why are some bing search results suddenly redirecting me to other pages?

yes, that is correct. thank you. i believe that some things may not work since i have tried the prior to using safe mode. I do want to repair it. I am not sure if anyone here has an ethernet cable, but I think what is used here is some kind of DSL modem, and not a router. Somehow wifi is connecting to it. I did reset the adapter a couple of times prior to updating the driver. This was probably done in the past month. I have never used safe mode before that. I have also reset the network. I have gone into safe mode after posting my original post, but it did what I said: it would not connect to the network. I tried various steps like you mentioned (msconfig telling it to start with network, starting the wan service- or something like that), tried to even run adwcleaner in regular mode.

My USB wifi adapter, as i have mentioned, i used it on the previous computer. I think it initially worked. But there was some issue. In that case, what probably happened was the internet connection stopped. Now I cannot say that it was always used in safe mode, but i know that some conflict with it occurred. I typed in the connection (or something like that), and then it asked me if i wanted to replace the current connection. It basically made it unusable. i may have been able to uninstall the software, but since that system is failing, I am waiting to figure out this system so i can transfer data.

I don't need to explain all of that. I just need to fix the safe mode issue here. I think the USB thing is only a temporary solution.

I could try to do the windows installation, yet if I did that, and it is still the same, we are back to square one. Can you tell me if you know if it is true that it can leave files that are here like all of the programs, and most settings? I am wondering if things might be erased. All this stuff is troubleshooting. i was given replacement software that i purchased 20 years ago. i might be able to get it from my account, but there aren't cds anymore. Preinstalled software is preinstalled. There aren't cds or DVDs. I am not the person that repaired my other system's windows before, but i downloaded the windows upgrade. That was before installing new software. i only have discs for old software. everything is on clouds now. So I have installation files probably for some things, but definitely not some things. I even went through steps to troubleshoot peripherals to make them work on this system.

The reinstall I would do is a Repair Install which reinstalls Windows while saving your files and apps in place, brings it up to the latest version by the most stable method, takes about an hour and resolves most problems: https://www.tomshardware.com/how-to/fix-windows...

A Reset is only worth it if it offers a cloud reset which downloads fresh installation files so you're not using possibly corrupted onboard files, and if you back up your files first to choose the Deep Clean Reset which sets up a new Windows account in case yours is corrupted.

Since you are thorough and an enthusiast you should also look over this tutorial for a gold standard Clean Install which compiles the best possible Install of Windows which will stay that way as long as you stick with the tools and methods given, has zero reported problems, and is better than any amount of money could buy: http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/wiki... Note that the driver steps are so important they are printed in red.

The reason I suggest this is that no one who has adopted the install in the above link has ever come back to report further problems I've seen, including another version failure. This is because everything in Windows 10 is dependent upon the quality of the install, especially Version Updates which will choke on lesser quality installs, and there is no possibility of problems if you stick ONLY with the steps, tools and methods in that tutorial.

It is also one of life's great learning experiences that will permanently make you the master of your PC because you will learn everything that works best and how to keep it that way.

so, due to the instructions in the first link, should i make a disc image (despite that it saves stuff), and then also mount something by creating some sort of virtual drive? or upgrade now? can i backup stuff and simply upgrade now? I think when i upgraded to the latest version of windows, I just did the upgrade now.

The instructions for the repair install are in the tutorial I gave for it. What are you wanting to repair exactly? Just the Safe Mode problem? The chances you'll ever need Safe Mode are less than 5%.

Your files should be backed up at all times because a hard drive can die at any time without notice. Besides periodically dragging or copying your User folders to an external USB drive (which you should keep unplugged to protect from ransomware), I would also have a secondary method using the cloud which is fire and theft proof:

You can drag 5gb for free into OneDrive app to store in the cloud where they are safe from fire and theft, which will also let you backup your Documents, Pictures and Desktop folders using Folder Protection Backup: https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/116029-turn...

If you install Google Drive, you can use their new Desktop to choose User folders (Documents, Pictures, etc.) to sync up to 15g for free to their cloud:

https://support.google.com/drive/answer/7329379

Another important backup is to periodically make a System Image backup that can restore C in less than an hour by applying the stored image you made. If you include your files in this backup then it can also be mounted to extract files separately, which makes it a file backup, too. For this task I recommend free Macrium Reflect, which is the choice of all experts because it is flexible and just works. More here:

https://www.howtogeek.com/howto/7363/macrium-re...

I hope it helps. Feel free to ask any questions.

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Standard Disclaimer: There are links to non-Microsoft websites. The pages appear to be providing accurate, safe information. Watch out for ads on the sites that may advertise products frequently classified as a PUP (Potentially Unwanted Products). Thoroughly research any product advertised on the sites before you decide to download and install it.

safe mode may be something that was an issue upon setup of this system. As I said, I have not ever used it until basically I posted this thread. It may have occurred after an update, the upgrade, or when I setup the very first profile this year. I really don't know.

Regardless, if this doesn't work, it should be that Microsoft (if this doesn't work) would be willing to help me. They know it is a known issue by their response to me. They told me themselves to basically do the installation of windows again. But I suspect it is the in-place upgrade by the information that you gave.

I wouldn't be able to use the google drive necessarily. It is possible that I would, but I would have to examine if all of what I have in the users folders, etc has anything that doesn't need backed up. If the macrium reflect disc image would cover it, it might help. it is clear that safe mode with networking needs repaired just to be able to access it. Yet I suspect that the issue is some kind of setting that may not be in all of those articles. It may not be all about an in-place upgrade. If re-installing windows works, some files might also re-install.

I saw on the HP update website, that there were two BIOS updates. One was from January, and one from March with firmware. yet I also see that HP Assistant does not tell me to download BIOS, but it did not too long ago. Now it only says bluetooth.

The website just gives BIOS and firmware in an optional update, and it tells me to download a readme prior to doing so. The other system I had an issue with BIOS, but I think it was not anything to do with the network. It was an issue with the touchpad. I did read that the adapters similar to mine have some issues in safe mode with networking. That particular number (802.11).

There is some info that that won't work. i found a lot of people saying here that automatically "wifi" won't work as if it is default in windows 10.

another script: Automatically connect to a Wi-Fi network when in Safe Mode with Networking (microsoft.com)

that one you mentioned might work, i just don't know if i have everything installed, and it said something about autologon or something. I know hard drives can fail, but hopefully not from just reinstalling. It wasn't WAN service that I checked probably but WLAN. I don't know for sure. But it was whatever was mentioned in some article. So it is like the network service was running, yet the internet option was disabled, and that is why it was disabled. An option to enable it was available, but it would not let me enable it. Do you think there is something else besides needing to install windows again? msconfig showed some service an article said to start, but that had the context menu said "enable." so this means something was blocking that option. It also showed my realtek adapter was not showing an error. I believe probably the other system had some other adapter, but I am not sure. it may have been similar. If it isn't just the OS, but something installed in the OS, some setting within it might be able to be changed. Yet it could be "upgraded," but it might then download other files and change again.