Safe Mode starts Windows with the smallest set of drivers and services it can run on. Third-party drivers do not load, startup programs do not launch, and most security software stays out of the way — which is exactly why it is the right environment for removing a driver that is crashing the machine or uninstalling software that will not let go.
There are three ways in, and which one you use depends on whether Windows still starts.
Checked October 2026. Applies to Windows 11 and Windows 10 22H2. The F8 key no longer works on its own — fast boot made the key-press window too short to catch reliably.
Method 1: from Settings, when Windows starts normally
- Press Win + I to open Settings.
- Go to System → Recovery.
- Next to Advanced startup, select Restart now.
- After the restart, choose Troubleshoot → Advanced options → Startup Settings → Restart.
- Press 4 for Safe Mode, or 5 for Safe Mode with Networking.
Method 2: from the sign-in screen
Useful when you can reach the login screen but not the desktop.
- At the sign-in screen, select the power icon in the bottom right.
- Hold Shift and select Restart. Keep holding until the blue recovery screen appears.
- Follow the same path: Troubleshoot → Advanced options → Startup Settings → Restart, then 4.
Method 3: when Windows will not start at all
Windows enters recovery by itself after three failed boots. You can force that:
- Power the PC on.
- As soon as the manufacturer logo or the spinning dots appear, hold the power button until it powers off.
- Repeat twice more. On the third start Windows opens Automatic Repair.
- Choose Advanced options and continue as above.
Interrupting boot deliberately is a legitimate recovery route, but it is still an unclean shutdown. Use it when you have no other way in, not as a shortcut — and never while Windows is installing updates.
If the drive is encrypted
BitLocker asks for the 48-digit recovery key before letting you into recovery. Find it before you need it, at account.microsoft.com/devices/recoverykey. Without it, none of the above is available.
Which option to choose
| Key | Option | Use it for |
|---|---|---|
| 4 | Safe Mode | Removing a driver or program. No internet. |
| 5 | Safe Mode with Networking | When you need to download a driver or look something up. |
| 6 | Safe Mode with Command Prompt | When Explorer itself is broken. |
Start with 4. Networking loads the network stack and its drivers, which is more surface area than you want if a network driver is the suspect.
What it is actually good for
- Removing a graphics driver cleanly before installing a different version — the standard step when a display driver is crashing. See our guide to VIDEO_DXGKRNL_FATAL_ERROR.
- Uninstalling software that will not uninstall because a running service blocks it.
- Running a malware scan where the threat cannot load its own startup entries.
- Testing whether a third-party driver is the cause. If the machine is stable here and unstable normally, the fault is in something that does not load in this environment.
- Reaching System Restore when the desktop is unusable — see creating and using a restore point.
Getting back out
Normally you just restart and Windows boots as usual. If it keeps coming back, something has set the boot configuration to force it — most often msconfig:
- Press Win + R, type
msconfig, press Enter. - On the Boot tab, clear Safe boot.
- Select OK and restart.
Or from an elevated Command Prompt:
bcdedit /deletevalue {current} safebootWhat does not work here
Expect these to be unavailable, because the drivers behind them are not loaded: sound, printing, most USB peripherals beyond keyboard and mouse, and the correct screen resolution. The low resolution and large icons are normal and not a fault.
Windows Update also will not install while in this state, which is deliberate — a half-applied update in a minimal environment is worse than no update.
Frequently asked questions
Why does pressing F8 not work any more?
Modern boot is fast enough that the detection window is unreliable. The recovery environment replaced it. You can re-enable the legacy menu with bcdedit /set {default} bootmenupolicy legacy, at the cost of a slightly slower boot.
Will my files be deleted?
No. This is a different way of starting the same Windows installation. Nothing is removed and your files are where you left them.
Can I use the internet in Safe Mode?
Only if you choose the networking option with 5. The plain mode loads no network drivers at all.
My PC boots fine here but not normally. What does that tell me?
That the fault is in something that only loads during a normal start — a third-party driver, a startup program, or a service. Use msconfig to disable non-Microsoft services in halves, or see disabling startup programs.
Is it safe to leave the machine in this state?
It works, but you have no sound, no printing and reduced graphics, and updates will not install. Treat Safe Mode as a workshop rather than a place to live: get in, fix the thing, get out.
