Need help with Windows

[colmbo]

I'm a Mac guy so I don't know poo about computers.

I run Windows via bootcamp on my Mac.  Today Windows will not start.  When I attempt to work in Windows it will say "Starting Auto Repair", I then get a screen with options to "continue to Window" or "shutdown" or "troubleshoot".  When I try to continue to Windows I get a black screen and nothing seems to be happening...I waited thru two cups of coffee and still black screen with no activity from the computer.

Isn't that a way to start Windows in safe mode or something like that?

Thanks in advance

[Skuzzy]

Tap the "F8" key, about once a second after you start to try and boot Windows.  It will cause Windows to start in safe mode.

[colmbo]

Thank you

[colmbo]

Tired the F8 key....went to a spinning working thing forever.  Perhaps I'll just reinstall windows.  It seems as if something is hanging up preventing Windows from running.

[Skuzzy]

Safe mode booting takes a while as Windows is replacing all the drivers with default drivers and using a clean registry, along with a melee of other things.  If you are still getting hard drive activity, while trying to boot, then let it run.

Could be you have a corrupted Windows installation.  How that happened is the question.

[Bizman]

Tap the "F8" key, about once a second after you start to try and boot Windows.  It will cause Windows to start in safe mode.

Huh? I thought the F8 boot menu thing stopped working after Windows later than 7.

Since we're talking about a Mac and Bootcamp, I'm not 100% positive about the results, but you may give it a try: If you get to the options screen, choose "troubleshoot". From there you should be able to navigate through various menus as described in https://www.digitalcitizen.life/4-ways-boot-safe-mode-windows-10. Note that you may have to use instructions from several methods as some of them only give you a starting point. Method 2 starting from the blue screens is the way to do it, to get to that point you may have to try Method 5 to start with. Obviously you have access to a Windows installation media. The version doesn't matter for repairing, even Win8 might do.

[Skuzzy]

Windows 7 still used F8 to get to "safe mode".

It should work on Apple just like it does on regular PC's as once the boot loader is done is when things separate from bootcamp.

[colmbo]

I have Windows 8.1.  Back home now, been to the gun store so was distracted.

[Chalenge]

I never had Windows 8, or 8.1. On Windows 10 if you cannot start Windows and you try twice in a row, it will then go to the recovery options. From there the advanced recovery options will off safe mode.

[Bizman]

Windows 8.1 troubleshooting is pretty much similar to 10 so the advice I posted above is applicable. Including what Chalenge posted.

[colmbo]

It's fixed, not sure how.   Restarted and it popped up with "Auto Rebuild" or something like that.  I was patient and let it do it's thing and now working.

I think the origin was a game called Naval Action.  I lost mouse control while in that game, once Windows was working again and I opened Naval Action I had to re-download the game.

Thanks for the help gents.