Computer won't boot after entering safe mode

[CartoonK]

I was messing with my CPU, enabling extra processors and all that using msconfig to try to boost my performance. Shortly afterward I kept getting the windows blue screen error and had to restart mid project sometimes. So, naturally I tried to fix it myself and enabled minimal safe boot to try to lessen the load (I also reset the CPU core thing to its default). Now, my pc won't remember my password and the aspect ratio is screwy. I have no idea what I did, but I think it's an os malfunction. Any help? I'm using a refurbished dell latitude laptop.

 

[bvanevery]

Reinstall the OS. The amount of time that you or anyone else would spend guessing what you did, is longer than the amount of time it would take to reinstall the OS. If you have licensing issues with reinstalling the OS, then get a different hard drive, reinstall the OS on that, see what the msconfig looks like, and maybe that will jog your memory about what you did to it.

Sometimes there are various restore points or system repairs or corrections you can do, with an installation disk or whatever, that are less than a fullblown clean install and will work. However it's often tricky to figure out which path through the tools will get you what you need. Those Windows startup disks are definitely not designed to be user friendly for system fixing operations. In other words, good luck with that. You're going to need to be patient with trial and error there, same as with trying to tweak your system in the 1st place.

I am pretty sure I just used a Windows 10 installation DVD I got from "somewhere" to do the job. You can figure out where to get one from. My 2 laptops are actually legitimately licensed. They were upgraded from Windows 7, back in the stone ages when MS was offering the Windows 10 upgrade for free. So I don't have "proper" Windows 10 reinstallation media for them, I just have to make do with tools I can find.

 

[COLGeek]

Get Windows 10 installation files directly from Microsoft. This is a no-brainer:

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10

 

[bvanevery]

Well back in the day, using MS's approach to make a USB stick didn't work for me. It was early times and surely had something to do with Windows 10 growing pains. I obtained someone's already burned image of Windows 10 from somewhere and it worked just fine as a system repair disk. Hopefully doing it "the MS way" works better now, but if it doesn't, be advised there are other ways.

 

[COLGeek]

Well back in the day, using MS's approach to make a USB stick didn't work for me. It was early times and surely had something to do with Windows 10 growing pains. I obtained someone's already burned image of Windows 10 from somewhere and it worked just fine as a system repair disk. Hopefully doing it "the MS way" works better now, but if it doesn't, be advised there are other ways.

Any many of those other ways are not recommended, legit, or safe.

Use the official source. It is free, safe, and works.

 

[bvanevery]

I survived. For years now.

That covers "safe". I already covered "legit", I have licenses. Hence recommended if official ways don't work for some reason.

 

[CartoonK]

I was messing with my CPU, enabling extra processors and all that using msconfig to try to boost my performance. Shortly afterward I kept getting the windows blue screen error and had to restart mid project sometimes. So, naturally I tried to fix it myself and enabled minimal safe boot to try to lessen the load (I also reset the CPU core thing to its default). Now, my pc won't remember my password and the aspect ratio is screwy. I have no idea what I did, but I think it's an os malfunction. Any help? I'm using a refurbished dell latitude laptop.

Reinstall the OS. The amount of time that you or anyone else would spend guessing what you did, is longer than the amount of time it would take to reinstall the OS. If you have licensing issues with reinstalling the OS, then get a different hard drive, reinstall the OS on that, see what the msconfig looks like, and maybe that will jog your memory about what you did to it.

Sometimes there are various restore points or system repairs or corrections you can do, with an installation disk or whatever, that are less than a fullblown clean install and will work. However it's often tricky to figure out which path through the tools will get you what you need. Those Windows startup disks are definitely not designed to be user friendly for system fixing operations. In other words, good luck with that. You're going to need to be patient with trial and error there, same as with trying to tweak your system in the 1st place.

I am pretty sure I just used a Windows 10 installation DVD I got from "somewhere" to do the job. You can figure out where to get one from. My 2 laptops are actually legitimately licensed. They were upgraded from Windows 7, back in the stone ages when MS was offering the Windows 10 upgrade for free. So I don't have "proper" Windows 10 reinstallation media for them, I just have to make do with tools I can find.

Alright, thanks! I found out how to boot in safe mode by turning the power off and back on again 3 times, so I hard reset the computer (keeping the files) and it automatically reinstalled the operating system. No tears shed, no files lost, and no crashes since I reset (It's been over 12 hours now so I think I'm good). Thanks so much for the help!

 

[bvanevery]

Huh, power off and on again 3 times, sounds like some kind of OEM triggered rescue partition on your hard drive? Wasn't aware of that sort of thing.