Computer in safe mode
The safe mode is a facility available with a Windows OS. This mode is available with Microsoft Windows 95, Windows 98 / ME, Windows 2000, Windows XP and Windows Vista. A computer with any of these Windows OS, when faced with a problem either crashes or locks up. On restart the system may automatically enter into the Safe Mode. One can manually enter into the safe mode by pressing F8 during the startup of the computer.
Windows is a versatile and powerful operating system but may face problems while installing a new driver or software application. The computer may face critical errors. These errors mostly interfere with the usual operations of Windows and cause it to restart in safe mode. The safe mode is totally different from the normal mode. Certain files will not be loaded while the users will be restricted from the use of some files. The system will use the basic VGA graphics and will run in 16color mode and 640 x 480 screen resolution. The Safe Mode interface has the words "Safe Mode" written in all the four corners of the screen. This is to help the user to detect that the system is in the safe mode. The main reason for the safe mode to be installed on the OS is to help users to troubleshoot Windows. This means that the Safe mode will allow the user to find the reason for malfunctioning of Windows. The system mostly starts in the safe mode because the errors do not permit the system to boot in the normal mode.
When the user hits the F8 key during the booting process, the system will display various options. Windows 95 and 98/ME have two options to start the computer in the safe mode. They are "Safe Mode" and "Safe mode command prompt only". The Windows XP and Vista operating systems have the "Safe Mode", "Safe Mode with Networking" and the "Safe Mode with Command Prompt" options. The user should choose the option as per the requirement. The above-mentioned options are used for different purposes. The options are described in brief below to help users understand their purpose:
Safe Mode:
This is the basic form of safe mode. This mode is best suited for the users who want to troubleshoot the computer. This option of safe mode has no other additional support available.
Safe Mode with Command Prompt:
This option will allow the user to access only the command line and the operating systems interface.
Safe Mode with Networking:
This safe mode will allow the users to connect to the Internet or the network. This option is suitable for the users who need to connect to the Internet or network to download drivers or get updates and other such files to help troubleshoot the error.
To exit the safe mode the user has to click the "Start button" then click "Turn off Computer" and then "Turn off" or "Restart". The computer will boot directly in the normal mode. If the computer does boot in the normal mode it means that the error is not fixed. The user can identify if the computer has restarted in the safe or normal mode by checking the corners of the screen for the words "Safe Mode".
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