How to troubleshoot the video adapter driver in Safe mode in Windows XP

This article shows you methods of troubleshooting Safe Mode video problems. In Safe mode, the computer does not start the video adapter driver that is used during normal operations, so you need to use Device Manager to discover, update, roll back, or uninstall the video driver instead of accessing the Display properties.

Note It is not necessary to start the computer in Safe Mode to perform the tasks that are listed in this article.

Locate the video adapter in Normal mode

To locate the video adapter that is used in Normal mode:

1. Click Start, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel.
2. Double-click System, click Hardware, and then click Device Manager.
3. Click the PLUS SIGN to expand Display Adapters.

Run the Display Troubleshooter

To run the Display Troubleshooter:

1. Follow steps 1 through 3 to find the video adapter driver.
2. Double-click the video adapter driver.
3. On the General tab, click Troubleshoot.

Update, roll back, or uninstall the video adapter driver

To view driver details, and to update, roll back, or uninstall the video adapter driver:

1. Follow steps 1 through 3 to find the video adapter driver.
2. Double-click the video adapter driver.
3. On the Driver tab, click the appropriate button based on the action that you want to perform:
   Driver Details
   Update Driver
   Roll Back Driver
   Uninstall

Troubleshooting

When you start the computer in Safe mode, your video adapter resolution and colors may temporarily change in such a way that the windows and icons on your screen become very large, which may make it difficult for some windows to fit. This behavior is dependent on the type of video adapter that you are using.

Note: In Safe mode, you may notice an option to stop the VgaSave service if you follow these steps:

1. Click Start, and then click Control Panel.
2. In Control Panel, double-click Display.
3. In the Display Properties dialog box, click the Settings tab.
4. Click Advanced.
5. Click the Adapter tab, and then click Properties.
6. Click the Driver tab.

The VgaSave service should not be stopped while the computer is in Safe mode because it is a component that allows Windows to display the screen.