An easier way to get to Windows Safe Mode
For diagnostic purposes, it is possible to operate Windows with a reduced set of drivers and files. This is called Safe Mode. I have written elsewhere about how to get Windows to operate in this state. The standard way to reach safe mode is by booting up and pressing the F8 key right after the POST check. In practice this can be tricky to time correctly and a reader of Fred Langa’s newsletter has come up with a novel method. Kenny Parnell suggests
I tell them to put a non-bootable floppy disk in their floppy drive. When the computer responds with Unable to boot, please replace disk and press any key. I tell them to remove the floppy disk and press F8 twice. It works every time. The only thing that stops this from working is the lack of a floppy drive or someone has changed the boot order in the BIOS
The LangaList is a great source of information like this and I’ll give Fred a plug and urge you to try it. There’s a free version but for a few dollars you can get the paid version, which has some extra tips like the one above.
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