Re: New XP box will only boot in safe mode?

To address this issue with Symantec Corporate and the new Dell Optiplex
745 BIOS issue:

Boot to Safe Mode
Open Symantec Client, Click Configure
Change Startup option to "Symantec Anti Virus Start" This forces the
Symantec Client to start AFTER windows completes it's boot.

Reboot PC

Thanks!




dean.carrefour wrote:
Good to know. Keep us posted as soon as you get more information. We run
Symantec Corporate here, so that fits the pattern.



"mwfischer82@xxxxxxxxx" wrote:


dean.carrefour wrote:
I wanted to post another update. As you know, I have a personal Optiplex 745
for my personal workstation (faster processor, DVD Burner, more RAM, etc.
than the other two machines) that I haven't had any problems with. I ordered
it several months ago. I ordered two new 745s a month or so ago and had
problems with both. The BIOS update from dell fixed one, but the other one
had to have the HD and DVDROM replaced to fix it. Now, the other machine
that the BIOS update 'fixed' is doing the same thing. I need to call Dell to
see if there is some other fix. I REALLY don't want to have to blow that
machine away and reinstall everything on the new drive they would send me, it
takes so much time to get all of the software setup...



"mwfischer82@xxxxxxxxx" wrote:


dean.carrefour wrote:
That tinyurl link didn't work for me. We have Symantec Corporate, so I might
want to try that, or at least investigate it a little further.

I don't have a fix yet, but I wanted to provide a little more information
for everyone here having this problem.

On both of the machines here that I've had problems with, I get the boot
loader screen after the post phase, then the boot loader screen disappears
and stays blank, where normally the logon screen would appear. Sounds like
yours isn't showing the boot loader screen even (black background, windowsXP
logo with the little blue status indicator), so thats a little different.

I have another OptiPlex 745, my personal work machine, the one I'm on now,
that I ordered back in October I believe. It is similar to the two problem
machines, but it is the 2.13Ghz duocore where they are the 1.8? Ghz (I don't
remember the exact speeds, mine is one level above theirs). I also have an
upgraded video card (for my 24" widescreen) and I have the DVD burner instead
of the DVD-ROM. And I have 2GB of RAM where they only have 1GB. I also have
an additional CDROM drive. I haven't had a single issue with mine, and I
haven't done the bios upgrade, think mine is a 1.? version of the bios, so I
wonder which of these differences could be causing the problem?

I think it is the specific models of SATA drives (HD and DVDROM). The
replacements (refurbs) they sent me looked identical, but I believe they were
different model numbers, at least on the DVDROM.

Lets keep this thread active if any of us come up with more information.

I have seen the same issue, with 4 identical Optiplex 745's. We did
not contact Dell at first because our fix APPEARED to work. We removed
the Dell Utility partition and redirected boot to the primary. This
cleared the issue for about 2 weeks, but now on a single 745 it is
back. Again, if anybody has a real "fix" for this, please post.


Apparantly Dell has found their incompatibility with Symantec
Corporate. There is an adjustment to the way Symantec Corporate starts
up that has to change to work with this particular Dell BIOS. It is
Symantec's Issue, not Dell's. I will post whatever I can as soon as I
get the information. I am working on the phone with another tech right
now.



.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: New XP box will only boot in safe mode?
    ... DELL been informed about this? ... Change Startup option to "Symantec Anti Virus Start" This forces the ... Symantec Client to start AFTER windows completes it's boot. ... The BIOS update from dell fixed one, ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.help_and_support)
  • Re: NTLDR missing, Boot order Freezes
    ... Thus, before calling Dell, you might want to "rescue" your files. ... supports external hard drives, like USB 2.0 and firewire, and it can read ... it is always possible to remove a BIOS password. ... I can't boot up my DELL Inspiron 8200 notebook becasuse of "NTLDR is ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.basics)
  • Re: boot is slow
    ... > I got into BIOS. ... > Boot is faster but I still have problems. ... It says "Dell Dimension 300 series. ... I just put off on the slave drives. ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.perform_maintain)
  • Re: RIS, same GUID, duplicates, Dell GX60s
    ... BIOS updates and settings for these GX60's so they can boot straight from ... Hence the requirement of the RIS boot disk. ... > at least are reading the correct GUID and MAC address from the Dell BIOS. ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.setup_deployment)
  • Re: 2 wondows versions detected on pc startup?
    ... if not put there by the BIOS? ... BIOS examines the very first sector of the disk for a Master Boot Record ... table which describes the layout of the fixed disk and the partition loader ... This is where Windows and NTLDR comes in, ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.setup_deployment)
Loading