speccy

Click to expand...

No, you made that when running CPU-Z.
Speccy is an entirely separate utility. I used to use it ages ago to monitor disk temperatures, I think.

ludlowboy said:

I tried every way to reboot in safe, nothing worked, it said restarting and just shut down

Click to expand...

You tried all 4 ways of getting into Safe mode? Even method 4 [its option 2, which itself lists 9 ways of getting into Advanced startup options]?
Boot to Safe Mode - ElevenForumTutorials
It's hard to identify where, in the procedure, things are going wrong. Do you know somebody who could lean over your shoulder to guide you?


Denis

ludlowboy said:

Made this, working on Speccy

Click to expand...

You have a 6th generation Core-i5 CPU and as expected, it supports SSE4.2 and therefore Windows 11 24H2 and 25H2. For everyone else, if you have at least 1st generation Core-i3 or equivalent AMD, then it supports SSE4.2, verify with CPU-Z. If it is an Atom or Pentium, then it depends, early models did not support SSE4.2, so always verify with CPU-Z first. For anything older without SSE4.2, your best option is Windows 10 22H2 or Windows 11 23H2. There are sites that recommend to upgrade from Windows 10 Home/Pro to Windows 10 IoT Enterprise LTSC which has official support up to 2032, but I don't know of any legit method to get this version, so I cannot guide you, it would be against forum rules. Similarly Windows 11 Enterprise 23H2 should be supported until October 2026 (better than nothing), but again there is no legit method to get it, so my mouth is sealed...

Here's the command to type in the Admin DOS console to restart in Safe mode:

bcdedit /set {current} safeboot minimal
.

OldGrantonian,
I tried your advice.....'Access Denied'

maybe I need a 'Team Viewer' to help me out ?

maybe I need to accept what I have and leave it at that. I don't know.

go to search and type msconfig and press enter.
Go to the Boot tab and put a check in Safe Boot. Apply and OK Restart the computer.
It should boot into Safe Mode. Be sure to go back to msconfig/boot tab to uncheck that box to boot normally again.

Many thanks to all for the help'
I'm back to normal now,

Thanks again