How to Access Windows 11 Safe Mode

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Learn how to access Windows 11 safe mode for troubleshooting issues with your computer. Follow our step-by-step guide to easily enter safe mode.

Windows 11 Safe Mode is a tool designed to troubleshoot PC problems when a failure in the system itself, installed drivers or applications, or even a malware infection, prevents a standard loading of the operating system. It can also be used when the computer is working correctly, as a self-diagnosis function.

Its definition as ” fail-safe start ” or “fail-safe boot” is accurate, because that’s exactly what it is. Loading only the essential services and drivers that allow us to start the computer, to once and for all solve the problems affecting the PC and subsequently access the full version of the system without errors.

Windows 11 Safe Mode Options

This special mode offers three options of use to choose from. We will briefly remind you of them to give you an idea of ​​what you can expect once you access it:

  • Safe Mode: Windows will start with a minimal set of drivers and services. Network connectivity is also disabled.
  • Safe Mode with Networking: Windows will boot with a basic set of services, but will include the drivers necessary to connect to a local network or the Internet. This only works with wired networks, not Wi-Fi networks.  
  • Safe Mode with Command Prompt – For advanced users who do not need the graphical user interface and prefer to directly access the command line terminal to troubleshoot their computer.

How to access Windows 11 safe mode

Here we have to differentiate between two usage situations. The first is when errors exist, but they are not critical and we have access to the operating system. The second is when we definitely cannot access the system due to the severity of the errors. We discuss several ways to access this mode in both situations.

Configuration

If you can boot your computer, the easiest way to access Windows 11 Safe Mode is from the general Settings tool. Step by step:

  • Press the shortcut key combination “Windows + I” to access
  • Go to System > Recovery.
  • In Recovery Options select Restart now.
  • When your PC restarts, under Choose an option select Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Settings > Restart.
  • Select number 4, 5 or 6 to enter safe mode.

Lock screen

You can also boot into safe mode from the lock screen:

  • Restart your PC.
  • On the lock screen press any key to see the options.
  • At the login screen, hold down the Shift key and tap Restart.
  • The rest of the process is the same as the previous point.

Restarts

Windows, by default, boots into the Windows Recovery Environment after three failed attempts to load the operating system. This way, you can force your PC to shut down multiple times to trick the system into thinking it cannot boot properly.

  • Turn off the computer.
  • Press the power button and when it starts charging, press and hold the Power button to force the computer to shut down. Repeat the steps one more time.
  • On the third attempt, press the power button and let Windows load and boot into the Windows Recovery Environment.
  • The rest of the process is the same as the previous point.

Console

You can also access Windows 11 Safe Mode using the Windows console. As follows:

  • Right click on the start button and access the command prompt (administrator)
  • Type the command shutdown.exe /r /o and press enter.
  • Close the pop-up dialog and Windows will restart in 1 minute.
  • The recovery environment will open where you can follow the steps above.

Msconfig

One of the most direct options to access Windows 11 safe mode is to use this internal tool. To do this:

  • Press the “Win ​​+ R” hotkeys to access the Run application and type msconfig .
  • Once in the system configurator, go to the ‘Boot’ tab and activate ‘Safe Boot’.
  • You can select the options you need, such as the basic ‘minimum’ or the ‘network’ option.
  • Reboot the system to enter special mode.

Hotkeys

Until Windows 7, accessing this special mode was as simple as pressing the “F8” function key when starting up the computer. Since Windows 8, with the implementation of the new UEFI firmware and the use of solid-state drives for internal storage, this method does not usually work on computers with Windows 10 and Windows 11. Although you can still try it, as well as another of the shortcuts “Shift + F8”.

The one that does work is the aforementioned “Shift + Reset”. Open the start menu and click on the power button. With the shift key pressed, click on the reset button. You will access another configuration screen that will allow you to access safe mode.

When Windows 11 won’t boot

The best option in these cases is to use an installation medium. If you follow us regularly, you should know it by heart:

  • Go to the  Windows 11 download page .
  • Select the available option (Windows 11 multi-edition), the Spanish language and download the image “Win11_Spanish_x64v1.iso”.

From here, this installation media will also serve as your access to Windows RE, the recovery mode that forms this safe mode. Simply boot from the USB you created and before moving on to the installation section, select the “Repair your computer” link.

As in previous versions, this Windows 11 safe mode is interesting. A tool designed to perform self-diagnostic tests or solve problems on the PC before having to use more radical methods such as recovery or complete reinstallation of the system.

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