Sometimes for the sake of fixing our Windows based computer, we have to boot our computer in the safe mode. The safe mode in Windows 7 is a diagnostic mode – a special way to start Windows so that we can fix things that we cannot in the normal mode. The safe mode is very useful in fixing the malware infected computers. Here is how you can start Windows 7 in the safe mode :
- Press the power on button of your computer and let the BIOS POST (power on self test) message pass. As soon as the the BIOS message is gone, keep hitting the F8 or the F12 key on your keyboard. For most of the moden computers F8 would work.
- If everything goes okay, you would see a menu called Advanced Boot Options. If you do not see this menu, then you were not quick to press the F8 key and you should start over. In the Advanced Boot Options and select the Safe Mode using the up and down arrow keys on your keyboard. Then press the Enter key to start booting in the Safe Mode.
- You will see a list of files being loaded by Windows, as Windows loads into the safe mode. In a short time you would see yourself in the Safe Mode of Windows 7. The Safe Mode shows a black desktop background with Safe Mode written in all the four corners of the Windows desktop.
Safe mode is useful for troubleshooting problems with programs and drivers that might not start correctly or that might prevent Windows from starting correctly. If a problem doesn’t reappear when you start in safe mode, you can eliminate the default settings and basic device drivers as possible causes. If a recently installed program, device, or driver prevents Windows from running correctly, you can start your computer in safe mode and then remove the program that’s causing the problem. You can also remove malware in the safe mode which are hard to remove in the normal mode.