How to Boot Windows in Safe Mode | Shift+Restart, msconfig, and Command Methods

Windows Safe Mode is a diagnostic environment that starts your PC with only the bare minimum drivers and services. It's the go-to tool when your computer won't behave normally, when you need to remove malware, or when a newly installed driver is causing a Blue Screen of Death. There are several ways to get into Safe Mode — Shift+Restart, msconfig, the Settings app, and bcdedit — and the right one depends entirely on your situation. This guide covers every method for Windows 11 (through 24H2) and Windows 10, organized by whether Windows can boot normally or not.

Table of Contents

1. What is Windows Safe Mode: how it works and when to use it
   1. The three types of Safe Mode explained
   2. When Safe Mode is the right tool
2. Quick reference: recommended method by situation
3. Shift+Restart: the easiest method (when Windows boots normally)
   1. Steps from the Start menu
   2. Choosing Safe Mode from the Startup Settings screen
4. msconfig: lock the next boot into Safe Mode
   1. Enabling Safe Boot
   2. Disabling it afterward — this step is critical
5. Via the Settings app (Windows 11 / 10)
6. Can't sign in? Use Shift+Restart from the sign-in screen
7. PC won't start: entering Safe Mode via Automatic Repair
8. Booting from Windows installation media
9. Command-line method with bcdedit
   1. Enabling Safe Mode via bcdedit
   2. Removing the setting when you're done — do not skip this
10. Common tasks you can accomplish in Safe Mode
11. How to exit Safe Mode and return to normal Windows
12. Frequently asked questions
    1. Will Safe Mode ask for my password?
    2. My mouse or external keyboard isn't recognized
    3. The screen resolution looks very low
13. Summary: Safe Mode method checklist

What is Windows Safe Mode: how it works and when to use it

Safe Mode starts Windows with only essential drivers and services loaded. Third-party drivers and startup programs are disabled, which makes it easy to determine whether one of them is causing a problem — if the issue disappears in Safe Mode, you've found your culprit.

The three types of Safe Mode explained

For most troubleshooting, plain Safe Mode is all you need. Choose Safe Mode with Networking if you need to download an antivirus update or connect to a support session remotely.

When Safe Mode is the right tool

• A newly installed driver is causing Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) crashes
• You need to remove malware or a malicious program safely
• An application can't be uninstalled while Windows is running normally
• You want to roll back to a System Restore point
• The screen goes black immediately after Windows starts and the PC is unusable

Quick reference: recommended method by situation

Shift+Restart: the easiest method (when Windows boots normally)

If Windows is running normally, Shift+Restart is the quickest and most straightforward way to reach Safe Mode. No extra software or configuration is required.

Steps from the Start menu

These steps work on both Windows 11 and Windows 10.

1. Click the Start button (bottom-left corner on Windows 10; centered on Windows 11).
2. Click the Power icon to open the shutdown / restart menu.
3. Hold the Shift key and click "Restart."
4. When the "Choose an option" screen appears, navigate to Troubleshoot → Advanced options → Startup Settings → Restart.
5. After the PC reboots, a numbered list of startup options is displayed.

Choosing Safe Mode from the Startup Settings screen

On the Startup Settings screen, press the number key that corresponds to the mode you want.

Press the corresponding key and Windows will start in Safe Mode. If you see the word "Safe Mode" displayed in each corner of the desktop, the boot was successful.

msconfig: lock the next boot into Safe Mode

The msconfig (System Configuration) tool lets you make Safe Mode the default boot option until you manually turn it off — useful when your task requires multiple reboots. The critical catch: if you forget to disable the setting when you're finished, your PC will keep booting into Safe Mode every single time.

Enabling Safe Boot

1. Press Windows key + R to open the Run dialog.
2. Type msconfig and click OK.
3. In the System Configuration window, click the Boot tab.
4. Under "Boot options," check the Safe boot checkbox.
5. Leave the sub-option set to Minimal for standard Safe Mode. Select Network if you need internet access in Safe Mode.
6. Click OK and restart the PC.

Disabling it afterward — this step is critical

Leaving Safe Boot enabled means every reboot will land in Safe Mode — you will not be able to return to normal Windows without taking action. Once your work in Safe Mode is done, clear the setting immediately:

1. In Safe Mode, press Windows key + R, type msconfig, and press Enter.
2. On the Boot tab, uncheck the Safe boot checkbox.
3. Click OK and restart.

Windows will now boot normally. A good habit: as soon as you enable Safe Boot, jot down a reminder to disable it before you shut down for the day.

Via the Settings app (Windows 11 / 10)

The Settings app's Recovery menu can also send you to the Advanced options screen. The end result is identical to Shift+Restart, but it's a useful alternative if reaching the Power button is inconvenient.

On Windows 11:

1. Open Start → Settings (the gear icon).
2. In the left sidebar, go to System → Recovery.
3. Under "Recovery options," find "Advanced startup" and click "Restart now."
4. After the restart, follow the path: Troubleshoot → Advanced options → Startup Settings → Restart.

On Windows 10:

1. Open Start → Settings → Update & Security → Recovery.
2. Under "Advanced startup," click "Restart now."
3. Continue from the "Choose an option" screen as described above.

Can't sign in? Use Shift+Restart from the sign-in screen

Even if you've forgotten your password or PIN and can't get past the sign-in screen, you can still reach Safe Mode from there — no login required.

1. On the Windows sign-in screen, click the Power icon in the bottom-right corner.
2. Hold Shift and click "Restart."
3. Navigate to Troubleshoot → Advanced options → Startup Settings → Restart.
4. On the Startup Settings screen, press 4 for Safe Mode or 5 for Safe Mode with Networking.

Note that once Safe Mode loads, Windows may still ask for a password to sign in. If prompted, try your Microsoft account password.

PC won't start: entering Safe Mode via Automatic Repair

When Windows crashes before reaching the desktop, Windows will automatically launch Automatic Repair after three consecutive failed boot attempts. From that screen you can navigate to Advanced options and into Safe Mode.

How to trigger Automatic Repair intentionally

1. Power on the PC. As soon as the Windows logo appears, hold the power button for 4–5 seconds to force a shutdown.
2. Repeat this three times in a row.
3. On the third attempt, Windows should display the "Automatic Repair" or "Recovery" screen instead of trying to boot normally.
4. Click "Advanced options."
5. Navigate to Troubleshoot → Advanced options → Startup Settings → Restart.
6. Press 4, 5, or 6 to select your preferred Safe Mode variant.

If the Automatic Repair screen does not appear, try booting from Windows installation media as described in the next section.

Booting from Windows installation media

When Windows won't start at all and Automatic Repair doesn't appear, a bootable Windows USB drive is your last resort. You'll need either a Windows 11 / 10 installation USB or a Windows recovery drive.

Preparing the media

• On a working PC, download the Media Creation Tool from Microsoft's website and use it to create a bootable USB drive (8 GB or larger) with Windows 11 or Windows 10.

Booting from the USB drive

1. Insert the USB drive into the PC and power it on.
2. As soon as the manufacturer logo appears, repeatedly press the BIOS / boot menu key for your system — commonly Del, F2, F10, or F12 (varies by manufacturer).
3. In the boot menu, select the USB drive as the first boot device and restart.
4. When the Windows Setup screen appears, do not click "Install now." Instead, click "Repair your computer" in the lower-left corner.
5. Navigate to Troubleshoot → Advanced options → Startup Settings → Restart.
6. Select your Safe Mode variant by pressing the corresponding number key.

Command-line method with bcdedit

The bcdedit command lets you configure Safe Mode from an elevated Command Prompt or PowerShell session — ideal for scripted deployments or environments where the GUI is unavailable. Administrator privileges are required.

Enabling Safe Mode via bcdedit

Open an elevated Command Prompt or PowerShell window (right-click Start → "Windows Terminal (Admin)" or "Command Prompt (Admin)") and run one of the following.

Safe Mode (minimal):

bcdedit /set {default} safeboot minimal

Safe Mode with Networking:

bcdedit /set {default} safeboot network

Restart the PC and it will boot into Safe Mode.

Removing the setting when you're done — do not skip this

Failing to remove the safeboot entry means every subsequent restart will land in Safe Mode. Run this command to restore normal boot behavior:

bcdedit /deletevalue {default} safeboot

You can run this command from within Safe Mode's Command Prompt (if you booted into "Safe Mode with Command Prompt"), then restart to return to Windows normally.

Common tasks you can accomplish in Safe Mode

Here are the most typical operations people perform once they're in Safe Mode.

Remove a problematic driver

Right-click Start → Device Manager. Find the device showing a yellow exclamation mark, right-click it, and select "Uninstall device." On the next normal boot, Windows will reinstall the driver fresh — or you can install the correct version yourself.

Uninstall a stubborn application

Go to Settings → Apps → Installed apps and remove any application that wouldn't uninstall under normal Windows. Note that some apps' uninstallers may not run correctly in Safe Mode either.

Run a malware scan

Use Windows Defender's offline scan, or boot into Safe Mode with Networking to download and run an up-to-date third-party malware removal tool. Because resident malware is disabled alongside other startup programs, the scan has a much better chance of finding and removing it.

Run System Restore

Search for "restore" in the Start menu and open "Create a restore point" → "System Restore." Choose a restore point from before the problem began. This is one of the most reliable ways to undo a bad driver or system change.

How to exit Safe Mode and return to normal Windows

How you leave Safe Mode depends on how you entered it.

If you used Shift+Restart, Automatic Repair, or installation media, a simple restart is all it takes to return to normal Windows. Only msconfig and bcdedit require an explicit undo step — and if you forget it, you'll be stuck in Safe Mode until you do.

Frequently asked questions

Will Safe Mode ask for my password?

Yes. Safe Mode does not bypass Windows authentication. You'll need to enter your Microsoft account password or local account password — whichever your account uses. Windows will typically ask for the password rather than a PIN in Safe Mode.

My mouse or external keyboard isn't recognized

Safe Mode loads only essential drivers, so some USB peripherals may not work. A laptop's built-in keyboard and trackpad almost always work. If you're on a desktop with only a USB keyboard, try a different keyboard or — if you have one — a PS/2 keyboard, which relies on a driver that Safe Mode does load.

The screen resolution looks very low

Safe Mode uses the Microsoft Basic Display Adapter, which limits the display to a low resolution — often 800×600 or 1024×768. This is completely normal. Text and images will look blocky, but the PC is fully functional for troubleshooting tasks.

Summary: Safe Mode method checklist

Use this table to jump straight to the right method for your situation.

The Shift+Restart method is the one you'll reach for most often. For msconfig and bcdedit, remember: forgetting to disable Safe Boot traps your PC in a Safe Mode loop — so treat the undo step as part of the task, not an afterthought.