Stuck in safe mode

Q: I have a computer that all of the sudden won’t boot up properly any more. It keeps booting into safe mode after giving me an error and the screen looks pixelated. What can I do?

This sounds like a pretty serious issue. Whenever something like this happens try to recall if you made any significant changes to your computer the few days prior to when the problem first started occurring. By changes I am referring to installing any new hardware or software, including any virus or Windows updates. Or perhaps deleting some files that you thought you didn’t use or thought were unnecessary. Also, try to remember if you went to any web site that asked you to download or install a file.

If any of these situations are true, it could be the cause of your problem. It could also be that you are experiencing a hardware failure that has nothing to do with any recent activity you may have done on the computer. Motherboards, hard drives, power supplies and fans, just to name a few, will all eventually fail. It’s just a matter of time.

If you are running Windows XP, you might check your restore points by clicking the Start button and clicking Help and Support. In the search box, type “System Restore” and follow the directions from there.

If you are not running Windows XP, I would recommend backing up all of your personal files as quickly as possible, assuming that you can still access these files from safe mode. The easiest method would be to copy your files to a CD-ROM if you have a CD burner.

Once you have everything backed up, call your local PC repair or service shop and ask them how much it would cost to take a look at your PC. Compare that cost with the cost of a new PC. You might be surprised to learn that it would be more cost-effective to purchase a brand new computer.

If you are really adventurous you could insert the original Windows CD that came with your computer into your CD drive and attempt to install the entire operating system from scratch. This is very time consuming and is not guaranteed to fix the problem if the true cause of the problem is a hardware failure. Just make sure you have your current files backed up before attempting something like this.

This post was originally broadcast Friday, February 9, 2007 on “Tech Talk with Noobie”, a weekly radio show on WCBK 102.3 FM in Martinsville, Indiana. Tech Talk with Noobie airs every Friday at 11:30 a.m. If you have a question you would like Noobie to answer on the air, simply e-mail your question to .