Reboot to Safe Mode for Dummies

Safe mode is a diagnostic mode used by certain computer operating systems, including Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X, as well as other complex electronic devices. While an operating system is in safe mode, it will have reduced functionality, but it is easier to isolate problems because many non-core components are disabled. An installation that will only boot into its safe mode typically has a major problem, such as disk corruption or the installation of poorly configured software that prevents the operating system from successfully booting into its normal operating mode.


Whenever I am required to service a computer that's behaving very slowly, the first thing I'll do is try to boot in Safe Mode. Or if I get a call from a friend saying that his computer is acting weird, I'll also ask him to try boot in to Safe Mode first and see if the problem will occur there. Problem is, for people who have never heard of Safe Mode, I am going to have a tough time teaching them how to boot in to Safe Mode.

Here's a solution on how to boot in to Windows Safe Mode for dummies

The original way to boot in to Safe mode in Windows is by repeatedly pressing the "F8" key as the operating system boots (Microsoft's official website for Windows XP simply advises users to press "F8" once, but in practice the exact moment at which to press the key can vary from computer to computer, so it is better to repeatedly press the key at one second intervals).