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Notes on Safe Mode

Safe Mode is a special diagnostic mode allowing a user to start Windows with the bare minimum essential system processes. In cases where Windows will not start normally - for example let's say your computer goes through its boot sequence and then crashes or hangs up before fully booting, safe mode provides a way to get Windows booted so you can sort out the trouble.

In actual fact Windows has several options that can help in the event of a problem preventing startup and certainly even the casual user should understand how to use these options, since when Windows won't start, the lack of this knowledge can cost time, money and more than a fair share of hair pulling - a user might even think his only solution is to re-install Windows - and losing all of one's computer data is usually too gruesome to contemplate.

Safe mode has been available starting with Windows 95, and it's still available in Windows Vista - check the Microsoft references for your operating system at the bottom of the page.

Access Safe Mode by tapping F8 at start up, tap it about once per second during the the intial startup of your PC. If it doesn't bring up a menu called the "Advanced Options Menu" or "Advanced Boot Options" (in Windows Vista), simply re-boot and try again, it's not unusual to try a number of times before the menu appears. The two options you're most likely to be interested in are 'Safe Mode' and 'Last Known Good Configuration' - Last Known Good Configuration provides a possible quick fix by restoring your system to the last known setup that properly started Windows.

As noted above, Safe Mode starts your computer with the bare minimum essential system processes, even your display is started with a special system driver.  Thus, a user can run diagnostics in this mode without the interference of a myriad of software applications and drivers, one or more of which may be the source of your difficulty. Note also that Safe Mode provides two other Safe Mode options, one which permits networking (and hence Internet access) and one which opens a command prompt.

In Safe Mode a user can add in software and services incrementally in an attempt to isolate the item that is causing the trouble - for example a user can add in just the "Startup Items" and then re-boot, if the problem reoccurs, you've isolated the problem to Startup Items. Re-start again with half of the startup items to see if the problem repeats, continue in this wise to narrow down which startup item is causing the trouble.

You'll also find that a Tech Support unit will often request that you enter Safe Mode prior to diagnostic attempts, same with some handlings involving "Hijack This" logs, so it's helpful to know how to get into this mode.

Good luck and good computing.

Microsoft References:
Safe Mode for Windows 95
Safe Mode for Windows Me
Safe Mode for Windows 98
Safe Mode for Window 2000
Safe Mode for Windows XP
Safe Mode for Windows Vista