Windows' Safe Mode is an essential tool. On computers infected with malware or crashing considering of buggy drivers, Safe Mode may exist the only way to showtime the computer.

Condom Mode starts your PC with a minimal set of drivers and services. No third-party software or drivers get loaded, and even the built-in Windows stuff is limited to just what's necessary. Safe Mode is a nifty way to remove problem-causing software—like malware—without that software getting in the way. It besides provides an surroundings where y'all may find it easier to scroll back drivers, and use certain troubleshooting tools.

When Rubber Way Can Assistance

When Windows starts normally, information technology launches startup programs, fires up all the services configured to showtime, and loads the hardware drivers you take installed. If y'all kickoff in Rubber Mode, Windows uses a very low screen resolution with generic video drivers, doesn't initialize much hardware support, starts only the necessary services, and avoids loading tertiary-party startup programs.

Sometimes, you can start Windows in Prophylactic Style when you can't start Windows usually, making information technology a good identify to start troubleshooting potential bug. If your reckoner is infected with malware or has unstable hardware drivers that cause blueish screens, Prophylactic Mode can help you ready it because those things aren't loaded the manner they are when Windows starts normally.

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If there's a problem with your figurer and you can't seem to set it—or if your computer is unstable and keeps crashing or blueish-screening—you should drop into Prophylactic Fashion to set it.

How to Start Windows In Safety Mode

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Your Windows PC should automatically start up in Rubber Mode if information technology crashes more than one time while trying to start normally. However, you can as well boot into Rubber Mode manually:

  • Windows vii and earlier: Press the F8 key while the computer is booting (later on the initial BIOS screen, but before the Windows loading screen), and so select Safety Style in the carte that appears.
  • Windows eight: Concord Shift while clicking Restart on the Power bill of fare on either the login screen or through the Charms bar menu to begin the process.
  • Windows ten: Agree Shift while clicking Restart on the "Power Options" submenu of the Start Menu. Click Troubleshoot > Advanced Options > Startup Settings > Restart. Press the "4" key when you see the Startup Settings screen.

How to Set up Your PC in Prophylactic Mode

After starting Windows in Safe Fashion, you can perform most of the regular system maintenance and troubleshooting tasks to fix your figurer:

  • Scan for Malware: Utilize your antivirus awarding to scan for malware and remove it in Safe Fashion. Malware that may be incommunicable to remove in normal style—because it's running in the background and interfering with the antivirus—may be removable in Safe Mode. If yous don't have an antivirus installed, you should be able to download and install one in Safe Manner. Of course, if y'all're using Windows Defender in Windows 10, you might be meliorate off performing an offline malware scan.
  • Run System Restore: If your reckoner was recently working fine only it's now unstable, y'all can use System Restore to restore its organization land to the before, known-good configuration. Assuming your computer is unstable and crashing, information technology may be possible to run System Restore without crashing from Safety Mode.
  • Uninstall Recently Installed Software: If y'all recently installed software (such equally a hardware driver or a program that includes a driver) and it's causing your calculator to blueish-screen, you can uninstall that software from the Control Console. Your computer should hopefully start normally later on you've uninstalled the interfering software.
  • Update Hardware Drivers: Assuming your hardware drivers are causing arrangement instability, you may want to download and install updated drivers from your manufacturer's website and install them in Safe Manner. If your computer is unstable, you lot'll take to practice this from Safe Style—the hardware drivers won't interfere and brand your figurer unstable in Safety Mode.
  • Meet Whether a Crash Occurs: If your reckoner is unstable unremarkably only works fine in Condom Mode, it's likely that in that location'southward a software problem causing your computer to crash. However, if the calculator continues to crash in Safety Mode, this is oftentimes a sign that in that location's a hardware problem with your computer. (Note that stability in Safe Manner doesn't necessarily hateful it's a hardware problem. For case, your graphics card may exist faulty and causing crashes under load. However, information technology may be stable in Safe Manner because your reckoner isn't performing enervating operations with it.)

Beyond Safety Mode: Reinstalling Windows

If y'all are having computer problems, it's often not a expert use of your time to spend hours isolating and fixing them. Information technology may be much faster to reinstall Windows and start over with a fresh system.

  • Windows 7 and earlier: Cheque out our guide to reinstalling Windows from a Windows disc or your computer's recovery division.
  • Windows 8 or Windows x: Employ the Refresh or Reset your PC characteristic to restore Windows back to a clean land.

Of grade, reinstalling Windows will cause y'all to lose your personal files, so be certain yous have a fill-in. On Windows eight or 10, Refreshing your PC will preserve your personal files while replacing the system software.

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If your computer continues to exist unstable after a total Windows reinstall, your computer's hardware may be faulty. A consummate Windows reinstall rules out any software bug, unless there'southward a faulty hardware driver that needs to exist updated.