How to Boot in Safe Mode -- Windows 7 - Vista - XP

What is Safe Mode?
This is a special mode in Windows OS that enables you restart it a limited way - it only uploads necessary core components such as mouse and keyboard drivers, display modes, and other vital files and services. Restarting Windows in Safe Mode is quite useful in order to detect the source of problems that prevent you from using/restarting Windows properly while working in “Normal” mode.

As one example, using this mode is quite useful in order to detect whether a new driver or device that you’ve installed lately is the cause to BSODs (Blue Screens of Death), system crashes, and other severe system malfunctions.

Option #1
How to boot in Safe Mode - Windows 7, Vista, XP via F8 key
(1) Restart your PC while tapping every ½ second on your keyboard’s F8 function key…
(2) Wait until Windows Advanced Boot Options menu pops up
(3) Select Safe Mode and click ENTER
(4) Windows now uploads in Safe Mode

If from some reason option #1 doesn’t work, try the following…

Option #2
How to boot in Safe Mode - Windows 7 and Vista via space bar key
(1) Restart your PC while tapping every ½ second on your keyboard’s space bar key…
(This forces Windows to open up Windows Boot Manager menu)
(2) Wait until Windows Boot Manager menu pops up
(2) It enables you to use the F8 function key so push the F8 key…
(3) Select Safe Mode click ENTER
(4) Windows now uploads in Safe Mode

Accessing last known Good system configuration in Windows XP
(1) Restart your PC while tapping every ½ second on your keyboard’s space bar key

This forces Windows to open up the Hardware Profile/Configuration Recovery Menu. It enables you to switch to a previous system configuration which may overcome startup problems, or switch to the last known Good system configuration.

(2) Either select the default configuration profile or push “L” key for your last known Good system configuration.