Right now my computer isn’t working properly (it’s freezing whenever I use it normally, and I can’t do a damned thing until I get my cousin to look at it), but I found that I can use the net if I go into Safe Mode with networking.
However, my uncle told me I should only use Safe Mode for trouble-shooting problems.
Does safe mode actually hurt one’s computer? Or am I hurting my computer? This is the only way I can actually use the damned thing, and I can’t check my e-mail or anything otherwise. I’m not going and playing games or anything – just going online, and even then, I’m not going to mega-flash websites.
Safe mode doesn’t hurt your computer per se. In safe mode certain processes and programs are not running. One of these may be any virus or malware protection. So in that sense you may be more vulnerable to those kinds of attacks. Your uncle is right in that people generally go into safe mode only when something’s amiss (such as the results of malware) in regular mode. So they go into safe mode (ideally without networking) to try to fix the problem. You should try to fix your computer’s problem while in safe mode.
My virus program at this point isn’t working AT ALL, but I’m doing daily spyware/malware scans via Adaware, Spybot, Malware Bytes, etc. I’m going to get Norton 360 as soon as I can. (He reccomended it)
I’m just trying, like I said, to keep up with my messages, so they don’t pile up.
The main reason not to use it is if you suspect you have a piece of malware that is causing your problem. If all your scans are coming up negative, this is unlikely. Since safemode works, some of the files that are loaded up outside of safemode are probably corrupted.
But, no, you won’t inherently hurt anything using Safe Mode with Networking. It’s provided for a reason.
Thanks. I’m guessing it’s some kind of virus – that’s what my uncle thinks.
What I want to do is get my files off of my computer – just in case. It’s basically a folder with “Guinastasia’s Stuff” and all my pictures, programs I have (the spyware programs, etc,), graphics I’ve made, some artwork, etc. But there’s no way I’m plugging in my external hard drive. Dammit!
So wish me luck!!! Hopefully my cousin can get to the root of this shit. (Oh, what I wouldn’t give for five minutes alone with the asshole who wrote this fucking program…)
Be aware that some anti-virus programs and other security software won’t run in safe mode. And any such stuff that normally runs in the background obviously won;t load when you boot into safe mode.
