The developers of Windows 10 have provided for system recovery processes to take place automatically, but they still retain the ability to enter safe mode. However, the login method familiar to earlier versions of Windows OS, using the “F8” key, no longer works in Windows 10.

How to activate a familiar function? What keys and buttons should I press when loading the OS to start in safe mode? Below is a detailed description of the various methods to boot Windows 10 in Safe Mode.

Enable Windows 10 to boot in safe mode via msconfig.

To do this you need:

1. Press the key combination “WIN” + “R”;
2. In the text area, enter the command - “msconfig”;
3. Confirm by clicking “OK”;
4. Then in the menu that appears, open the “Download” tab;
5. Select the operating system with a single click of the left mouse button and check the box in the “Safe Mode” column;
6. Also in this window, the user can select OS boot modes; it is recommended to leave the “Minimal” checkbox by default;
7. Click “Ok”;
8. Ready. After restarting, Windows 10 should boot into Safe Mode.

Note: To start Windows in normal mode, you need to uncheck the “Safe Mode” box using the same instructions.

This may seem strange to experienced users, but it is very important not to confuse Safe Mode with and be aware of the differences.

Logging into Windows 10 in Safe Mode - Settings.

To restart Windows and open it in safe mode, you need to change the startup options. To do this you need:

1. Go to the Start menu;
2. Click “Options”;
3. Next, in the window that appears, go to the “Update and Security” tab;
4. Then in the menu that appears, open the “Recovery” tab;
5. Click the “Restart Now” button;
6. After that, click “Diagnostics”;
7. Click “Advanced options”;
8. Next, enter the “Download Options” menu;
9. Click “Reboot”;
10. Wait for the menu of additional options for starting the computer to appear on the monitor and, having highlighted the appropriate boot method, click on “Enter”;

Logging in safe mode allows you to solve many problems, such as when or you need to change tables, etc.

Reboot+Shift starts Windows 10 in safe mode.

The algorithm of actions consists of several sequential stages:

• Enter the “Shutdown” window through the “Start” button;
• Next, hold down “Shift” and click “Reboot”;
• Then, using the previous instructions, restart the PC.

But all these methods work when you can log into Windows 10 and it starts up successfully. What should you do if problems, such as others, occur when logging in? Let's look below.

Login to Safe Mode if Windows 10 won't start at all.

If all the above methods do not help, then you need to use a removable system installation media, boot disk or USB flash drive.

Algorithm of actions in this situation:

• Boot from a disk or flash drive by changing the startup settings in the BIOS;
• After downloading, select the “System Restore” section;
• Next, go to the “Diagnostics” section;
• Enter the “Additional parameters” subsection;
• Click “Command Line”;
• In the console that appears, type bcdedit /set (globalsettings) advancedoptions true
• Press the “Enter” and “Continue” keys;
• Wait for the additional startup options menu to appear on the monitor and select safe mode;

To restore the standard launch option, you will need to call the context menu “Start” - “Command Prompt” and enter the command:

Bcdedit /deletevalue (globalsettings)advancedoptions

When you restart, Windows 10 will work normally.

Here are some simple ways to start Windows 10 in safe mode. If you have anything to add, leave comments below.

Safe mode (English – Safe Mode)– diagnostic mode, in which all unnecessary drivers and Windows functions are disabled. Used to troubleshoot problems that arise in PC operation. You just need to start safe mode and fix the errors, after which the PC will work as it should again.

In what cases might you need to enter safe mode? For example, to solve the problem when .

Also, in this way you can remove viruses, reset your password, fix errors (including the blue screen of death), restore the system, etc.

There are several ways. Plus, they differ somewhat depending on what operating system you have. Therefore, below we will look at all the available ways to enter Windows safe mode.

There are 2 universal methods that work on all versions of Windows - XP, 7, 8 and 10. Moreover, they are the simplest. Perhaps we'll start with them.

Login via msconfig utility

The first way is through a special utility. To do this you need to follow simple instructions:

1. Press Win + R (the button between “Ctrl” and “Alt”) and enter the word “msconfig”.
2. In the new window, select the “Boot” tab, indicate the desired OS and check the “Safe Mode” checkbox. There are a couple of sub-items here - it is recommended to choose either “minimal” (standard option) or “network” (in this case there will be access to the Internet).
3. Click “OK” and restart your PC - now it will turn on in safe mode.

When you fix the errors, do not forget to return the computer to normal startup mode! This is done in exactly the same way - using the msconfig utility (only now you need to uncheck the box).

There is a small nuance here: in this way you can enable safe mode in Windows only if your OS boots normally. If you can’t even load the desktop, then use the second method.

Login using F8

This method is suitable for those whose PC or laptop does not turn on (the desktop does not load, the monitor goes dark, etc.). In this case, do the following:

1. Turn on your PC (or laptop) and immediately press the F8 key repeatedly until a menu appears (in some cases you need to press Shift + F8).
2. If the Windows logo appears or the screen goes dark, you failed. Wait until the system boots completely, then restart your PC and try again.
3. When you do everything correctly, a menu will open where you use the arrows to select “Safe Mode” (the best option).

P.S. This method does not work on Windows 10! This feature has been disabled by the developers.

Special download options for Windows 10

If Windows starts, then you need to do the following:

What to do if Windows 10 does not start? If the PC boots before the login screen, then “Special boot options” can be opened in another way. To do this, click on the power button icon (in the lower right corner), hold down Shift and select “Restart”.

We use a disk or flash drive

This is the most reliable way to boot Windows 10 in Safe Mode. But in this case, you need a DVD or (they can be recorded on any PC or laptop).

Connect a USB drive or insert a disk, load them (), and then do the following:

1. After loading, press Shift + F10.
2. After opening the command line, enter – bcdedit /set (default) safeboot minimal.
3. Then close it and restart your PC. It will turn on.

To return the PC to normal startup, enter the following on the command line: bcdedit /deletevalue (default) safeboot.

You can do this in the same way (or as an administrator ) .

You can also enable the mode in Windows 8 in 4 different ways

The first two are described in detail at the beginning of the article. The other two are quite similar to the options that are suitable for Windows 10, but we will still look at them in more detail to make it easier for you to navigate.

Diagnostic tools

So, the first method is to activate the buffer format (only suitable if the OS is working normally). To do this we do the following:

The PC will start in Safe Mode, and you can carry out the necessary manipulations.

And another simple option for launching safe mode in Windows 8 is using a bootable flash drive or DVD with Windows files. The procedure is as follows:

What to do on Windows 7 and XP

You can enter safe mode in Windows 7 or XP using one of the universal methods described at the beginning of this article. The first option is suitable in cases where the OS is working normally, and the second option is suitable if the PC or laptop does not turn on.

It is worth noting that the operating system is in no way related to the BIOS. It also doesn’t matter what brand of laptop you have – Samsung, Asus, Lenovo, HP, Acer, LG, etc.

What to do if Safe Mode does not start?

Sometimes a PC or laptop stubbornly refuses to enable safe mode. The reason is trivial - viruses damaged the Windows registry. In such situations, there are only 2 options:

• restoring PC operation (system rollback to a checkpoint);
• installation of special programs.

The optimal method, of course, would be the first one - restoring the computer from a checkpoint. If you do not have them saved (for example, disabled), then the only option left is to install programs to restore the Windows registry. In this case, you can use the free Safe Mode Repair or SafeBootKeyRepair.

Safe mode in Windows 10 is necessary for debugging and troubleshooting the operating system and software: problems with drivers, removing viruses, troubleshooting errors, etc. In Safe Mode, only standard programs and drivers necessary are loaded with the system for the system to operate in safe mode.

In Windows 7, to enter safe mode, at the very beginning of the system boot, you need to press the “F8” key. This method does not work on Windows 10. According to Microsoft representatives, starting with the Windows 8 operating system, to speed up computer boot time, the use of the “F8” key was disabled, because this key did not have time to work.

How to enter Safe Mode in Windows 10? You can start Safe Mode in Windows 10 using other methods. In this article, I will talk about the four easiest ways to enter Safe Mode in Windows 10 (there are other more complex ways).

Three methods for booting Windows 10 in safe mode can be used in a working operating system, and the fourth method will help if the Windows operating system does not boot at all on the computer.

How to Boot into Safe Mode in Windows 10

The first method: enter safe mode using the system tool, which works on the operating systems Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 8.1, Windows 10.

Press the key combination “Win” + “R” on your keyboard. In the Run window, type: "msconfig" (without quotes), and then click on the "OK" button.

In the System Configuration window, open the Boot tab. At the bottom of the window, activate the “Safe Mode” item. By default, the minimum load is selected. Therefore, if you need network connections in Safe Mode, check the “Network” checkbox to load network drivers.

After this, the Windows 10 operating system will start in safe mode. Before finishing working in safe mode, enter “Computer Configuration” using the method described above to disable safe mode.

How to enable Safe Mode in Windows 10

The second method is suitable for users of the operating systems Windows 10, Windows 8.1, Windows 8. A new “Safe Mode” item (or something like that, at your discretion) will be added to the boot menu that opens before starting Windows 10.

Right-click on the Start menu. In the menu that opens, click on “Command Prompt (Administrator).” In the command line interpreter, enter the command:

Bcdedit /copy (current) /d "Safe Mode"

This text must be entered with spaces, where they exist, and quotation marks from the English keyboard layout. After entering the first quotes, switch to the Russian keyboard layout, enter the text: “Safe Mode” (or something similar), then switch to the English layout, enter the second quotes.

After that, simultaneously press the “Win” + “R” keys on the keyboard. In the “Run” window, enter: “msconfig”, click on the “OK” button

In the “System Configuration” window, in the “Boot” tab, you will see that a new “Safe Mode” entry has appeared among the list of operating systems. Here you can select the minimum boot in safe mode, or boot from the network. In the “Timeout” field you can change the display time of the boot menu. By default, the menu will be displayed for 30 seconds, you can select a different time period, for example 10-15 seconds.

Before starting the operating system, the “Select operating system” window will open. This window offers a choice of two options: “Windows 10” and “Safe Mode”. Using the arrow keys on your keyboard, highlight "Safe Mode" and then press the "Enter" button.

If you do not select anything in this window, then after a certain period of time, Windows 10 (Windows 8.1, Windows 8) will be launched.

This window will open before each startup of the operating system.

To remove the system selection menu, enter “System Configuration”, highlight “Safe Mode”, and then click on the “Delete” button. After rebooting, Windows 10 will be immediately loaded.

Boot Windows 10 in Safe Mode

The third method is to boot into safe mode using a special boot option. Press and hold the “Shift” key on your keyboard, go to the “Start” menu, click on the “Shutdown” button, and then in the context menu that opens, click on “Restart”.

This will open the Select Action window in Windows Recovery Environment (Windows RE). Click on "Troubleshooting".

In the Advanced Options window, select Boot Options.

In the "Boot Options" window, click on the "Restart" button.

In the next window you will need to select one of the following safe mode options:

• Enable Safe Mode (F4).
• Enable safe mode with loading network drivers (F5).
• Enable safe mode with command line support (F6).

To select boot options, use the number keys, or the function keys “F4”, “F5”, “F6”.

After selecting the appropriate mode, the Windows 10 operating system will start in safe mode.

Entering Windows 10 Safe Mode if the system does not boot

The previous methods work when the operating system is working: Windows 10 boots first, and then enters Safe Mode. If the operating system does not boot at all, then you can enable safe mode in Windows 10 using a bootable USB flash drive or an installation DVD with an image of the operating system.

Boot your computer from a bootable USB flash drive or DVD. After this, “Windows Installation” will begin (don’t worry, we won’t install the system).

Next, the “Select Action” window will open (see image No. 6 for the previous method above, the images are identical for both methods). Next, in the “Diagnostics” window (image No. 7), click on “Advanced parameters”. In the “Advanced Options” window (image #8), select “Command Prompt”.

In the next window you will be asked to enter a password for your account. If your computer allows you to log in without entering a password, do not enter anything. Next, click on the “Continue” button.

A command line interpreter window will open. Enter the following command at the command prompt:

Bcdedit /set (globalsettings) advancedoptions true

After entering the command, press the “Enter” key. Close the command prompt window when the operation is complete.

In the Select Action window, click Continue.

After the computer restarts, you will see the “Boot Options” window (see image No. 10 above, for the previous method). Here, using the keyboard keys, you need to select the appropriate item to boot the system in safe mode: “Enable safe mode”, “Enable safe mode with loading network drivers”, “Enable safe mode with command line support”.

Every time you start Windows again, you will see the Boot Options window. To boot the system normally, you need to press the “Enter” key.

In order to remove the “System Settings” window every time you boot Windows, you need to boot again from a bootable USB flash drive or DVD, and then select “System Restore” in the “Windows Installation” window. Another option: Press and hold the Shift key, go to the Start menu, click on the Shutdown button and then Restart.

Bcdedit /deletevalue (globalsettings)advancedoptions

Close Command Prompt, and then turn off your computer. Now, after starting Windows, you will no longer see the Startup Options window.

Conclusions of the article

You can enter Windows 10 safe mode using the system tool. After adding an additional item to the boot menu, you can choose to boot into safe mode when Windows 10 starts. Using special boot methods in the Windows RE recovery environment, you can launch various options for Windows 10 safe mode. Using a bootable USB flash drive or installation DVD, you can boot Windows 10 in safe mode when the system does not boot.

Windows 10 inherits all the boot system features of Windows 8, providing the same graphical environment for performing system recovery tasks. It is expected that system recovery operations after failures will be primarily performed by the automatic recovery system. If Windows 10 does not boot correctly, the automatic recovery system starts, which, without user intervention, tries to find and fix problems that prevent the system from loading normally. However, this does not mean that Windows 10 does not have Safe mode, it just means that this boot mode is hidden from users by default.

In some cases, it is necessary to start the system in safe mode, for example to debug a driver or application. Let's see how to enable safe mode in Windows 10.

Windows 10 can be booted into Safe Mode in several different ways.

MSConfig Utility (System Configuration)

The easiest way to boot Windows 10 in safe mode, as in previous versions of Windows, is to use the utility msconfig.exe. For this:

Advice. You can also disable booting in safe mode using msconfig by unchecking the Safe boot option.

Shift + Restart combination

In the start menu, press the Power button and, while holding down Shift on your keyboard, select reboot system ( Restart)

Note. The same Shift+Reboot combination can be used on the login screen.

In the dialog that appears, select the items sequentially Troubleshoot(Diagnostics) -> Advanced options(Advanced options)-> Startup Settings(Boot Options).

Reboot the computer by pressing the button Restart.

After the reboot, a window will appear with available system boot options (9 options, including three types of safe mode). To boot into safe mode, press F4 or 4 (or F5/F6 to boot into safe mode with networking or command line support, respectively).

Launching diagnostic mode from the new Control Panel interface

To launch the new modern Windows 10 Control Panel, click the button Start and select menu Settings. Then go to the section Update &security.

Go to section Recovery and in the section Advanced Startup click Restart now.

Starting safe mode from the command line

It is also possible to configure Windows 10 to start in safe mode and from the command line. To do this, open a command prompt (cmd) with administrator rights and run the command:

Then restart your computer with the command:

Windows 10 will now always boot in Safe Mode. To return to normal boot mode:

bcdedit /deletevalue (default) safeboot

Bringing back the old text boot menu

In Windows 10/8 it is possible to revert to the old Windows text loader that supports the key F8(Shift+F8) and the ability to select system startup options.

Note. The system boot speed with such a bootloader will be lower.

To return the test bootloader, run in a command prompt with administrator rights:

bcdedit /set (default) bootmenupolicy legacy

Now when you boot your computer after the self-test (POST) stage, you need to press the key several times F8. The good old text menu with system boot options should appear.

To disable text bootloader mode and return to fast boot, run:
bcdedit /set (default) bootmenupolicy standard

Launching Safe Mode from Recovery Mode

Few people know that to enable safe mode and other recovery options in Windows 10, it is enough 3 times in a row interrupt the system boot with the power off button.

The system recovery environment will start 4 times ( Recovery mode), from which you can choose to boot into safe mode or other system boot options.

Select an item See advanced repair options and follow the instructions from the second paragraph of our article.