One of the most useful tools in Windows 10 is Safe Mode. This mode starts your PC with only the essential drivers and services required to run Windows. Usually, you would use this mode to troubleshoot startup issues or driver problems. In some cases, you may need to reinstall Windows 10 in Safe Mode.
Starting Your PC in Safe Mode
To start your PC in Safe Mode, do the following:
- Go to Settings > Update & Security > Recovery.
- Under Advanced startup, select Restart now.
- After your PC restarts to the Choose an option screen, select Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Settings > Restart.
- After your PC restarts again, you should see a list of options. Select 4 or press F4 to start your PC in Safe Mode.
If you can’t boot into Windows 10
you can use the Recovery Environment to start your PC in Safe Mode. To do this, follow these steps:
- Go to Recovery Options > Advanced options > Startup Settings.
- Click Restart.
- After your PC restarts, you should see a list of options. Select 4 or press F4 to start your PC in Safe Mode.
If you’re using Windows 7 or 8
you can use the System Configuration tool to easily start your PC in Safe Mode. To do this, follow these steps:
- Go to Start > type “msconfig” and press Enter.
- Under the Boot tab, select Safe boot and click OK.
- When prompted, click Restart. After your PC restarts, you should see the Safe Mode option in the lower-left corner.
If you can’t boot into Windows 10
or use the Recovery Environment, you can use a USB drive to start your PC in Safe Mode. To do this, follow these steps:
- Go to Create a recovery drive > Next.
- Select the USB drive you want to use > Next.
- Make sure the back up system files to the recovery drive checkbox is selected > Next.
- Click Create. Once the process is finished, click Finish.
- Plug in the USB drive and restart your PC.
- When prompted, press any key to boot from the USB drive.
- Select your language preferences and click Next.
- On the Choose an option screen, select Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Settings > Restart.
- After your PC restarts, you should see a list of options. Select 4 or press F4 to start your PC in Safe Mode.
If you’re using Windows Vista
you can use the Recovery Environment to start your PC in Safe Mode. To do this, follow these steps:
- Go to Start > All Programs > Accessories > System Tools > Recovery Manager.
- Click the Advanced options button.
- On the Advanced Boot Options screen, select Safe Mode and press Enter.
- After your PC restarts, you should see the Safe Mode option in the lower-left corner.
How to get out of safe mode windows 10
- Go to Settings > Update & Security > Recovery.
- Under Advanced startup, select Restart now.
- After your PC restarts to the Choose an option screen, select Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Settings > Restart.
- Once your PC restarts, select 3 or press F3 to exit Safe Mode.