If you're having trouble starting up your Windows 11 PC, it might help to restart into Safe mode, which temporarily disables drivers and features to make your PC more stable. Here's how to do it.
How to enter safe mode on boot
In Windows 7 and earlier, you can usually start Safe Mode by pressing a function key, such as F8, as soon as you turn on your PC. Microsoft removed this feature starting with Windows 8 because, due to the new technology, the boot time became so fast that someone could not press F8 quickly in time before Windows loaded.
Instead, Microsoft has devised an "automatic failover" workaround for situations where the PC fails and Windows doesn't load properly. If your PC fails to boot twice in a row, your PC will automatically enter advanced boot troubleshooting mode.
You can force this by powering on your PC and then pressing its physical power button when you see the manufacturer's logo appear. Do this twice, and you'll see the "Choose an option" advanced splash screen. Then, follow the instructions described in the following sections to enter safe mode.
Use msconfig to enter safe mode
The quickest way to get into safe mode in Windows 11 is to use the "msconfig" utility. Open the Start menu, search for msconfig, and then select System Configuration.
Note: You can also open the "Run" window (Windows + R) and type "msconfig" there.
Go to the "Boot" tab, tick the box next to "Safe Boot", and click "Apply" and "OK". If you want to boot into safe mode with network capabilities, make sure to click on the bubble next to "Network" under "Boot Options".
Once you click OK, you'll get a second pop-up window that will let you restart immediately. Even if you choose Quit without restarting, the next time you restart your PC, it will boot into safe mode.
Enter Safe Mode from Windows
It's very similar to the process of entering safe mode on Windows 10, but the interface looks a little different.
There are a few different ways to reboot your computer into Advanced Startup mode on Windows 11, allowing you to select Safe Mode after multiple selections. The easiest way to do this is to open the Start menu and click on the power icon in the bottom right corner. Then, hold down the Shift key on your keyboard and click "Restart".
Or, you can start the long road to safe mode with the Settings app. First, press Windows+i to launch Settings (alternatively, you can find it by searching in Start.) When Settings opens, click System in the sidebar, and then select Recovery. ）
In "Recovery Options", find the "Advanced Boot" option and click on the "Reboot Now" button next to it.
Windows will confirm with a pop-up dialog box that asks you to save your work before restarting. When you're ready, click Restart Now.
After that, Windows will shut down and restart, entering a blue screen called "Choose an option" and showing multiple options in a short list. Select Troubleshoot.
In Troubleshoot, select Advanced options.
In Advanced Options, select Startup Settings.
In Startup Settings, click Restart.
The PC will reboot into the Startup Settings menu, which contains nine numbered options. Press the "4" key on your keyboard to enter safe mode, the "5" key to indicate safe mode with network connection, or the "6" key to indicate safe mode with command prompt.
Usually, you'll need to press 4 or 5 here, but if you're good at the Windows command line, 6 is useful for advanced troubleshooting.
Once you've made your choice, Windows will eventually boot into safe mode. Your display will be at a lower resolution, and Windows will replace your desktop image with a black background that shows Safe Mode in the corner.
At this point, you can perform any troubleshooting tasks that need to be completed. When you're done, simply restart (or shut down) your Windows 11 PC as you normally would. If all goes well and your issue is resolved, the next time you restart, you'll exit safe mode and return to regular non-safe Windows mode.