Safe computer mode. How to enable safe mode on your computer

Users often write: I can’t start my computer, the PC boots with numerous errors, during its startup a blue screen appears and Windows reboots, what should I do? In most such cases, in addition to rolling back the system and reinstalling it, starting the computer in one of the diagnostic modes will help. Let's look at how to enter safe mode on Windows 7 in various ways, what it is and when it can help out.

Windows 7 has diagnostic modes for starting the operating system to solve certain problems. One of them - safe or Safe mode (also called troubleshooting mode) is designed to identify and troubleshoot problems in Win 7, the operation of drivers and hardware components of the computer. Safe mode starts the minimum possible list of processes, services and drivers necessary to ensure the operation of the operating system and basic hardware components. By operating with limited capabilities, problems are identified faster because the application software is not active.

F8 key

The simplest and most popular way to invoke safe mode on a computer with Windows 7 is the F8 key, pressed while it is turned on.

First of all, you should restart or turn on your computer.
After the logo of the laptop or motherboard developer appears and the equipment self-tests, press F8.

It is best to press this button approximately once per second or a little more often so as not to miss the right moment.

If the F8 button does not work on a laptop, then the Fn key located near the left Ctrl must be pressed together with it (on most devices this combination disables the Wi-Fi wireless network module).

If additional ways to launch Windows 7 using the cursor key block appear, you must go to the desired item and press Enter to enter Safe Mode.

As a result, a black screen will appear, displaying the progress of loading system files, and after a couple of tens of seconds the familiar desktop will appear.

Most likely (for owners of large monitors), the screen resolution will be lower than in normal mode, and themes with visual effects will not be used. A black background will take the place of the usual colorful splash screen, and this is normal.

Run via GUI

We looked at how to run the msconfig utility. Now we’ll use it to boot into safe mode next time.

Open the command interpreter via Start or Win + R.

We write the line “msconfig” into the text form and execute the command.

The System Configuration window opens.

In the first tab, move the trigger switch to the second item - “Diagnostic startup” - and save the new configuration.

However, if the proposed diagnostic startup modes are not satisfactory, after the second step we go to the “Boot” tab.

Another shell is with command line support, and Explorer and the network will be inactive;

Registry Editor

Let's go to the section where global settings for all users are stored - HKLM.

Video instruction

“Diagnostic run” and save the new configuration.

If you need to enable Safe Mode now, in the next window click “Reboot”. Otherwise, you will be able to enter the diagnostic mode after the next turn on/restart of the PC.

However, if the proposed diagnostic startup modes are not satisfactory, after the second step we go to the “Boot” tab.

In the first field, select the operating system that should be loaded in diagnostic mode if there are several of them installed on the PC.

In the download options, check the box that is highlighted in the screenshot.

We select a satisfying option from the proposed ones:

Minimal – launch a graphical interface with a minimal set of services and drivers;
Another shell - with command line support, Explorer and the network will be inactive;
Active Directory recovery – similar to the minimal one, but with activation of the Active Directory service;
Network – launch network drivers.

You can also enable one or more of the following options:

Without GUI – start the PC without going through the welcome screen;
Boot log – all information about the startup process will be written to the Ntbtlog.txt file located on the system volume;
Basic video – a basic video driver will be loaded to use the minimum capabilities of the video card (working with video and animation will be possible).
OS information – the boot screen will display the names of the drivers being launched.

Check the box “Make these settings permanent” if you are sure that you will turn on a PC with this configuration several times in a row.

In this case, do not forget to return everything back when you need to start the computer in normal mode.

Click “OK” to exit the configuration window and restart the PC, ending all applications while saving progress in them.

Registry Editor

One of the registry keys is responsible for starting safe mode, so you can control the computer startup modes through the registry editor, but to do this you need to work under an administrator account.

Run “regedit” in the search bar.

Let's go to the section where global settings for all users are stored - HKLM.

We follow down the hierarchy, as shown in the screenshot.

Create the “25000080” section through the context menu of the “Elements” directory.

Similarly, we add a binary parameter and call it “Element”, following the principle of creating new files and renaming them in Explorer.

Using the context menu, open the dialog for changing the key value.

Enter it as shown in the screenshot and save the new settings.

We have considered all the options for calling the safe mode that Microsoft offers.

Video instruction

You can watch a video that shows how to start Windows 7 in safe mode through the GUI in 20 seconds.

In Windows 7, there are two ways to get into safe mode:
1) Entering Windows 7 safe mode at system startup.
2) Entering Safe Mode from the Windows 7 environment (from a running OS by changing the boot in System Configuration).

Entering Windows7 safe mode at system startup.

Turn on the computer and while the system is loading, press the F8 key several times; if the welcome window appears (Windows 7 logo), it means you did not have time to press the F8 key, in this case you need to wait for the system to boot and turn off the computer again and when loading, press again F8 key. When trying to get into safe mode, you need to consider:
- On some keyboards, the function keys F1–F12 are always disabled by default. To turn them on, you need to press a special key (usually Fn) and while holding it, press the F8 key.
- If your computer has two or more operating systems, use the arrow keys to select the one you want, and then press Enter.
- To use the arrow keys on the numeric keypad, Num Lock must be disabled.
In the window Additional download options select " Safe mode" and press the key " Enter».

After a few seconds, the system will boot into safe mode.

Entering Safe Mode from Windows 7.

Press the button " Start" and write in the search bar msconfig and press the " Enter»

In the window that opens system configuration, go to the “” tab and check the “ Safe mode" and select " Minimum».
For reference:
Safe Mode: Minimum- Boots the Windows graphical user interface (Windows Explorer) in safe mode, running only the most important system services. Network components are disabled.
Safe Mode: Another Shell- Boot Windows command line in safe mode, running only the most important system services. Network components and GUI are disabled.
Safe Mode: Active Directory Restore - Boots the Windows GUI in Safe Mode, running only the most critical system services and Active Directory.
Safe Mode: Network- Boots the Windows GUI in safe mode, running only the most important system services. Network components are enabled.
Without GUI - The Welcome screen does not appear while Windows is loading.
Download log - All information regarding the boot process is saved in the file %SystemRoot%Ntbtlog.txt.
Basic video- Boots Windows GUI in minimal VGA mode. This mode loads standard VGA drivers instead of display drivers that match the computer's video hardware.
OS information - Displays the names of loaded drivers during system boot.
Make these boot options permanent - Changes made to system settings are not tracked. You can change the settings later using System Setup, but only manually. If this option is selected, you will not be able to roll back changes by selecting Normal Startup on the General tab.

After this, you will be prompted to restart your computer to enter Windows 7 safe mode. If you want to boot into safe mode now, click "", if you want to do this later, select " Exit without reboot"And the next time you reboot or turn on your computer/laptop, automatically boot into safe mode.

The next time you boot Windows 7, the system will boot into Safe Mode.

In order not to boot into safe mode, you need to go into the system configuration again and uncheck the previously checked boxes.

The computer in safe mode (in English Safe Mode) loads a limited set of drivers and system files necessary for starting and subsequent operation of the system. This tool allows you to perform many troubleshooting tasks that are difficult or impossible to do in a regular OS session. There are plenty of ways to start Windows 7 safe mode on your computer, which are detailed in the instructions.

Safe mode is enabled in three options (see screenshot below).

Basic - downloads all the necessary components to keep Windows running.
With network support – the same as the basic version, only with the ability to work over a network or access the Internet. The mode is useful if, to fix a problem, you need to download updates, drivers, and other files.
With the command line - requiring knowledge of commands.

Choose option 1 or 2, depending on the essence of solving the problem; you are unlikely to need option 3, because it requires knowledge of using cmd. Before restarting Windows, remove disks and USB drives from the drive. To get to the Safe Mode boot options, follow the steps below.

Launch via additional boot options

Additional boot options provide a list of tools to start the OS in various modes for troubleshooting. To display the list and start safe mode, do the following:

1. Turn on or restart your computer or laptop via .

2. If several operating systems are installed, on the system selection screen, use the keyboard arrows (up, down) to select Windows 7. Next, press the top row button F8.

3. If one Windows 7 OS is installed, immediately after reboot, quickly press the F8 key. If you do not have time to press and see the Windows logo, then the system has started. Repeat step 1 and 3.

4. The steps above will take you to a list of download options. Use the keyboard arrows (up, down) to select one of three options for starting safe mode, then click Enter.

Enabling via system settings (MSCONFIG)

You can enable safe mode on Windows 7 in the OS settings. Do the following series of actions:

2. There are 5 tabs available in the system configuration. Visit the "download" tab. If you see several operating systems, select Windows 7. Next, check the “safe mode” option and specify the boot option:

Minimum – launching important drivers, services and graphical interface.
Another shell is to enable cmd and load important Windows components.
Active Directory recovery – the same “Minimal” option, only with the Active Directory service.
Network - the same “Minimal” option, only with network support and Internet access.

3. After changes, click OK. To start Windows 7 safe mode on your computer, in the message, click “restart” (the PC will restart immediately) or “exit without rebooting” (restart itself).

4. After working in safe mode, open the system configuration window, on the “boot” tab, uncheck the “safe mode” boot option. Next, click OK and restart your computer. If you do not complete step 4, then this mode will load constantly.

Using the BCDedit Command

To use the method, . Type the command BCDedit, press Enter. In the "Windows Boot" area, note the "identifier" (in the screenshot (current)) and "description" (in the Windows 7 screenshot).

For example, to launch safe mode: minimal, for the data shown in the screenshot above, you need to enter the following construction:

bcdedit /set (current) safeboot minimal

Execute or close cmd and restart your PC in the traditional way.

After successfully logging in using one of 3 methods, you will see “safe mode” in each corner of the screen. At the same time, the visual design of the interface will disappear and many services will stop.

Fix any problems. Then do not forget to restart the computer if you used the first method or change the settings corresponding to normal mode (2, 3 methods) and restart the system. After studying the recommendations, you can easily start Windows 7 safe mode using a method that is convenient for you.

OS failures most often occur after incorrect configuration, installation of unfinished programs, or virus infection. Booting into Safe Mode will show you whether these are the issues and, if so, help resolve them.

How to start Safe Mode in Windows

1. Using hotkeys

Suitable for Windows 7, Vista and XP.

Restart your computer and, as soon as the system starts to boot again, press the F8 key until a menu of additional boot options appears. When this menu appears on the screen, select the Safe Mode option and press Enter.

To exit Safe Mode, restart your computer and it will start normally.

Suitable for Windows 10, 8, 8.1, 7, Vista and XP.

Use the Windows + R key combination. In the window that appears, enter the command msconfig and press Enter. When the system configurator window opens, go to the “Boot” (or BOOT) tab and check the “Safe Mode” (or SAFEBOOT) checkbox. Click OK and restart your computer.

To disable booting in safe mode, open the configurator window again, uncheck the “Safe Mode” checkbox and restart the computer.

Click on the notification icon in the lower right corner and go to “All settings” → “Update and security” → “Recovery”. Under Special Boot Options, click Restart Now.

Once on the “Select Action” screen, select “Troubleshooting” (or “Diagnostics”) → “Boot Options” (if this item is not displayed, click “Advanced Options”) → “Restart”. On the next screen, press the 4 key to select the Enable Safe Mode option.

To exit safe mode, simply restart your computer.

Suitable for Windows 10, 8 and 8.1.

This method is a simplified version of the previous one. Hold down the Shift key and click on the soft reboot button that you use to restart the system normally. When you get to the Select Action screen, follow the steps outlined for that window in the previous method.

To exit Safe Mode, simply restart your computer.

How to start Safe Mode on macOS

1. Using the Shift key

Hold down the Shift key immediately after turning on or restarting your computer until you see the login window.

To exit Safe Mode, simply restart your Mac without pressing any additional keys.

Open Finder → Programs → Utilities and launch the Terminal utility. Type sudo nvram boot-args="-x" and press Enter. After this, restart your computer.

To disable booting into Safe Mode, launch Terminal again, type sudo nvram boot-args="" , press Enter, and restart your Mac.

What to do next

In safe mode, only a standard set of services, drivers, settings and programs are loaded along with the system. If everything works fine, then there is probably something wrong with third-party programs or recently changed OS settings.

In this case, you need to scan your computer with an antivirus and remove suspicious software directly in safe mode. If this does not help, you should consider restoring macOS to normal.

If problems with your computer occur in safe mode and even restoring the OS does not change the situation, most likely there is something wrong with the hardware. First of all, make sure that the components do not overheat and, if necessary, clean the computer. If the temperature is normal, contact the service center.

Many users working on a computer running Windows 7 sometimes encounter problems with the operating system. The immediate thought that comes to mind in such cases is to reinstall the operating system. But there is no need to rush to reinstall Windows; the problem with its functioning or startup may lie on the surface, and anyone can fix it. First, let's try to start from the last known good configuration.

If this method does not help, then you will have to start Windows 7 in safe mode and try to fix the problem that may have arisen with drivers or programs

What is Safe Mode

WATCH THE VIDEO

Keeping Windows 7 in working order through constant maintenance and installing only proven applications and official driver versions minimizes the need to run diagnostic mode. Now you know how to start Windows in safe mode.

PC users often encounter a problem when the operating system begins to freeze mercilessly. If you have a lot of utilities and drivers installed, it can be quite difficult to figure out what is causing the crashes. Fortunately, the developers have provided a solution to the problem: you will need to run Windows 7 safe mode.

Safe Mode Features

(safe mode) includes loading basic services and drivers, without which Windows will not start at all. All non-essential services and programs will not be launched, which greatly increases the chance of successfully loading the OS. Also, if you switch to safe mode, you can use simpler methods to identify problems associated with improper operation of Windows components and perform system diagnostics. Therefore, another name was assigned to it; it is also called the diagnostic mode.

Booting Windows 7 in safe mode will allow you to determine at what level the problem occurred. If after startup there are no failures, then the reason needs to be looked for in the downloaded files. Run programs one by one to find the culprit.

Entering safe (diagnostic) mode in Windows 7 will help clean your computer from viruses. If the system is heavily infected, the antivirus may not be able to cope with the problem during a normal boot. In safe mode you can also install an antivirus program if it has not been downloaded.

In particularly critical situations, Windows does not boot in the usual way. Then you can perform a system rollback through safe mode. Select a restore point at which the system functioned without failures. The computer should return to normal operation.

Before starting work

Before you enter Windows 7 Safe Mode, you need to check if USB is supported in the BIOS. If this feature is turned off, you will not be able to use your USB keyboard and mouse, even if the devices work normally without any problems.

Now USB devices will work even before the OS starts.

Login during system startup

Restart your computer. When the BIOS logo appears on the screen, press and hold F8. Sometimes the key may not work. If everything is fine in the BIOS settings, try the combination Ctrl + F8 or Shift + F8.

You need to be in time before the Windows logo appears, otherwise you will have to start the procedure again. If you do everything correctly, a signal will sound and “ Additional boot menu", the opening will take some time.

Using the navigation keys we can select the appropriate option:

safe mode- graphical interface with basic programs;
with command line support- instead of the usual graphical interface, command line mode will be activated. This download is suitable for IT specialists. Regular users are not recommended to boot Windows this way.

We choose the first or second option, based on the need to access the Internet. But be careful: protection means usually do not work in safe mode and you cannot always enable them manually. So it’s better to opt for the first download method.

A window for downloading files will appear. This will take a few seconds.

So now our computer is in safe mode. The screen resolution became low, and the screensaver changed to a black background. Help immediately opens, where you can learn about enabling and operating features in diagnostic mode.

However, there are some disadvantages here. The BIOS logo disappears very quickly, and users simply do not have time to press F8 in time. In addition, on a laptop it is not difficult to immediately go to the additional boot menu. But on a desktop computer it often does not open or will open only once every ten attempts. The exception is when starting after an emergency shutdown.

Therefore, the question arises: what to do in this case, how to enter safe mode in Windows 7. Fortunately, it can be turned on in another way.

Launch from the system

This is an alternative option on how to quickly enable safe mode in Windows 7. The advantage of this method is that it almost always works and there is no need to “catch” the treasured F8.

The PC should now boot into Safe Mode.

We looked at how to start safe mode in Windows 7 without logging out. It is especially important here that the BIOS supports USB. In the first case, safe mode is selected before the system starts. Accordingly, if you are using a USB keyboard, the F8 key simply will not work and the standard startup will begin. But when launched via the command line, the diagnostic mode opens from the Windows environment. If the keyboard and mouse have USB connectors, the user will encounter an unpleasant situation: safe mode is enabled, but the main input devices are not responding. You will have to exit through the emergency shutdown.

How to exit diagnostic mode

As a rule, to exit safe mode, it is enough to reboot the system. This can be done using standard methods.

Via the menu Start

or via the key combination Alt + F4.

Windows should return to native mode. But sometimes the reboot stubbornly refuses to start. Then safe or diagnostic mode in Windows 7 can be turned off within the system. Essentially, we will come out of it the same way we entered it.

After rebooting, normal mode will turn on.

Of course, safe mode will not necessarily solve the problem. The computer may slow down due to heavy processor load. If you enable safe mode on Windows 7, the load will be significantly reduced and the system will start working well. But after a normal boot, crashes will appear again. Then you will have to clean the startup. However, this is an indispensable assistant in case of problems or problems starting the system.

Video on the topic

- If your computer has two or more operating systems, use the arrow keys to select the one you want, and then press Enter.
- To use the arrow keys on the numeric keypad, Num Lock must be disabled.
In the window select " Safe mode" and press the key " Enter».

Press the button " Start" and write in the search bar msconfig and press the " Enter»

In the window that opens system configurationSafe mode" and select " Minimum».
For reference:
- Boots the Windows graphical user interface (Windows Explorer) in safe mode, running only the most important system services. Network components are disabled.
- Boot Windows command line in safe mode, running only the most important system services. Network components and GUI are disabled.

Safe Mode: Network
Without GUI - The Welcome screen does not appear while Windows is loading.
Download log -
Basic video
OS information -

Exit without reboot

In order not to boot into safe mode, you need to go into the system configuration again and uncheck the previously checked boxes.

Safe boot mode of a personal computer is a diagnostic startup of the OS, which allows you to get rid of various problems. In most cases, it is used when Windows malfunctions during normal booting or does not start at all. Safe Mode provides for the use of standard settings, as well as the minimum number of utilities necessary for normal operation of the OS.

Windows XP

We turn on the personal computer. Without waiting for it to fully load, press the F8 button on the keyboard. In the future, we will see a black screen with suggested options. Select the appropriate item and press Enter. This is the simplest and most common method that provides the ability to start Windows XP Safe Mode.
While in Windows, click on “Start”, then on “Run”. In the line that appears, type the msconfig command and press Enter. In the window that opens, find the BOOT.INI tab. (loading). Check the /SAFEBOOT checkbox. Click the "OK" button and restart your personal computer. These steps will enable Windows XP Safe Mode.

Windows 7

First you need to restart your computer. You can also select Restart from the Start menu. During startup, press and hold the F8 key. If the Windows icon appears on the display, then repeat all the steps again until you are able to start Windows 7 safe mode.

Please note that if you are using a laptop, you will have to use the Fn+F8 key combination.

Windows 8

If your personal computer boots, then you can start Windows 8 safe mode as follows. Hover your mouse over the lower left corner of your monitor, wait a couple of seconds, and select Settings and Shut Down. Then hold down “Shift” on the keyboard and, without releasing it, click “Reboot”. Next, you need to select “Diagnostics” and “Boot Options”. On the next screen, you will be given the option to restart your computer. The fourth line indicates the “Safe Mode” item. Click "Restart". In the boot settings, you can select the parameters that correspond to the F1 - F9 keys. Safe mode is assigned to the fourth line, so to start Windows in safe mode, the user just needs to hold down F4.
You can enable safe mode in Windows 7 and 8 using “System Configuration” (the presented utility is launched on the command line with the command msconfig.exe). After launching the utility, go to the “Boot” tab and in the boot settings, check the “Safe Mode” option. Then click the "OK" button. In the future, you will see a prompt to restart your personal computer. Choose one of the available options - “Exit without restarting” or “Reboot”, depending on whether you plan to restart your PC right now or after some time. The next time you start Windows, it will boot into safe mode.

For more information about entering Safe Mode, see this article.

Basic download options

Each user has the opportunity to choose one of several available OS boot options. Let's look at them in more detail.

Safe mode. Only the most important programs and drivers are used to turn on the OS.
Safe Mode with loading network drivers. To enable the OS, some drivers and programs are used that allow you to work with the local network and the Internet.
Safe Mode with Command Line. The OS starts in safe mode. Additionally, the Cmd.exe file is downloaded.
VGA mode. The system is turned on using the current video card driver (display resolution - 640 x 480). This option is most useful in situations where settings are specified that are not supported by the monitor (it should be noted that in safe mode the Vga.sys driver must be loaded).
Running the last successful configuration.
Directory recovery. This option is recommended for use exclusively on Windows domain controllers. This domain enables directory service recovery.
Enable boot logging. When you select a specific boot option in Safe Mode, and this option is enabled, boot logging starts. To save the results, use the Ntbtlog.txt file, which can be found in the %SystemRoot% folder (the folder can be opened via win +r).
Debug mode. The operating system starts debugging mode. All information can be sent via serial cable to other personal computers that also run the debugger. In this situation, the COM2 port is used.
Normal OS boot. The system starts in standard mode.
Reboot. The personal computer is rebooting.
Return to OS selection. On a computer that is configured to run multiple operating systems, you return to the boot menu.

Entering Windows7 safe mode at system startup.

After a few seconds, the system will boot into safe mode.

Entering Safe Mode from Windows 7.

Press the button " Start" and write in the search bar msconfig and press the " Enter»

In the window that opens system configuration, go to the “” tab and check the “ Safe mode" and select " Minimum».
For reference:
Safe Mode: Minimum- Boots the Windows graphical user interface (Windows Explorer) in safe mode, running only the most important system services. Network components are disabled.
Safe Mode: Another Shell- Boot Windows command line in safe mode, running only the most important system services. Network components and GUI are disabled.
Safe Mode: Active Directory Restore - Boots the Windows GUI in Safe Mode, running only the most critical system services and Active Directory.
Safe Mode: Network- Boots the Windows GUI in safe mode, running only the most important system services. Network components are enabled.
Without GUI - The Welcome screen does not appear while Windows is loading.
Download log - All information regarding the boot process is saved in the file %SystemRoot%Ntbtlog.txt.
Basic video- Boots Windows GUI in minimal VGA mode. This mode loads standard VGA drivers instead of display drivers that match the computer's video hardware.
OS information - Displays the names of loaded drivers during system boot.
Make these boot options permanent - Changes made to system settings are not tracked. You can change the settings later using System Setup, but only manually. If this option is selected, you will not be able to roll back changes by selecting Normal Startup on the General tab.

The next time you boot Windows 7, the system will boot into Safe Mode.

In order not to boot into safe mode, you need to go into the system configuration again and uncheck the previously checked boxes.