Starting Windows 7 in safe mode may be required in a variety of situations, for example, when the usual loading of Windows does not occur or you need to remove the banner from the desktop. When you start safe mode, only the most necessary Windows 7 services are launched, which minimizes the likelihood of crashes during boot, thereby allowing you to fix certain problems with your computer.
To enter the safe mode of Windows 7:
- Restart your computer
- Immediately after the BIOS initialization screen (but before the Windows 7 screen saver appears), press the F8 key. Given that this moment is difficult to guess, you can press F8 once every half second from the very start of the computer. The only point worth noting is that in some versions of the BIOS, the F8 key selects the drive from which you want to boot. If you have such a window, then select the system hard drive, press Enter, and immediately begin to press F8 again.
- You will see a menu of additional boot options for Windows 7, among which there are three options for safe mode - "Safe mode", "Safe mode with network driver support", "Safe mode with command line support". Personally, I recommend using the last one, even if you need a regular Windows interface: just boot in safe mode with command line support, and then enter the command “explorer.exe”.
Running Safe Mode on Windows 7
After you make a choice, the process of loading Windows 7 safe mode will start: only the most necessary system files and drivers will be downloaded, a list of which will be displayed on the screen. If at this moment the download is interrupted - pay attention to which file the error occurred on - you may be able to find a solution to the problem on the Internet.
At the end of the download, you either immediately get to the desktop (or the command line) of safe mode, or you will be asked to choose between several user accounts (if there are several of them on the computer).
After the work in safe mode is finished, just restart the computer, it will boot in normal Windows 7 mode.
And suddenly it will be interesting:
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12/15/2014 at 09:31
Hello. I have such a problem - I forgot the password on the laptop (Windows 7). I wanted to reset the password in safe mode, but my desktop does not appear after turning on safe mode, but still asks for a password. What to do? Help me please!
12/15/2014 at 12:44
Look through the search on my website for articles on how to reset a password and how to find a password in Windows. (two of these are).
02/18/2015 at 14:12
The f8 key is not pressed at all, what should I do?
1st way to boot in safe mode
When you turn on the PC, you must, without waiting for the OS logo to appear, press and hold the F8 key. On some laptop models, one of the F1-F12 function keys can be used for this. At the same time, a menu of additional download options appears on the screen, having the form:
The first three options relate to the desired option, but you should choose the first - highlighted in white on the picture. This is done with the arrow keys, and then press "Enter". The system will start up, at the end of which a black window with a resolution of 640 × 480 pixels will appear, and the message “Safe Mode” will be displayed at the corners of the window.
The method described above is only valid if only one OS is installed on the PC. Otherwise, in order to start Safe Mode, you need to press F8 twice. The first press will bring up a bootloader message about choosing a bootable system. It should also be selected with the arrow keys, press "Enter" and immediately press F8 again. The above window will appear with additional startup options.
The second way to start Safe Mode
This method can be used when Windows 7 is already loaded. It consists in the following actions:
- Click "Start", in the search box, type "msconfig" and press "Enter". A view window will appear:
- It is necessary to select the “Download” tab in it, after which a window will open with options for starting the system:
- In this window, check the "Safe Mode" option and click the "Apply" and "OK" buttons. Next, you will be prompted to restart, with which you must agree. Windows 7 starts in safe mode.
Most Popular Safe Mode Download Option
So, let's start with the easiest way. We start the computer that was previously turned off and immediately begin to press the F8 key at least once per second. Some recommend skipping the screen saver on which you can enter the BIOS, but if other keys are used for it, then this is not critical.
In any case, if the Windows logo has already appeared on the screen, you should stop trying and restart the PC again, and repeat it again.
In some cases, you may have to go into the “Boot Device” settings of your BIOS to indicate there the drive on which the system files are located. Also, especially advanced users on a PC can have several OSes. Then you have to specify the desired OS.
We select, confirm, save and continue to harvest F8.
In theory, you should see a loading screen on which the information you need is written in white and black with a suggestion to choose the safe mode option.
There are various launch options, many of which are intended exclusively for IT specialists:
- Through the command line
- With the download log,
- With the restoration of directory services,
- Debug mode
Which to choose?
We may be interested in the following mode modifications:
- With a minimum graphics mode (VGA resolution) for problems with the display settings,
- The last stably working system configuration (registries and drivers),
- With the loading of network drivers (allows you to use information from the Internet or network devices).
But in most cases, it will be enough to choose the simplest "Safe Mode" with minimal settings. You can select it by moving the cursor highlighting the text and pressing "Enter" on the desired option.
Many often ask what to click if the menu is in English? Well, firstly, there are dictionaries, smartphones with online translators that will help you deal with any incomprehensible instructions.
But if this is difficult for you, then do not worry and choose “Safe Mode”, which is an absolutely accurate translation of the phrase “safe mode”. Also pay attention to the option with the postscript "with networking", meaning the ability to work with the network.
After you activate the mode, the system will give you a warning about what safe mode is and offer alternative actions if you did not choose exactly what you need. If you are confident in your actions - agree to continue. That's it, the computer will load the almost bare system and you can work with it.
We use "internal reserves"
Now I propose to deal with the second way in which safe mode is activated directly from running Windows 7. To do this, we need to call the command line by clicking the "Start" button and enter "msconfig" there.
You will see the “System Configuration” window, where extensive settings are presented in several tabs. We now need to "Download". We click on it and study the contents. It is clear that we are interested in "Safe Mode" opposite which it is worth putting a "tick". At the same time, the choice of mode options that are exact analogs of those that were presented on the “black and white” boot screen will become active. We select one of them, additionally putting a point opposite (if there is such a need). And click "Apply" and "Ok."
A window pops up prompting you to choose the development of events in one of two scenarios:
- Restart your computer immediately
- Start the mode after the next shutdown (“Exit without rebooting”)
Usually they choose the first one, after which the system will reboot in “safe mode” and immediately familiarize you with the traditional warning about what it is.
Having completed your tasks, you can again call up the "System Configuration" menu and delete the safe mode boot settings.
If something went wrong
I described an almost perfect situation in which everything should work out for you. However, do not rule out the possibility of problems. Therefore, I want to give some advice in case safe mode is not loaded.
This happens if the PC has serious problems:
- Virus-infected programs and files,
- Violations in the work of food,
- Failure of PC components (motherboard, RAM, HDD),
- Damage to system data and libraries,
The latter option can manifest itself directly during the download process, while you can find out on which file the failure occurred. But the problem usually has to be solved by drastic measures, such as:
- Change system configuration settings,
- Using special recovery utilities,
- Full reinstall of Windows 7.
I would like to hope that things will not go to extremes. Now you know how to start windows 7 in safe mode. Work calmly on restoring your computer.
On this my story came to an end.
I can only say goodbye to you and wish everyone good luck.
Method 1: “System Configuration”
First of all, we will consider the option of switching to "Safe mode" using manipulations in an already running OS. This task can be performed through the window. "System Configurations".
- Click "Start". Click "Control Panel".
Come in "System and safety".
In the list of utilities, select "System configuration".
The necessary tool can be launched in another way. To activate the window "Run" apply Win + r and enter:
Tool is activated "System configuration". Go to the tab "Loading".
- Another shell
- Network,
- Active Directory Recovery,
- Minimum (default).
Each type of launch has its own characteristics. In mode "Network" and Active Directory Recovery to the minimum set of functions that starts when you turn on the mode "Minimum", is added, respectively, the activation of network components and Active Directory. When choosing an option “Another shell” the interface will start in the form "Command line". But to solve most problems, you need to choose an option "Minimum".
Once you have selected the type of download you need, click Apply and OK.
Next, a dialog box opens that offers to restart the computer. For immediate transition to "Safe Mode" close all open windows on the computer and click on the button Reboot. PC will start in Safe Mode.
But if you do not intend to log out yet, then click “Exit without rebooting”. In this case, you will continue to work, and "Safe mode" is activated the next time you turn on the PC.
Method 2: Command Prompt
Go to "Safe Mode" can also with "Command line".
- Click "Start". Click on "All programs".
Open directory "Standard".
Finding an item "Command line", click on it with the right mouse button. Select "Run as administrator".
"Command line" will open. Enter:
bcdedit / set Then restart the computer. Click "Start", and then click on the triangular icon, which is located to the right of the inscription "Completion of work". A list opens where you want to select Reboot. After restarting, the system will boot in mode "Safe Mode". To switch the option to start in normal mode, you need to call again "Command line" and enter into it: bcdedit / set default bootmenupolicy
The methods described above have one significant drawback. In most cases, the need to start a computer in "Safe Mode" caused by the inability to log into the system in the usual way, and the above-described action algorithms can be performed only by first starting the PC in standard mode.
Method 3: Launch Safe Mode when booting a PC
In comparison with the previous ones, this method has no drawbacks, since it allows you to load the system into Safe Mode regardless of whether you can start the computer according to the usual algorithm or not.
- If you already have a PC running, you must first restart it to complete the task. If it is currently turned off, you just need to press the standard power button on the system unit. After activation, a sound should sound, indicating the initialization of the BIOS. Immediately after you hear it, but be sure to turn on the Windows welcome screen saver, press the button several times F8.
Attention! Depending on the BIOS version, the number of operating systems installed on the PC and the type of computer, there may be other options for switching to choosing a startup mode. For example, if you have several OSs installed, then pressing F8 will open the disk selection window for the current system. After you use the navigation keys to select the desired drive, press Enter. On some laptops, you also need to dial the Fn + F8 combination to switch to the type of switch-on, since the function keys are deactivated by default.
- With command line support,
- With loading network drivers,
- Safe mode.
Once the desired option is highlighted, click Enter.
As you can see, there are a number of options for entering "Safe mode" on Windows 7. Some of these methods can be implemented only by pre-launching the system in normal mode, while others are feasible without having to start the OS. So you need to look at the current situation, which of the options for implementing the task to choose. But still, it should be noted that most users prefer to use the launch "Safe Mode" when loading a PC, after BIOS initialization.
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