Vista/windows 7:
– click on start key + Pause/break key
– on left hand column, click on
Advanced system settings
– enter administrator password if needed
– under startup and recovery click on settings
– under system failure, uncheck automatically restart
Usually if the computer doesn’t restart or get a blue screen when in safemode, it means that problem is software based not hardware. Once you do the steps above, and you get a BSOD, make sure to record the error you are getting. If in the error it gives you a file with a .sys extension, make sure to record it too. Post results here, or you can use a program such as the following to research/fix error:
Buescreenview:
http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/blue_screen_view.html
whocrashed:
http://www.resplendence.com/whocrashed
And finally, you could try running system file checker in safemode. Make sure to have your installation disc handy in case you needed. To do so, try the following:
– click on start
– type
cmd in search box (if in xp, click on run and type cmd)
– highlight cmd entry in search results, highlight entry and right click on it
– select
run as administrator
– when command prompt opens, type the following:
sfc /scannow
– let the scan run