Hello. I know how to access "safe mode", and have used it a couple of times to correct problems, following instructions, but can someone explain please, exactly what it is? Thank you.

In safe mode, the only startup programs that are loaded are the operating system and drivers for the mouse, keyboard and standard VGA display modes. Safe mode does not run the autoexec.bat or config.sys files. The main portion of the Registry is not loaded.

Hi,
Excellent answer by NeedKarma.
I might add that in SafeMode, in so many words, all the files are "closed", meaning not in use, that would normally be in use during a normal startup.
It's hard for a scan of any kind to really scan well a file in use.
That's why the scans run much faster in SafeMode.
Best wishes,
fredg

To further explain, Safe Mode is a special diagnostic mode that loads a minimal driver set. Most of the problems that can cause Windows to not boot fully are due to driver conflicts. So Safe Mode allows you to boot to Windows by loading only the bare necessities. Once in Windows you can disable drivers from loading or repair them and then try to reload.

Safe Mode is a diagnostic utility that is used for narrowing down if a computer problem is hardware or software related. It also helps you to access your PC to make repairs when you would normally not be able to enter windows the conventional way.