BCDEdit to force ‘safe mode’ … no mouse, no keyboard

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For whatever reason a nice desktop suddenly had no ‘mouse/keyboard’, both USB. Cannot access F8 on boot (no keyboard) so trying ‘safe mode’ won’t work… etc.. even put in a new USB card hoping that it would be seen as legacy, no joy… PCI e slot not seen that way.

So, removed Hard drive, opened up BCDEdit with a forced “store” selection of that ‘now’ attached hard drive… BUT I AM not sure how to ‘set’ the ‘boot configuration’ using BCDEdit so that when I PUT THE HD back into the fouled desktop it will boot safe mode (just to “see” if I can restore to an earlier point, etc).

I have done some research on this suddenly failed USB and PERHAPS it is/was a MS Update… not sure. THE desktop is a two year old HP with high end configuration (top of the line, then, i5, 16Gbs ram, 1TB 7200 hd, good graphics…)

THIS COULD be the board as well… but I am thinking “if I can get safe mode” and try an earilier ‘restore’??
OR OR … perhaps “using BCDEdit” have the “CD” with the drivers on it for the ‘new’ USB card ‘install’ on boot? So instead of safe mode, have the BCDEdit run the script to point to the CD and install upon normal windows boot, then I could have those drivers installed and connect my mouse/keyboard to the add on USB card.

Thoughts? HELP? Really appreciate any ideas or methods, solutions. Thanks ALL

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Have you tried plugging either into the rear USB ports ?

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Have you tried either on another computer?

cheers, Paul

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Absolutely… both work well. In fact I tried two sets of mouse/keyboards on this recalcitrant PC (HP)… with no mouse, no keyboard, it is hard to configure back to a prior ‘point’, etc… That was why I wanted to use BCDEdit… I have the ‘HD’ from the problem system attached to a good system thru a USB device that has sata plugs, etc… can SEE the contents, can get the contents… but even after backed up, etc… cannot repair or replace anything if I put the HD back into the desktop from whence it came. So trying to write to it thru this usable interface, change the boot to safe mode and then put it back into the desktop system and see if it works under safe mode… doubting, but worth a try. Thanks

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I have had USB die twice on two of my computers. I was dead in the water, with no keyboard or mouse, except for one thing: I had PS/2 keyboard and mouse ports on both computers, and I had a PS/2 keyboard and mouse available.

Do you have PS/2 ports on the computer? If so, then find yourself a PS/2 keyboard and mouse, and you’ll be in business. If you can’t find a PS/2 keyboard and mouse, you can get a USB-to-PS/2 adapter for your keyboard and for your mouse. This will make a USB keyboard and mouse work by plugging them into PS/2 ports.

Hereis one for the mouse (green), and here is one for the keyboard (purple).

There are some controller cards out there which provide PS/2 ports for your computer. However, the vast majority of them convert from USB to PS/2, which wouldn’t do you any good, if you have no USB functionality. However, I found a card once which provided native PS/2 ports, not those which were converted from USB. If you can find such a card, you’ll be in business. If your computer doesn’t have PS/2 ports, it might be handy to have something like that installed in your computer, in case this sort of thing happens in the future.

Group "L" (Linux Mint)
with Windows 10 running in a remote session on my file server

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Thank you. The HP is two years old, no PS/2 and the slots available aren’t going to take an PS/2 card. PCI-e.
I’ve worked with PCs for some 28 years… but am NOT SURE HOW to use BCDEdit to access the ‘boot sequence’ of the ‘system’ HD which is now external to my ‘system’ and accessible.
So I had some thoughts… ??
1. Run SFC /Scannow on the ‘external drive’s OS’ (windows 7 32 bit)
2. Run Chkdsk on that external OS drive.
3. BCDEdit to make it boot safe mode (or is there a way to access ‘that’ drives’ MsCONFIG thru command prompt opening the ‘externals’ drive’s DOS commands?

Thanks very much for the suggestions and help.

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The BCDEDIT cmd for it to boot into Safe Mode is bcdedit /set {default} safeboot minimal but not sure how you are going to navigate around that with no user input device.

Here are some of the other BCDEDIT cmds you may find useful – http://pcsupport.about.com/od/repair-recovery/a/force-or-stop-safe-mode-windows.htm

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When USB died recently on my computer, I purchased a USB controller card. Not only did this give me working USB ports, but they are USB3 ports. Of course, if you can’t get your keyboard or mouse to work, it may not be possible to add the card, if you have to do a driver install.

Group "L" (Linux Mint)
with Windows 10 running in a remote session on my file server

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Right, did the USB card on hopes it would be ‘somehow’ seen as legacy. No joy… never get past the windows login (no mouse, no keyboard).

You can force BCDEdit to the ‘other’ (external in this case as I am working on the “OS” HD out of the offending HP) drive by
bcdedit /store E:bootBCD /enum and I see the commands.. but not sure how to ‘force’ the change of that ‘other’ hard drive so that when I stick it back into the system and boot it hits safe mode… without input.

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Follow – up
Connected as the HD is to my system (via powered USB interface) I can see all files. I ran A/V – had a couple of small hits – will run Chkdsk on it today. Being able to ‘see’ all but figuring out WHAT exactly to change to get a safe boot (not believing that will fix everything, just want to see if it allows the USB to return) is frustrating.
Recently read that “ONE” MS Update had negative effects on USB… need to find that again. WONDER IS THERE anyway to uninstall an update in the interface I have now?
Thanks

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Still trying on this one…

Using this in Dos of a good laptop, the hd from the recalcitrant computer attached and powered, USB…

Using bcdedit /store F: bcdedit /set {default} safeboot minimal where F is the system partition.

I can do an /enum on the F with BCDEDIT and all the normal parameters show – but trying to ‘force’ this
drive to boot (after boot back in case) to “safe mood” is proving fruitless… don’t want, cannot have the
request for ‘press any key’, etc… no USB… and the card we put in has not installed its drivers so no go.

Many thanks for anyone who is a BCDEdit guru. Thanks

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Have you considered that this could be a motherboard problem on the affected machine, but after you put the HDD back into its own machine, it will no longer be Drive F:

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Have you considered that this could be a motherboard problem on the affected machine, but after you put the HDD back into its own machine, it will no longer be Drive F:

The BCD file does not use a drive letter to specify a drive IIRC. :cheers:

Just because you don't know where you are going doesn't mean any road will get you there.

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Yes, YOU are correct. It has to be a mainboard, what I wanted was try and boot to safe mode somehow and then run a script (somehow) to install the drivers for a 3rd party USB board we placed in the machine. At this point, I’m just going to order a mainboard. Many thanks…

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Before going to the expense of a new mobo, is there somewhere you could take it in to have it tested properly ?

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All the caps are intact, not one showing any where or tear, no extrusions.
I would say that the possibility of a trace being bad, minimal, board is in solid.
I believe the chipset on the USB controller is bad but the board itself is only $60 and ‘testing’ anyplace in the US for a bad chipset is
not “inexpensive”… in fact, aside from the idea of an obvious ‘failed’ usb function, it would seem that it would need to be removed from the
board to do so… or is that inaccurate?

Thanks.

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Normally to test a component in a circuit board, yes you would have to remove it but I’m not sure if the techs have equipment these days where they can hook it up and run a general test on it.

One of my sons had a laptop that wouldn’t start and they diagnosed that as a failed component which made the repair not viable and wondered if they had some such equipment or had gone straight to the component to test it off board.

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Yes, you are right. I used to, many years ago, unsolder CAPs and put new ones in… but no more… with more layers of board and tighter construction we don’t see the CAPs going ‘as’ often.
Think I am just going to buy a board.
Thanks!

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