Section 1.7: The Windows Server 2003 Advanced Boot Options
The Windows Server 2003 advanced boot options include Safe Mode, Enable Boot Logging, Enable VGA
Mode, Last Known Good Configuration, Directory Services Restore Mode, and Debugging Mode.
• Safe Mode can be used if your computer does not start properly. Pressing F8 during the operating system selection phase displays a screen with advanced options for booting Windows Server 2003. If you select Safe Mode, Windows Server 2003 loads only basic files and drivers that are required to support the operating system. If your computer does not start using safe mode, you can try Windows Server 2003 Automatic System Recovery. You can also choose Safe Mode With Networking, which is the same as Safe Mode except that it adds the drivers and services required to enable network access, and Safe Mode With Command Prompt, which is the same as Safe Mode except when the computer restarts, it displays a command prompt.
• Enable Boot Logging logs the loading and initialization of drivers and services in the ntbtlog.txt file, which is located in the windir folder and can be used for troubleshooting boot problems.
• Enable VGA Mode option starts Windows Server 2003 with a basic VGA driver.
• Last Known Good Configuration starts Windows Server 2003 using the registry information that Windows Server 2003 saved after the last successful startup of Windows Server 2003. Windows Server 2003 startup is not considered successful until a user logs on at the computer. After a logon, the system automatically copies the Clone control set to the LastKnownGood control set making the current control set the Last Known Good Configuration