F5F Stay Refreshed Software Operating Systems Problem encountered, frozen in safe mode, unable to log in to the PC.

Problem encountered, frozen in safe mode, unable to log in to the PC.

Problem encountered, frozen in safe mode, unable to log in to the PC.

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dustcreeper
Junior Member
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13
01-18-2026, 10:30 AM
#1
I recently acquired a new GPU and, to set it up, I downloaded DDU and tried launching safe mode through settings > system > recovery > advanced startup (restart now). Unfortunately, this didn’t result in the expected "Choose an option" screen with "troubleshooting" selected; instead, I encountered a blue screen that displayed
"Recovery
your pc/device needs to be repaired
yada yada
File: \windows\system32\winload.efi
Error code: 0xc0000098"
and presented four options when prompted. Each option had a specific action:
- Press Enter to retry
- The screen briefly flashed, but no change occurred
- Pressing F1 returned me to the Windows login
- Pressing F8 opened the startup settings
- Pressing Esc navigated to UEFI settings
I confirmed that Windows was running normally, so I pressed F1 and explored alternative safe boot methods. The video guide suggested using msconfig > boot > safe boot (minimal). After trying this, Windows launched the login screen again, but this time it displayed an error: "Something happened and your PIN isn't available. Click to set up your PIN again." I clicked it, then selected "Enforced policy allows only administrators to sign-in in Safe Mode." The interface showed only a few buttons—internet, accessibility, and power (shut down and restart). I attempted a shift and restart, which brought me back to the recovery screen; pressing Enter or F8 didn’t help. Eventually, I discovered that powering on/off three times would reach the recovery screen, where Enter and F8 became functional. This method only worked if I booted in that specific sequence.

I have reviewed the available safe modes and options, but all attempts to access the troubleshooting menu resulted in dead ends. The monitor sometimes entered sleep mode without responding, which has been an ongoing issue for months. I’m seeking guidance on how to proceed effectively.
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D
dustcreeper
01-18-2026, 10:30 AM #1

I recently acquired a new GPU and, to set it up, I downloaded DDU and tried launching safe mode through settings > system > recovery > advanced startup (restart now). Unfortunately, this didn’t result in the expected "Choose an option" screen with "troubleshooting" selected; instead, I encountered a blue screen that displayed
"Recovery
your pc/device needs to be repaired
yada yada
File: \windows\system32\winload.efi
Error code: 0xc0000098"
and presented four options when prompted. Each option had a specific action:
- Press Enter to retry
- The screen briefly flashed, but no change occurred
- Pressing F1 returned me to the Windows login
- Pressing F8 opened the startup settings
- Pressing Esc navigated to UEFI settings
I confirmed that Windows was running normally, so I pressed F1 and explored alternative safe boot methods. The video guide suggested using msconfig > boot > safe boot (minimal). After trying this, Windows launched the login screen again, but this time it displayed an error: "Something happened and your PIN isn't available. Click to set up your PIN again." I clicked it, then selected "Enforced policy allows only administrators to sign-in in Safe Mode." The interface showed only a few buttons—internet, accessibility, and power (shut down and restart). I attempted a shift and restart, which brought me back to the recovery screen; pressing Enter or F8 didn’t help. Eventually, I discovered that powering on/off three times would reach the recovery screen, where Enter and F8 became functional. This method only worked if I booted in that specific sequence.

I have reviewed the available safe modes and options, but all attempts to access the troubleshooting menu resulted in dead ends. The monitor sometimes entered sleep mode without responding, which has been an ongoing issue for months. I’m seeking guidance on how to proceed effectively.

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I
iTzDrVansPT
Member
Find
165
01-18-2026, 10:30 AM
#2
It might be worth mentioning that I added a new power supply before starting everything. I believe this shouldn't cause any issues since I successfully booted into Windows beforehand.
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iTzDrVansPT
01-18-2026, 10:30 AM #2

It might be worth mentioning that I added a new power supply before starting everything. I believe this shouldn't cause any issues since I successfully booted into Windows beforehand.

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