A problem appeared that no one had encountered before. Microsoft claims that Windows 8 boots so quickly (to be grateful) that users may not have enough time to open the boot menu (i.e., press F8) before the computer boots.
Chris Clark, director Windows commands User Experience published a statement on its blog that Windows 8 can boot in 7 seconds on personal computer, working on solid state drive(SSD hard drive).
In earlier computers running XP, Vista, Windows 7 operating systems, users have enough time to press F2 or F8 to open the boot menu before PC POST. The boot menu is presented to the user with the option to launch diagnostic tools or boot various devices. However, in Windows 8, the amount of time you have to press the F8 key is currently less than 200 ms, which is 0.2 seconds, i.e. you need to press the key very often to get into this interval.
So now, Microsoft was forced to offer Windows users 8 alternative method to open the boot menu. In Windows 8, you will be automatically directed to the boot menu provided that Windows does not boot, including in situations where Windows thinks there is a faulty display driver, for example. In all these cases, the user will automatically be directed to boot menu.
However, you can also enter the boot options menu manually. This can be done from the advanced launch in the "tab" General settings computer." You can also enter download mode from the start screen: safe mode, loading, startup, BIOS, firmware and so on.
However, most users prefer to get the boot menu by pressing and holding the Shift key while selecting the reboot option. Microsoft stated that the main reason for adding this option is that boot options should be available no matter when the user turns on the computer. In earlier versions of the OS, when people had time to press F8 during boot, there was no need to boot to the start screen. Thus, Microsoft gives us several options to enter the boot menu.
Also for console fans, there is a command to go to the boot options menu through the command line parameter “Shutdown.exe /r /o”, where the “/o” flag indicates opening the boot options menu.
In addition to all the above methods, you can always call the window system configuration(msconfig) and in the Boot tab, immediately select one of the available Safe Boot modes for your computer, and then reboot it. Good luck!
Despite the fact that Windows operating systems are developing at a rapid pace, increasing reliability and stability, sometimes situations may arise when the computer cannot boot normally.
However, you can try to start the system in a minimal environment mode, when only the most necessary services and a limited set of device drivers are functioning, sufficient to diagnose and eliminate possible malfunctions.
This mode is called "Safe".
For example, here is a screenshot of the task manager in safe mode.
It can be seen that only 19 processes are running, opening 4482 descriptors (pointers to different files).
And here is a screenshot of the normal operation of the same system immediately after a restart.
Already 33 processes and more than 12 thousand descriptors. It is obvious that in case of probable failures software, booting the system in safe mode will be much easier.
How to Boot into Safe Mode on Windows 8
There are various ways to boot your system into Safe Mode.
Method one.
1. When finishing work, hold down the key Shift and select “” without releasing Shift;
Or you can click right click mouse on the "Windows" icon and in context menu choose " Shutdown -> »
2. In the menu that appears, select “ Diagnostics»;
3. In the section " Diagnostics" choose " Extra options»;
4. In the additional parameters section, enter “ Boot Options»;
5. Select the item “ Reboot»;
6. After the reboot, we see a menu with various boot options, which can be selected by pressing the F1-F9 keys, respectively.
Here we are interested in items with safe mode. This is normal safe mode, starting the system in a minimal environment; – safe mode with boot network drivers. At the same time, we will have access to network adapter (standard driver) and you can diagnose the network, access files and even access the Internet - safe mode with command line support. When we select this mode, a command line window will open in which we can perform diagnostics and administration using control commands.
(For example, the command " chkdsk C: /f» will start checking file system on drive C: with error correction).
Method two.
1. B running system press the keyboard shortcut
2. In the launched program, go to the “” tab and select the download options “ Safe mode" In addition to the boot parameter, you can specify the mode option (see the previous method, here “Other shell” means “...with command line support...”, “Network” - “... with loading network drivers...”).
3. Reboot. The system will boot in the specified mode. This setting is disabled through the same utility (the “Safe Mode” checkbox is unchecked);
Method three.
If we are not able to login. In this case, we will need a system recovery disk, which must be made in advance (if you have free time and USB flash drive, then spend it now on creating such a disk, in the future it will help save data).
1. In order to create a recovery disk, you need to use a special utility (you can find it by searching for the phrase “Creating...”);
To the warning that the data will be destroyed, respond in the affirmative by clicking the “Create” button. First make sure that there is no important data on the flash drive; it will be erased.
2. Boot the computer from USB storage created in the previous step. Download from USB devices must be enabled in the BIOS in the Boot section (may look different: Boot options/Boot order/Boot priority, names may differ in BIOSes from different manufacturers).
3. In the window that appears automatic recovery after clicking on the “Advanced options” button, we will see the already familiar menu (from the first method). Further actions do not differ from those described earlier.
Method four.
If suddenly we did not create a recovery disk in advance, then there is another opportunity to start the computer in safe mode - use the installation Windows disk 8.
1. Install the Windows 8 boot disk into the CD drive and reboot (you may need to set boot priority from the CD/DVD device in the BIOS).
2. The system will prompt you to press any key to continue booting from the disk, press any key (for example, spacebar);
3. We will see the menu boot disk, appearance which depends on the author of the assembly that compiled the disk. Select “Recovery Environment 8.1”
6. In the most command line we can run the following command:
> bcdedit /set (globalsettings) advancedoptions true
7. Now close the command line and restart the computer. The system will prompt us with boot options every time we boot.
You can disable this system behavior with the following command on the command line:
> bcdedit /deletevalue (globalsettings) advancedoptions
So, we have as many as four ways to load safe mode in the operating system; which one to choose depends on the situation and the available equipment. In any case, remember that getting into safe mode is not a problem. The most important thing is to take comprehensive measures aimed at eliminating the malfunction. But this topic is beyond the scope of the article.
There have been cases when when you press a key F8 or Shift+F8 there was no transition to . New operating systems, especially on more expensive computers, began to load almost instantly and users simply did not have time to press a button.
What to do in this case? There are 5 ways in which we will try to enter Safe Mode without pressing any keys in Windows 8.
Msconfig.exe – system configuration
To enter Safe Mode, we will use the system configuration. We can launch the utility as follows: press the key combination WIN+R and in the window that appears, enter msconfig.
Go to the download tab and there, in the download options, select safe mode. Click OK.
The next time you start, Windows will go into safe mode.
Keyboard shortcut Shift+Restart
In order to do this, you need to move the mouse cursor to the lower right corner so that various settings appear. Click on the very last icon - options.
Now press and hold the key shift and click Reboot at the same time.
A window will appear where you need to select an option Diagnostics.
After, boot options.
There we will see a window where we need to select an option that will be enabled after windows starts. Choose enable safe mode.
The computer will reboot and 9 options will appear, 3 of which are safe modes. To select any option, you need to press the F1, F2, etc. keys. For example, you need to select - enable safe mode, then press the F4 key.
Safe Mode Using USB for System Recovery
In Windows 8 and 8.1, you can create a system restore disk, with which we can enter safe mode. We boot from a USB flash drive, or from the disk where you have Windows. Next, a window should appear windows installations. Below we should see the system recovery. Now, follow the instructions from the previous tip.
Using Hot Keys
In general, this is the method when you need to use F8 and other combinations. There is one catch, with and SSD drives This advice doesn't work. Therefore, it is often impossible to enter safe mode using this method.
If you can start safe mode using F8 or Shift + F8, then proceed as in the method №2
.
These are the methods for entering safe mode in Windows 8 and 8.1.
Can't boot Windows 8 or Windows 8.1 in Safe Mode? Are you pressing F8 or Shift+F8 but it doesn't do anything? Loading new operating system from Microsoft has become so fast that it is not always possible to interrupt it with keystrokes. Today we will tell you 5 ways in which you can boot any of the above-mentioned OS in safe mode.
Safe Mode in Windows 8 and Windows 8.1
Safe Mode in Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 is practically no different from that in earlier versions of the OS.
The operating system still loads only the most basic drivers and services. The only noticeable difference is that the minimum screen resolution in Safe Mode has increased from 800x600 pixels to 1024x768 pixels.
1. Use the System Configuration tool (Msconfig.exe)
As with Windows 7, the easiest way to boot into Safe Mode is to use the System Configuration program, also known as msconfig.exe.
Launch it, go to the “Boot” tab and in the boot options activate the “Safe Mode” option. Then click on the "OK" button.
Next, you will see a message stating that you need to restart your computer. Click Restart or Quit Without Reboot, depending on whether you want the computer to restart now or later.
The next time you start Windows 8 (Windows 8.1), it will boot into Safe Mode.
2. Use the combination Shift + Restart
Click the power button on the Windows login screen or in the Settings Charm. Then press and hold the SHIFT button on your keyboard and click Restart.
Windows will prompt you to select an option. Select "Diagnostics".
On the Diagnostics screen, click the Advanced Options button.
On the screen with additional options Click Boot Options.
When your computer restarts, a list of 9 options will appear on the screen, including three types of Safe Mode.
Press F4 on your keyboard to enable Safe Mode, F5 to enable Safe Mode with Network Driver Support, and F6 to enable Safe Mode with Command Prompt Support. After this, Windows 8/Windows 8.1 will be downloaded according to your selection.
3. Boot into safe mode using CD/DVD to restore system (Windows 8 only)
In Windows 8, but not in Windows 8.1, you can create a system repair disc. So, if you have such a disk, you can boot from it.
After booting from the recovery disk, you will be prompted to select a keyboard layout. Select the one you want to use. You will then see the options screen. All further steps will be identical to those described in method 2.
4. Boot into USB Safe Mode to Restore System
Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 allow you to create a system repair disc on a USB drive. Using such a disk you can also boot the OS in safe mode. To do this, boot from your System Recovery USB drive and follow the instructions from the previous method.
5. Use F8 or Shift + F8 (does not work when using UEFI BIOS and SSD)
In the case of Windows 7, just press F8 just before starting the operating system to get to the menu with additional options download, from where you can already boot the operating system in safe mode.
For Windows 8 and 8.1, some sites advise using the keyboard shortcut Shift + F8, which launches recovery mode, allowing you to boot into safe mode. However, the problem is that neither Shift + F8 nor just F8 often work.
In a post on its official blog, Microsoft explains that this behavior is due to the very fast boot process. Steve Sinofsky once said: “Windows 8 has a problem. It loads too quickly, so quickly that you actually don't have time to interrupt it when you turn on your PC. The operating system simply does not have time to detect pressing the F2 or F8 keys.”
In general, if you have modern computer With UEFI BIOS and SSD, you are unlikely to be able to interrupt the boot process with keystrokes. On older PCs with a classic BIOS and no SSD, pressing these keys still works.
Sooner or later this happens to all users. Yes, yes, whether we like it or not, everyone will have to deal with launching an operating system in safe mode, regardless of whether it is installed on the computer latest version Windows 8 or old Vista. However, if everything seems to be clear with time-tested operating systems, then many users can tinker with a brand new gift from Microsoft. Let's look at how easy and at the same time quickly to launch on Windows computer 8 in safe mode.
Method #1: Launch from the Options panel
In order to use this method and enter safe mode, press the power button in the “Options” panel, and then, while holding SHIFT on the keyboard, select the “Restart” option on the screen:
After that, in the “Select Options” window, find and select the “Diagnostics” tab by left-clicking the mouse, and then select “Advanced Options”:
Our next step will be to select the “Boot Options” tab in the new system window:
As a result, Windows 8 will offer, in particular, to run safe mode on the PC. We take advantage of this offer and immediately click on the “Restart” button on the screen:
As a result, the PC will reboot. When you turn it on again, the system will display a number of options to enable, including safe mode. However, it will be presented in 3 versions:
- standard (turn on by pressing the F4 button on the keyboard);
- with the launch of network drivers (activated with the F5 key);
- with a working command line (select with the F6 button).
We select the parameter we need and press the corresponding button on the keyboard. As a result, Windows 8 will restart in safe mode.
Method #2: Start from the command line
Those who have at least once loaded Safe Mode for Windows 7 or any other Microsoft OS know that you can perform this task through the command line. You can use it in Windows 8, however, taking into account the peculiarities of its operation.
The first thing you need, of course, is to launch the command line. In this case, you can use different methods. In 8, this is easiest to achieve by pressing the hotkeys and X on the keyboard, and then selecting the option to log into the command line with administrator rights in the menu that opens. After the command line loads, enter the value bcdedit /deletevalue (current) bootmenupolicy into it:
Please note that if the parameter is entered incorrectly, the system will write a corresponding message on the command line. If it does not appear, then everything is in order and you can restart the computer. As a result, during the next launch of Windows 8, press F8 and in the familiar system window select the required option to boot the system in safe mode:
Please note that if in the future you no longer need safe mode, do not forget to turn it off by entering the bcdedit /set (current) bootmenupolicy standard parameter into the command line.
Method #3: Boot using the System Configuration setting
To start safe mode on Windows 8 computers using this method, you first need to perform one of the following actions to choose from:
Use the Run program:
To do this, press the keys and R on the keyboard. Next, it’s a small matter - enter the msconfig parameter in the “Open” line and click OK:
Use command line:
We launch the command line (see method No. 2), enter the msconfig parameter into it and press Enter on the keyboard:
Whichever option you choose, the “System Configuration” system window should eventually open. In it, in the “Boot Options” section, select “Safe Mode” and click OK:
As a result, Windows 8 will prompt you to reboot. We, of course, do not refuse (why did we try so hard) and send the PC to reboot. The result of such actions is simple - the OS will start in safe mode without any unnecessary settings. Note that if you need to boot the operating system normally, you will have to go to “System Configuration” again. In this case, it will be enough to uncheck the “Safe Mode” item and save the setting using the OK button.
Method No. 4: Start using a boot disk or USB flash-card with Windows 8
If for some reason you were unable to start safe mode on your computer using the previous methods, but you still have an installation CD/DVD or flash drive with this OS, you can solve the problem with their help. Note that in both cases you will have to act in the same way. Let us offer as an example Windows startup 8 on PC in safe mode using boot disk.
To do this, insert it into the drive and restart the PC. Then go to the BIOS, select boot from CD/DVD and run the OS installation program. Next, enter the settings (language, date, time, etc.) and wait until the following window appears on the screen:
Now, to open safe mode on your computer, click “System Restore” and perform the following steps one by one:
- In the “Select action” window, check “Diagnostics”;
- Select “Advanced options”;
- Click the “Command Line” tab;
- Enter bcdedit /set (globalsettings) advancedoptions true into the command line to execute, press Enter and close the tab;
- In the new window, click “Continue”.
As a result, the system will restart in safe mode. To return the operating system to its original state, enter the value bcdedit /deletevalue (globalsettings) advancedoptions into the command line.
Method #5: Launch using hotkeys
Why didn't we start with this method? Because it is not possible to use it to load safe mode on all computers with Windows 8. In particular, if the PC has a UEFI BIOS or SSD installed, it will not work, but in standard BIOS mode this method works without interruptions.
If this is your situation, let’s say that safe mode can be launched simultaneously with loading the OS by simply pressing F8 on the keyboard or combining this button with the Shift key. If you did it on time, a standard window will appear on the screen, as in method No. 2, in which you can select the appropriate system boot option.
As you can see, safe mode can be launched in Windows 8 in different ways. Just choose the method you like - and move on from dream to reality!