When Safe Mode Isn't So Safe  Windows has, for many years, come
with a special mode you can load at boot called Safe Mode. The
idea is that non-essential services and software don't load in
safe mode and so it can be useful in diagnosing system problems.
You might assume that it can be useful in fixing malware
infections and you'd be right, but not in all cases. As McAfee's
Avert Labs points out in a blog entry, it's possible for malware
to set itself up to load even in Safe Mode.  The software and
services designated to run in Safe Mode are listed in these
registry keys:   McAfee says that malware can set itself through
these keys to load at boot time even in a safe boot. They don't
list any specific malware which does this.  What can you do to
protect yourself? McAfee refers to their "safe surfing"
guidelines. I would also say that this is another good reason to
run with least privilege access, meaning that you should run
normally as a standard user, and that this is most effectively
done on Windows Vista.