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Windows does not boot to safe mode with networking
You will need working installation media for Windows XP — a recovery CD will not do — and three CDs prepared with the following utilities:
HitachGST’s Drive Fitness Test (DFT) CD image
Seagate’s SeaTools for DOS CD image
Memtest86 CD image
To freely burn these utilities to CD, Icrontic has prepared a guide to accomplish the task. Once all three CDs are ready, proceed with each of the following steps in sequence. If you uncover a problem at any step, it is imperative that you remedy the issue before moving on. You may also find that resolving an intermediary issue eliminates the 0×0000008E stop error, so be sure to test Windows before continuing with additional steps.
- Evaluate the condition of your PC’s memory by testing it with Memtest86. If this fails, you need to replace your system memory and continue.
- Evaluate the condition of your hard drive by testing it with Drive Fitness Test. Should DFT fail to correctly function on your system, perform a long scan with SeaTools. If this fails, you need to replace your hard drive after archiving your information. If simple archival fails, Icrontic has prepared an emergency data recovery guide to account for this issue. Replacing your hard drive will require that you reinstall Windows.
- Evaluate the output of your power supply by testing it with a digital multimeter (DMM). If the power supply is producing insufficient voltages, it must be replaced.
- If all prior components have been replaced or given a clean bill of health, we have narrowed down the roster of possible culprits to three: A bunged up operating system, a faulty motherboard, or a faulty processor. It is rather unlikely that the processor or motherboard are to blame, so we must turn to the operating system.
- If you’re at this point, it is a safe assumption that an inaccessible installation of Windows is the source of your troubles. If you are stuck in such a situation, your only choice is to reload Windows from scratch and reconfigure it. Please follow the “Windows does not load and/or does not appear to be installed” section of Icrontic’s reformatting guide. This guide will walk you through the process of backing up your data and reloading Windows XP.
- If you are still confronted with the 0×0000008E error after a reformat, you must now suspect your motherboard and processor. Each component must be replaced with an identical part to eliminate the possibility of fault without introducing new instability through introducing differing hardware.
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