Disclaimer: This article was published on our site two years ago. However, the methods described in it then partially stopped working. At the moment, the article is updated and relevant, everything written below has been checked on Windows 8.1 Updated.
I'll tell you about three ways to boot into Safe Mode:
- Using the system shutdown menu - works when the system boots at least to the user selection screen;
- Through the msconfig utility - works only if it is possible to run it;
- Using a system recovery disc is a more time-consuming method and will help those who do not boot the G8.
1. Boot in safe mode by shutting down the system
This is the easiest and fastest option. It works regardless of whether the user is logged in to his account or not. Hover the mouse over the system shutdown menu, and hold down the Shift key and select "Restart".
After a short wait, the system recovery menu will open. An alternative way to launch this menu is to type in the command line command:
Here we are interested in the "Diagnostics" section. We go along the path "Diagnostics" - "Additional parameters" - "Boot parameters".
At the exit, we will be greeted by a boot options window with a detailed description of what we get after restarting Windows.
We press "Restart" and select the key corresponding to the desired of the proposed parameters:
- F4 - to start safe mode;
- F5 - to start safe mode with loading network drivers;
- F6 - similar, only with command line support.
As a result, Windows 8.1 will boot into Safe Mode.
To return to normal Windows operation, simply reboot the system.
2. Entering Safe Mode through the System Configuration Utility
You can get into safe mode in another way, which requires logging into a Windows 8 account. To start the configuration settings, open the search, enter and run the utility.
Switch to the "Boot" tab and check the box next to Safe Mode.
You can also choose the type of safe mode:
- Minimum is the normal safe mode;
- The other shell is safe mode with command line support;
- Networking is safe mode with network drivers loaded.
After selecting the desired boot option, click Ok and restart your computer. As a result, it will automatically boot into Safe Mode.
If you restart your computer again, it will go back to Safe Mode, and it will be like this all the time. To return to normal system boot, open msconfig and uncheck the checkbox, click the Ok button, and reboot the system.
3. Using the recovery disc
The two methods shown above allow you to start Safe Mode while the system is running. But what if Windows 8 won't boot at all and the Shift + F8 keyboard shortcut doesn't work? In this case, you will need a recovery disk that you, as a prepared user, created in advance. No? Then you need to create it and act according to the scheme described below.
It is very simple to create a Windows 8 recovery disc - a creation utility is included in the standard G8 package. We launch it and act as directed by the program, everything is very simple and intuitive there (the process of creating a bootable flash drive can be seen in the video at the end of the article). The only requirement for a disk / flash drive is that the media must contain at least 256 MB of data.
So you have a recovery disc. You need to boot from it and select one of the suggested keyboard layouts. After that, follow the path "Diagnostics" - "Additional parameters" - "Command line" (you will not see a direct link to boot the system in safe mode).
Select the command line and enter:
bcdedit / set (globalsettings) advancedoptions true
After receiving a message about a successful operation, close the command line and select "Continue".
The long-awaited menu appears before us.
We select what we need and boot.
There is one point: after the steps described above, Windows 8 will always offer this menu at startup. To return to normal boot mode, enter the following command at the command line:
bcdedit / deletevalue (globalsettings) advancedoptions
We've looked at three ways to launch Command Prompt under Windows 8.1. Hope they can help you bring your crashed system back to life or troubleshoot your problems.
Finally, a video, which describes everything that is written in this article, only more briefly.
Subscribe to our Youtube channel. See you!
Loading Safe Mode in Windows 7 was not difficult, because all the user had to do was press the F8 function key before starting the system.
However, in Windows 8.1 and Windows 10, the developers decided to abandon this boot method.
Booting the computer in safe mode is one of the most important functions of the OS. This is a special mode of the OS, which is intended primarily for troubleshooting various kinds of problems and malfunctions in the system itself
In most cases, these failures are caused by programs and drivers, which, for example, can prevent Windows from starting correctly. When the computer boots in safe mode, only the basic drivers of the system itself are launched, which gives us the opportunity to remove third-party software, including incorrectly installed drivers. By the way, I recommend reading the article "Installing Drivers or". Following these simple rules will ensure that your drivers are installed and run correctly.
As I said above, due to objective reasons, including to increase the boot speed of new Windows 8.1 and Windows 10 systems, it was decided to refuse to load Safe Mode using the F8 function key, which caused certain inconveniences among users. And today we will look at three of the easiest ways to boot Windows 8.1 and Windows 10 in Safe Mode.
1. Key "SHIFT" + Restart
The first method is to use the SHIFT key while restarting the computer. Press and hold the "SHIFT" key on the keyboard, then select "Start" and on the "Shutdown" option using the right mouse button, find the "Restart" item.
You can do the same on the Windows login screen or in the Options panel (as shown in the screenshot).
Before us is the "Diagnostics" section. Here you should select the "Advanced options" item.
In the section "Additional parameters" we are interested in the item "Download parameters".
Depending on what parameters you need, select the appropriate item. In our case, these are the function keys F4, F5 or F6.
2. Utility "msconfig"
Most users are familiar with this method from previous versions of Windows. To implement it, we need to run the system configuration utility "msconfig".
We use the key combination Win + R ("Run") or through the "Search" on the "Taskbar" enter the command "msconfig" (without quotes). We indicate for which system (if there are several of them) you need to start safe mode, and mark the required item with a tick, remembering to press the "Apply" and "OK" buttons.
To return to normal Windows boot, you will need to run the utility again and uncheck the box next to the previously marked "Safe Mode" item.
3. Special boot options
The easiest way to boot Windows 10 and Windows 8.1 Safe Mode is through the "Special Boot Options" item. Just click on "Options" and go to the "Update and Security" section.
Often, to solve certain problems that arise in the process of using a computer, it becomes necessary to boot the operating system in Safe Mode or Safe Mode. Booting the operating system in safe mode will help restore its performance in case of damage or instability, and is also a prerequisite for performing many other tasks that inevitably arise during the operation of a PC.
In particular, booting the system in safe mode is necessary for the correct removal of traces of antivirus software on the computer. If you want to completely remove from the system, for example, Kaspersky Anti-Virus, or any other anti-virus software, then you simply cannot do without loading Windows in safe mode.
So how do you get your Windows 8 or Windows 8.1 PC to run in Safe Mode?
The Windows 8 operating system, in comparison with its predecessor - Windows 7, has significantly changed and underwent a number of changes that have affected not only the interface, but also the functionality. However, along with the innovations from the new operating system, some of the functions that many users love, for example, such as the "Start" button and "Desktop Gadgets", disappeared (you can learn how to return desktop gadgets to Windows 8 and Windows 8.1).
The simple way to enter safe mode has also changed - pressing the F8 key when booting a PC, which traditionally worked in previous versions of the operating system from Microsoft (XP, Vista, Windows 7 and others), became no longer available in the new operating system.
On some computers, the key combination Shift + F8 may work to enter Safe Mode, but for most users this login method will most likely be useless.
And so, consider at least two ways that will allow you to boot our operating system in safe mode.
The first method is to boot the operating system in safe mode using Windows System Configuration (msconfig). This method is universal and is relevant not only for Windows 8 \\ 8.1, but also for Windows 7, including earlier editions of Microsoft Windows. The first thing to do is to use the standard Windows tool - "Run" to enter literally the following phrase: msconfig, as shown in the screenshot.
This utility can be invoked with the Win + R keyboard shortcut or, for example, using the context menu of the Start button (shown using the example of Windows 8.1).
In the "System Configuration" window that appears, select the "Boot" tab and mark the "Safe Mode" item, mark "Minimum", as in the image.
After rebooting, the operating system will start in safe mode. You can make sure that your computer is really working in safe mode by the presence of the corresponding inscription in the corner of the screen, you will also immediately notice that the desktop icons are now displayed on a black background, and look like other elements of the environment, somewhat larger, due to the fact that the video driver is disabled (as a rule, other drivers are also disabled).
In order to exit safe mode, it is necessary to do the above steps in reverse order, that is, uncheck the box we previously set from the "Safe mode" item and restart the computer, otherwise the operating system will boot in safe mode cyclically (constantly).
The second method involves booting in safe mode using the interface of the Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 operating systems directly. In turn, there are two ways here, the first: parameters (we move the mouse pointer to the upper or lower right corner of the screen, you can also use the Win + I keyboard shortcut).
In the "PC Settings" select the item "Update and Recovery".
On the left side of the screen, select "Recovery" and click "Restart now" in the "Special boot options" section.
After the reboot, this menu opens.
Can't boot Windows 8 or Windows 8.1 in Safe Mode? You press F8 or Shift + F8, but it doesn't get you anywhere? Booting up a new operating system from Microsoft has become so fast that it is not always possible to interrupt it with keystrokes.
You can enter safe mode Windows 8 or 8.1 in 5 different ways, any of them will allow you to start the system on Windows 8-8.1 safely!
Safe Mode in Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 is practically the same as in earlier OS versions.
The operating system still only loads the most basic drivers and services. The only noticeable difference is that the minimum screen resolution in Safe Mode has increased from 800x600 pixels to 1024x768 pixels.
1. Use the System Configuration tool (Msconfig.exe)
As with, the easiest way to boot into Safe Mode is to use System Configuration, also known as msconfig.exe.
Run it, go to the "Boot" tab and activate the "Safe Mode" option in the boot options. Then click on the "OK" button.
Next, you will see a message that you need to restart your computer. Click Restart or Quit without restarting, depending on whether you want the computer to restart now or later.
The next time you start Windows 8 (Windows 8.1) will boot into Safe Mode.
2. Use the combination Shift + Restart
Press the power button on the Windows logon screen or in the Settings Charm. Then press and hold the SHIFT key on your keyboard and hit Restart.
Windows will prompt you for an option. Select "Diagnostics".
On the Diagnostics screen, click the More Options button.
On the screen with more options, click Boot Options.
When your computer restarts, a list of 9 options will appear on the screen, including three types of Safe Mode.
Press F4 on your keyboard to enable Safe Mode, F5 to enable Safe Mode with Network Driver Support, and F6 to enable Safe Mode with Command Prompt. After that Windows 8 / Windows 8.1 will be loaded according to your choice.
3. Boot into Safe Mode using the System Recovery CD / DVD (Windows 8 only)
On Windows 8, but not Windows 8.1, you can. So, if you have such a disk, you can boot from it.
After booting from the recovery disc, you will be prompted to select a keyboard layout. Choose the one you want to use. Then you will see the options screen. All further steps will be identical to those described in method 2.
4. Boot into Safe Mode using USB for System Recovery
Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 allow. Detailed instructions can be found here. Using such a disk, you can also boot the OS in safe mode. To do this, boot from your USB system recovery drive and follow the instructions from the previous method.
5. Use F8 or Shift + F8 (does not work when using UEFI BIOS and SSD)
In the case of Windows 7, just press F8 just before starting the operating system to get to the menu with additional boot options, from where you can load the operating system in safe mode.
For Windows 8 and 8.1, some sites advise using the Shift + F8 keyboard shortcut, which launches recovery mode, allowing you to boot into safe mode. However, the problem is that neither Shift + F8 nor just F8 often work.
In a post on its official blog, Microsoft explains that this behavior is due to a very fast boot process. Steve Sinofsky once said: “Windows 8 has a problem. It loads too fast, so fast that in fact you simply don't have time to interrupt its download when you turn on your PC. The operating system simply does not have time to detect the pressing of the F2 or F8 keys. "
In general, if you have a modern computer with UEFI BIOS and SSD, you are unlikely to be able to interrupt the boot process with keystrokes. On older PCs with classic BIOS and no SSD, pressing these keys still works.
Have a great day!
Hello dear admin, thank you for a really very useful, exclusive project, of which there are not so many in runet. Within 5 days, I studied the materials on your site, I learned a lot of interesting things, but unfortunately, after this period of time, I could not fix my recently arisen problem on the laptop, so I would like to contact you for help in the hope of finding out my problem and finally then solve it. I apologize in advance that there will be many "letters").
I bought a laptop Acer Aspire v5-122p 2 years ago with a preinstalled Windows 8 64-bit OS (I don't remember the edition). Then after some time it was automatically updated to 8.1. The last 2 months there were frequent freezes in the system, and I delayed everything with the restoration of the Windows system. A week ago, the system once again hung up badly and I had to urgently turn off the laptop by holding the shutdown button. After that, the following problem has occurred and is not being fixed. After turning on the laptop, the acer logo appears and the boot icon is spinning for about 40 seconds and the message "There is a problem on your computer, you need to restart it" appears on a blue background. After this message, the computer itself reboots and "Preparing automatic recovery" starts, the boot icon is spinning for 30 seconds and then everything disappears, nothing, just a black background glows without any messages, but the laptop seems to continue to work, but does not respond to any what actions, except as an emergency shutdown of the laptop. And so all the time.
I did not bother to make a boot disk, a USB flash drive from under the system, when the system was still working normally. Having studied the materials on your site, I tried to do the following. I downloaded images with Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 in English via mediacreationtool, I also made bootable USB flash drives separately with Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 in English, I also tried to make bootable USB flash drives through WinSetupFromUSB_1-4_x64 and rufus programs with these images. I did it according to your materials, initially tried through these programs to make a bootable USB flash drive for the UEFI BIOS with formatting in FAT32 with a GPT scheme, but did not change anything in the BIOS, UEFI was enabled with secure boot, set the boot priority to the first USB HDD, also specially by pressing the f12 button could select a bootable USB flash drive connected to the laptop, as a result, after these manipulations, the acer logo and the boot icon did not appear for long, and after that the black background lights up again without anything. I also tried to disable D2D RECOVERY, even then in the BIOS I registered the path in the select an uefi file as trusted for executing item in usb1 the path to the BOOTX64.efi file, which is on the USB flash drive, but the result is the same.
Then I decided to go differently. According to the article "How to disable Secure Boot on an Acer Aspire laptop" I disabled secure boot to disabled by setting a password, then switched UEFI to Legacy in boot mode. I set the boot priorities from usb hdd in the BIOS, then through the WinSetupFromUSB_1-4_x64 and rufus programs I formatted it in NTFS with MBR and made bootable flash drives. When I connected this flash drive to a laptop in usb 2.0 and by pressing f12 I selected my bootable USB flash drive, the laptop rebooted, after a while the Windows 8 logo appeared with a blue background with a boot icon, but it did not come to the points to install Windows and restore the system, black again background covered download.
In this appearing black background, the whole problem is, for some reason I cannot run the bootable flash drives to the end from Windows.
But two other facts are noteworthy, when I write all sorts of programs like eset.nod32, Victoria and some other Live CD programs to a bootable USB flash drive, then everything is fine they boot from the flash drive and there is no black background, there are not even any freezes.
These days it got to the point that I even had to initially disassemble my laptop due to this problem, removed the RAM, hard drive. I disconnected the wires, the floppy drive, cleaned the video card of dust, applied neatly new thermal paste, but unfortunately this did not affect the solution of this problem. And I wondered if it was a hardware problem or a software problem.
As a result, I decided to start a laptop without a hard drive with a bootable USB flash drive not from under UEFI, an interesting fact turned out, a logo in Windows 8 with a blue background, a boot icon, and finally there were items to install Windows and restore the system, i.e. there were no black screens, at that moment I decided to put the hard drive back in, there was no black screen, but when I tried to recover or install the system there were such errors, the disk was locked, unlock it and reboot, also the blue background "Your PC needs to be repeired" file: boot / BCD .......
As a result, 1 day I left with experiments with the Victoria program from under DOS, SMART seemed to give the status to the disk "GOOD", I found out 8 defective bad blocks during the test, ADVANCED REMAP seemed to first correct them, then when I pass again 6 pieces found it at the same addresses, but the SMART status for a disk like "GOOD" remained.
Therefore, now I am puzzled and cannot understand, after all, the black screen is the tricks of the hard drive in connection with some hardware problem or a software problem, but then what is this paradox with a black screen and how to get rid of it all the same.
Those. at the moment I cannot achieve in any way so that I can run to the end a bootable USB flash drive from Windows without a black background with a connected hard drive, and as I have already said many other programs eset.nod.32, Victoria with a LIVE CD when connected hard drive startup normally with no black background.
Thank you in advance for your response.
