Windows' Rubber Mode is an essential tool. On computers infected with malware or crashing because of buggy drivers, Rubber Mode may exist the only style to commencement the computer.

Prophylactic Mode starts your PC with a minimal set of drivers and services. No tertiary-party software or drivers get loaded, and even the built-in Windows stuff is limited to merely what's necessary. Rubber Mode is a great manner to remove problem-causing software—like malware—without that software getting in the way. It besides provides an environment where you lot may find it easier to roll back drivers, and use sure troubleshooting tools.

When Safe Way Can Help

When Windows starts normally, it launches startup programs, fires up all the services configured to start, and loads the hardware drivers you have installed. If you start in Prophylactic Manner, Windows uses a very low screen resolution with generic video drivers, doesn't initialize much hardware back up, starts only the necessary services, and avoids loading third-party startup programs.

Sometimes, you can start Windows in Safe Mode when you can't get-go Windows normally, making it a proficient identify to commencement troubleshooting potential problems. If your computer is infected with malware or has unstable hardware drivers that cause bluish screens, Prophylactic Way tin help yous fix it because those things aren't loaded the fashion they are when Windows starts normally.

RELATED: Everything You Demand To Know Virtually the Bluish Screen of Death

If there's a problem with your computer and you tin't seem to set it—or if your calculator is unstable and keeps crashing or blue-screening—you should drop into Safe Mode to ready information technology.

How to First Windows In Rubber Mode

RELATED: How to Boot Into Safe Mode on Windows 10 or 8 (The Easy Way)

Your Windows PC should automatically commencement upward in Safe Mode if it crashes more than once while trying to start commonly. All the same, you can too kicking into Safe Mode manually:

  • Windows 7 and earlier: Press the F8 key while the computer is booting (after the initial BIOS screen, but before the Windows loading screen), and then select Condom Manner in the menu that appears.
  • Windows 8: Hold Shift while clicking Restart on the Power menu on either the login screen or through the Charms bar bill of fare to brainstorm the procedure.
  • Windows 10: Concur Shift while clicking Restart on the "Power Options" submenu of the Beginning Card. Click Troubleshoot > Advanced Options > Startup Settings > Restart. Printing the "4" key when yous run across the Startup Settings screen.

How to Fix Your PC in Rubber Fashion

After starting Windows in Condom Mode, you can perform most of the regular system maintenance and troubleshooting tasks to fix your computer:

  • Scan for Malware: Use your antivirus application to scan for malware and remove it in Safe Mode. Malware that may be impossible to remove in normal mode—because it'southward running in the background and interfering with the antivirus—may be removable in Condom Mode. If you lot don't accept an antivirus installed, you should exist able to download and install one in Condom Fashion. Of class, if yous're using Windows Defender in Windows 10, you lot might be better off performing an offline malware scan.
  • Run System Restore: If your calculator was recently working fine but it'due south now unstable, you can use System Restore to restore its system state to the earlier, known-skilful configuration. Assuming your reckoner is unstable and crashing, information technology may be possible to run System Restore without crashing from Safe Manner.
  • Uninstall Recently Installed Software: If yous recently installed software (such as a hardware driver or a program that includes a driver) and it'due south causing your computer to blue-screen, you tin uninstall that software from the Command Panel. Your computer should hopefully start commonly after you've uninstalled the interfering software.
  • Update Hardware Drivers: Assuming your hardware drivers are causing system instability, you lot may desire to download and install updated drivers from your manufacturer'southward website and install them in Safe Style. If your figurer is unstable, y'all'll accept to do this from Condom Fashion—the hardware drivers won't interfere and make your figurer unstable in Safe Mode.
  • See Whether a Crash Occurs: If your computer is unstable unremarkably but works fine in Safe Way, it's likely that in that location'due south a software trouble causing your computer to crash. However, if the computer continues to crash in Prophylactic Mode, this is often a sign that there's a hardware trouble with your computer. (Note that stability in Safe Manner doesn't necessarily hateful it'southward a hardware problem. For example, your graphics card may be faulty and causing crashes under load. Nonetheless, information technology may be stable in Safe Mode because your computer isn't performing demanding operations with information technology.)

Across Condom Mode: Reinstalling Windows

If you are having computer problems, information technology's often not a skillful use of your fourth dimension 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 before: Check out our guide to reinstalling Windows from a Windows disc or your computer's recovery division.
  • Windows 8 or Windows 10: Employ the Refresh or Reset your PC characteristic to restore Windows dorsum to a make clean state.

Of grade, reinstalling Windows will cause you to lose your personal files, so be certain y'all have a fill-in. On Windows 8 or 10, Refreshing your PC will preserve your personal files while replacing the system software.

RELATED: Beginner Geek: How to Reinstall Windows on Your Computer

If your computer continues to be unstable later on a full Windows reinstall, your computer'southward hardware may be faulty. A consummate Windows reinstall rules out any software problems, unless there'due south a faulty hardware commuter that needs to be updated.

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