Arcade VGA Safe Mode Woes

[Knoxximus]

I have an Ultimarc Arcade VGA caed installed on the PC I'm MAMEming.  I'm stuck in this endless reboot loop, and when I try to get into safe mode to install the AVGA specific drivers, it's like computer doesn't even know that "F8" even exists.  Is there somekind of secret trick to successfully access safe mode?

[SirPeale]

So...on boot, just before the OS starts, and you start hammering away @ F8, it does nothing?

This is on Windows 98, right?

[Knoxximus]

I got XP.....but yeah, I start hammering and it will either freeze on the initial screen or keep on going to the reboot.

[SirPeale]

Odd...XP should give you the option.  I doubt it's ArcadeVGA related, though.

Have you tried swapping another card to see if the result is the same?

[wboy]

Can remember of the top of my head, but you may be able to access Safe Mode if you try booting from the XP CD again.  I know it has repair options when you do it... but that said, it may not take you exactly to safe mode as such.

[Knoxximus]

Odd...XP should give you the option.  I doubt it's ArcadeVGA related, though.

Have you tried swapping another card to see if the result is the same?

Yeah, I swapped it with my main comp's card (Nvidia Ge4 MMX400...or something like that).  I got into safe mode with that card installed, so while I was in there, I uninstalled the drivers for the Ge4 so that it could recognize the AVGA upon reboot.  However, the same sh!t keeps happening.  Only now, when I bang on F8, it just hangs and I have to CtrlAltDelete it's ass!

[dabone]

I'm going to take a stab in the dark, do you have a newer keyboards with a F-lock key?

All the newer microsoft keyboards I've been selling you have to hit the f-lock key right after bootup to be able to press F8 (if you don't hit f-lock its inputing the keyboard shortcut for fwd for office)


Maybe that will help.

Also, just try any other keyboard, and as soon as you see your bios post just start pressing the f8 key once every second.


Good luck.
later,
dabone

[StephenH]

You could have a bad keyboard, or your keyboard and mouse are swapped.


Also, the endless reboot loop could be a result of the sasser worm trying to infect your PC, or has infected it.  To get out of the one-minute shutdown restart-loop, set the clock back a day.    To fix the worm, download a removal tool, and the security patch, go to:

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=76C6DE7E-1B6B-4FC3-90D4-9FA42D14CC17&displaylang=en  for the removal tool

and

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/MS04-011.mspx

[:UK:Nyrkl]

What I've ended up doing in the past, is letting windows start up a bit, then pressing the reset button - when it restarts it detects it didnt start up, and prompts you if you want to go into safe mode.

[DaveJ-UK]

It shouldn't get past the BIOS screen if the keyboard is not plugged in or the keyb/mouse are round the wrong way.

I had problems under 2000 with swapping a regular video card for ArcadeVGA. In the end I used an old PCI graphics card to install Windows and set everything up, then I installed the ArcadeVGA and installed the drivers. If you have onboard video, this is effectively a PCI video adapter so you have no need for a seperate PCI card.

I think 2000/XP just don't like having two sets of AGP graphics drivers installed.

[AmericanDemon]

But in the Bios you can set the system to not Halt on Errors.  Thus the keyboard not being plugged in would not stop it.  

The issue at hand though is if he swaps out the Video card, then he can get into Safe Mode, but if the ArcadeVGA is in the system it locks.

Its the ArcadeVGA card, but I would test it by sticking it in another system and seeing if it locks that one too.

[Knoxximus]

I had problems under 2000 with swapping a regular video card for ArcadeVGA. In the end I used an old PCI graphics card to install Windows and set everything up, then I installed the ArcadeVGA and installed the drivers.

I'm going to try this approach.  I had to shell out 37 bucks for a PCI card, but if I can solve this riddle in 7 days, I get the loot back.  I guess I have to go into the BIOS and tell the comp to boot from PCI video or something?

[SirPeale]

You might have to, but I doubt it.

[Knoxximus]

OK, so now the comp works just fine with the PCI card, and I even managed to  load the AVGA Drivers and the comp recognizes the card as such.  However....when I try to install the ATI control panel, after I restart like it tells me to, when windows comes back up I get this error box that basically says that the ATI control panel cannot be installed because there is no ATI driver....but the AVGA says "working properly" in the device manager.  THEN, if I try to boot with just the AVGA, it still hangs after the Device boot list....there is a line of code just underneath that says something like "nvidia-geforce-<insert random numbers here>", so I slapped the Ge4 back in, unistalled that compeltely, jammed the AVGA back in, and still get the same crap.  What gives?

[SirPeale]

You could try reinstalling Windows, this time start off with the AVGA.

[Knoxximus]

What's the best way to blank it out and start from scratch?  I've already registerd my copy of XP home...will I be able to re-register it or am I fawked?

[SirPeale]

Yes, you can re-activate it.  It *might* give you flak, and have you call MS, and give you a run-around, but yes you will be able to re-activate it.  Just tell them it was a forced upgrade requiring a major hardware overhaul.  IF it doesn't work.

Pretty much just boot off the CD and reformat and reinstall, that's all.

[OSCAR]

One of my test computers with an Abit motherboard won't let me enter safe mode if I have an I-PAC attached to it.  If I remove the I-PAC and plug the keyboard directly to the PC, then I can boot into safe mode.   Very odd, it's the only computer I've worked on that does this...

[Knoxximus]

Yes, you can re-activate it.  It *might* give you flak, and have you call MS, and give you a run-around, but yes you will be able to re-activate it.  Just tell them it was a forced upgrade requiring a major hardware overhaul.  IF it doesn't work.

Pretty much just boot off the CD and reformat and reinstall, that's all.

Eureka!   I did the fresh install with the PCI card as primary and AVGA as secondary and the sh!t WORKED!  I installed the AVGA drivers, restarted the computer, shut it down, pulled out the PCI card, turned it back on, and THIS time, it displayed windows on my damn TV via S-Video output!  Ahhh...the agony is OVER!!  Thank you all for all the advice....it's time to trick this beeyatch OUT!

Note:  I think I will keep this PCI card after all in a safe place 'cause this may be my 1st cab....but it ain't gonna be my last