(--Foreword from PapaZeb--)
What is Safe Mode?
Windows Safe Mode is a diagnostic mode that you may find yourself going into, to resolve issues like driver incompatibilities which are causing your system to just plain old not start properly anymore. It's a helpful place to be for spyware disabling and driver switches.
What does it look like?
First thing you'll notice about Safe Mode is that the four corners of your screen will have little white words saying "SAFE MODE".
Also, EVERYTHING WILL BE HUUUUGE! The display resolution defaults to 640x480, a huge difference from what you're used to seeing, and the colours are all shot to hell. Don't panic, it's where you want to be if ya want to be in Safe Mode.
So how do I get in there then?
I'm glad you asked - Stew made a nice wee guide, let's let him take the rest:
Windows 95- Restart the computer.
- Just after the POST diagnostics and memory count, start pressing the F8 key
- On the Startup Menu, choose Safe Mode
Windows 98/Me - Restart the computer.
- Just after the POST diagnostics and memory count, start pressing the F8 key
- On the Startup Menu, choose Safe Mode
or you may use the System Configuration Utility Method.
- While in Normal mode, Close all programs.
- Click Start, Run and type MSCONFIG in the box and click OK
- In the System Configuration Utility, on the General Tab, click the Advanced Button
- In the Advanced Troubleshooting Settings dialog box, check Enable Startup Menu. Click OK. Click OK again when the System Configuration Utility reappears.
- You will be prompted to restart the computer. Click Yes. The computer will restart in Safe mode.
- When you are finished with troubleshooting in Safe mode, open MSCONFIG again and uncheck "Enable Start-up Menu." under the Advanced Menu, then click OK and restart your computer
Windows 2000 - If the computer is running, shut down Windows, and then turn off the power
- Wait 30 seconds, and then turn the computer on.
- When you see the black-and-white Starting Windows bar at the bottom of the screen, start tapping the F8 key. The Windows 2000 Advanced Options Menu appears.
- Ensure that the Safe mode option is selected. In most cases, it is the first item in the list and is selected by default.
- Press Enter. The computer then begins to start in Safe mode.
- When you are finished with all troubleshooting, close all programs and restart the computer as you normally would.
Windows XP
If Windows XP is the only operating system installed on your computer, booting into Safe Mode with these instructions.
- If the computer is running, shut down Windows, and then turn off the power
- Wait 30 seconds, and then turn the computer on.
- Start tapping the F8 key. The Windows Advanced Options Menu appears. If you begin tapping the F8 key too soon, some computers display a "keyboard error" message. To resolve this, restart the computer and try again.
- Ensure that the Safe mode option is selected.
- Press Enter. The computer then begins to start in Safe mode.
- When you are finished with all troubleshooting, close all programs and restart the computer as you normally would.
To use the System Configuration Utility method
- Close all open programs.
- Click Start, Run and type MSCONFIG in the box and click OK
- The System Configuration Utility appears, On the BOOT.INI tab, Check the "/SAFEBOOT" option, and then click OK and Restart your computer when prompted.
- The computer restarts in Safe mode.
- Perform the troubleshooting steps for which you are using Safe Mode.
When you are finished with troubleshooting in Safe mode, open MSCONFIG again, on the BOOT.INI tab, uncheck "/SAFEBOOT" and click OK to restart your computer
