Safe Mode on Windows 10 can be started in a few reliable ways. Here are the most common methods, with quick steps for each.
Quick method: from the sign-in screen (no full OS boot required)
- At the sign-in screen, hold the Shift key, then click Power > Restart.
- After the PC restarts to the Choose an option screen, select Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Settings > Restart.
- When the Startup Settings menu appears, press 4 for Safe Mode, 5 for Safe Mode with Networking, or 6 for Safe Mode with Command Prompt.
Method for normal boot if Windows starts
- Press Windows key + I to open Settings.
- Go to Update & Security > Recovery.
- Under Advanced startup, click Restart now.
- When the computer restarts, choose Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Settings > Restart.
- Choose Safe Mode as described above (4/5/6).
Method using msconfig (system configuration)
- Press Windows key + R, type msconfig, and press Enter.
- Go to the Boot tab.
- Under Boot options, check Safe boot, then choose Minimal (Safe Mode), or another option like Network (Safe Mode with Networking) if you need internet access.
- Click OK and Restart when prompted.
Method from a truly unbootable PC (pre-boot)
- Force-start the PC three times in a row by turning it on, and as Windows begins to load, hold the power button to force a shutdown. Do this three times. On the third restart, Windows will enter Automatic Repair. From there, go to Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Settings and proceed to Safe Mode as described above.
Notes
- The F8 method used in older Windows versions is not supported in Windows 10 by default, so use the Startup Settings/Recovery routes above.
- Safe Mode with Networking is useful if you need web access for troubleshooting, while Safe Mode with Command Prompt is for advanced commands.
If you’d like, tell me whether you can sign in and access the desktop, or if Windows won’t boot at all, and I can tailor the steps to your exact situation.
