Start in Safe Mode
For many experienced Windows users who
have dealt with faulty Windows startups, Safe Mode has become a close
friend. Safe Mode offers a way to start Windows in a barebones setup.
That is, Windows starts with just enough system files, programs, and
services to allow it to run so you can diagnose issues, remove
programs, and perform other tasks that can be done only at the graphic
user interface level.
Typically, to access Safe Mode, you press F8
during the Windows boot process. If you do that now, you enter the
Automatic Repair Mode. To enter Safe Mode in Windows 8, you must press
Shift+F8 during the boot process. Figure 4 shows the options you can choose to start Windows and to diagnose and/or repair Windows. Figure 5
shows the Safe Mode Windows desktop. Although this looks like a normal
version of Windows, many programs and features do not work. It is
simply a place where you can modify system settings, such as those for
Device Manager, MSCONFIG, the Windows Registry, Control Panel applets,
and the like. You cannot, for example, start some Windows 8 apps or
other programs.
After you finish repairing Windows, shut down Safe Mode and restart in normally.
Another way to boot into Safe Mode is to set Windows to do it automatically. To do this, press Windows+X and choose Run. Type MSCONFIG in the Open dialog box and click OK. The System Configuration dialog box appears. (See Figure 6.)
Click the Boot tab and select the Safe Boot
option. Click Apply and then OK. You are prompted with a dialog box
that has Restart or Exit Without Restart buttons. Click Restart so that
Windows reboots. When it restarts, you are in Safe Mode, as shown in Figure 5. Use Safe Mode to diagnose or repair Windows.
When you want to leave Safe Mode, you need to
undo the Safe Boot option in the System Configuration tool. To do that,
press Windows+X, choose Run, and enter MSCONFIG.
On the Boot tab of the System Configuration dialog box, clear the Safe
Boot option and click Apply and then OK. Click Restart to shut down and
restart Windows into its normal view.
The instruction manual that came with your computer
Most computer manufacturers provide
some means of helping you troubleshoot and repair startup problems. Be
sure to look through whatever documentation you have for your computer
manufacturer’s recommendations. That could be your best bet because all
computers are unique in some ways. The manual that came with your
computer provides information that’s specific to your exact make and
model of computer.
