Anybody know wtf a "boot tab" is?

[Pogo]

I'm trying to restart my Toshiba laptop in Safe Mode. Holding F8 on startup doesn't do a damn thing.

Found a page that gives several ways to do it but it starts out:

"Go to the Boot tab and, in the Boot options section check the box that says "Safe boot". Then, click or tap OK."

Anyone ever heard of a "Boot tab"? I have no idea what he's talking about.

Then later it says,
"Another method is to press the Power button at the Windows login screen or in the Settings charm."

Anyone know what the fuck a "Charm" is?



I seem to have been forced to do an "update" a few days ago, and since then my external hard drive won't show up so that's what I'm trying to resolve. It simply says "E is not accessible -- the disk structure is corrupted and unreadable". Doesn't identify it as "Seagate" as it normally does, doesn't identify it as anything. Yet it shows up in the tray and if I try to free it up it says "Windows can't stop your drive because a program is still using it" -- even though no such program ever started.

Are my USB ports going down?

I fucking hate this shit.

msconfig
Using System Configuration msconfig - Windows Help
Well... nevermind lol

Thanks, yeah we got it but that was the step the pages I was looking at kept leaving out, the "msconfig" thing. They seemed to just assume the user's already there and then they walk you through the obvious stuff instead.

I love me some instructions that begin with Step 2.

 

[Ringel05]

8.0 or 8.1? Here is a site I used to help my neighbor but I dont know what state your computer is in. Do you have a recovery USB?

ASUSTeK Computer Inc. -Support-

A "recovery USB"?

Thanks but that page isn't any help either -- it says "you can find out how to enter [Safe Mode] while you can't enter the system" --- and then doesn't bother to tell you. Then it says "the system will enter Automatic Repair mode" --- what, by itself? Just because I think about it?

It's all very nice to have the screens that come up but working with them is self-evident. What I need is how to get to those screens in the first place.

If you have another computer with the same version of windows you can make a recovery USB that will boot your computer. If those pages dont come up then your hard drive may be toast.

OK well I don't have any trouble booting, I was just looking for Safe Mode. Finally found it.

I am glad you found it.

Thanks for your help.

Thanks everybody. Would still like comments on the SATA bridge. And I'll take it to my local geek with that question too.

IDE (intergrated drive electronic) is actually ATA (advanced technology attachment also known as PATA) or I should say the terms are used interchangably, IDE, ribbon cables, are the old technology, (SATA Serial ATA) is the new much faster connection. In order to get a PATA to run on a SATA setup you need a "bridge".

ATA on the left, SATA on the right.

 

[Ringel05]

The bar on the right is the "Charms Bar".

 

[Muhammed]

The bar on the right is the "Charms Bar".

You get it to pop up by moving the pointer to the lower right corner

 

[Ringel05]

The bar on the right is the "Charms Bar".

You get it to pop up by moving the pointer to the lower right corner

Or sliding from the right to left on the touch pad or screen (if you have a touchscreen).

 

[Pogo]

The bar on the right is the "Charms Bar".

You get it to pop up by moving the pointer to the lower right corner

Or sliding from the right to left on the touch pad or screen (if you have a touchscreen).

I'm all too familiar with that thing. I've learned to avoid it mostly. Just never heard 'em called "charms". I call them a PITA.

Gonna go visit my local geek to see about getting an adapter fitted to this bum external drive now, hoping it can still be accessed

 

[Muhammed]

The bar on the right is the "Charms Bar".

You get it to pop up by moving the pointer to the lower right corner

Or sliding from the right to left on the touch pad or screen (if you have a touchscreen).

I'm all too familiar with that thing. I've learned to avoid it mostly. Just never heard 'em called "charms". I call them a PITA.

Gonna go visit my local geek to see about getting an adapter fitted to this bum external drive now, hoping it can still be accessed

How old is your external drive?

 

[Pogo]

The bar on the right is the "Charms Bar".

You get it to pop up by moving the pointer to the lower right corner

Or sliding from the right to left on the touch pad or screen (if you have a touchscreen).

I'm all too familiar with that thing. I've learned to avoid it mostly. Just never heard 'em called "charms". I call them a PITA.

Gonna go visit my local geek to see about getting an adapter fitted to this bum external drive now, hoping it can still be accessed

How old is your external drive?

About a year IIRC. Maybe a year and a half.

It's making no noises, it didn't get dropped or anything. The last time I did use it I noticed when I plugged it in and before I accessed it, it started connecting -- disconnecting --- connecting over and over. Nothing was moving, cable wasn't loose, so I'm hoping it was the SATA bridge failing and nothing more.