What is "Safe mode"?

Q:
What is "Safe mode"?

A:
Safe mode is a Windows maintenance mode where only the bare minimum of drivers are loaded. You don't have access to CD ROMs, printers, or other non-essential devices.

It's helpful to use this mode when you are having problems with your PC. For example, maybe you just installed an awesome new video card, but in all the excitement loaded the wrong driver for it. This in turn caused your video display under windows to be non-existant. If you go into Safe mode, you can fix it.

I also use it to help find problems with programs. If I get lots of "illegal operation" messages, I try running the program in safe mode to see if the program itself is the problem. If the program runs fine in safe mode, I can assume I have another program or driver that's interfering with the program's operation and causing the error. (Note that not all software runs in Safe mode - especially more robust programs, but it's still worth a shot).

To get to Safe mode, press the F8 key when Windows starts to boot. You have to do this BEFORE you see the first "Windows" screen. I start tapping away at mine when as soon as I get by the BIOS startup screen or the manufacturer's splash screen. Experiment and you'll get it.

Q:
In Windows XP is there any ways I can add Notepad to my right-click "Send to" menu?

A:
But of course! Some time or another you will have some kind of a file that you know is just plain text. If you do it a lot, then you know that it can be kind of a pain to keep going into the Start menu and opening Notepad (the simple text editor that comes with Windows) and browse to the file each and every time. This tip will show you how to open the file in Notepad all in one shot – by using the "Send To" function.

Okay. Where is "Send To"? You know when you right-click on a file somewhere on your computer and you right-click a folder to get it to do something quickly? Say you want to print a document, copy a document to another folder, if you read the list, "Send To" is an option. Right-click it.