How to start Windows 10 in safe mode

How to start Windows 10 in safe mode - For a few days now your PC with Windows 10 installed has become terribly unstable or does it stop starting and you would like to ask your most trusted and expert friend to deal with it?

For a few days now your PC with Windows 10 installed has become terribly unstable or does it stop starting and you would like to ask your most trusted and expert friend to deal with it? Well, before proceeding this way why not try to do everything yourself by starting the computer in safe mode? Maybe this way you can solve it with your own hands, without having to ask other people for favors.

How do you say? This would also interest you, but being very impractical in terms of computer science and new technologies, are you afraid of not being able to start Windows 10 in safe mode at all ? Come on, don't be a coward! Apart from the fact that, contrary to appearances, it is a very simple operation to carry out but then I do not understand what you are worried about if I am here with you, ready and willing to provide you with all the explanations you need.

Come on then, take a few minutes of free time all for yourself, make yourself comfortable and concentrate on reading this article of mine entirely dedicated to the question. Unfortunately I cannot give you the absolute certainty that in the end all your difficulties related to the use of the PC will be solved but there are certainly a good chance if the malfunctions are due to problems at the software level. Then, as they say, trying doesn't hurt. Do not you think? Enjoy the reading!

What is Safe Mode

Before explaining what are the operations that must be performed to start Windows 10 in safe mode, it seems only right to provide you with some more info about the nature of this special feature, in case you don't know what I'm talking about, of course.

Safe mode, as the name implies, is nothing more than a particular boot mode in which the operating system loads only its essential components, thus avoiding running third-party programs or drivers that could be at the root of its malfunctions. . Using it, it is possible to restore access to Windows and remove the software (usually malware or incompatible drivers) underlying the PC problems without having to go to format it.

Its use is therefore very useful in all those situations in which the PC begins to "get mad" and cannot be solved in any other way. As I have already anticipated, the use of safe mode does not guarantee, however, the fact that the problems encountered can be solved and in the most extreme cases, formatting is still the only viable solution.

Now that you have a clearer idea of how Safe Mode works, let's try to figure out how to enable it on Windows 10 . As mentioned in the previous lines, on the surface it may seem like a difficult thing to do but in reality it is not.

If you have the possibility to access the system you can start the safe mode on your PC equipped with Windows 10 by intervening from the OS settings. You ask me how? I'll explain it to you right away. To begin with, click on the Start button located in the lower left corner (the Windows flag) and choose Settings (the gear icon) from the menu you see appear.

How to start Windows 10 in safe mode

In the window that opens, click on Update and security , select the Restore item from the left sidebar and press the Restart now button located under the heading Advanced startup .

Once this is done, it will load a few seconds and you will be shown all the options available for advanced computer startup. To view the menu that allows you to access Safe Mode, click on the Troubleshoot button , then on Advanced Options , then on Startup Settings and finally on Restart and then wait for the computer to restart.

When your PC restarts you will be shown a screen with all the Windows startup options. To enter the safe mode you have to press the 4 key on the PC keyboard, while if you want to activate the safe mode with network support (i.e. with the Internet connection enabled) you have to press the 5 key .

As an alternative to the method I have just indicated to you or if for one reason or another you cannot start your PC in safe mode as seen above, you can still succeed in your intent in another way. Which? Now I'll explain it to you.

To begin with, click on the Start button on the taskbar and then click on the Stop button (the Power symbol), move the cursor to Restart the system and click on it, taking care to press and keep pressing the Shift key on the keyboard at the same time.

Wait a few moments after which you will see the screen appear with all the options available for advanced computer startup. At this point, to access the safe mode, all you have to do is proceed as I indicated in the previous lines, when I explained how to enable it by intervening from the Windows settings.

Keep in mind that in addition to as I have just indicated, you can enable Safe Mode in Windows 10 by holding down the Shift key on the PC keyboard also by operating from the lock screen, by clicking on the Power button at the bottom right.

Start Windows 10 in Safe Mode from the Command Prompt

Another way to start Windows 10 in safe mode is the one that involves the use of the Run window and a special command.

Therefore, call up the Run window using the Win + R key combination on the keyboard after typing shutdown /r /oin the field next to the Open item and click on the OK button .

Windows will therefore restart and you will find yourself in front of the screen to access the safe mode in which you will have to click first on Troubleshoot , then on then on Advanced Options , then on Startup Settings and finally on Restart . So wait for the computer to restart and proceed as I indicated at the beginning of the article, when I explained how to start the system in safe mode by intervening from the settings of the same.

Alternatively, you can start Windows 10 in safe mode from the command prompt . To do this, type command prompt in the Start button search bar then right-click on its icon and select Run as administrator .

At this point, in the command prompt window , type bcdedit / set {default} safeboot minimalto start safe mode without networking, otherwise to start with networking type bcdedit / set {default} safeboot network. If you want to know more about how to use Command Prompt, I suggest you read my tutorial on the subject.

How to start Windows 10 in safe mode on power up

If difficulties are encountered in starting the system or if the computer is not shut down in the correct matter, the safe mode is proposed automatically by Windows 10. In the event of problems, Windows automatically opens an advanced start menu from which it is just click on View Advanced Recovery Options to access the menu to enter Safe Mode.

Then click on Advanced Options , then on Startup Settings and then on Restart and then proceed in the same way as I indicated at the beginning of the guide, when I show you how to access the safe mode from the Windows 10 settings.

What if you prefer to use the F8 key at startup to select Safe Mode, like with Windows 7

The computer does not want to know anything about starting in safe mode following the procedures I have already explained to you? Then try to intervene by acting from the OS recovery DVD or USB stick.

What you have to do is, essentially, insert the system installation disk or its pendrive with the installation files into the PC, boot from CD or USB (if you don't know how to do it you can read my article on how to enter the BIOS in which I have explained to you in detail how to proceed) and when prompted choose Restore the computer and then presses on Troubleshoot , then on Advanced Options , then on Startup Settings and finally on Restart .

Then proceed in the same way as I indicated in the previous lines, when I explained how to start the safe mode from the system settings.

How to start Windows 10 in safe mode without a password

? In this case, I have to give you bad news: on Windows 10 it is not possible to use this system, except by activating it from the Command Prompt .

To reactivate the Advanced Startup Options with F8 , enter the Command Prompt as administrator (just search for cmd in Start, right-click on the Prompt icon and select the entry to run it as administrator ) and enter the command bcdedit/set {default} bootmenu policy legacy.

Once this is done, restart your PC, then press the F8 key while the operating system is starting, in order to enter the Advanced Startup Options. On this screen, select Safe Mode , Safe Mode with Networking , or Safe Mode with Command Prompt using the directional arrows on your keyboard and pressing Enter on the desired one.

Start Windows 10 in safe mode from boot

Upon restarting in Safe Mode, Windows 10 may ask you to enter a password in place of your passcode. This is the administrator password, which is required to log into the operating system. To avoid this problem, you need to start Windows 10 in Safe Mode with Networking .

To do this, follow the steps mentioned in the previous chapter, pressing the 5 key ( Safe Mode with Networking ability ) when you are asked to select one of the options. This will allow you to use Safe Mode and log into the web, so you can enter your Microsoft account credentials to log into the operating system in case you are prompted for a password at startup.

However, keep in mind that while using the safe mode, the operating system will not be protected by the antivirus and therefore will be exposed to potential risks. I therefore suggest you to use this mode only if you need to solve some problems of your PC, for which you need to access the Web.

Exit Safe Mode

When you're done using Windows 10 in Safe Mode, you can exit Safe Mode by simply restarting your computer. To do this, click on the Start button located in the bottom left corner of the taskbar, click on the Stop button located on the left side of the menu that has opened and then on the item Restart the system .

If, on the other hand, you prefer to restart the system manually, you can select the option Shut down the system and, when the computer is turned off, you can turn it on again by pressing the appropriate Power button .

In addition to this, as I have just indicated, you can exit Safe Mode on Windows 10 using the System Configuration tool . To use it, open the Run dialog box using the Win + R key combination, then type msconfig in the attached field next to the Open item in the window that opened on the desktop and click the OK button .

From the System Configuration window that opened, make sure that the General tab is selected (and if not, do it yourself) then choose the Normal Startup option that you find in the Startup Selection section, select the Startup Options tab and remove the check from the Safe Mode item that you find under the heading Boot Options .

To conclude, click on the Apply button and on Ok in order to confirm and apply the changes made and then click on Restart in response to the start that you see appear on the screen.

Alternative solutions to the problems encountered

Even having started Windows 10 in safe mode, have you not been able to cope with your problems? I'm sorry, but that doesn't mean you'll have to throw your computer away. In fact, before giving up, I suggest you do a nice formatting and see if you can solve it in this way. If the problems are of a software nature, you will almost certainly be able to cope with it by proceeding in this way. If not, you may need to replace some parts of your station.

As for formatting, if you don't know how to do it, you can follow the instructions I gave you in my article dedicated to how to format Windows 10 . As for the replacement of one or more parts of the PC, if you are not very experienced on what to do I suggest you contact a specialized service center (even better for the brand of your PC) in your area.

If, on the other hand, you have a minimum of computer skills, you own a laptop and you want to try your hand at the enterprise, you can consult my article dedicated to how to disassemble a laptop to understand what steps to take to be able to complete the whole procedure. But I recommend, if something is not clear to you or if you do not know where to put your hands, forget it ... otherwise you risk doing a much worse damage than the existing one!