Sometimes while changing
video cards
you can get Windows into such a bad state that it refuses to
boot.
If something is wrong with your
display drivers
Windows will often be unable to start up properly. But in order to fix the
problem you need to get into Windows so you can re-install or fix your
display drivers. So Windows won't run but you need to use Windows to try to
fix the problem. Fortunately Windows can run in "safe mode" which allows it
to boot while not using your installed display drivers. Unless Windows is
severely damaged, it should be able to boot in safe mode.
To get into safe mode with Windows 98 and ME press and hold the Ctrl key
immediately after you turn on your computer. In other versions of Windows you
need to press the F8 key. On some computers you can press and hold F8 and on
others you have to press F8 at the right time which is usually just after the
initial
BIOS
screen (see
fiddling with your
BIOS) has been displayed. If you can't find the right time for F8 just
press the key repeatedly after you turn on your computer. If you have pressed
the right key at the right time (which can sometimes requires a bit of
experimentation) then Windows will display a startup menu. Select the "Safe
Mode" entry on the list and Windows will boot in safe mode. Since safe mode
does not use your regular display driver you will probably be stuck in some
horrible looking video mode. Once you are in Windows you can try to solve the
problem which is preventing you from booting normally in the first place.
Many things in Windows are disabled when you are running in safe mode. It is
probably not possible for you to connect to the Internet. If you are running
Windows 2000 or Windows XP, there is another mode known as "VGA mode" which
allows Windows to be fully functional except it uses a plain old VGA (circa
1987) video mode. You get into VGA mode the same way as safe mode except you
select "Enable VGA Mode" rather than "Safe Mode" on the startup menu. If you
are sure that your display adapter is the problem then use VGA mode rather
than safe mode. If VGA mode cannot boot then you can try safe mode which
almost always boots.
Sometimes while changing
video cards
you can get Windows into such a bad state that it refuses to
boot.
If something is wrong with your
display drivers
Windows will often be unable to start up properly. But in order to fix the
problem you need to get into Windows so you can re-install or fix your
display drivers. So Windows won't run but you need to use Windows to try to
fix the problem. Fortunately Windows can run in "safe mode" which allows it
to boot while not using your installed display drivers. Unless Windows is
severely damaged, it should be able to boot in safe mode.
