Safe Mode has been a feature of Windows since the days of Windows 95, but it remains just as important as ever.
If you’re having serious problems, accessing recovery tools in Safe Mode is one of the most common solutions.
Before the launch of Windows 8 in 2012, safe mode could easily be triggered by pressing the F8 key when starting your computer. But since then, it’s a little more complicated.
In this article, we will see how to enter Safe Mode on Windows 10 and Windows 11. The method varies depending on your current device usage.
What is Safe Mode?
Safe Mode is an area of Windows that contains only a limited set of files and drivers. It doesn’t quite look like the usual desktop, but that’s intentional.
With no programs running or connections established, safe mode is unlikely to make problems with your computer worse. If things are working fine here, you know that default settings and basic drivers are not the cause.
All of your usual files and settings are unaffected by entering Safe Mode unless you specifically choose to delete them. There are also useful tools that can help troubleshoot any issues you are having.
How to Start Windows in Safe Mode from Settings
If you can start Windows normally, it’s easy to get into Safe Mode:
- Open settings
- In Windows 10, go to Update & Security > Recovery > Advanced Startup. In Windows 11, it’s simply System > Recovery
- Click on the ‘Restart now’ button, then confirm if necessary
Anyron Copeman / Foundry
- Once your device restarts, you will see the following options. Select “Troubleshoot”
- In the following screens, choose Advanced Options > Startup Settings
- Click “Restart” and your device will restart once again
- You should now see nine options on the screen. Press the ‘4’ or ‘F4’ key to activate safe mode
- Enter your login PIN or password if prompted
How to Start Windows in Safe Mode from the Login Screen
If you can’t get past the login screen, there’s still a way to get into safe mode:
- Press and hold the Shift key
- At the same time, click the power icon (looks like a vertical line extending from a small circle) and choose “Restart”
- Your device should reboot to the “Choose an option” screen. Choose Advanced Options > Startup Settings
- Click “Restart” and your device will restart once again
Anyron Copeman / Foundry
- You should now see nine options on the screen. Press the 4/F4 key to activate safe mode without an internet connection, or 5/F5 if you also want to be connected
- Enter your login PIN or password if prompted
How to Start Windows in Safe Mode From a Blank Screen
But what if your device is completely unresponsive? The good news is that there is still a way to use physical buttons to trigger safe mode. However, this requires a few more steps than the usual method:
- Hold down the power button for 10 seconds or until your device is completely off
- Press the power button once to begin the boot process
- As soon as you see signs of life, press and hold the power button again for 10 seconds
- Repeat steps 2 and 3 two more times
- Press the power button again, but leave it to complete the boot process this time
- Your device should now load the automatic repair screen. Choose advanced options
- Select ‘Startup Settings’, then ‘Restart’
- Once restarted, you should see nine options on the screen. Press ‘5’ or ‘F5’ key to enable Safe Mode with Networking
- Enter your login PIN or password if prompted
How to Exit Safe Mode in Windows
To exit Safe Mode in Windows, you need to follow a few steps. It’s exactly the same on Windows 10 and Windows 11:
- Open the System Setup application. If it doesn’t appear when searching, use Windows key + R (to bring up the “Run” window), then type “msconfig” and press Enter.
- Select the ‘Boot’ tab at the top of the window
- Uncheck the “Safe boot” box
- Click ‘Apply’, then ‘OK’ to confirm
- When prompted, restart your device. You will no longer be in safe mode
For more tutorials like this, check out our list of Windows How Tos. You might also be interested in our comprehensive guide to Windows 11.
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