How to enter safe mode windows 8.1. Using hotkeys

There were cases when, when pressing a key F8 or Shift+F8 did not transition to . New operating systems, especially on more expensive computers, began to load almost instantly and users simply did not have time to press a button.

How to be in this case? There are 5 ways we will try to enter Safe Mode without pressing any keys in Windows 8.

Msconfig.exe - system configuration

To enter safe mode, we will use the system configuration. We can launch the utility as follows: press the key combination WIN+R and in the window that appears, enter msconfig.

Go to the download tab and there, in the download options, select safe mode. Click OK.

The next time you start it, windows will go into safe mode.

Keyboard shortcut Shift+Restart

In order to do this, you need to move the mouse cursor to the lower right corner so that various settings appear. Click on the latest icon options.

Now press and hold the key shift and press reload at the same time.

A window will appear asking you to select an option. Diagnostics.

Then, boot options.

There we will see a window where you need to select an option that will be activated after windows starts. Choose enable safe mode.

The computer will restart and 9 options will appear, 3 of them are safe modes. To select any parameter, you need to press the keys F1, F2, etc. For example, you need to select - enable safe mode, then press the F4 key.

Safe Mode with USB System Recovery

In windows 8 and 8.1, you can create a system recovery disk with which we can enter safe mode. We boot from a USB flash drive, or from a disk where you have Windows. Next, the windows installation window should appear. Below we should see System Restore. Now, follow the instructions from the previous tip.

Using hotkeys

In general, this is the method when you need to use F8 and other combinations. There is one catch, this advice does not work with SSD drives. Therefore, it is often not possible to enter safe mode with this method.

If you can start safe mode with F8 or Shift + F8, then proceed as in the method №2 .

These methods of switching to safe mode exist in Windows 8 and 8.1.

Disclaimer: This article was published on our website two years ago. However, the methods described in it then partially stopped working. At the moment, the article has been updated and relevant, everything written below has been tested 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 up to at least the user selection screen;
Through the msconfig utility - it works only if it is possible to run it;
Using the system recovery disk is a more time-consuming method and will help those who do not have the "eight" to boot.

1. Boot in safe mode via system shutdown

This is the easiest and fastest option. It works regardless of whether the user is logged into their account or not. Hover your mouse over the system shutdown menu and hold down the Shift key and select Reboot.

After a short wait, the system recovery menu will open. An alternative way to launch this menu is to type in the command line the command:

Here we are interested in the "Diagnostics" section. We follow the path "Diagnostics" - "Advanced options" - "Download options".

At the exit, we will be greeted by a boot options window with a detailed description of what we will get after restarting Windows.

Click "Restart" and select the key corresponding to the required of the proposed parameters:

F4 - to start safe mode;
F5 - to start safe mode with loading network drivers;
F6 - similar, but with command line support.

As a result, Windows 8.1 will boot into safe mode.

In order 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 launch the configuration settings, open the search, type and run the utility.

Switch to the Boot tab and check the box next to Safe Mode.

You can also select 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 into safe mode again, and it will be like that all the time. To return to normal system boot, open msconfig and uncheck it, click Ok, and reboot the system.

3. Using the recovery disk

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 Shift+F8 doesn't work? In this case, you will need a recovery disk, which you, as a trained user, created in advance. Not? Then you need to create it and act according to the scheme described below.

Creating a Windows 8 recovery disk is very simple - the standard package of the G8 includes a creation utility. We launch it and act as directed by the program, everything is very simple and intuitive there (the process of creating a bootable USB flash drive can be seen in the video at the end of the article). The only requirement for the disk / flash drive is that the media must contain at least 256 MB of data.

So you have a recovery disk. You need to boot from it and select one of the suggested keyboard layouts. After that, follow the path "Diagnostics" - "Advanced options" - "Command line" (you will not see a direct link to boot the system in safe mode).

Select command line and enter:

bcdedit /set (globalsettings) advancedoptions true

After receiving a message about a successful operation, close the command line and select "Continue".

Before us is the long-awaited menu.

Choose what you need and download.

There is one point: after the steps described above, Windows 8 will always offer this menu at boot. In order to return to the normal boot mode, enter the following command at the command line:

bcdedit /deletevalue (globalsettings)advancedoptions

We looked at three ways to launch the command line under Windows 8.1. I hope that they will help you bring a crashed system back to life or troubleshoot problems that have arisen.

Finally, a video that shows everything that is written in this article, only more briefly.

Subscribe to our Youtube channel. See you!

One of the common steps in solving computer problems is to boot the system in safe mode. For a long time, the F8 (Shift+F8) keys were used for this. However, in Windows 8 and 8.1, pressing them may not lead to anything. So, how do you start safe mode?

I'll tell you about three ways to boot into safe mode:

Using the system shutdown menu - works when the system boots up to at least the user selection screen;
Through the msconfig utility - it works only if it is possible to run it;
Using the system recovery disk is a more time-consuming method and will help those who have the "eight" does not boot.

1. Boot in safe mode via system shutdown

This is the easiest and fastest option. It works regardless of whether the user is logged into their account or not. Hover your mouse over the system shutdown menu, and while holding down the Shift key, select "Reboot".

After a short wait, the system recovery menu will open. An alternative way to launch this menu is to type in the command line the command:

Here we are interested in the "Diagnostics" section. We go along the path "Diagnostics" - "Advanced options" - "Download options".

At the exit, we will be greeted by a boot options window with a detailed description of what we will get after restarting Windows.

Click "Restart" and select the key corresponding to the required of the proposed parameters:

F4 - to start safe mode;
F5 - to start safe mode with loading network drivers;
F6 - similar, but with command line support.

As a result, Windows 8.1 will boot into safe mode.

In order 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 your Windows 8 account. To launch the configuration settings, open the search, type msconfig and run the utility.

Switch to the "Download" tab and check the box next to the safe mode.

You can also select 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.

3. Using the recovery disk

Creating a Windows 8 recovery disk is very simple - a creation utility is included in the standard package of the G8. We launch it and act as directed by the program, everything is very simple and intuitive there (the process of creating a bootable USB flash drive can be seen in the video at the end of the article). The only requirement for the disk / flash drive is that the media must contain at least 256 MB of data.

Select command line and enter:

bcdedit /set (globalsettings) advancedoptions true

After receiving a message about a successful operation, close the command line and select "Continue".

Windows 8 Safe Mode caused quite a lot of questions from a large number of users of the new operating system. Basically questions like this: “How to enter safe mode in Windows 8 if it cannot be loaded?” "Why was the F8 key canceled at boot?" And in fact, now, in order to get into advanced boot options, and then, accordingly, into safe mode, the keyboard shortcut Shift + F8 should work instead of F8, but it is almost impossible to use it.

The simplest answer to these questions will sound like this, but this is my opinion friends: “The developers have put too much on the Automatic System Repair Tool, which will start up for you if Windows 8 for some reason refuses to boot normally.” And this once again confirms the fact that the eight is designed primarily for tablet computers. I do not argue that the automatic system restore tool is very convenient and starts with the slightest problems with Windows 8, but this tool does not always solve the task and can show you the following message: "The automatic repair tool could not restore your computer." What to do then?

And then friends, I advise you to refer to our article, in which we described all kinds of Windows 8 recovery tools, for example, restoring using a restore point, restoring Windows 8 without deleting user files (Refresh Your PC) or restoring using a pre-created image, and so on Further. Only the safe mode is not mentioned in this article, since for this we decided to write a separate article and now it is ready, we bring it to your court, but at the beginning of the article, as usual, we will publish one of the letters that came to our mail.

Windows 8 Safe Mode

Admin, answer me a question, the answer to which I did not find on the Internet - how to enter Windows 8 safe mode, if my eight is not loaded?
You have a good article on your site that describes all kinds of ways to restore Windows 8, but in my opinion you didn’t finish it. I tried all the methods that you suggest in your article, but I did not solve my problem. The situation is this.
Windows 8 suddenly stopped loading on my laptop. Several times the eight itself launched the startup repair tool, but it did not help. I have a Windows 8 recovery disc that I pre-made on the system itself. I tried booting from it. In the recovery tool menu "Select an action", I tried to apply system restore, but as soon as I select a restore point and click Next and Finish, a black screen appears and that's it.
I also tried to enter Windows 8 safe mode in this way. Again I boot from the recovery disk, select Diagnostics –> Advanced options –>, but then Boot options should go (safe mode and so on), but I don’t have them,

See for yourself, the last resort is the command line.

I tried many times to enter safe mode using the keyboard shortcut Shift + F8, but also to no avail.
As I said, I carefully read your article Restoring Windows 8, but did not make a full recovery image (I was too lazy). As I understand it, now I have to apply Windows 8 recovery without deleting user files (Refresh Your PC). But first I want to try to enter Windows 8 safe mode and delete the last installed programs and drivers in it, maybe there is a problem with loading the eight in them?

So friends, let's first of all consider this question - How to get into Windows 8 safe mode from a running system. Next, we will think about how to get into Windows 8 safe mode if our eight does not boot at all and the Automatic System Restore tool could not do anything.

Method number 1

If your Windows 8 boots normally, but for some reason you need to enter safe mode, do this. With the Shift key pressed, select Restart,

More Options–>

Boot Options–>

Reload

The download options will open. Use the F1-F9 number keys, that is, to get into safe mode, we need to press the F4 key

And please, Windows 8 Safe Mode is loading.

Method number 2

Open command prompt as administrator

And enter the command: msconfig.

We enter the system configuration, select the Boot tab, mark Boot Options - Safe Mode. Apply and OK.

Method number 3

Another way to get into Windows 8 Safe Mode is by editing the BCD Boot Configuration Data file. In this way, we will return the F8 key to its assignment. Open command prompt as administrator and enter the command:

bcdedit /deletevalue (current) bootmenupolicy

if an error occurs, enter

reboot. When loading Windows 8, we often press the F8 key and already familiar additional boot options appear, select the mode that you need.

If you want to cancel everything and return to the new boot menu, on the command line on behalf of the administrator, enter the command:
bcdedit /set (current) bootmenupolicy standard

Method number 4

The same applies to changes in the BCD boot configuration data file. Open command prompt as administrator and enter the command:

bcdedit /set (bootmgr) displaybootmenu yes

and we can choose safe mode.

If we want to return everything as it was, open the command prompt as an administrator and enter the command:
bcdedit /set (bootmgr) displaybootmenu no Method number 4 or to how to get into safe mode if windows 8 won't boot Let's say you have a serious problem and Windows 8 boot fails. Automatic System Startup Repair does not help, and simple System Restore does not work.

Then the idea comes to you to use Windows 8 Safe Mode.
In this case, we will have to take advantage of the hidden features of Windows 8, but we cannot do without a recovery disk or a Windows 8 installation disk. For example, a Windows 8 recovery disk can be made in the eight itself in 5 minutes, read our article - "Windows 8 Recovery"
So, we boot the computer from the recovery disk or the Windows 8 installation disk. Click Next.

System Restore.

Diagnostics.

Extra options.

As you can see, when booting from the recovery disk, there are no Boot options already familiar to us. Choose Command Prompt. Enter:

bcdedit /set (globalsettings) advancedoptions true

We exit the command line. Click Continue (exit and use Windows 8).

The safe mode is loaded.

If we want to boot the system in normal mode, then we boot into the command line again and enter the command:
bcdedit /deletevalue (globalsettings)advancedoptions

I'll tell you about three ways to boot into safe mode:

Using the system shutdown menu - works when the system boots up to at least the user selection screen;
Through the msconfig utility - it works only if it is possible to run it;
Using the system recovery disk is a more time-consuming method and will help those who do not have the "eight" to boot.

1. Boot in safe mode via system shutdown

After a short wait, the system recovery menu will open. An alternative way to launch this menu is to type in the command line the command:

Here we are interested in the "Diagnostics" section. We follow the path "Diagnostics" - "Advanced options" - "Download options".

At the exit, we will be greeted by a boot options window with a detailed description of what we will get after restarting Windows.

Click "Restart" and select the key corresponding to the required of the proposed parameters:

F4 - to start safe mode;
F5 - to start safe mode with loading network drivers;
F6 - similar, but with command line support.

As a result, Windows 8.1 will boot into safe mode.

In order 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 launch the configuration settings, open the search, type and run the utility.

Switch to the Boot tab and check the box next to Safe Mode.

You can also select 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.

3. Using the recovery disk

Select command line and enter:

bcdedit /set (globalsettings) advancedoptions true

After receiving a message about a successful operation, close the command line and select "Continue".

Before us is the long-awaited menu.

Choose what you need and download.

There is one point: after the steps described above, Windows 8 will always offer this menu at boot. In order to return to the normal boot mode, enter the following command at the command line:

bcdedit /deletevalue (globalsettings)advancedoptions

We looked at three ways to launch the command line under Windows 8.1. I hope that they will help you bring a crashed system back to life or troubleshoot problems that have arisen.

Finally, a video that shows everything that is written in this article, only more briefly.

Subscribe to our Youtube channel. See you!