WINDOWS Safe-Mode

The purpose is to help troubleshoot computer problems by operating with a bare minimum of drivers and Windows components.
By reducing what is running, this can help you diagnose a problem caused by a faulty driver or software.While here I can clean up (temp files and temp internet files. etc) , and to run defrag, uninterrupted.

note: XP Home has the built-in "administrator" account that is only available in Safe-Mode. The password is normally blank. If you log in as the administrator, you could then change passwords for other accounts, in the event you lost original password.

Some uses:

Removing Viruses, Spyware and Malware

Sometimes the only way to correctly remove some of the difficult virus and spyware trojans is to run your system in Safe-Mode. Many forms of malicious software will protect or reinstall themselves constantly if they are allowed to start inside the normal Windows mode. These trojan horse programs will locate themselves in one of the many startup locations in the Windows registry and file structure, so when Windows is started normally, they run as a background process (often as a hidden task).
When you start the PC in Safe-Mode , often, these extra startup links are not used. This can allow good virus and spyware removal programs the chance they need to correctly and completely remove malicious software.
If you suspect there are virus or spyware problems on your PC, you should always run antivirus and anti-spyware programs in safe to ensure that they have maximum effect. If you are following manual virus removal instructions, they will often require you to use safe .

Using Windows XP and Vista Restore in Safe-Mode

If you have system restore enabled on your Windows Computer system, you may use this feature to recover form problems with software or bad drivers. If your Windows XP or Vista system does not boot normally, you will need to know how to use restore points?

You can go to the most recent restore point simply by using the 'last known good configuration (your most recent settings that worked)' option in the Windows advanced options menu. If that does not fix your problem, you then can access earlier restore points by booting in Safe!

Note: If your system is infected, do not use the restore process, until you are reasonably certain that the virus has been removed. Many times, the Trojan Horses have hidden in the Restore files. I typically clear out the restore files, when I suspect an infection problem.

The system restore utility can be accessed in Safe and used to restore any previous history 'restore point'. Simply restart XP in Safe (tap F8 Key) and then when the Windows Desktop comes up

go to:
Start->Programs->Accessories->System Tools->System Restore
then follow the instructions to restore your system to the point of your choice.