How To Boot Safe Mode on Windows 10 - Easy Helpful Guide

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Want to Boot Safe Mode on Windows 10? Need easy step by step guide to boot into safe mode in Windows 10? You have landed to the right page. 

If you have been using Windows 10, you may have noticed that you can no longer press the F8 or SHIFT + F8 keys on your keyboard to enter safe mode. This method stops working because the Windows 10 startup procedure is faster than before. 


How To Boot Safe Mode on Windows 10

However, this does not mean that Windows 10 does not have a secure mode. It's just to get there, you have to follow another procedure. Here is how you can start Windows 10 in safe mode:







When it starts in Safe Mode in Windows 10, the operating system loads a minimal user interface, with only the essential services and drivers necessary for the operation. This mode makes troubleshooting easier because it does not load anything that might cause Windows to crash. 

If you do not want to read a large article that contains many instructions, you can watch the video below, which details the four methods described in our tutorial. If you want to know all the methods you can use to start Windows 10 in safe mode, read this tutorial carefully. 

First, we analyze what to do when you can not access Windows 10, then what you can do when you can log in to Windows 10. If you can not access Windows 10, read the methods 1 4. enter Windows 10, read the methods of the 5 to 7. The eighth method only works on computers with old hardware.

Windows 10 login screen - Shift Key + Restart

If you can not access Windows 10, but you can access the Input screen, hold down the SHIFT key on the keyboard. With this button still pressed, click or press the Power button and, in the menu that opens, click on Restart.

how to enable safe mode in windows 10


Windows 10 restarts and asks you to choose an option. Select Troubleshooting.


how to enable safe mode in windows


In the troubleshooting screen, open the advanced options.


enable safe mode in windows 10


In the Advanced Options screen, select Start Settings. Depending on your Windows 10 computer, this option may not be visible at the beginning. Or, click on the option "See other recovery options" hyperlink.


safe mode in windows 10


Finally, click or touch the Start configuration option.


windows 10 boot into safe mode


Windows 10 indicates that you can restart your device to change advanced boot options, including activation of safe mode. Press Restart.

windows 10 safe mode from bios


Once Windows 10 has been restarted, you can choose which boot option to enable. To enter safe mode, you have three different options:

Standard safe mode: press the 4 or F4 button on your keyboard to start



windows 10 safe mode command prompt


Enter Windows 10 in Safe Mode with a user account that has administrator permissions and makes the changes you want.

Abort three times in a row

If Windows 10 does not start normally in triplicate, the fourth time by default, it is in auto repair mode. Using this mode, you can boot in safe mode. To enable automatic repair mode, you must stop the normal startup process three times in a row: use the reset or power on button on your Windows 10 computer to stop it during startup, before loading Windows 10. 

If you use the button It is possible I need to continue pressing. At least 4 seconds to turn off the device. When Windows 10 goes into an automatic repair mode, It will show "Preparing for automatic repair" on the screen.



enable safe mode in windows 10


Then you will see options to choose an account to continue. Select the account that has administrator permissions and enters the password. If this information is not requested, continue with the next step.




Wait for Windows 10 to try to diagnose your PC automatically.


windows 10 safe mode command prompt


On "Automatic Repair", Click on "Advanced Options" option.


how to enable safe mode in windows 10 using command prompt


Next, select Troubleshoot.

From now on, the steps to follow are the same as those described in the first method in this guide. Go to the path "Advanced options" then  "Start configuration" and then  "Restart". Then press the 4 or F4 button on your keyboard to switch to the minimum safe mode, press 5 or F5 to start in "Safe mode with network functions" or press 6 or F6 to access the "Safe mode with control request".

Using Windows 10 installation Disk

If you have a Windows 10 installation DVD or USB key on hand, or you can create it now, you can use it to start your damaged PC with Windows 10 in safe mode. To create a Windows 10 installation unit, follow this tutorial on another PC: How to create a Windows 10 installation medium (on a USB stick) or download the ISO file for free. Then, use it to start your damaged Windows 10 PC from there and wait for the installation environment to load. Select the grammar and keyboard of your choice, then click or touch Next.


how to enable safe mode in windows 10


Click or touch the "Repair your computer" link in the lower left corner of the screen.

When asked what options you like, choose Troubleshooting.


windows 10 boot into safe mode


At "Advanced Options" display, click "Command Prompt (CMD to solve advanced problems)".

In the command prompt window, type the following command: bcdedit / set {default} minimal safe boot. Press the Enter key on your keyboard and after a while tells you that "the operation was completed successfully".


Terminate CMD and continue to the next screen.


After restarting your computer, Windows 10 begins to enter safe mode. Login with a user account that has administrator permissions and makes the changes you want.

IMPORTANT: The problem with this method is that it tells Windows 10 to enter Safe Mode automatically every time you start it until you say no. To disable this configuration and restart Windows 10 normally, run the same procedure again and type the following command: bcdedit / deletevalue {default} safe boot.

Using Windows USB Flash Drive

In Windows 10, you can create a USB recovery system drive. Because your PC may not work, configure this USB recovery drive on another computer running Windows 10.


Once you have created a USB recovery drive, use it to start your PC or device with Windows 10, and then run it when you are asked to load the content. The screen will ask you to pick your layout of the keyboard. Choose what you want to use or, if you do not see it in the list, click or tap "See more keyboard layout" for a complete list of available designs.


After selecting the keyboard layout you want to use, on the "Select options" screen, go to Troubleshooting.


The following steps to follow in order to start in safe mode are the same as those presented in the first method of this guide, which follows this route: "Advanced options -> Start configuration -> Restart". Then press the 4 or F4 button on your keyboard to switch to the minimum safe mode, press 5 or F5 to start in "Safe mode with network functions" or press 6 or F6 to access the "Safe mode with control request".

System Configuration Tool (msconfig.exe)

If you can access Windows 10, one of the easiest ways to start in Safe Mode is to use the System Configuration Tool. Many users are familiar with this tool with the file name: msconfig.exe.

In the search field of the taskbar, enter the words "System Configuration". Then click or touch the shortcut of System Configuration. Another way to start this tool is explained here: 8 ways to start the system configuration in Windows (all versions).




In the System Settings window, click or touch the Home tab. In "Boot Options" panel, choose "Secure Boot" option. Finally, click or touch OK.


Windows 10 tells you that you need to restart your computer for the new configuration to take effect. If there is still work to be done, you can choose "Exit without restarting". Otherwise, you can restart now and your device automatically enters safe mode.


After restarting Windows 10, go directly to Safe Mode.

"Shift Key + Restart" on the Windows 10 Start menu

Another way to enter Safe Mode under Windows 10 is to use the options in the Start menu. Hold down the keyboard SHIFT key. With the button still pressed, click the Start button, click On, and then click Restart.


Windows 10 restarts and asks you to choose an option. Select Troubleshooting.


Then you must follow the same steps as described in the first method in this guide. In short, open "Advanced options" then "Start configuration" then "Restart". Then press 4 or F4 on your keyboard to start in safe mode, press 5 or F5 to start in "Safe mode with network functions" or press 6 or F6 to access "Safe mode with control request".

Using Windows Recovery Option

If you can access Windows 10, you can also start in Safe Mode from the Settings application. Go to Settings (Windows + I) and go to the Update and security section.


On the left side of the Settings window, touch Recovery. On the right side of the application, in the Advanced Home section, click or touch the Restart Now button.

After restarting Windows 10, select the Troubleshooting option. You can aslo read How to Remove Watermark from Windows 10.


Then you must follow the same steps as described in the first method in this guide. In summary, you must go to "Advanced Options -> Start Settings -> Restart". Then press 4 or F4 on your keyboard to start in safe mode, press 5 or F5 to start in "Safe mode with network functions" or press 6 or F6 to access "Safe mode with control request"

Using Hotkeys F8 or Shift + F8

In Windows 7, you can press the F8 key just before Windows loads to open the Advanced Boot Options window, where you can start How To Boot Safe Mode on Windows 10 Some websites recommend that you press Shift + F8, just before Windows 10 loads, so you can start the recovery mode from which you can start safe mode

Better, you can take screenshots while you are following this procedure for your future reference. The problem is that most of the time, Shift + F8 and F8 do not work, even if it is the correct command, compatible with Windows 10.


This official publication of the Microsoft blog explains that this problem is due to their work of performing quick start procedures. Windows 8.1 and Windows 10 have the fastest start time. To quote Steve Sinofsky:


"Windows 8 has a problem, it can really start too fast, so fast, in fact, that nothing prevents the start, such as F2 or F8, especially when reading messages like" Press F2 to configure. "I hope to do it".


If you have a modern PC with UEFI BIOS and a fast SSD, you can not interfere with the startup procedure with the keystrokes. On older computers, with classic BIOS and no SSD, you can still press these buttons. Problem reading this article on Edge browser? Then enable Reading Mode for better experience.


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