Recover From Windows Problems (Add Safe Mode To The Boot Menu)

News Flash! Sometimes things go wrong with computers. One of the tools you can use to diagnose and repair some problems is Windows' Safe Mode. To use Safe Mode, restart the computer. During the start up you have a brief moment in which you can press the F8 key. Pressing F8 allows you to use Safe Mode. Catching the correct moment is a challenge. However, you can force Windows to present a menu from which you can select Safe Mode. Hint: print these instructions - they are not available while you are performing the listed tasks.

1. Right-click My Computer
2. Left-click Properties.
3. Left-click the Advanced tab.
   Under Startup and Recovery,
4. Left-click the Settings button.
5. Left-click Edit.
   The boot.ini file will open in Notepad. In the boot.ini file,
6. Copy the line that reads as follows:
   multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS=”Microsoft Windows XP Professional” /fastdetect.
7. Paste the line you just copied after the original one.
8. Change the second line - the one you just pasted -
   from “Microsoft Windows XP Professional”
   to “Windows XP Safe Mode” or something similar (the exact text of this step is not important).
9. At the end of this line add the following: /safeboot:minimal /sos /bootlog.
10. Save the boot.ini file
    • Left-click File.
    • Left-click Save.
    • Left-click OK.
    • Left-click OK.
11. Restart your computer.

Safe Mode should be available at the boot menu.

Tomorrow: How and Why to use Safe Mode