{"id":11472,"date":"2025-07-25T07:47:31","date_gmt":"2025-07-25T07:47:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.itarian.com\/blog\/?p=11472"},"modified":"2025-07-25T07:47:31","modified_gmt":"2025-07-25T07:47:31","slug":"how-to-restart-in-safe-mode-windows-10","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.itarian.com\/blog\/how-to-restart-in-safe-mode-windows-10\/","title":{"rendered":"Quick Fixes Start with Safe Mode"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Facing system issues like crashes, freezes, or software conflicts? Learning <\/span><b>how to restart in Safe Mode Windows 10<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> can save you time and frustration. Safe Mode is a diagnostic environment that runs Windows with minimal drivers and services, making it easier to troubleshoot problems without interference from third-party apps or malware.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In this guide, we\u2019ll explore how to <\/span><b>boot Windows 10 into Safe Mode<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, use <\/span><b>Windows 10 Safe Mode startup options<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, and <\/span><b>access advanced startup Windows 10<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Whether you\u2019re a cybersecurity expert, IT manager, or business professional, these tips will help you fix Windows issues faster.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>What Is Safe Mode in Windows 10?<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Safe Mode is a special diagnostic mode in Windows that:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2705 Starts Windows with <\/span><b>essential drivers and services only<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\n<p><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2705 Helps <\/span><b>diagnose software issues<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\n<p><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2705 Allows safe removal of problematic drivers or malware.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\n<p><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2705 <\/span><b>Good to Know<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Windows 10 offers <\/span><b>three main Safe Mode options<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Safe Mode<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Basic troubleshooting.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\n<p><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Safe Mode with Networking<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Adds network drivers for internet access.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\n<p><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Safe Mode with Command Prompt<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Loads a text-based interface for advanced troubleshooting.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\n<p><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>Method 1: How to Restart in Safe Mode Windows 10 via Settings<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This method is easiest when your system is running properly.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Steps:<\/b><\/h3>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Go to <\/span><b>Settings \u2192 Update &amp; Security \u2192 Recovery<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\n<p><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Under <\/span><b>Advanced startup<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, click <\/span><b>Restart now<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\n<p><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">After restart, select <\/span><b>Troubleshoot \u2192 Advanced options \u2192 Startup Settings \u2192 Restart<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\n<p><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Once you see Startup Settings, press:<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">4<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> for <\/span><b>Safe Mode<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">,<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\n<p><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">5<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> for <\/span><b>Safe Mode with Networking<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">,<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\n<p><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">6<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> for <\/span><b>Safe Mode with Command Prompt<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\n<p><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2705 <\/span><b>Result<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: You\u2019ll now boot Windows 10 into Safe Mode for troubleshooting.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Method 2: Use Shift + Restart Shortcut<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A faster way to access Safe Mode from the sign-in screen.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Steps:<\/b><\/h3>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Hold <\/span><b>Shift<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> while clicking <\/span><b>Restart<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (from Start menu or login screen).<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\n<p><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Windows will reboot into the <\/span><b>Choose an option<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> screen.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\n<p><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Go to <\/span><b>Troubleshoot \u2192 Advanced options \u2192 Startup Settings \u2192 Restart<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\n<p><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Choose your Safe Mode option (4, 5, or 6).<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\n<p><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2705 <\/span><b>Pro Tip<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Ideal if your system can\u2019t access Settings but you can reach the login screen.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Method 3: Access Advanced Startup Windows 10 via System Configuration (msconfig)<\/b><\/h2>\n<h3><b>Steps:<\/b><\/h3>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Press <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Windows + R<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u2192 type <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">msconfig<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u2192 hit <\/span><b>Enter<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\n<p><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Go to the <\/span><b>Boot<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> tab \u2192 Check <\/span><b>Safe boot<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\n<p><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Choose:<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><b>Minimal<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> for basic Safe Mode.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\n<p><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><b>Network<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> for Safe Mode with Networking.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\n<p><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Click <\/span><b>OK<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u2192 Restart.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\n<p><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2705 <\/span><b>Note<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Windows will keep restarting in Safe Mode until you uncheck <\/span><b>Safe boot<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in msconfig.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Method 4: Boot Windows 10 into Safe Mode from a Black or Blank Screen<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When you can\u2019t access the login screen, try forced shutdown.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Steps:<\/b><\/h3>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Press and hold the <\/span><b>power button<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> until your PC turns off.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\n<p><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Repeat the force shutdown <\/span><b>3 times<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to trigger <\/span><b>Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\n<p><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Go to <\/span><b>Troubleshoot \u2192 Advanced options \u2192 Startup Settings \u2192 Restart<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\n<p><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2705 <\/span><b>Use Case<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Effective for critical errors preventing normal startup.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Summary: Quick Comparison of Safe Mode Methods<\/b><\/h2>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td><b>Method<\/b><\/td>\n<td><b>Best For<\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Settings \u2192 Recovery<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Normal access, troubleshooting from within Windows.<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Shift + Restart<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sign-in screen access without full system login.<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">msconfig (System Configuration)<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Recurring troubleshooting sessions.<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Forced Shutdown (WinRE)<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Black screen or system won\u2019t boot normally.<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h2><b>Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)<\/b><\/h2>\n<h3><b>1. Why would I need to use Safe Mode?<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Safe Mode helps diagnose driver conflicts, malware infections, or software glitches.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>2. Is Safe Mode available on Windows 11?<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Yes, Safe Mode works similarly on Windows 11 with the same steps.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>3. Can I use the internet in Safe Mode?<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Yes, choose <\/span><b>Safe Mode with Networking<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to access the internet while troubleshooting.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>4. How do I exit Safe Mode?<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Simply restart your PC. If you used <\/span><b>msconfig<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, uncheck the <\/span><b>Safe boot<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> option before restarting.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>5. Is Safe Mode safe for my computer?<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Absolutely. It\u2019s a built-in Windows troubleshooting feature designed to help fix issues.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Conclusion: Simplify Troubleshooting with Safe Mode<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Knowing <\/span><b>how to restart in Safe Mode Windows 10<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is an essential troubleshooting skill for IT professionals and anyone managing Windows systems. Whether you <\/span><b>access advanced startup Windows 10<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, use <\/span><b>Windows 10 Safe Mode startup options<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, or <\/span><b>boot Windows 10 into Safe Mode<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, you can resolve most system issues quickly.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2705 <\/span><b>Manage IT Environments More Efficiently<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Simplify endpoint management and strengthen cybersecurity using<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.itarian.com\/signup\/\"> <b>Itarian<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2014trusted by IT managers globally.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Facing system issues like crashes, freezes, or software conflicts? Learning how to restart in Safe Mode Windows 10 can save you time and frustration. Safe Mode is a diagnostic environment that runs Windows with minimal drivers and services, making it easier to troubleshoot problems without interference from third-party apps or malware. In this guide, we\u2019ll&hellip; <span class=\"readmore\"><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":11482,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-11472","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ticketing-system","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.itarian.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11472","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.itarian.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.itarian.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.itarian.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.itarian.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11472"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.itarian.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11472\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11502,"href":"https:\/\/www.itarian.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11472\/revisions\/11502"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.itarian.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11482"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.itarian.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11472"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.itarian.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11472"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.itarian.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11472"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}