How to Start/Boot Windows 11 in Safe Mode? (7 Ways)

If you are running Windows 11 on your PC and want to enter Safe Mode to troubleshoot some issues with Windows, how can you start or boot Windows 11 in Safe Mode? Today in this post, MiniTool will give you some simple ways to enter Safe Mode. Try one of them when needed.

Windows 11 is a new operating system from Microsoft and it is currently available to Insider Preview users. If you have installed Windows 11 via Windows Insider Program in Windows 10 and use it for some time, you may have known about almost all the changes in this new system.

Because of the change of Windows settings, the ways to access the PC are different, including Safe Mode. Sometimes you may run into some problems that are not easy to identify or solve. Then, you can boot to Safe Mode for troubleshooting. In Safe Mode, Windows doesn’t load any third-party apps but only loads the required drivers.

Today, we will show you how to boot Windows 11 in Safe Mode. In the following part, 7 ways are listed.

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How to Boot/Start Windows 11 in Safe Mode

Tip: All the ways below except for the last one can boot the PC to Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE) and then you can access Safe Mode from WinRE.

Enter Windows 11 Safe Mode via Settings

1. Click the Start button from the Taskbar and then click Settings.

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2. In the System interface, go to the right pane, scroll down to find, and click Recovery.

3. In the new window, you can see some recovery options. Just click the Restart now button next to Advanced startup.

4. Click Restart now again and Windows will enter the recovery environment.

5. Then, go to Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Settings > Restart.

6. You can see three options to enter Safe Mode. Just press F4, F5, or F6 based on your needs.

Boot Windows 11 in Safe Mode via Shift + Restart

  1. Click the Windows icon and then click the Power button.
  2. Press and hold the Shift key on your keyboard, then choose Restart.
  3. After a while, Windows 11 enters the recovery environment. Access Safe Mode in WinRE by following the step 5 and 6 in method 1.

Start Windows 11 in Safe Mode from the Sign-in Screen

When you start your PC to enter the sign-in screen, don’t log in and follow these steps to enter Safe Mode.

1. Click the Power button, press and hold the Shift key and then choose Restart.

2. Windows 11 will reboot and enter WinRE. Then, enter Safe Mode from the recovery environment.

Boot PC to Windows 11 Safe Mode from Command Prompt

Some users like using Command Prompt to perform some tasks in Windows. If you also like it, follow the steps below to boot to Safe Mode:

  1. Click the search button, type cmd, and then choose Run as administrator.
  2. In the CMD window, type the shutdown.exe /r /o command and press Enter.
  3. Wait for Windows 11 to enter the recovery environment and then go to Safe Mode in WinRE.

Boot Windows 11 in Safe Mode by Interrupting the Boot Sequence

This way can interfere with the computer’s boot process and the machine can automatically enter Windows Recovery Environment. You should choose this way only when your PC doesn’t boot normally.

  1. Shut down your computer.
  2. Power it on and turn it off when the Windows logo appears.
  3. Repeat this three times and the PC will enter the Automatic Repair screen.
  4. Click Advanced options to enter WinRE.
  5. Go to Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Settings > Restart. Then, press a key to enter Safe Mode.

Enter Safe Mode in Windows 11 via a Windows Installation Disc or Bootable USB Drive

If you have a Windows installation disc or USB flash drive, you can boot the PC from it and then access Safe Mode.

1. Plug your drive into the PC.

2. Change the boot order in BIOS to run PC from it.

3. Select the time, language, and keyboard layout.

4. Click Repair your computer to go to WinRE.

5. Go to Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Command Prompt, type bcdedit /set {default} safeboot minimal and press Enter.

6. Close Command Prompt and click Continue.

7. Press a key to enter Safe Mode.

Windows 11 will enter Safe Mode every time you boot the PC unless you change the setting in System Configuration.

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Start PC to Windows 11 Safe Mode by Changing System Configuration

If you want to boot your computer to Safe Mode each time you restart the system, you can configure it in the System Configuration window. This won’t load the recovery environment but directly open Windows 11 in Safe Mode.

  1. Press Win + R to get the Run window, type msconfig, and click OK.
  2. In the System Configuration interface, go to the Boot tab, and check the box of Safe boot.
  3. Click OK > Restart. Then, Windows 11 will enter Safe Mode every time you restart the PC.

Tip: To launch Windows 11 to normal mode, uncheck the box of Safe boot in the System Configuration window.

Final Words

How to boot Windows 11 in Safe Mode? Now, you know 7 ways to start your PC to Safe Mode. Just try one of them if you need. Hope this article is helpful to you.

About The Author

Vera

Position: Columnist

Vera is an editor of the MiniTool Team since 2016 who has more than 7 years’ writing experiences in the field of technical articles. Her articles mainly focus on disk & partition management, PC data recovery, video conversion, as well as PC backup & restore, helping users to solve some errors and issues when using their computers. In her spare times, she likes shopping, playing games and reading some articles.