See How to Access Advanced Startup Options in Windows 8 for instructions on the six different methods to open this very helpful menu of repair and troubleshooting tools.
The Windows 8 Safe Mode Catch-22
Of the six methods outlined in the linked instructions above, only methods 1, 2, or 3 allow access to Startup Settings, the menu that Safe Mode is found on. Those three methods only work if you have access to Windows 8 in normal mode (method 2 & 3) or, at very least, if you can get to the Windows 8 sign on screen (method 1). The irony here is that few people who need to start in Safe Mode can get all the way to the sign on screen, let alone start Windows 8 normally! The solution is to open Command Prompt from the Advanced Startup Options menu, which you can do using any of the six methods, including Methods 4, 5 & 6, and then execute some special commands to force a Safe Mode startup on the next reboot. See How to Force Windows to Restart in Safe Mode for complete instructions. You won’t need to follow this tutorial if you start Windows 8 in Safe Mode that way.
What About F8 and SHIFT+F8?
If you’re familiar with previous versions of Windows, you may remember that you could force the loading of what was then called the Advanced Boot Options menu by pressing F8. This bypass is no longer possible in Windows 8. In fact, even the widely publicized SHIFT+F8 option, which supposedly works to force Advanced Startup Options to appear (and ultimately Startup Settings and Safe Mode), only works on very slow computers. The amount of time that Windows 8 looks for SHIFT+F8 is so small on most Windows 8 devices and PCs that it borders on impossible to get it to work. If Startup Settings isn’t available, it’s likely due to the way in which you accessed Advanced Startup Options. See How to Access Advanced Startup Options in Windows 8 and choose method 1, 2, or 3. If that’s not possible (i.e., your only options are 4, 5, or 6) then see How to Force Windows to Restart in Safe Mode for help. You might want to take another look at The Windows 8 Safe Mode Catch-22 section from Step 1 in this tutorial. Startup Settings will come up next, automatically. Windows 8 will not start. For this tutorial, however, we’re focusing on your three Windows 8 Safe Mode choices, Nos. 4, 5, and 6 on the menu:
Enable Safe Mode is your “standard” Safe Mode option and should probably be your first try.Enable Safe Mode with Networking is identical to Enable Safe Mode, but the few extra processes necessary to access your network and the internet are also loaded.Enable Safe Mode with Command Prompt is also identical to Enable Safe Mode but instead of the standard Explorer interface, Command Prompt is loaded instead.
Choose the Safe Mode option you want by pressing either 4, 5, or 6 (or F4, F5, or F6). You will need a keyboard attached to your computer if you want to make a choice from Startup Settings. There’s nothing to do here but wait for Safe Mode to load. Next up will be the login screen you normally see when your computer starts. If you know you don’t have administrator-level access, log in with another account on the computer that does. Next up is Windows 8 Safe Mode—temporary access to your computer again! The Windows 8 Start screen doesn’t start automatically. Instead, you’re taken immediately to the Desktop and a Windows Help and Support window appears with some basic Safe Mode help. You might also notice the words Safe Mode at all four corners of the screen. Now that you can access Windows 8 again, even if it is restricted in some ways thanks to being in Safe Mode, you can back up important files, troubleshoot whatever startup problem you were having, run some kind of diagnostics—whatever it is you need to do. However, if you used some other method, you’ll need to reverse those changes or you’ll find yourself in a “Safe Mode Loop” where, even if you’re not having a startup problem, Windows 8 will start in Safe Mode every time you turn on or restart your computer. We explain how to reverse those actions in our How to Start Windows in Safe Mode Using System Configuration and How to Force Windows to Restart in Safe Mode tutorials which use the System Configuration tool, and the bcdedit command, respectively, to force Windows 8 into Safe Mode on every restart.
