How to Disable a Service or Device that Prevents Windows from Starting

Article ID: 310602 - View products that this article applies to.
This article was previously published under Q310602
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SYMPTOMS

If a service or device driver is started automatically and is incompatible with the current version of Windows, the service or device driver may not allow Windows to remain running long enough for you to shut down the service or disable the outdated device driver.
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CAUSE

This behavior can occur if hardware or software is installed that installs a device or service that is incompatible with Windows.
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RESOLUTION

To resolve this issue, start Recovery Console and log on to the computer:
  1. Start your computer with the Windows boot disks, or with the Windows CD-ROM if your computer supports starting from the CD-ROM drive.
  2. When the Welcome to Setup dialog box is displayed, press R to repair, and then press C to start Recovery Console.
  3. Choose to install Windows and log on to your computer with the Administrator account.
  4. From the %SystemRoot%\System32 folder at the command prompt, type listsvc, and then press ENTER.
  5. Locate the service or driver that is causing the problem in the list that is provided.

    NOTE: If you select the wrong service or device, you may experience more problems.
  6. Type disable servicename (where servicename is the name of the service), and then press ENTER.

    NOTE: The disable command prints the old start_type of the service before resetting it to SERVICE_DISABLED. You should record the old start_type, in case you need to re-enable the service.
  7. Type exit, and the computer restarts automatically. Allow the computer to boot normally.
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MORE INFORMATION

For additional information about installing or using the Recovery Console, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
229716
(http://support.microsoft.com/kb/229716/EN-US/ )
Description of the Windows 2000 Recovery Console
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Properties

Article ID: 310602 - Last Review: December 1, 2007 - Revision: 2.3
APPLIES TO
  • Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition
  • Microsoft Windows XP Professional
  • Microsoft Windows XP Professional x64 Edition
Keywords: 
kbenv kbprb KB310602
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