How To Restart In Safe Mode

When it comes to computer troubleshooting, one of the most effective repair methods to learn is how to restart in safe mode. In Windows, safe mode is a sort of “bare minimum” mode embedded into the standard operating system. It is put there for the sole purpose of diagnosing and fixing problems with your computer, whether they be the scourge of a virus or errors within the operating system itself. It works by running only the processes that are absolutely necessary for the computer work, essentially disabling the peripheral processes where the problem is most likely to occur. Without getting too detailed in explanation, here’s the easiest method to restart your computer in safe mode and what you can do with it.

When a problem with your computer becomes apparent, the first step is to restart it. The easiest way to do this is to navigate to the “Start” button on your toolbar, click it and click the “Restart” button in the menu. If your computer is completely unresponsive—which sometimes occurs with viruses or process errors—an alternative method is to force a “reboot” by holding down the computer’s power button until it turns off. Keep in mind that this second method will require you to press the power button again to turn the computer back on.

When the computer powers up, watch out for the “boot screen.” It’s important to note that this screen is very short lived, so it might take a couple of tries to notice it. To get to the so called “boot menu,” you need to press the F8 key during startup. As a rule of thumb, it is recommended that you begin pressing the F8 key continually as soon as the screen lights back up. Though it’s not exactly a precise technique, it almost always works.

When you reach the boot menu, you’ll be presented with a few options. In most Windows systems, these options include starting in safe mode, starting in safe mode with networking and starting Windows normally. Unless youabsolutely need internet to download an antivirus program or look up possible solutions to your problem, choose regular safe mode. From there, your computer will automatically do the rest of the booting work.

In safe mode, you’ll be able to troubleshoot the problem. Now that your computer has successfully restarted in safe mode, the first thing you’ll notice is that the operating system has a completely different look and feel. The graphics will be more basic and any wallpaper you might have will be changed to plain black. Additionally, the words “safe mode” will likely appear in your screen’s four corners. At this point, you can get to work on fixing the problem by running an antivirus scanner or looking up the Windows error code given when the trouble started.