Safe mode not working right

[hdbg62]

Now and then when I’m in tabbed browsing in Firefox my PC freezes up. Been this way for a long time and the only way to turn it off is to push the main power button in front of the box. Nine times out of ten, when I re-start it will go to a blank screen with a flashing cursor on the top-left even if try repeatedly to go into safe mode by hitting F8; it just won’t let me go into safe mode. Got to use the slow window repair from my start-up disc to get going again. Usually repair does not find anything wrong and I got restore from an earlier point in time in order to be able to re-start. Once the PC re-starts I can get into safe mode just fine by hitting F8. In other words, I can’t get into safe mode when I need it, but I can when I don’t need it. Older Dell, Vista Home Premium.

 

[ilikefree]

A good place to start would be a system file check
Go to Start Search Box and type CMD
While holding down CTRL and SHIFT press ENTER (opens as administrator)
(or right click and click run as administrator)
In the box that opens type
SFC /SCANNOW and press ENTER (note the gap before/)
If errors are found restart your computer and do the scan again.
Run it up to three times.
Capital letters are not needed and only there for clarity

Then download MalwareBytes Anti-Malware Free and do a full scan
Note when installing uncheck the option to try the Pro version on the last page before the install finishes or after 15 days you will get sick of the nag messages to upgrade to the paid Pro version. Free is all you need.

 

[hdbg62]

Forgot to mention that I've done the sfc /scannow, malwarebytes and avast scans on numerous occasions with nothing ever found.

 

[virtual6]

F8 should take you to the "Advanced Boot Options" screen where you can specify Safe Mode.
If this is giving you trouble, try tapping the space bar during startup.
This should take you "Windows Boot Manager" which is effectively at a higher menu level.
From that screen, you can use F8 to move to the boot options screen.

 

[hdbg62]

Thank you for the information, had no idea such option was available. Just tried it with a re-start and the machine working just fine – it worked. Now I’ll have to wait until Firefox freezes again and see if it’ll work in that instance because most assuredly F8 by itself won’t.

 

[virtual6]

Do you have an idea about why Firefox freezes up?
If I push Firefox too hard, usually it just gets slower, then crashes.
My feeling is that more computer memory would help.
As an alternative browser, you might check out Palemoon at The Pale Moon Project homepage .
It is a Firefox fork with some of the "bloat" removed. It has worked well for me...no guarantees about not freezing up though.

 

[hdbg62]

Really have no idea why Firefox freezes and have given up on trying to find out why. Last time it happened I had about five or six tabs open, was going through different tabs within BBC NEWS and Firefox just slowed down to a crawl and froze with the little blue revolving circle; no keyboard response, no mouse response. All that’s left to do is to push the power button in front of the machine. Restart, no F8 response, only the flashing cursor in top left corner. Got to set up for CD boot, install disc, repair, nothing is ever found, system restore to an earlier point in time. PC will restart just fine and I can hit restart again, hit F8 and it works. This has happened dozens of times. Very frustrating and time consuming.

 

[ilikefree]

I have to say I use Palemoon and like it because it is like an early version of Firefox and most Firefox add-on's work with it.
Most crashes are caused by a corrupt user profile and you could try making a new one.
You may also find it is one of your add-on's that is causing the crash, and you could try disabling them and starting them in small groups as a process of elimination to find the one causing the crash.
I have to say though most add-on's that cause problems are fixed quickly and you would not be the only person to have the problem, so user profile would be my first thing to look at.

 

[hdbg62]

Thanks, again. Will definitely check into user profile. Right now, I wish that it would crash, just to see if the space bar suggestion from virtual6 does work because F8 as a start won't.

 

[Prem]

Hello
Do you have an idea about why Firefox freezes up?
If I push Firefox too hard, usually it just gets slower, then crashes.
My feeling is that more computer memory would help.
As an alternative browser, you might check out Palemoon at dissertation help homepage .
It is a Firefox fork with some of the "bloat" removed. It has worked well for me...no guarantees about not freezing up though.
best regards
angellily

 

[hdbg62]

Thanks for the reply. When I start Firefox it is with 5 loaded tabs for tabbed browsing to which I might add 5-10 more tabs as I am browsing. Crash does not happen frequently but often enough to be annoying. “If I push Firefox too hard, usually it just gets slower, then crashes.” Perhaps that is what I’m doing?

Last crash I did try to reach Safe Mode via the tab bar which didn’t work either. Simply can’t get into Safe Mode when I need it but can through F8 when I don’t need it.