In Windows, what is Safe Mode used for and why?
While Windows is a versatile and powerful operating system, there are times that it can be frustrating. This frustration is particularly evident when you install a new software application or add drivers for some new hardware. Suddenly, the computer crashes or locks up. You reboot the computer and it loads a strange looking Windows desktop with the words Safe Mode in the four corners. What is this? Safe Mode is a special way for Windows to load when there is a system-critical problem that interferes with the normal operation of Windows. The purpose of Safe Mode is to allow you to troubleshoot Windows and try to determine what is causing it to not function correctly. Once you have corrected the problem, then you can reboot and Windows will load normally. There are several things that happen when Windows boots in Safe Mode that differ from a standard boot: • Safe Mode does not run the autoexec.bat or config.sys files. • Most device drivers are not loaded. A device driver is the software
