Friday, September 5, 2014

Safe Mode in Windows 8 & Windows 8.1

5 Ways to Boot into Safe Mode in Windows 8 & Windows 8.1

system
Are you struggling to boot into Safe Mode in Windows 8 or Windows 8.1? Have you tried pressing both F8 and Shift+F8 and they don't work? That's because a lot has changed with the boot procedure in Windows 8 and Windows 8.1. The boot has become so fast that it literally cannot be interrupted by any of your keypresses. Here are 5 ways in which you can boot into Safe Mode, that don't involve any special hacks or manual configuration.

Safe Mode in Windows 8 and Windows 8.1

Safe Mode in Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 is not too different from the Safe Mode found in earlier versions of Windows.
Safe Mode, Boot, Windows 8, Start
The operating system still loads only the most basic drivers and services, so that it can display a minimal useful interface. The only important difference is that the minimum screen resolution used by Safe Mode has risen from 800x600 pixels to 1024x768 pixels.

1. Use the System Configuration Tool (msconfig.exe) - works in Windows 8 & 8.1

The easiest method for booting into Safe Mode is to use the System Configuration tool, also known as msconfig.exe.
Go to the Boot tab and, in the Boot options section check the box that says "Safe boot". Then, click or tap OK.
Safe Mode, Boot, Windows 8, Start
You are informed that you need to restart your computer. Click Restart or Exit without restartdepending on whether you want to restart now or later.
Safe Mode, Boot, Windows 8, Start
At the next restart, Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 start in Safe Mode.

2. Use Shift + Restart - works in Windows 8 & 8.1

Another method is to press the Power button at the Windows login screen or in the Settingscharm. Then, press and hold the SHIFT key on your keyboard and click Restart.
Safe Mode, Boot, Windows 8, Start
Windows asks you to choose an option. Press Troubleshoot.
Safe Mode, Boot, Windows 8, Start
In the Troubleshoot screen, press Advanced options.
Safe Mode, Boot, Windows 8, Start
In the Advanced options screen, press Startup Settings.
Safe Mode, Boot, Windows 8, Start
You are informed that you are about to restart in order to change several Windows options, including enabling Safe Mode. Press Restart.
Safe Mode, Boot, Windows 8, Start
Your computer or device restarts again and displays nine startup settings, including Safe Mode, Safe Mode with Networking and Safe Mode with Command Prompt
Safe Mode, Boot, Windows 8, Start
Press the F4 key on your keyboard, to enable Safe Mode, F5 to enable Safe Mode with Networking and F6 to enable Safe Mode with Command Prompt. Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 now boot according to the setting you selected.

3. Boot from a System Recovery CD/DVD - works only in Windows 8

In Windows 8, but not in Windows 8.1, you can create a system recovery CD or DVD. Here's the tutorial that shows how it is done: How to Create a System Repair Disc for Windows 7 & Windows 8.
Once you have that disc created, boot from it. When asked to press any key to load its content, do so.
First, you are asked to choose your keyboard layout. Press the layout you want to use. If you want to browse through the available options, press "See more keyboard layouts" until you find the one you want to use.
Safe Mode, Boot, Windows 8, Start
Then, the Choose an option screen is shown.
Safe Mode, Boot, Windows 8, Start
From here on, the steps are identical to those shown for method 2.

4. Boot from a System Recovery Memory Stick - works in Windows 8 & 8.1

In Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 you can use the Recovery Media Creator to create a system recovery drive on a USB flash Drive. Details instructions can be found in this tutorial: How to Create a Recovery Drive on a USB Memory Stick in Windows 8 & 8.1".
Boot from the USB memory stick and follow the same instructions as in method 3.

5. Use F8 or Shift + F8 (doesn't work when using UEFI BIOS & SSDs)

In Windows 7, you were able to press F8 just before Windows got loaded, to open theAdvanced Boot Options window, where you could choose to start Windows 7 in Safe Mode.
Some websites advise you to press Shift+F8, just before Windows 8 or 8.1 starts loading so that you make it start the recovery mode, from where you can boot into Safe Mode. The problem is that, most times, Shift+F8 and F8 don't work, even though they are correct commands, supported by Windows 8 and Windows 8.1.
This official blog post from Microsoft (Designing for PCs that boot faster than ever before) explains that this behavior is caused by their work in designing a very fast boot procedure. Both Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 have the fastest boot times ever. To quote Steve Sinofsky:
"Windows 8 has a problem – it really can boot up too quickly. So quickly, in fact, that there is no longer time for anything to interrupt boot. When you turn on a Windows 8 PC, there's no longer long enough to detect keystrokes like F2 or F8, much less time to read a message such as "Press F2 for Setup." For the first time in decades, you will no longer be able to interrupt boot and tell your PC to do anything different than what it was already expecting to do."
If you have modern PC with a UEFI BIOS and a fast SSD drive, there's no way you can interrupt the boot procedure with your keypresses. On older PCs, with a classic BIOS and no SSD drive, pressing these keys might still work though.

Conclusion

I hope you found this guide useful. If you know other ways you can make Windows 8 or Windows 8.1 boot into Safe Mode, don't hesitate to share them via the comments form below. Many readers will find them useful.

English Vocabulary

How many words do you need to know in English? This is a very common question and it varies depending on your goal. Because TalkEnglish.com focuses on speaking, the vocabulary presented in this section will be the most commonly used words in speaking.

  1. There are roughly 100,000 word-families in the English language.
  2. A native English speaking person knows between 10,000 (uneducated) to 20,000 (educated) word families.
  3. Professor Paul Nation found that a person needs to know 8,000-9,000 word families to enjoy reading a book.
  4. Studying heritage language learners reveal that a person with a vocabulary size of 2,500 passive word-families and 2,000 active word-families can speak a language fluently.
Many people do not know what a heritage language learner is. Let's say a person from Mexico moves to the US at the age of 5. The person knows basic Spanish and is fluent for a 5 year old but eventually English will become dominant. This person whose first language is Spanish actually does not know many Spanish words and must study Spanish to retain it. Because they grew up for 5 years speaking Spanish, they are a different type of language learners. This type of person is considered a heritage language learner.

GOOD NEWS - If your goal is to speak English fluently, you are not required to study 10,000 words. 2,000 is enough to get you started.

Here is another list of things to consider before studying vocabulary

  1. Before studying vocabulary, understand the difference between each word in a word-family. By doing so, you will be able to understand how to use words more easily. A word-family is a grouping of words derived from the same base. For example, active, actively, activities, and activity are all in the same word-family.
  2. There is a difference between passive vocabulary and active vocabulary. Passive vocabulary is used in reading and listening, where you are receiving information. Active vocabulary is used in writing and speaking, where you are giving information. In reading, you have time to think. If you want to be fluent, you don't have time to think because the definition of fluent is to speak smoothly and easily.
  3. Your goal should be to increase the depth of your vocabulary knowledge instead of the breadth of your vocabulary knowledge. There are many English learners who know 8,000 words, but they cannot speak a single sentence. On the other hand, there are people who know only 2,000 words and they can speak fluently. The difference is how deeply you know a word. Knowing 10,000 words passively will not help you with speaking. Instead focus on learning the first 2,000 words deeply.
  4. Learning vocabulary by memorizing the definition in your native language is an inefficient way to learn words. Rather, reading is the best way to increase your vocabulary. Learn words by seeing the word in a sentence. You can look up words in a dictionary, but study them in sentences, not the word itself.
The vocabulary words in the list below were created by extracting words from dialogs totaling more than 250,000 words. The only words to make it into the top 2,000 words were those that were present in 1) The British National Corpus top 3,000 words, 2) The Corpus of Contemporary American English top 5,000 words, and 3) The 3,000 most frequently spoken words from Longman Communication.

If you had to choose the first 2,000 words to learn, the list below is very accurate. The number next to the link is the actual number.

Top 2000 English Vocabulary Words used in Speaking (2265)

Out of the 2265 words in the list, a total of 1867 word families were present.

Top 2000 Word Families (1867)

The following is broken down by type of words. All the words in the following lists are in the list of 2000 words. The sum is greater than 2,000 because many words can be both a noun and a verb.

Finally, before you start studying vocabulary, keep in mind that you will need to learn a lot more than 2,000 words. However, studying the right 2,000 words in the proper depth will help you to become fluent in English much faster.

Top 1500 Nouns (1524)
Top 1000 Verbs (1010)
Top 500 Adjectives (528)
Top 250 Adverbs (252)
Top 60 Pronouns (58)
Top 50 Prepositions (46)

British English Vocabulary
British English Vocabulary
British English Vocabulary


Thursday, September 4, 2014

2986 Probationary Officers Required in State Bank of India, September 2014

Probationary Officer
Last Date:- 18th September 2014
Mode of Application:-Online
Mode of Selection:- Online examination, group discussion and interview.
Job Location:- Any where in India

Name of Post:- Probationary Officer
No. of Post:- 2986
Pay Scale:- Rs.14500-25700/-
Age Limit:- 21-30 years (as on 01st September 2014)
Qualification:- Graduation in any discipline from a recognized University.
Application fee:-
SC / ST / PWD:- Rs.100/-(Intimation Charges only).
All other:- Rs.500/- (App. fee and intimation charges).
How to apply:- Eligible and interested candidates are required to apply online through Bank’s website www.statebankofindia.com or www.sbi.co.in. between 01-09-2014 to 18-09-2014.
Important Dates:-
Starting Date of online application:- 1st September 2014
Last Date of Online application:- 18th September 2014
Payment of Application Fees On-Line:- 01st September 2014 to 18th September 2014.
Payment of Application Fees Off-Line:- 03rd September 2014 to 20th September 2014.
Click here for full Notification