HOW TO START WINDOWS 10 IN SAFE MODE

Do you have problems with your PC? And would you like to find out where these problems are coming from? Then (re)starting your Windows 10 PC in Safe Mode may offer a solution. Windows 10 (re)booting in Safe Mode means your PC will start up as simple as possible. As a result, a limited number of files and drivers are used. By starting your PC in Safe Mode, you gain more insight into the problem that your PC is currently facing. It may be that the problem is not visible in Safe Mode, but it is also possible that you do experience the problem in Safe Mode. In both situations you will get more clarity about the seriousness of the problem and what you can do about it.

Would you like to know more about the Windows 10 Safe Mode? And do you wish to know how to start your PC in this Safe Mode? We are happy to explain it to you on the basis of a step-by-step plan.

What is Windows 10 Safe Mode?

If your Windows PC has always worked properly, it is easy to imagine that you are not familiar with booting into Windows 10 Safe Mode. The main reason why people use this feature is to safely start the PC when similar problems show. By starting the PC in Windows 10 Safe Mode, you are able to find out more information about the cause of the problem. For example, it could be that a driver has had a wrong update, a part of your PC is defective or maybe your PC is infected with a virus. Whatever the problem may be, using Safe Mode in Windows 10 will help you understand it.

Access Safe Mode from “Settings”

There are three different ways to boot your PC in Safe Mode. This can be done via the settings within Windows 10, via the built-in system configuration or during the login process when the PC is started. By following the steps below it is possible to enable Safe Mode through Windows 10 settings:

1. Click on “Start” and go to “Settings”
2. Click on “Update and Security” or “System Restore”
3. Then click on “Restart now”
4. Wait for the “Choose an option” screen to appear
5. Then click on “Troubleshooting, advanced options, start-up settings or restart”
6. Then click “option 4 (F4)” for Safe Mode boot, or “option 5 (F5)” for Safe Mode boot with network.

Access Safe Mode from the login screen

Another option to boot your PC in Safe Mode is through the login process. By following the steps below it is possible to enable Safe Mode from the login screen:

1. Restart the PC
2. Press and hold the “shift key” during the login process
3. Then click on “Power / Restart”
4. The PC will then restart
5. Then click “option 4 (F4)” for Safe Mode boot, or “option 5 (F5)” for Safe Mode boot with network.

Safe Mode with MSCONFIG

In addition to the login screen and settings, there is a third option to boot your PC in a secure environment. To boot your PC with the built-in system configuration, you can follow these steps:

1. Within the search function of your PC, type “msconfig” or “system configuration” (or use keyboard shortcut Windows character + R)
2. In the “Start-up computer” tab, check “Start in Safe Mode”
3. The next time the PC restarts it will be in Safe Mode.

Prevent problems in Windows 10

Prevention is better than a cure. This applies to all problems within Windows 10. Therefore always make sure that your PC is running on the latest version of Microsoft. This applies not only to the Windows 10 Pro license, but also to Windows 10 Professional OEM or whatever other Windows 10 license you use. Is your PC currently running on an older version of Windows? Even then, we strongly advise you to upgrade to the latest version of Windows 10. If your PC is still running on Windows 8 or Windows 7, this entails the necessary security risks. In addition, the above steps to start your PC in Safe Mode do not work on older versions of Windows.

Protect your Windows PC

In addition to the latest Windows updates, it is also important to provide your PC with the correct security software. Whatever license of Windows 10 you are using: good security software is essential. Of course you can choose to use the standard Windows virus scanner, but you can also choose to disable Windows Defender and pick other security software. For example, you can choose ESET Internet Security or Bitdefender. When you have correctly installed security software on your PC, you probably don’t need to use Windows 10 Safe Mode! Your PC is well protected against bugs, viruses and other malware that often cause problems on your PC.