What is Windows Safe Mode?

Safe Mode is a feature of the Windows operating system that allows users to load a limited version of the system in order to troubleshoot problems. Learn more about using Safe Mode in this episode.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
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(00:30):
Whether you love or hate Microsoft, you do have to
give them credit for at least one thing. They've built
a gigantic and powerful operating system that can work even
though there are thousands of different manufacturers installing new pieces
into the operating system all the time. When you buy
a new device driver or a new application and install

(00:52):
it in Windows, chances are it'll work, and that is
pretty amazing. But while Windows is a versatile empower a
full operating system, there are times when it can be frustrating.
This frustration is particularly evident when you install a new
software application or ad drivers for some new hardware and
the whole thing seems to blow up in your face. Suddenly,

(01:15):
the computer crashes or locks up. You reboot the computer
and it loads this strange looking Windows Desktop with the
words safe mode in the four corners. What is this
and how does it help you? Safe Mode is a
special way for Windows to load when there's a system
critical problem that interferes with the normal operation of the

(01:37):
operating system. The purpose of safe mode is to allow
you to troubleshoot Windows and try to figure out what's
causing it not to function correctly. Once you've corrected the problem,
you can then reboot Windows and it will load normally.
There are several things that happen when Windows boots and
safe mode that differ from a standard boot. First, safe

(01:58):
mode does not run several special files that help customize
the system. Next, most device drivers aren't loaded. A device
driver is the software that Windows uses to interact with
a piece of hardware like a printer or a scanner
or a graphics card. Instead of the normal graphics device driver,
Safe mode uses the standard v g A graphics mode.

(02:20):
This mode is supported by all Windows compatible graphics cards.
The Windows Desktop loads up in sixteen colors and at
a resolution of six forty by four eighty, and the
words safe mode appear in each corner of the screen.
There are a number of other protective steps taken under
the hood. The basic idea is that you're going to
have this very very simple installation of Windows come up

(02:44):
that's certain to work and allow you to do some troubleshooting.
Then once you get it fixed, you can load up
the whole system. Safe mode starts up automatically if Windows
does not boot on a previous attempt. You can also
invoke safe mode by pressing F five or by pressing
F eight and selecting it from the boot menu. So
what should you do when your computer boots the safe mode? First,

(03:08):
try to determine what's changed on your system that could
have caused Windows to fail to boot properly. If you've
added any kind of hardware, go to the control panel
and remove it and uninstalled the device driver software for
that device, Then attempt to reboot. If Windows boots properly,
you can be reasonably certain that there was some kind
of conflict with that device, and you can try to

(03:31):
resolve it, probably by getting better drivers. Use this same method.
If you've loaded a new game or applications sometime recently,
go to the control panel, click on ad removed programs
and remove the software. Try a reboot, and hopefully you'll
get a normal Windows boot. If the problem is definitely
not new hardware or software, then you most likely have

(03:53):
corrupted the registry or picked up a virus or something
like that. Look into a feature called system restore, which
takes the operating system back in time several days. You
should be able to get back to a previous date
and a version that operates correctly to eliminate the problem.
For more on this and thousands of other topics, visit

(04:14):
how stuff works dot com and don't forget to check
out the brain stuff blog on the how stuff works
dot com home page. You can also follow brain stuff
on Facebook or Twitter at brain stuff hs W. Brain
Stuff is sponsored by Harry's dot Com. Get a great
shaving experience for a fraction of the price. The quality
of the shave is so important that Harry's purchased the

(04:35):
factory that makes their blades. Fifteen dollars gets you a
set that includes a handle, three blades, and shave cream.
Go to Harry's dot com use the code brain stuff
to save five dollars off your first purchase.