Safe mode

I have windows 98 and everytime I start computer it hangs up on safe mode I sroll to start windows in Normal mode but it just stays on safe mode will not take me to desktop or safe mode I try to open the cd rom to put windows 98 cd it but it won't open.

 

If Windows cannot run in Safe Mode the problem will be "basic ". Check the hardware first or you may waste your time checking every other area.

Open the case and check for dust buildup (look closely under at the heatsink under the CPU fan, but do not unhook the heatsink from the CPU). Check the air intakes. Loosen the dust with a soft brush, take the case outside and blow the dust out.

Start the computer with the case open, do all the fans spin freely (including the power supply fan)?

A loose connection could cause the problem. If you feel confident, pull out and reseat the connections to the motherboard, the drives, the graphics card if it is removable and the RAM modules (someone that has built their own computer could help you).

Disconnect any added hardware including PCI cards.

If Windows will not start and you want to run the Windows CD, go into the BIOS/Startup settings at startup. While there you should be able to open the CD and put the Windows disk in (or you could try putting it in quickly after you press the power button and then see the LED flash). If there seems to be a problem with the CD drive itself, you could disconnect the cables to it and see if Windows starts then.

The other hardware items I would wonder about would be a failing power supply or hard disk drive problem (the disk scan that runs during Windows Setup may help).

Matt