Microsoft have made a terrible omission - Startup Options (F8)

**adamsharif** · 10-11-2011

So I've got Win8 running as a VM under VirtualBox - all working nicely. I attempt to change my graphics card driver, in order to get proper support using the VirtualBox drivers, but unfortunately Windows boots up with a blank screen. No problem, I think, since I can always use VGA Mode / Last Known Good Configuration from the startup options (using F8).

To my horror it seems to that Microsoft has removed / hidden these options! These are very important to your average technician! I am an I.T. consultant at an SME and am now starting to think that Microsoft will make this next OS very difficult for us to troubleshoot. I can see the direction they're going in with 8, but if they're not careful they're going to completely alienate business users.

**Avalon** · 10-11-2011

If you want to enable a safe mode option, use this.
Otherwise you will need to do this.

You should refresh, then enable safe mode, then install that other driver first.
Any problems from there and you can log in on safe mode and uninstall the driver.

**adamsharif** · 10-11-2011

Thanks for the reply Avalon - you see the problem is that because you're unable to roll back the new driver you can't even get to that screen, my guess would be that the OS switches from VGA Mode almost instantly. I can't see any way of getting passed this without a reinstall - pressing F8 brings you to a blank screen in the case of a bad display driver.

This is a terrible shortcoming of the new OS! Try it and you'll see what I mean, literally no solution without a reinstall or repair install.

**Avalon** · 10-11-2011

No, the refresh means you can essentially reinstall the OS and keep your personal data. Do you have the installation media nearby? You should be able to boot to that, and run a refresh.

**adamsharif** · 10-11-2011

Hi Avalon,

I see what you are saying but still, I think that this is a problem with the way in which Windows 8 has been built and needs rectifying. People aren't going to want to have to get out their installation DVDs .etc for simple things like a bad display driver. Too many times I've seen Microsoft remove features and in doing so needlessly make the OS / software more difficult to troubleshoot.

What I'm saying is that it *must* be possible to get into VGA Mode without installation media

**Avalon** · 10-11-2011

Well do not forget that we are running an Alpha version, with many more versions and updates in between before the final release.
It's likely a temporary problem and will be fixed in the future.

Just out of curiosity, which version of Windows 8 are you running? x86 or x64? And which driver?
~~You're running off a virtual machine so you shouldn't be installing any hardware specific drivers unless you're actually running it directly as a dualboot.~~
Just ignore that. Need more info on your system. :P

**aem** · 10-11-2011

Let me get this right, are you saying you cannot get to the screen where you can select "Last Known..." option after installing Windows 8? Is this in VM or actual host?

**adamsharif** · 10-11-2011

True, I may have jumped the gun a bit... I'm going to let them know about it anyway, it's an important feature IMO.

I'm running x64, VirtualBox provides a display driver as part of the Guest Additions - it allows better support for 2D / 3D acceleration, plus I'm using VT-x

**Avalon** · 10-11-2011

Originally Posted by aem

Let me get this right, are you saying you cannot get to the screen where you can select "Last Known..." option after installing Windows 8? Is this in VM or actual host?

I believe he means inside the VirtualBox... But I'd've assumed a simple mount of the installation media was all that was required.

Originally Posted by adamsharif

I'm running x64, VirtualBox provides a display driver as part of the Guest Additions - it allows better support for 2D / 3D acceleration, plus I'm using VT-x

Do you actually need the guest addition? I believe Windows Update will provide all necessary drivers. There could be something conflicting with the default display driver.
Did you experience any issues before installing this new driver?

**adamsharif** · 10-11-2011

Thanks for all the assistance - well, I noticed the OS was a little sluggish so I was hoping that the Guest Additions would improve some of the graphics performance, it's no problem really. This is obviously not a production machine by a long stretch!

It's more that I am thinking about if the OS were to be released without those features being accessible, and the implications for businesses. VGA Mode can be very handy, and I can't see a good reason for making it inaccessible

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Microsoft have made a terrible omission - Startup Options (F8)