The famous fail-safe mode, better known today as safe mode, is an essential resource for repairing errors in Windows, eliminating conflicts, or correcting other unusual behavior. However, with Windows 10 and the latest generations of computers, it is no longer quite possible to use the classic F8 at startup. If you want to know how to enter Windows 10 safe mode without losing your mind, today we'll teach you some shortcuts.
"Where is the F8?"
Tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap… Some people thought I had gone crazy, but it was a very common practice back then. Pressing F8 before Windows startup to enter its fail-safe mode was an everyday thing, always with the same goal: to make the operating system return from the darkness.
Things changed a lot over the years. The fail-safe mode is now called "safe mode", and on modern computers it is useless to press F8. Why? This official Microsoft publication (via Archive.org) explains that new editions of Windows start "too quickly" to be interrupted: On computers combining UEFI and SSDs, the "threshold" for pressing F8 is less than 200 milliseconds.
In other words, current use of F8 is usually limited to platforms with a classic BIOS. With that in mind, I imagine you want to know how to enter Windows 10 safe mode (and by extension, Windows 8.x), and today we'll share several routes for you to explore.
How to Enter Windows 10 Safe Mode
Shift+Restart
The method most frequently suggested due to its simplicity. You don't need to modify anything in the operating system: You only have to keep the Shift key pressed while clicking Restart. That will take you to the startup options menu on the next boot, where you can enter Troubleshoot - Advanced Options - Startup Settings, and click Restart. Safe Mode is option 4.
Msconfig
Another solid alternative that minimizes modifications. Open Msconfig, go to the Boot tab, check Safe boot and choose Minimal in its options. If you're experiencing video issues, don't hesitate to check the Base video option to force a standard VGA mode. The only major detail to keep in mind is that you will need to undo these changes once you enter safe mode. Otherwise, Windows 10 will keep booting into safe mode again and again.
Recovery Menu
The "new" settings section in Windows 10 has left many options behind, but safe mode is not one of them. The difference is that here it is called Advanced Startup, and it hides in the Recovery menu, under Update & Security. Click the Restart now button, and that will take you back to the startup options menu (same as Shift+Restart).
Induced Failure
Also called the "triple failure technique", Windows 10 will activate its automatic repair phase if it fails to start on the third attempt. The user can trigger/force automatic repair by pressing the Reset button or turning off the computer, thus interrupting the normal startup of the operating system. Windows 10 will ask us to log in with our account, finally offering access to advanced options.
USB Installation Drive
Another possibility to enter Windows 10 safe mode is to use a USB drive with an installation image of the operating system. Start the computer from the USB drive as if you were to "format" Windows 10, but instead of continuing with the normal process, click Repair your computer. Now, this startup options menu is different, and to enter Safe Mode from here, you must follow these steps:
- Click Troubleshoot
- Enter Command Prompt
- Type bcdedit /set {default} safeboot minimal and press Enter
- Once the operation is confirmed, close the command prompt
- Go back to the beginning, and restart the computer
This is equivalent to the Msconfig method (but without using that program), therefore, you will need to run it and go to the Boot tab to disable Safe boot once you are done.
Conclusion
We hope that one of these methods to enter Windows 10 safe mode is useful to you, but most importantly, we hope that you never have to use safe mode, and that your computer never fails. We know well that Windows can be very capricious and cause many headaches when it wants to. Good luck!
