How to Start Windows 10 in Safe Mode (and Exit It)

To start Windows 10 in Safe Mode, hold Shift while you select Power > Restart. On the blue screen, select Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Settings > Restart. When the PC restarts, press 4 for Safe Mode or 5 for Safe Mode with Networking.

To get out of Safe Mode, just restart your PC.

Applies to: Windows 10. Windows 10 reached end of support on October 14, 2025, and only PCs enrolled in Extended Security Updates still get security fixes, through October 12, 2027.

What Safe Mode does

Safe Mode starts Windows with only the basic drivers and services. If a problem goes away in Safe Mode, a driver or app you added is the likely cause, not Windows itself. Safe Mode is also a good first test when Windows says you’ve been signed in with a temporary profile, as explained in this temporary profile troubleshooting guide.

Use it to remove a bad driver or app, scan for malware, or undo a change that stops Windows from starting normally.

If your PC is encrypted with BitLocker, have your BitLocker recovery key ready.

Start Safe Mode from Settings

1. Go to Settings > Update & Security > Recovery.
2. Under Advanced startup, select Restart now.

3. Select Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Settings > Restart.
4. On the Startup Settings screen, press a number key:

• 4 or F4: Safe Mode.
• 5 or F5: Safe Mode with Networking, if you need the internet, for example to download a driver.
• 6 or F6: Safe Mode with Command Prompt.

Start Safe Mode from the sign-in screen

If you can’t sign in, select the Power icon at the bottom right of the sign-in screen, hold Shift, and select Restart. Then follow steps 3 and 4 above. If the PC never reaches the sign-in screen, or Safe Mode then rejects your PIN, see booting into Safe Mode in Windows 10 without logging in for every no-sign-in route.

Start Safe Mode when Windows won’t start

If Windows fails to start twice in a row, it opens Automatic Repair on the third try.

1. Turn the PC on. As soon as the Windows logo appears, hold the power button until it turns off.
2. Do this two more times. On the third start, Windows shows Preparing Automatic Repair.
3. Select Advanced options > Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Settings > Restart, then press 4 or 5.

Pressing F8 while the PC starts doesn’t open Safe Mode on most Windows 10 PCs. Use one of the methods above instead.

Start Safe Mode from a USB drive

If the PC won’t reach the recovery screen on its own, start it from a Windows 10 installation or recovery USB drive. If you don’t have one, create a bootable Windows 10 USB drive on another PC. On an installation drive, choose your language, then Repair your computer > Troubleshoot > Command Prompt, and run:

bcdedit /set {default} safeboot minimal

Close Command Prompt and select Continue. Windows starts in Safe Mode. When you’re done, turn it off again with the command below.

Make the PC always start in Safe Mode (msconfig)

1. Press Windows + R, type msconfig, and press Enter.
2. Open the Boot tab and check Safe boot. Choose Minimal for normal Safe Mode or Network for Safe Mode with Networking.
3. Select OK, then Restart.

The PC keeps starting in Safe Mode until you turn this off. Use it when you need to restart several times while fixing a problem.

If Safe Mode won’t accept your PIN

Windows Hello sign-in, such as a PIN, fingerprint, or face, may not work in Safe Mode. Select Sign-in options under the password box and choose the key icon to type your account password instead. For a Microsoft account, that’s your Microsoft account password. If you’ve forgotten it, reset it at account.live.com/password/reset from another device, then restart and try again.

What to do in Safe Mode

• Remove a driver you just installed: right-click Start > Device Manager, right-click the device, and select Uninstall device. Back in normal mode, update your drivers to get a working version.
• Uninstall a new app in Settings > Apps.
• Scan for malware with Windows Security.
• Undo recent changes by restoring Windows 10 to a previous date with System Restore.

Get out of Safe Mode

Restart the PC normally. It should start in normal mode. If Safe Mode isn’t what you need, other ways to boot Windows 10 include a clean boot and starting from a USB drive.

If it keeps going back to Safe Mode:

1. Press Windows + R, type msconfig, and press Enter.
2. On the Boot tab, uncheck Safe boot.
3. Select OK, then Restart.

If the PC keeps starting in Safe Mode

Usually Safe boot is still checked in System Configuration (msconfig). If clearing it doesn’t help, open Command Prompt as an administrator in Safe Mode and run:

bcdedit /deletevalue {default} safeboot

Restart, and Windows starts normally.

Frequently asked questions

Why is my screen low resolution and black in Safe Mode?

That’s normal. Safe Mode uses a basic display driver. Everything goes back to normal when you restart. Safe Mode’s basic display driver is also the way out of a laptop screen that turns white, as explained in how to fix a white screen on a Windows 10 laptop.

Can I use Wi-Fi in Safe Mode?

Only in Safe Mode with Networking (option 5).

Does Safe Mode delete any files?

No. Safe Mode only starts Windows with fewer drivers and apps. Your files, apps, and settings are untouched, and everything comes back when you restart normally.

Why does my PC ask for a BitLocker key?

Changing startup settings can trigger BitLocker recovery. Find the key in your Microsoft account or ask your IT team on a work PC.

Safe Mode is also a good place to uninstall a program that won’t uninstall normally. When Windows won’t start at all, Startup Repair may fix it. To turn off only other apps and services instead of Windows drivers, try a clean boot.

Every option on the Startup Settings screen is explained in Windows startup settings.