Can't access Safe mode

[mr. nails]

when i boot my pc and i try to access safe mode (f8) all it does it ask me which device do i want to use to boot my pc. like my dvd-rw and/or hard drive. no more safe mode? why? it's been like this for awhile and can't figure it out. i HAVE NOT formated and i HAVE updated bios (if that even helps in this matter). what else could i do or even try?

[Rip The Jacker]

There are different ways to boot into Safe Mode last I checked...

Look here:
http://service1.symantec.com/SUPPORT/tsgeninfo.nsf/docid/2001052409420406?OpenDocument&src=sec_doc_nam

Click the + next to Windows XP...

http://service1.symantec.com/SUPPORT/tsgeninfo.nsf/949e46314f0916a0852565d00073bbfd/ef8760e25f58ee7988256a6a0054bc32/Solution/0.8D7E?OpenElement&FieldElemFormat=gif

http://service1.symantec.com/SUPPORT/tsgeninfo.nsf/949e46314f0916a0852565d00073bbfd/ef8760e25f58ee7988256a6a0054bc32/Solution/1.E24?OpenElement&FieldElemFormat=gif

http://service1.symantec.com/SUPPORT/tsgeninfo.nsf/949e46314f0916a0852565d00073bbfd/ef8760e25f58ee7988256a6a0054bc32/Solution/2.318A?OpenElement&FieldElemFormat=gif

[mr. nails]

awesome! thank u. i did not know that, but my pc still fails to boot to safe mode using the f8 key. it used to work. now it doesn't. that page didn't say if there was a way to enable that option. it does state it's possible though. do u have any idea what happened and how to make my pc boot into safe mode using f8 key? also, it did boot into safe mode using the boot option safe mode enable. thx.

[Virtualbody1234]

Does your keyboard have an F lock?

[zapjb]

Pick your HDD to boot from. Then immediately start f8 ing again. That works.

[mr. nails]

Does your keyboard have an F lock?
that's not the prob, but to answer the question. no.

[mr. nails]

Pick your HDD to boot from. Then immediately start f8 ing again. That works.
cool, yeah, that works. thx. can u explain why i have to do it that way now? i used to be able to just hit f8 and it would go. now i have to select my hd then f8. kinda gay. but thank you otherwise.

[zapjb]

If you recently added new software. Like an OS selector by Acronis. Or other software.
That's my guess. Anyways I'm glad it worked out.:P

[ObiWan]

you may just be hitting f8 too early. my bios has a feature where if you press f8 before it gets to booting into windows, while it checks the ram and disks etc, it will display a menu asking which device you would like to boot from