Safe Boot What It Does
Enable VGA Mode Uses the existing video device driver but chooses a basic
setting of 640×480 pixels. This is another way to get out of
a bind that results if you choose a video mode or other
setting beyond the capabilities of your video adapter, your
monitor, or both. Once Windows is loaded you can go to
the Control Panel and make adjustments before rebooting.
Last Known Good Can be a lifesaver if a new problem crops up suddenly.
Configuration Windows reboots using the settings it employed the last
time the machine ran properly. Once the machine is run-
ning, you can go to Control Panel or applications to make
adjustments.
Directory Service A facility that some technicians may ask you to invoke.
Restore Mode Using this mode repairs directory services for Windows-
based domain controllers; if you don’t know what that
means I’d recommend you not experiment with this option
without a qualified technician on the phone or by your side.
Debugging Mode Another technical tool that shouldn’t be undertaken without
assistance. If you go down this route you can read and
make changes to some specific memory computer and hard
drive locations; data can also be sent from your computer
on a serial cable to another computer running a debugging
program (and is presumably in better shape) than the one
you’re having problems with. Be careful in there.
Disable Automatic On system failure, forces the machine to shut down
Restart instead of restarting under certain conditions. This allows
you to perform a “cold” boot that resets the hardware and
the software from a power-off condition.
Start Windows Instructs the machine to ignore the Safe Boot choices and
Normally instead start Windows in its normal mode.
Reboot Goes around the Safe Boot process. The only difference
between this and Start Windows Normally is that the
hardware is reset.
Return to OS Choices Of use if you set up your computer to be capable of choos-
Menu ing from various operating systems: different versions of
Windows, for example, or Windows and a flavor of Linux.
Chapter 3: Things That Go Bump In the Night (or Day) 47