Windows 11, like Windows 10 and earlier versions of Microsoft's operating system for computers, is designed to run on billions of different computers, a prodigy that no other operating system is capable of. However, it does not always do it perfectly and sometimes it has operational problems.
When our equipment does not work correctly, it hangs, restarts, shuts down, shows the blue screen of death ... it is an unequivocal symptom that something is not working. The first method we should use to begin ruling out culprits is start Windows in safe mode.
What is safe mode in Windows
Windows safe mode, which has been with us for almost 20 years in all versions of the Microsoft operating system start the computer with basic Windows settings, that is, with the basic files and drivers necessary to start the computer.
Once we have started the computer in safe mode, we must start using it as we usually do. If during that time, there are no operating problems, we can begin to rule out that it is a hardware problem.
That is, of the components of our team and that really we are facing a software problem, probably related to the drivers of the different hardware elements that we have installed in our equipment.
Windows puts at our disposal two versions of safe mode:
- Safe Mode: This mode disables all network connections on the device, including the internet connection.
- Safe mode with networking: This mode starts the computer with the basic components, like safe mode, but enables the network connection, that is, the computer can connect through the network to other computers and also to the Internet.
What safe mode to use?
Depending on the environment where the equipment is used, it is more advisable to use one mode or another. If we are in an office or business, it will be necessary to enable safe mode with networking so that the computer can continue to work normally until the problem is found, if the computer cannot be dispensed with at that time.
If Safe Mode with Networking also exhibits malfunctions, it is likely that the problem is present on the motherboard, where the network connection is located. To rule out whether it is the motherboard, which would force us to change it, we must try the safe mode without network functions.
Start Windows 11 in safe mode
Microsoft offers us 3 different methods to start our computer in safe mode, so it depends on what the team is allowing us to interact with.
From the configuration options
- We press the key combination Windows + i to access the configuration options.
- Next, click on Recovery followed by System.
- Then, in Recovery options, click on Advanced start y Restart now.
- When the PC has restarted, we will select the following options in this order:
- Solve problems
- Advanced
- Startup configuration
- Restart
- The computer will restart again and before starting the computer, a list of options where we have to select:
- Option 4 if we want to start the PC in Safe Mode.
- Option 5 if we want to start the PC in safe mode with networking.
From the login screen
If we cannot access the configuration options, from the login screen Windows we can also enable the safe mode of Windows 11.
- From the login screen, press and hold the Shift key while clicking on the button Restart.
- When the PC has restarted, we will proceed in the same way as the previous method and select the following options in the following order:
- Solve problems
- Advanced
- Startup configuration
- Restart
- The computer will restart again and before starting the computer, a list of options where we have to select:
- Option 4 if we want to start the PC in Safe Mode.
- Option 5 if we want to start the PC in safe mode with networking.
From a black or blank screen
- If our team has started, but shows absolutely nothing on the screen, we proceed to press the off button for 10 seconds.
- Next, we press the power button to start the computer.
- At the first indication that the computer has started, usually the manufacturer's logo is displayed, we hold down the start button for 10 seconds to turn off the equipment.
- Again, We press the start button again.
- When Windows starts start regularly, we press the start button for 10 seconds to turn it off. If we let it turn on, it will show the black screen again.
- When shutting down the computer when it was starting up, Windows will interpret that there is some error, and when we press the power key again, it will invite us to start the Automatic Repair, select Advanced Options and type winRE.
- Next, we will select the following options in this order:
- Solve problems
- Advanced
- Startup configuration
- Restart
- The computer will restart again and before starting the computer, a list of options where we have to select:
- Option 4 if we want to start the PC in Safe Mode.
- Option 5 if we want to start the PC in safe mode with networking.
How to exit Windows Safe Mode
To get out of the uncomfortable, aesthetically speaking, Windows safe mode, with or without network functions, we just have to restart our device.
Yes, the team reboots in safe mode, we can deactivate this startup by performing the steps that I show you below:
- We press the key Windows + R
- In the search box, we type msconfig and click OK.
- Next, we go to the Startup tab and uncheck the box Safe boot.
- Finally, click on Apply and OK.
The next see that we restart the computer, will not boot into safe mode
Start Windows 10 in safe mode
The process for start a Windows 10 computer in safe modeWith the three methods that I have shown you above, it is exactly the same as with Windows 11. It should be remembered that Windows 11 is a polish of the face of Windows 10, since the internal operation remains exactly the same.