# Is it safe to go online in Safe Mode? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 7, 2010, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-safe-to-go-online-in-safe-mode/531649 "2010-03-07T20:37:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2010, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-safe-to-go-online-in-safe-mode/531649/1 "2010-03-07T20:37:50Z")
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. > [@](#): > > Also it’s not a good idea to run it in safe mode. Safe mode is used for trouble shooting and fixing it 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. ---
**Author:** ![nivlac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/3bc359/32.png) [@nivlac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nivlac)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2010, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-safe-to-go-online-in-safe-mode/531649/2 "2010-03-08T04:42:27Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2010, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-safe-to-go-online-in-safe-mode/531649/3 "2010-03-08T05:00:03Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2010, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-safe-to-go-online-in-safe-mode/531649/4 "2010-03-08T15:14:12Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2010, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-safe-to-go-online-in-safe-mode/531649/5 "2010-03-08T17:15:38Z")
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…) ---
**Author:** ![anson2995](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c77e96/32.png) [@anson2995](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anson2995)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2010, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-safe-to-go-online-in-safe-mode/531649/6 "2010-03-08T18:35:54Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![HorseloverFat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8e8cbc/32.png) [@HorseloverFat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HorseloverFat)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2010, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-safe-to-go-online-in-safe-mode/531649/7 "2010-03-08T18:55:52Z")
Most security software wont run in safe mode, so its a risk. You can probably fix you problem by running the MSRT while youre in there: [http://www.microsoft.com/security/malwareremove/default.aspx](http://www.microsoft.com/security/malwareremove/default.aspx) ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2010, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-safe-to-go-online-in-safe-mode/531649/8 "2010-03-09T00:19:16Z")
> [@HorseloverFat](#): > > Most security software wont run in safe mode, so its a risk. You can probably fix you problem by running the MSRT while youre in there: > > [http://www.microsoft.com/security/malwareremove/default.aspx](http://www.microsoft.com/security/malwareremove/default.aspx) That’s the one I have, and I run it daily, which is part of the reason I go in Safe Mod – it’s the only way I CAN run my spyware programs. ☹