Thanks Saab - that makes sense.

For SoCal - I have obviously confused you for which I apologise. By 'Desktop' I mean the screen with all the Icons. I have now discovered (via the laptop) that the (correctly functioning) 'Safe with Networking' desktop is identical to the 'Safe' mode desktop - no clues that I am in 'networking' which is one less question. As for the Boot Menu, yes that is correct and yes, I am selecting the correct line.

Regarding 'comparing' the two machines - I am stuck - there appears to be an inscrutable problem to which no-one has a solution at this time, so I need to establish some baselines. I will look at Services next on both - is there a service that needs to run in order for the ethernet adapter to even 'appear' in Device manager? Is there a simple way to see which 'Safe' mode I am actually in?

Is there any point in trying to re-install the ethernet drivers in 'Safe' mode, when they are already present and functioning in 'Normal'?

padded ..........

Dear Gurus' - so sorry to gatecrash this thread ..

I've got a similar thing happening too!

My desktop is running XP pro and hubby started noticing differences yesterday (some sort of driver error message which he can't remember the wording of)

I've been trying to start the ruddy thing in a safe mode.

safe mode + either networking or command prompt produces a black screen with safe mode in all 4 corners and the OS running across the top and then nada else happens, but in safe mode alone I get the windows restart blue page with the 5 things it goes through.

It gets to a point where it wants the Nvidia driver disc to continue then seems to hang - the mouse is unresponsive and I can't use the keyboard - so I can't command it to use a different drive to read the driver disc.

At this point in time I'd be just happy to get my ultra important doc's off the hard drive before I start doing anything else ..

any clues?

TV

TV - welcome to my party:) Hopefully someone will be along soon to help with the buffet.

In the meantime, are you having a problem either backing up or copying these files in normal mode?

Edit: I don't think there is much point in trying to run the Nvidia disk in Safemode - it does not install the adapter on my machine.

It might be that only a basic TCP/IP stack is loaded in networking + safe mode, in which case only the wired network will work, also you may go in to command prompt C:/ and type in ipconfig/all, that should give you the details of all the ip addresses and the gataway, if there is no router ip or gateway than you wont have any connectivity.

Also only FTP and UDP protocols may work.
Try pinging an ip address....

boe - I don't think any of that will work without an ethernet adapter!

Via another forum it has been decided that a mobo ethernet adapter will not work in Safe mode, hence the problem. Has to be a card.

My XP machine has the NVidia chipset on the mobo, and when I hold down the F8 key whilst booting I get all the "Safe" options. If I select "Safe with networking", once booted I can happily run IE v8 and access PPrune with no problems. Doing so right now. I am running an RJ45 patch cable network via a Switch box, with static IP's. DHCP disabled.

alison - there you go - don't believe ANYTHING the experts tell you! I will quote your words on t'other forum and see what response I get. Thank you.

Which mobo, do you know, and do you know which chipset and current ethernet driver?

I'm resisting following that line at the moment
a) Because alison's news is interesting
b) it is humungously drawn out
c) it refers as far as I can see to disabling network services which I don't have anyway.
d) I have been tapping other 'experts' opinions elsewhere

It is 'in reserve'. Right now some details of alison's setup would be good.

I think trying to compare is not really going to resolve your particular problem.
Well, IF the same kit, it just might

What XP Service Pack are you running. SP3

When you boot and select Safe mode with networking - you will see all the drivers loading - do you see any errors as that screen flashes by?

No

Have you considered calling Microsoft to see what if anything they have to say?

No - I was hoping someone here (or there) might have an answer first. May have to.

What I would do in your position would be to install a gash HDD and do a clean install of Win XP up to and including SP3.

Check to see if that works correctly - i.e. provides networking correctly in Safe Mode plus Networking, and NOT in plain Safe Mode.

Then apply all the MS updates, check to see that it all works.

Ditto with your AV, anti-Malware, firewall, etc.

SD

It is already done, guys. I just 'happen' to have a second bare-bones XP installation on another partition on the desktop (admittedly SP2) but this happily connects in Safe. I have not run a thorough check on the AV/firewall on that installation yet. Indeed, can you tell me what I can expect in terms of 'protection' other than my router firewall in Safe?

It is obviously SOMETHING in the settings in my primary Windows, and I would rather peg away at sorting it out than wipe a system which otherwise works fine. If necessary I can live without the connection there too.

As far as I can see, the only disparity is SP3 (and possibly the AV/firewall setup, although I cannot see why the latter 2 prevent the adapter appearing) although that connects fine on my laptop with XP Home.

Well, here's me posting in Safe via my USB-RJ45 dongle, but since I cannot seem to get my AV to run in safe I'm out of here!

Its Avast and it won't.

Not feeling the brightest here this morning - here being Oz, but will see if I can contribute.

BOAC if you boot in "Safe with networking". Then run msinfo32 in the Run dialog box - click "Start" and select "Run" dialog box.

Select "Components", "Network", "Adapter". This should show you what network hardware is installed. Scroll down looking for something like this.

Name [00000021] NVIDIA nForce Networking Controller
Adapter Type Ethernet 802.3
Product Type NVIDIA nForce Networking Controller
Installed Yes
PNP Device ID {1A3E09BE-1E45-494B-9174-D7385B45BBF5}\NVNET_DEV07DC\4&31C3B0D8&0&00
Last Reset 21/04/2010 7:48 AM
Index 21
Service Name NVENETFD
IP Address 192.168.1.2
IP Subnet 255.255.255.0
Default IP Gateway 192.168.1.254
DHCP Enabled No
DHCP Server Not Available
DHCP Lease Expires Not Available
DHCP Lease Obtained Not Available
MAC Address 00:1F:D0:8E:34:A7
Driver c:\windows\system32\drivers\nvenetfd.sys (1.00.02.06764, 52.38 KB (53,632 bytes), 20/09/2007 5:07 PM)

Note: the lines relating to IP Addresses and DHCP will be different.

Normally when troubleshooting an XP system I start by looking at the System Log to see what error messages are being generated.

Click "Start" and "Run". Enter "eventvwr.msc" into the dialog box and hit return. Select "System" in the lefthand sidebar and view the system error log.

Highlighting a system message and right-clicking it gives more information about the particular error under "Properties". For networking problems look for any messages relating to TCP/IP (Tcpip) in the Source column.

Another option is to edit the "Boot.ini" file in the root directory, adding the "/bootlog" parameter. This enables all boot operations to be logged in a file "ntbtlog.txt" in the Windows directory. This works in all modes and can indicate which drivers were loaded and which weren't even in the various "Safe" modes.

Many thanks alison - most of that already done with no clues so far. Will compare my adapter.
Here we go:

Name [00000010] NVIDIA nForce Networking Controller
Adapter Type Ethernet 802.3
Product Type NVIDIA nForce Networking Controller
Installed Yes
PNP Device ID {1A3E09BE-1E45-494B-9174-D7385B45BBF5}\NVNET_DEV0057\4&20C25E9&0&01
Last Reset 21/04/2010 08:08
Index 10
Service Name NVENETFD
IP Address 192.168.177.4
IP Subnet 255.255.255.0
Default IP Gateway 192.168.177.1
DHCP Enabled Yes
DHCP Server 192.168.177.1
DHCP Lease Expires 19/01/2038 04:14
DHCP Lease Obtained 21/04/2010 08:09
MAC Address 00:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx
Driver i:\windows\system32\drivers\nvenetfd.sys (1.00.00.0482, 32.75 KB (33,536 bytes), 14/04/2006 21:09)

Interesting! I use DHCP (I wonder if therein lies the problem) and my driver is slightly older than yours. Other than that I cannot see a difference. NB I have blanked my MAC since my wifi is MAC limited - paranoia rules.

Highly unlikely that DHCP has anything to do with the problem. DHCP just assignes IP addresses for NIC's on the network automatically. I disabled mine as I run a Linux/Apache webserver on my home network - which requires a static IP address to enable port forwarding through my modem

Your system is recognising the hardware, so the only other possibility is that the drivers aren't loading. I will do some digging around to find out what drivers are loaded in safe/networking mode and get back to you.

Were there any TCP/IP related errors in the system log? (see eventvwr above)

Edit:

BOAC if you use the "/bootlog" parameter in your "boot.ini" file, then having rebooted your machine in Safe/Network mode, have a look at "ntbtlog.txt" in the Windows directory.

Use Notepad and do a search for NVENETFD.SYS. This is the NVidia network chipset driver. Make sure it's being loading. You might also need to check that the following DLL's "fdco1.dll" and "fdco1ins.dll" are located in "WINDOWS/system32" directory.

All appreciated alison. the dlls are there. Bit busy on other stuff at the moment but will check the logs and bootlog when I can go back to safe.


NVENETFD.SYS was loaded.

This may be a clue?

Did not load driver NVIDIA Network Bus Enumerator

although I see the same entry in normal boot log.

Event log shows

7026

The following boot-start or system-start driver(s) failed to load:
Aavmker4
AmdPPM
aswSP
aswTdi
avgio
avipbb
BANTExt
cdudf_xp
enc2dvd
enc2filt
enc2port
FileDisk
Fips
mbmiodrvr
OADevice
RxFilter
SASDIFSV

3 x 7001's which I don't think are relevant.

4 x DCOM 10025 errors

BOAC wrote:
Could be. Not 100% sure what it does, think it manages multiple network interfaces. You need the following drivers for it to ackle - NVIDIA Network Bus Enumerator that is:-

WINDOWS/System32/bdco1.dll
WINDOWS/System32/bdco1ins.dll
WINDOWS/System32/DRIVERS/nvnetbus.sys
WINDOWS/System32/DRIVERS/nvnrm.sys
WINDOWS/System32/nvconrm.dll

Mine loads in all modes. Check under the Device Manager.

Also see under msinfo32.msi "Start", "Run". "msinfo32.msi", "Software Environment","Signed Drivers", scroll down and check "nvnetbus" has started and is running.