Getting into Windows Safe Mode

Getting into Windows Safe Mode

Below are the “How-to’s” to get various Operating systems started in Safe Mode.

Windows 7:

1. Reboot or Restart your computer
2. Just before the Windows 7 startup screen appears, press the F8 key on your keyboard
3. This will open the Advanced Boot Options

4. To enter Safe Mode, move the down arrow until Safe Mode is selected
5. Press Enter

Starting Windows in Safe Mode can be used when you can’t start Windows normally.  This start mode will only use and start the most important Windows processes.  You can easily troubleshoot or fix Windows errors from this window.

Windows XP:

1. Reboot or Restart your computer
2. Just before the Windows XP startup screen appears, press the F8 key on your keyboard
3. This will open the Windows Advanced Options Menu

Windows 8:

You can select to start your computer in Safe Mode from the startup settings menu. 

1. Open the Advanced Startup Options menu
2. Click on Troubleshoot > Advanced Options > Startup Settings > Restart

3. Your computer will restart and there is no need to press any keys
4. The Startup Setting window will show on the screen automatically
5. Press the number on your keyboard that corresponds to Enable Safe Mode on the menu

In Windows 8, the Advanced Startup Options menu is the main area where you can fix the entire Operating System, for e.g. access diagnostics, you can reset your computer, you can do a system restore and Refresh your computer.

Windows Vista:

1. Reboot or Restart your computer
2. Just before the Windows Vista startup screen appears, press the F8 key on your keyboard
3. This will open the Advanced Boot Options

Disadvantages of using your computer in Safe Mode:

This startup method doesn’t use all the device drivers of your Operating System, so some hardware might not work if it needs specific drivers. It will also disable some autostart programs, so some programs might not start up automatically.  Some programs or processes that rely on your graphics card features might also not work properly, as Safe Mode uses Standard VGA modes. Some drivers that are not started when you use Safe Mode might make your wireless or modem devices not work.