Windows 10 How do you load Windows 8 in safe mode?

MikeHawthorne

Essential Member
Microsoft Community Contributor
Hi

I was messing around trying to find a way to boot Windows 10 into safe mode.

I think you can get to it through the Repair and Recovery window, but I don't see a way to open the repair window unless you actually have issues and it open on it's own.

I suppose that makes sense, if you computer is booting you can start the repair options from within Windows and if it doesn't boot it will do it on it's own.

But as recently as Windows 7 you could get to a boot menu by pushing F8 at start up.

Is there any way to get into the recovery Windows when launching Windows 10, I tried and F8 has no effect.
If I enter the bios and select Boot Menu it just takes me to a list of drives that I can select to boot to, but no "Try last good configuration, Safe Mode etc.

Mike
 
There are a number of ways to boot Windows 8 or later into safe mode.
For machines that are bootable and you can work within the OS....
Hold Shift Key while clicking reboot
MsConfig, choose Safe Mode from the Boot Tab

For machines that are not bootable there is a trick that I posted here
http://www.win8forums.com/threads/safe-mode.768/
Which has worked for me reliably in previous and recent testing although I haven't actually tried it yet on 9926

A bit confused as your topic is posted under the Windows 10 Tech Preview section but the Title is "How do you load Windows 8 in safe mode?"
In any event the techniques should work.

EDIT: I think you will find a boot into Safe Mode in Windows 10 extremely disappointing as there is practically nothing that can be accomplished there at this point in this build.
 
Last edited:
Hi

That was supposed to say Windows 10.
I'll check your suggestion when I get home.

Mike

Sent from my iPad.
 
OK.
I just tested my
bcdedit /set {default} bootmenupolicy legacy (enables F8 Key functionality again as in earlier versions of Windows).
Seems to work fine in this latest build as well although again.... there is very little you can do booting Windows 10 into safe mode at this point in time.

9926 Using F8.jpg
 
Hi

I'll try that out when I have time.
The thing that used to be very handy was the option, "Use last good configuration".
I see they don't have that any more.

It would seem that it would be a good idea to have Windows incorporate a fail-safe start option that is saved someplace and restores the registry and boot settings to something that always works, or basically Safe Mode that you can get to without having to jump through hoops to get to

Mike
 
The thing that used to be very handy was the option, "Use last good configuration".
I see they don't have that any more.
I wouldn't put too much stock in what you see presently with respect to features that may or may not be present.
I'd reserve that until the product is nearer to finished.
 
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