If your computer no longer turns on or its performance is very limited, you will find a powerful ally in Windows 8 safe mode. In this guide, we present you step by step the main methods to start it..
Windows 8 Safe Mode is an emergency mode of operation that is not intended for normal use. By booting Windows 8 in safe mode, you can repair your system, remove problematic device drivers, recover data, and remove viruses.
In this special mode, a basic version of Windows starts that contains only the most essential functions. This means that user programs in the autostart directory and third-party drivers do not load as they may be the cause of the problems. Sometimes manual update of some graphics card driver can cause considerable stability problems or even system crash, with blue screen..
If you want to use this mode, you must follow a special startup procedure that leads to a desktop that looks different from the usual Windows 8 user interface.
Microsoft offers several ways to start Windows 8 Safe Mode. Most of the methods also allow you to access it with Windows already started . However, you can also boot Windows 8 in safe mode if the system fails completely . In most cases, it is done through an intermediate instance. The menu? Advanced startup settings? offers numerous troubleshooting possibilities; among them, the one to start the safe mode of Windows 8..
The easiest way to start Windows 8 Safe Mode is with the operating system running . There are several ways to do it, we explain them here.
To enter safe mode, you must first exit Windows. We recommend making a backup if possible and closing any open programs before starting the procedure.
Move the mouse pointer to the upper right corner of the desktop. After a few seconds, the Charms bar will appear on the edge of the screen , which you can control with the mouse. Select the option of? Settings ?:
Once in the configuration menu, you have to follow three steps :
You can also access the restart option from the Windows login screen . Press the Windows icon key and [L] at the same time, then follow these steps:
You can also boot Windows 8 in safe mode through the PC settings :
Windows 8 safe mode can also be accessed through the checkbox menu , also called the Charms bar. This menu is opened by pressing the [Windows] key once. You can also click the Windows icon on the taskbar at the bottom left of the desktop:
In the Charms bar , simultaneously press the [Shift] key and? Restart ?.
With a shutdown command, you can start Windows system recovery with advanced options very quickly. First, access the Run window by pressing [Windows] + [R]. Type the shutdown command, which will be executed with the Windows command line (cmd.exe):
shutdown /o /c
You can also use the Run dialog box to start Windows system setup and activate Windows 8 safe mode there:
In the configuration tool, the tab? Home? and a check mark is placed in front of the entry? Safe Start? (1). The "Normal" option, necessary for access, activates Windows in the usual way. The process is completed by clicking on? OK? (2). You will be asked again to confirm before the reboot. With this method, Windows exceptionally goes directly to Windows 8 safe mode without further intermediate steps.
The system settings are preserved after rebooting. Once the repair tasks are finished, you must uncheck the box to start Windows 8 safe mode. Otherwise, the computer will always start in that mode and not in normal mode.
If you have exited the standard interface with a login method, after a few seconds, the system recovery startup screen will appear , with advanced startup and repair options . To get to the Windows 8 Safe Mode startup settings from there, follow these steps:
Before starting safe mode, Windows 8 offers several options. For a normal startup, select option 4. You can also start Windows 8 safe mode with network drivers enabled (option 5) to access the internet or other computers on the network. You can also start the system with command prompt enabled (option 6) to allow command input directly on the command line.
You don't always have to go directly to Windows 8 safe mode. In the menu? Advanced options ?, you can first try to perform an automatic repair (also called? Startup Repair? In some versions of Windows 8):
If this attempt fails, system recovery allows you to return to advanced options . After clicking the button? Advanced Options? You can access Windows 8 safe mode by following these steps:
?Solve problems? ->? Advanced options? ->? Startup Settings ?.
If Windows no longer starts, you should try other methods to enable this special mode.
You can access safe mode with the keyboard shortcut [Shift] + [F8] during startup. You can then select Windows 8 safe mode from a list of advanced startup options. However, this may not be so straightforward, as modern computers boot up very fast. You may have to quickly press the keyboard shortcut several times and restart your computer repeatedly until you find the exact entry point.
Using installation media such as the Windows DVD, you can start Windows 8 safe mode with relative ease. Click? Next? on the home screen of the installation DVD and then on? Repair your computer ?.
Then select the option? Troubleshoot? in the system recovery menu and then the "Advanced options" area, where you can access the command prompt (command line or cmd.exe).
Write a command syntax that the command line tool uses to handle startup configuration data ( bcdedit.exe ). Windows 8 Safe Mode startup is always confirmed with the [Enter] key:
Normal start:
bcdedit /set {default} safe boot minimal [Intro]
Start with the network controller:
bcdedit /set {default} safeboot network [Intro]
Start with command prompt (command line or cmd.exe):
bcdedit /set {default} safebootalternateshell yes [Intro]
The computer restarts and boots, for example, in normal mode ( safeboot minimal ) with no network drivers loaded and without the command line input window.
If you later want to return to normal Windows 8 mode with the usual user interface, type the following command at the command line:
bcdedit /deletevalue {current} safeboot [Intro]
If the system is still booting, you can also use the bcdedit tool directly from Windows 8, so it is not absolutely necessary to start with the DVD. To do this, follow these steps:
Type the bcdedit commands listed above on the command line.
