share
Super UserChange msconfig settings when unable to boot?
[+1] [0] Wingblade
[2014-11-09 17:07:42]
[ windows-7 safe-mode msconfig ]
[ https://superuser.com/questions/837885/change-msconfig-settings-when-unable-to-boot ]

I under the "Start" tab in msconfig I set my Windows 7 to start in minimal safe mode, however as it turns out safe mode is broken somehow. When I try to boot it it shows a list of .sys files, tells me it's gonna start in safe mode, but then blackscreens. This means I can't get into Windows to change the setting back. I don't have any system restore points, and "Last Known Good Configuration" also attempts to boot into safe mode without success.

Is there some way to change this msconfig setting back? Just a general utility that lets you change the msconfig settings of a windows installation without actually booting said installation would be very useful.

PS: Yes, the fact that safe mode doesn't boot shows that my Windows 7 installation is broken. However I'm getting a new machine soon, so it isn't worth reinstalling it. I'm pretty much just trying to hold this one together somewhat until I get my new machine.

Start it from the Recovery Disk it prompted you to make when you first got it. - Tetsujin
I didn't install it myself originally, so I don't have any such recovery disk. Is there any way of using a USB flash drive for this purpose? I also have a laptop with the same version of Windows 7 installed, could I simply create such a recovery disk using my laptop? - Wingblade
If you meant something like this then I've already tried that. When I chose the "Startup Repair" it told me there was nothing wrong with my installation, so it didn't do anything to it. - Wingblade
I've discovered that I can use the recovery disk's command prompt feature to edit the registry and file system of my windows. However I have not been able to find any information about where msconfig saves its safe-mode setting, so I wouldn't know what to edit. - Wingblade