PC Doctor May 31, 2013

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Dear PC Doctor,

Someone I know suggested that I use something called “Safe Mode” on my Windows 7 computer.  Why should I and how do I do it?

          Tim

Dear Tim,

Safe Mode is a way to boot up your computer without any unnecessary startup programs and drivers so you can troubleshoot various issues.  It's especially helpful in sorting out when your computer has been infected with certain baddies like malware.

To boot into safe mode, reboot your computer but before the splash screen appears (the screen that displays the Windows logo and “Starting Windows”) press F8 on your keyboard. This will open the Advanced Boot Options.  Using the direction arrow keys on your keyboard select Safe Mode and press Enter.  Let the computer load only the necessary programs and drivers.  If you have a login setup, you may have to log in with the Administrator account, which should be your primary account and password.  After logging in you'll typically see a black background with the word “Safe Mode” in the upper right corner to signify you've booted into Safe Mode.  Simply restarting the computer will automatically reboot you into normal Windows 7 mode.

Good luck!
             PC Doctor

Until next time… happy computing!