Cannot Enter Safe Mode Or Fully Defrag

hi random/random has helped me get rid of the malware on the computer. however, i still have problems, so he referred me here. if anyone can help i'd be very appreciative. I have a compaq presario R3000 laptop, 80g HD, 768mb RAM, P4 @ 3ghz, XP (installed to second partition of HD). I have been trying to defrag the d: drive. XP's defrag (as well as other defrag programs) can not complete the defrag. I read that defrag can sometimes complete if XP is run in safe mode. However, I cannot enter safe mode. I don't know how long this has been the case, as I rarely use it. I can select F8 and choose safe mode on bootup, it then shows all the drivers loading on screen, but stops as it gets to multi(0)disk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\DRIVERS\BTHidmgr.sys The computer also hangs on shut down, as the logoff screen changes to 'Windows is now shutting down'. It will stay on this screen for 10mins+ before shutting down and sometimes just doesn't shut down at all and stays on this screen for hours. —- edit, since random/random has helped me, this seems to take either 6mins or 10mins to shut down every time. If anyone can help or suggest anything, that would be great. many thanks collen

Open your My Computer and Navigate to the Drive Letter that has your XP operating system. Right-Click on that Drive Letter Select - Properties Select - Tools(tab) Select - Error checking. You will get an Error Message, saying that Error Checking / CHECKDISK cannot be run at this time because files are locked or in use. You will be invited to run CheckDisk/Error Checking the next time your reboot your machine. Type "Y" to accept and reboot. Error Checking will run a scan on your Drive and identify any bad-clusters, and attempt to retrieve and move any files located in bad-clusters. Let it run it's course. It will complete and continue booting into Windows. At that point, either try your Defrag utility in Normal Mode or Reboot to SAFE Mode to run your Defrag. **** NOTE: Many "third-party" Defrag utilities "will not" run in SAFE Mode. If you installed a third-party Defrag tool, it might have "replaced" your Windows "native" defrag tool. Therefore, you may be presently "stuck" with using the "third-party" defrag tool only in Normal Boot mode. If you have installed "more than one" third-party Defrag tool, you may have additional problems with conflicts(one third-party defrag utility having overwritten the permissions of the previous third-party defrag tool. You might need to Uninstall all "third-party" defrag tools, allowing your XP to roll back to the native Defrag Tool. Then run it from SAFE Mode. (The Native MS Defrag tool "does" run in SAFE Mode.)

hi thanks for the reply i ran chkdsk at boot. it took several hours but eventually completed. afterwards, i still couldn't get into safe mode - it simply hung at the same point i mentioned above. next i attempted defrag and it still couldnt do the whole drive. however, i am down to only about 13% file fragmentation now which is the best its been for some time. i havent let any other third party defrag tools install them as XP's default defragger though, so i still have access to it, and that was what i ran. after this, i also ran auslogics disk defrag, and speedefragger (which is a boot-time defragger). my major concern now is getting into safe mode. any clues?? it hangs everytime at bthidmgr.sys, just after it says 'do you want to loud sptd.sys? press Esc to cancel'. Whether i press Esc or not, it hangs at this point. EDIT - have just discovered sptd.sys is something to do with DaemonTools…should i uninstall Daemon and see if i can get into safe mode then? many thanks collen

You've made some progress, possibly as a result of running Error Checking.
That MS button function is an "abbreviated form" of the full CHECKDISK, which may be of more benefit

Consider doing the following:

Start - Run - (type)cmd - Enter
This will bring up a DOS style box with blinking cursor,

At the blinking cursor, type:
chkdsk /f /r - Enter <— notice the required space before the "/"s.

CHECKDISK will inform you that it cannot be run because files are in use/locked, etc. and will invite you to allow CHECKDISK to run the next time you reboot your machine.

Type "Y" for yes, and then reboot.

The scans will take about 30-40 minutes, after which your machine will complete its boot into Windows.
You may be good-to-go after the CHKDSK, if it finds any bad-clusters and moves files to known good areas of your hard drive. However, if CHKDSK does find bad-clusters and moves files, it may be necessary to run CHKDSK a 2nd and even 3rd time, until all the bad-clusters are found and all of the affected files are safely moved.
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Next:

Run System File Checker (to identify and replace any missing or corrupted Windows system files)

Start - Run - (type)sfc /scannow - Enter <– notice the required space before the "/"
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Uninstall auslogics disk defrag, and speedefragger
Auslogics defragger is well recommended. I don't recognize speeddefragger.
But this issue you are dealing with right now is system and driver conflicts.
That's why loading SAFE Mode is hanging.

so please dump those two third-party product defraggers, at least temporarily at this time.
You can reinstall them later if you prefer them.
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Use the MS native Disk Defragmenter to run another Defrag at this time (after you've accomplished all the above)
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BTHidmgr.sys is a component driver for BlueTooth
If you don't use BlueTooth, remove the related modules.
If you do use BlueTooth, remove the related modules and then re-install them.
Turn-off and unplug your Laptop.
Remove the Battery
Leave the machine turned off and without "any" power source - - for about 20 minutes.
Replace the Battery
Re-connect A/C power supply if that's how you use it.
Try your machine out again for a while to see how it is now functioning.
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sptd.sys - Driver used by the CD Rom emulation program, Daemon Tools Version 4.
Many folks have reported problems with this Driver file.
If you use Daemon Tools Version 4, consider uninstalling it.
You can always Re-install it again later if you prefer.

If your problem persists, please post back here with your progress, questions, and description of how the machine is acting.

Best Regards

hi Doug, thanks for the help. ok, i managed to completely defrag - the reason it wasn't before was two fairly big files (just under 1gb each) were split into 700 or so fragments each, and there wasn't enough contiguous space on the HD to defrag it. so i moved them to C:, then moved them back again, ran defrag, hey presto. works! still can't get into safe mode though. i ran chkdsk /f /r - this was the same chkdsk i did last time it seemed, and i took several hours again. i tried to run scannow but couldnt locate my windoze disk, and couldnt complete without it. i uninstalled the third party defraggers and re defragged. i don't really want to remove my bluetooth stuff - i connect to the internet thru bluetooth, and its all set up and working nice, and i couldn't get into safe mode BEFORE i got a bluetooth dongle and started using bluetooth, so am i right in thinking whatever conflict exists is not based on this? I've just uninstalled daemon tools, rebooted. shutdown time was 10mins, and i couldn't get into safe mode on restart. it stll asked 'press Esc to cancel loading SPTD.sys' though, does this mean daemon tools is still in the registry? thanks again

stll asked 'press Esc to cancel loading SPTD.sys' though, does this mean daemon tools is still in the registry?

Don't know, but you certainly have "components" of Daemon tools being called to load from Registry.
Was that the "free" version of Daemon tools that comes with WhenU advertising?
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You also have PowerDefrag
See if you can uninstall it via Control Panel - Add/Remove
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Have you tried booting into SAFE Mode via Selection in MSCONFIG ?

Start - Run - (type)MSCONFIG - Select - Boot.ini(tab) - place a checkmark/tick into the item for /safeboot - Apply - Close
then reboot your system

Note: you will have to go back and remove that checkmark/tick to be able to boot into Normal Mode later.
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Take a look at your Boot.ini Scripting via Notepad and copy/paste the Boot.ini scripting into your next Reply.

To get a look at your Boot.ini

1. Right-click My Computer, and then click Properties.
2. On the Advanced tab, click Settings under Startup and Recovery.
3. Under System Startup, click Edit.

(note: do not make any changes to Boot.ini at this time)
Copy/paste the entire contents of the NotePad that comes up.
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Still don't have an XP SP2 installation CD?
Borrow one from a Friend.
You will be able to use "any" XP SP2 CD, as long as it is the same version - Home or Pro - as your machine.

Run System File Checker again. (note: SFC only runs in Normal Mode, and will not run in SAFE Mode)
SFC does not require a Product ID Code, so you'll be OK with a borrowed CD. (must be the same version home/pro and must have SP2.

Even though it is likely to take a while, it would be a good idea to run sfc /scannow "twice" in sequence.
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What is your reason for having XP on D:\ ?
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Post the requested information as above.
Keep us posted with your progress.

Best Regards

hi Doug, yes, it was a free version of daemon tools. don't know if it came with WhenU or not… uninstalled Powerdefrag. if i put that tick/check in boot.ini by 'start in safe mode', and it doesn't manage to load safe mode, how will i get into boot.ini to change it back again?? won't i be locked out then? here is boot.ini contents: [boot loader] timeout=30 default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS [operating systems] multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /fastdetect /NoExecute=OptIn i'm trying to find an XP cd i can borrow off a friend. may take a few days. i installed XP on D: because i had probems installing it to C: when i first got the computer (second hand) and did a fresh install. i think the reason was the XP cd i had would couldn't install over the XP install that was already on C: however hard i tried, so in the end i just gave up and put it on D: and it worked. there's still some junk left on C: that i'd like to delete but im not sure what is safe to delete (like i know the C: contains a file about booting, if i delete it, the computer won't boot. is this boot.ini?) ok - many thanks again. collen

Bummer of a situation, Collen.

Your maneuver to move those two large files to C:\ and then back to D:\ is excellent.
I have seen the same procedure recommended, but didn't think of it to suggest to you.
Nice work.
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Will you Run the Full Tests at http://www.pcpitstop.com
Then post the TechExpress Link so we can get an overview of your machine's present functioning.

I particularly want to see what keyboard utilities that laptop loads.

You also have some large applications (Nero/Ahead, Real, Quicktime, Adobe Reader, iTunes, Epson, and three instances of CFTmon.exe (advanced text services) ) that could be disabled via MSCONFIG in order to make it easier to Defrag via Normal Mode.
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Consider physically turning off/unplugging your Internet connection/Modem.
Then Consider Disabling "all" items in your MSCONFIG StartUp(tab) (including Antivirus/Firewall temporarily for this procedure only) and then run Defrag.

— note: I'm uncertain about Disabling "all" Startups, specifically on your Laptop.
Ordinarily, it is safe to disable "all", but I don't want you to lose any "keyboard/touch pad utilities", and end up having trouble navigating/entering commands.
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Do you have a spare PS/2 keyboard that you could connect.
Do you have a spare USB Mouse that you could connect.
Many Laptops only have one PS/2 connector, and some have none at all.
So it may be only possible to connect an peripheral PS/2 keyboard / or / PS/2 mouse, but not both.
But possibly as PS/2 keyboard plus a USB mouse.

If you have those peripherals, then it may be possible to Disable "all" applications/processes via MSCONFIG.
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Your initial difficulty installing XP to C:\ may have been because…
The original XP installation was XP Pro, and your XP installation CD was XP Home.
Or the machine already was running SP2, and the install CD was only XP without service pack, or XP SP1a
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Run and post the Full Tests from PCPitstop.
Then will look at trying to disable as many items from StartUp as possible, prior to Defragging.
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I'll bet you're dreading the thought, but Repair Installation and even Format/Install is looming on the edges of this difficult situation.
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But one step at a time.
First the PCPitstop test.

Best Regards

hi Doug,

i did the pcpitstop full tests: PC Pitstop results. I followed some of the suggestions it gave (mainly just reducing the huge system restore space i didnt know was allocated!)

i'm a little unsure of why you want me to disable stuff in MSCONFIG in order to defrag. both C and D are now fully defragged. will further defragging help resolves whatever conflicts ive got?

i have a USB mouse, but no other keyboard i can plug in. i dont think ive got a PS2 slot either.

i was dreading the thought of reinstalling, yes! but, if thats what it takes….

still lookin for that elusive windows cd as well.

ok have a look at my test results and hopefully you can advise me some more.

many thanks again for your continued help - it is much appreciated.

collen

Hi Collen,

You Hard Drive Partitions may be "fully defragged" but their present performance –
C:\ - 2 MB/s (10%)
D:\ - 2 MB/s (10%)
E:\ - 10 MB/s (52%)

– Indicate serious ongoing problems with you system.

Possibilities:
– Hard Drive not being recognized accurately in BIOS <– Ordinarily would be set for "Auto Detect"
– ChipSet Drivers corrupted <– look here for info & downloads: http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechS…&taskId=135
– Failing Power Supply <– Download and Run Everest 2.20 (free) - Look in "Sensors" for Power values http://www.majorgeeks.com/download4181.html
– Failing Hard Drive <– I looked in Samsug website and am disappointed with lack of info, but check there anyway

Take a look in the above linked resources.
Post back with information you develop, if you have additional questions.

Best Regards

for reference:

i purchased restore cds from compaq/HP for my computer. i recommend anyone who has an OEM computer (ie big manufacturer, like dell, HP etc) that was bought second hand, and didn't have the restore cds or windows cds with it - you bought a legit copy of windows when you bought the computer, even if it was second/third/fourth hand!! i didnt know this.

i also bought a new hard drive (IDE) to replace the existing one. i then used the restore cds on the new hard drive, installed windows, and all is now good.

i've ordered another 1gb of ram which will be here very soon which will make it even faster!

thanks doug for your continued help, and sorry i didnt reply for so long,

collen

ps here is the latest pcpitstop results, much healthier now:

http://www.pcpitstop.com/techexpress.asp?id=HJX4SW4CP9VS0W3G