How to access Safe Mode on Windows 11

In Safe Mode, Windows starts with a basic set of drivers and files needed to run the system. Everything else, including startup applications, networking, and the Command Prompt, is disabled in Safe Mode. This helps you determine if a program conflict or external hardware driver is causing your system to malfunction.

There are different types of Safe Modes and different ways to access them. If you need to diagnose your PC, here's how to boot into Safe Mode in Windows 11 on a computer that's acting up or won't start.

1. Boot into Safe Mode using the Microsoft System Configuration utility

You can boot into Safe Mode using the System Configuration utility, which is less intimidating than other methods. Another advantage is that it allows you to configure the desired Safe Mode (Standard, Networking, Command Prompt) before restarting, and also automatically sets your computer to boot into Safe Mode the next time you restart.

To boot into Safe Mode using the System Configuration utility:

1. Press Win + R to open Run , type msconfig and press OK . Or, click Start , type System Configuration and open the best match.

2. In the System Configuration window , open the Boot tab .

3. In Boot options , select Safe boot . By default, the default mode is set to Minimal . Depending on your requirements, you can switch between the Alternate Shell (Command Prompt) , Network , or Active Directory repair options .

4. The Advanced options dialog box provides more granular control over processor and memory usage. Leave it as default if you don't know what you're doing.

5. Once done, click OK >  Apply to save the changes.

6. Restart your computer to enter Safe Mode.

2. How to boot into Safe Mode using the Settings app

Another way to boot into Safe Mode is through the Settings app. You can use Recovery options to access Advanced Startup settings and then boot into Safe Mode. Here's how:

1. Press Win + I to open Settings .

2. In the System tab , scroll down and click the Recovery option .

3. Click the Restart now button to perform advanced boot.

4. Click the Restart now button to confirm the action.

5. In the Choose an option screen , click Troubleshoot .

6. Next, click Advanced options .

7. Click Start-up settings under Advanced options .

8. Click the Restart button to confirm and open startup settings. Windows will display several numbered options on your screen.

9. Press 4, 5, or 6 depending on the type of Safe Mode you want to boot into. Windows will now restart and enter Safe Mode.

To exit Safe Mode, restart your PC and Windows should start normally.

3. How to boot into Safe Mode from the lock screen

If you forgot your Windows password or can't sign in, you can boot into Safe Mode from the lock screen itself. Here's how:

1. Restart your PC.
2. While on the lock screen, press any key to view your login screen.
3. Click the Power/Shutdown button . Then, press and hold the Shift key and click Restart . If prompted to confirm, click Restart anyway .
4. Your computer will restart and display the Windows Recovery Environment. From here, go to Troubleshoot > Advanced Options > Start-up settings > Restart .
5. Press 4 to restart and enter Safe Mode.

Alternatively, you can also do this from the desktop. Click Start > Power and while holding the Shift key , click Restart .

4. Boot into Safe Mode using Command Prompt and WinRE

In addition to the steps above, you can use Command Prompt to restart your computer with advanced options enabled. Once in Windows RE, you can navigate to Startup Settings and access Safe Mode. Here's how to do it.

1. Press the Win key , type cmd , then right-click Command Prompt and select Run as administrator .

2. In the Command Prompt window, type the following command and press Enter to execute:

shutdown.exe /r /o

3. Click the Close button when the pop-up dialog box appears.

4. That's it! Windows will restart in a minute. So wait until your PC restarts and enters the Windows Recovery Environment.

5. In Windows RE, go to Troubleshoot > Advanced Options > Start-up settings > Restart .

6. After restarting, press the appropriate key to boot into Safe Mode.

5. Boot into Safe Mode when Windows fails to start

If Windows won't start or you can't see the login screen, you can still access Safe Mode using advanced startup options by enabling the Windows Recovery Environment.

While you can repeatedly press the F8 key during startup to access advanced startup options, this doesn't always work. Instead, you can force Windows to boot into the Windows Recovery Environment by intentionally shutting down your computer a few times during startup.

After two consecutive failed attempts, Windows will automatically start WinRE and grant access to advanced startup options. To do this:

1. Turn off your computer.
2. Press the Power button to turn on the PC.
3. Once it starts loading, press and hold the Power button to force shutdown. Repeat the steps to force shutdown again.
4. On the third try, press the power button, then let Windows load and boot into the Windows Recovery Environment.
5. In Choose an option , click Troubleshoot .
6. Then go to Advanced options > Start-up settings > Restart .
7. After rebooting, press 4, 5 or 6 to boot into Safe Mode with different options.

6. Perform Safe Boot using bootable USB and Command Prompt

If your computer is experiencing a serious system error or boot problem and cannot start normally, you can perform a Safe Boot using a bootable USB.

If you don't have installation media, create a Windows 11 bootable USB. Once you've created the bootable USB, continue with the steps below:

1. Connect the USB boot to your computer.

2. Press the Power button and start pressing the F9 key on HP laptops or F2 key on Lenovo laptops to bring up Boot Manager. The Boot Manager key may vary depending on your laptop/motherboard manufacturer.

3. In Boot Manager, use the arrow keys to select USB boot as the boot device. Press Enter to select the option to open the Windows Setup wizard.

4. In the Windows Setup wizard, click Next .

5. Then, click Repair your Computer in the lower left corner to enter Windows RE.

6. In Choose an option , go to Troubleshoot > Command Prompt .

7. In the Command Prompt window, type the following command and press Enter to change the Boot Configuration Data (BCD) file.

bcdedit /set {default} safeboot minimal

8. Additionally, to enable safe boot using the network, type the following command:

bcdedit /set {default} safeboot network

9. If successful, you will see a message that the operation was completed successfully.

10. Type exit and press Enter to close Command Prompt.

11. In Windows RE, click Continue . Windows will now restart in Safe Boot mode.