Advanced Options For Windows XP (Windows Vista and 7 Coming Soon)

These are some of the advanced options for Windows XP (Windows Vista and 7 Coming Soon)

Safe Mode: This advanced option loads only the required drivers and settings to make Windows run. Use Safe Mode when troubleshooting your computer.

Safe Mode with Networking: This advanced option allows your computer to also have connections to any networks where you can transfer files to or from your computer (wireless networks may not work though). Also loads only the required drivers and settings.

Safe Mode with Command Prompt: With this advanced option, Windows is loaded like the very old version of Windows 3.11 (text based with hardly any drivers and preloaded settings) and cmd.exe is executed instead of the normal Windows browser.

Enable Boot Logging: With this advanced option, a text file called NTBTLOG.txt is loaded into the WINDOWS folder and it lists what successfully started up and what didn't when your computer began loading Windows.

Enable low-resolution video: This advanced option loads Windows normally except it disables the video driver and loads a generic Windows video driver that works with practically every computer in the world.

Last Known Good Configuration: This advanced option is like a Windows System Restore that is taken from a Windows shadow copy of the hard drive at a certain point in time. This option may also load a more stable Windows registry and more stable Windows settings. It may or may not work.

The other advanced options do not generally apply to the typical computer user (the directory services option deals with controlling domain names, the debugging mode deals with connecting one computer to another to try to fix computer software problems, the disable automatic restart on system failure just prevents your computer from restarting if it encounters a fatal hardware error, the disable driver signature enforcement allows practically any program to run on Windows without Windows checking the program for it's credentials (or Driver Signatures). Finally, the start Windows normally option just starts Windows as it regularly does every time you turn on your computer. Please note: if you have two operating systems, you have to select the operating system you wish to load and then press F8 just afterwards. Look out for my "Advanced Options For Windows XP (Windows Vista and 7 Coming Soon)" article!