How To Boot To Safe Mode On Windows 10
Windows 10 safe mode is a restricted diagnostic environment that has been part of Windows for many years. In safe mode, Windows starts with a minimal set of drivers and services, disabling most startup items, third-party services, and nonessential drivers. Some built-in tools and even some third-party programs can still be opened manually in this state. Safe mode is a powerful tool that can help you troubleshoot a system when something goes wrong. If you’re getting random prompts, screen glitches, or you suspect you have a hardware or software problem on your hands, it can be a good way to narrow down the cause. Here’s how to boot into safe mode on Windows 10.
Windows 10 Safe Mode: Two Easy Methods
There are several different ways to boot to safe mode on Windows 10, but the two we’re listing here are the simplest to use. Both methods take you to the same recovery environment, so choose whichever is more convenient for your situation. According to Microsoft’s official support documentation, safe mode loads Windows with a minimal set of drivers and services, making it easier to isolate the source of a problem.
Once you reach the Startup Settings screen, Windows gives you three Safe Mode options. Here is what each one does and when to use it:
- 4 — Safe Mode: Loads Windows with the bare minimum of drivers and services, with no network access. Best for diagnosing driver conflicts, rolling back a bad update, or removing stubborn software.
- 5 — Safe Mode with Networking: Adds the network drivers and services needed for internet access. Use this when you need to download a replacement driver, run an online malware scanner, or pull a file from a network share while troubleshooting.
- 6 — Safe Mode with Command Prompt: Loads Command Prompt as the shell instead of the normal Windows desktop. This is the right choice for advanced repair tasks such as running System File Checker (sfc /scannow), editing registry entries from the command line, or recovering files when the graphical environment will not load.
Boot Windows 10 Safe Mode via Power Button
Open the Start menu and click the power button. You will see a ‘Restart’ option in this menu, along with the shut down option. Hold down the Shift key and click the Restart option. This keyboard shortcut is one of the quickest ways to reach the recovery environment without navigating through settings menus.
You will boot to the Troubleshoot screen. Click Troubleshoot > Advanced Options > See more recovery options > Startup settings > Restart.
When you finally restart, you will see a list of options for restarting the system. Tap the number key that corresponds to restarting in safe mode. It ought to be the 4 key, but go through the list carefully in case you have more or fewer options than expected. If you need networking access while troubleshooting — for example, to download a driver update — choose option 5 instead, which boots into Safe Mode with Networking.
Settings App
Open the Settings app and go to the Update and Security group of settings. Go to the Recovery tab. Scroll down to the Advanced Startup section, and click the Restart Now button. This method is especially useful if your system is currently running and you want a clean, controlled way to enter the recovery environment.
When your system restarts, you will see the troubleshoot options. Follow this path to boot into safe mode on Windows 10:
Troubleshoot > Advanced Options > See more recovery options > Startup settings > Restart
Again, tap the 4 key to boot into safe mode. If you need internet access during your troubleshooting session, tap 5 to enable Safe Mode with Networking instead.
When you’re in safe mode, a watermark appears on all four corners of your screen indicating that you are in safe mode. The wallpaper is also disabled, as are all personalization settings. This visual indicator makes it easy to confirm at a glance that you are running in the restricted environment and not in normal mode.
Use msconfig to Boot Into Safe Mode
If you are already signed in to Windows and want to guarantee that the next restart lands you in Safe Mode, System Configuration (msconfig) is the most direct route. This method is particularly handy when the Shift + Restart shortcut is unavailable or inconvenient.
- Press Win + R to open the Run dialog, type msconfig, and press Enter.
- In the System Configuration window, click the Boot tab.
- Under Boot options, check the Safe boot box.
- Select Minimal for standard Safe Mode, or Network if you need internet access.
- Click Apply, then OK, and restart your PC when prompted.
Important warning: Unlike the Shift + Restart method, the msconfig Safe boot setting is persistent. Your PC will keep booting into Safe Mode on every restart until you manually clear the setting. Once you have finished troubleshooting, open msconfig again, go to the Boot tab, uncheck Safe boot, click Apply > OK, and restart to return to normal Windows.
How to Start Windows 10 in Safe Mode When It Won’t Boot
If Windows will not load far enough to reach the desktop, the Shift + Restart shortcut and the Settings app are both out of reach. In that situation, you can force Windows into the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE) manually, and then navigate to Startup Settings from there.
Force WinRE using the power button:
- Power on your PC. As soon as you see the Windows logo or the spinning dots appear, press and hold the power button until the machine shuts off.
- Power it back on and repeat this interruption two or three times.
- After the second or third interrupted boot, Windows will display a Preparing Automatic Repair message, followed by the recovery screen.
- From the recovery screen, go to Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Settings > Restart.
- After the restart, press 4 for Safe Mode, 5 for Safe Mode with Networking, or 6 for Safe Mode with Command Prompt.
Fallback: Boot from a Windows installation USB
If WinRE will not load even after multiple interrupted boots, you can reach the same recovery options using a Windows 10 installation USB drive. Insert the drive, boot from it (you may need to change the boot order in your BIOS or UEFI firmware), and on the initial setup screen choose Repair your computer rather than Install now. This takes you into WinRE, where you can navigate to Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Settings to reach Safe Mode, or open a Command Prompt for more advanced recovery work.
How to Exit Windows 10 Safe Mode
For most users who entered Safe Mode through the Shift + Restart shortcut or the Advanced Startup option in Settings, simply restarting your PC is all it takes to return to normal Windows. Those methods boot into Safe Mode only once, so the next restart automatically loads Windows normally.
However, if your PC keeps booting back into Safe Mode after a restart, it means Safe Mode was enabled through msconfig or a bcdedit safeboot setting and needs to be cleared manually. To fix this, press Win + R, type msconfig, and press Enter. Go to the Boot tab, uncheck Safe boot, click Apply > OK, and restart. Your PC will then return to normal startup.
You should be aware that any changes you make while in Windows 10 safe mode will carry over when you return to normal mode. For example, if you rolled back a driver, removed a device, or disabled a startup task, those changes will stick after a restart. This is actually one of the most useful aspects of safe mode — you can make fixes in the restricted environment and have them apply immediately once you reboot normally.
It is also worth noting that not all software will function correctly in safe mode. Third-party applications, antivirus programs, and many background services are intentionally blocked from running. This is by design, as the goal of safe mode is to give you a clean, minimal environment where you can identify whether a problem is caused by a third-party program or a core Windows component. If an issue disappears in safe mode, it is almost certainly caused by software or a driver that runs in normal mode.
