Ever heard someone say, “just run your antispyware in safe mode”? Sure. But what is “safe mode” and how do I do it? It’s easy, don’t worry.
“Safe mode” is a way that you can boot Windows in a way that only allows Windows to start up its minimal functions. When spyware and other malware is present on your computer, they usually run in “normal mode” and thus make them harder to destroy. By running in safe mode, spyware is usually inactive and therefore your antispyware will have a better chance of finding and deleting it.
To run in safe mode in Windows, do the following:
- Reboot your computer, then while your PC is reboot in, tap the F8 key repeatedly until you get to a black screen with some white-text options. This may seem a little strange, but the tapping is just to make sure you catch the option screen before Windows continues on to normal mode.
- When your in the black option screen, select Safe Mode from the options and continue to reboot.
- Your PC will reboot and look a bit strange. The desktop icons will probably look big and terrible. Don’t worry, everything is fine. Your PC is now only running with minimal functions needed to operate.
- Find your antispyware program and do a full system scan (if you have two or more antispyware software, run all of them for a more thorough scan).
- Your antispyware application should be able to find any spyware or malware present on your system. Delete those files it finds and you’re done!
Spyware is nasty businesses, so you need to take extreme steps sometimes to fight it. Even though your antispyware is powerful, some spyware can be more tricky. Running in safe mode is one more tool you can use to attack that stubborn spyware that just won’t let go.