The dependable way to reach Windows 8, 8.1, or Windows 10 boot-repair tools is Shift + Restart → Troubleshoot → Advanced options. To open Safe Mode specifically, choose Startup Settings → Restart, then select an option with a number key or F1–F9. The old F8 menu is normally disabled by Windows 8 and 10’s standard boot policy.
What “advanced boot options” means
The phrase covers several different layers:
- Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE): Microsoft’s recovery system, containing Startup Repair, System Restore, Uninstall Updates, Command Prompt, Startup Settings and other tools.
- Startup Settings: A WinRE menu for temporary modes such as Safe Mode, low-resolution video and disabling automatic restart.
- UEFI Firmware Settings: The motherboard’s setup screen for boot order, Secure Boot and firmware-level settings. It is not Safe Mode.
- Boot-device menus: Manufacturer-specific menus for choosing a USB drive, disk or network device; these are separate from WinRE.
- Boot Configuration Data (BCD): Windows’ boot-entry database, viewed or changed with
BCDEdit. - Legacy F8 menu: The classic Advanced Boot Options screen. It is usually unavailable during an ordinary Windows 8 or 10 startup.
Use Startup Settings when you need Safe Mode. Use UEFI Firmware Settings when you need to change boot order or Secure Boot.
Microsoft describes the related recovery and startup behavior in its Windows Recovery Environment documentation and Windows Startup Settings guide.
Before entering recovery
- Save work and close programs if Windows still runs.
- Connect a laptop to AC power.
- Find the device’s BitLocker recovery key before starting. Encrypted PCs can request it in WinRE; do not attempt to bypass encryption.
- Remember that Safe Mode is a diagnostic state, not a normal working environment.
- Disable Driver Signature Enforcement and Disable early launch anti-malware protection reduce protection temporarily. Use them only for a specific diagnosis and restart normally afterward.
- Do not change UEFI/Legacy mode, storage-controller mode or Secure Boot without recording the existing setting. An incompatible firmware change can make an otherwise healthy installation unbootable.
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See Microsoft’s WinRE guidance and BCDEdit reference for those warnings.
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Enter Advanced Startup in Windows 10
From Settings
- Open Start → Settings.
- Select Update & Security → Recovery.
- Under Advanced startup, select Restart now.
- At Choose an option, select Troubleshoot → Advanced options.
From Advanced options you can open Startup Settings or choose another recovery tool.
With Shift + Restart
- At the desktop or Windows sign-in screen, select the Power icon.
- Hold Shift and select Restart.
- Release Shift when the recovery menu appears.
- Select Troubleshoot → Advanced options.
This method is useful when you cannot sign in but can reach the login screen.
Enter Advanced Startup in Windows 8 or 8.1
- Open the Charms bar by moving to the upper- or lower-right corner, or press Windows key + C.
- Select Settings → Change PC settings.
- Open Update and recovery → Recovery.
- Under Advanced startup, select Restart now.
- Choose Troubleshoot → Advanced options.
Labels vary slightly between Windows 8 and 8.1 editions. If this route is inconvenient, use Shift + Restart from the sign-in screen or desktop.
Open Startup Settings and choose a mode
- In WinRE, select Troubleshoot → Advanced options → Startup Settings.
- Select Restart.
- When the numbered Startup Settings list appears, press the corresponding number key or F1–F9. Press Enter to start Windows normally.
| Key | Option | What it does | Use it when |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 / F1 | Enable debugging | Starts an advanced debugging mode. | Administrators or developers need kernel debugging. |
| 2 / F2 | Enable boot logging | Records loaded drivers in ntbtlog.txt. |
You are investigating a driver-loading failure. |
| 3 / F3 | Enable low-resolution video | Uses the current video driver with low resolution and refresh rate. | A display setting or graphics-driver change causes a blank or distorted screen. |
| 4 / F4 | Enable Safe Mode | Loads only basic files, drivers and services. | You need the safest general diagnostic starting point. |
| 5 / F5 | Safe Mode with Networking | Adds network drivers and services to Safe Mode. | Internet or a network share is required; networking increases exposure compared with ordinary Safe Mode. |
| 6 / F6 | Safe Mode with Command Prompt | Loads Safe Mode with a command-prompt interface. | You need command-line diagnostics instead of the normal shell. |
| 7 / F7 | Disable Driver Signature Enforcement | Temporarily permits drivers Windows would normally reject. | A specific driver installation or compatibility test requires it; it is not a permanent fix. |
| 8 / F8 | Disable early launch anti-malware protection | Temporarily disables ELAM protection. | You are diagnosing a boot-blocking security-driver problem. |
| 9 / F9 | Disable automatic restart on system failure | Leaves a stop-error screen visible instead of rebooting immediately. | A restart loop is hiding the blue-screen error. |
These option names and purposes are documented by Microsoft.
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Which option should you choose?
| Symptom or goal | Best first choice | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Crashes begin after sign-in | Safe Mode | Tests whether a nonessential driver, service or startup program is involved. |
| Internet is needed for diagnosis | Safe Mode with Networking | Adds network components to the limited environment. |
| Graphics driver causes a black or distorted display | Low-resolution video, then Safe Mode if needed | Provides a usable display path for rollback or removal. |
| Blue-screen restart loop | Disable automatic restart on system failure | Allows the stop code to remain on screen. |
| Failure follows a Windows update | Uninstall Updates | Targets the recent quality or feature update. |
| Startup hangs before sign-in | Startup Repair | Attempts common automated boot repairs. |
| Failure follows a driver, app or configuration change | System Restore | Returns system state to an available restore point. |
| Boot order or Secure Boot must change | UEFI Firmware Settings | These are firmware settings, not Windows startup modes. |
| BCD or boot-loader error | Command Prompt after identifying the installation and boot mode | Repair commands differ between UEFI/GPT and Legacy BIOS/MBR. |
| Internal recovery cannot be reached | Recovery drive or Windows installation media | Starts WinRE externally. |
Use the other Advanced options
Startup Repair
Choose this when Windows will not start or remains stuck loading. It attempts to diagnose and repair common startup failures; it is not guaranteed to fix every boot problem. Its diagnostic log is %windir%System32LogFilesSrtSrttrail.txt. Microsoft documents the workflow and limitations in Windows startup issues troubleshooting.
System Restore
Use a restore point when the failure began after a driver, application, update or configuration change. System Restore generally preserves personal files, but applications, drivers and system settings installed after the selected point can be rolled back. See Microsoft’s recovery-options guidance.
Uninstall Updates
Use this when the timing clearly points to a recent quality or feature update. It is more targeted than making random driver or BCD changes.
Command Prompt
Command Prompt supports offline diagnostics, file-system checks, boot repair and copying files before a reset or reinstall. WinRE can assign different drive letters, so identify the Windows volume first:
diskpart
list volume
exitFor a boot-repair scenario, Microsoft documents commands such as:
BOOTREC /FIXMBR
BOOTREC /FIXBOOT/FIXMBR rewrites master boot code; neither command is a universal cure for partition-table, file-system, BCD or UEFI problems. For BCD backup and inspection, an elevated prompt can use:
bcdedit /export C:bcdbackup
bcdedit /enum allConfirm the correct Windows installation and firmware mode before changing anything. Incorrect BCD edits can make Windows unbootable. References: BOOTREC and startup troubleshooting, BCDEdit and BCDEdit /enum.
UEFI Firmware Settings
Choose this for boot order, Secure Boot, UEFI versus Legacy/CSM mode or other firmware-level hardware configuration. The PC restarts into a manufacturer-specific setup screen. Changing boot mode after Windows installation can make the installation unbootable. Microsoft’s Secure Boot explanation provides background.
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If Windows will not boot
Let Automatic Repair open WinRE
Windows may enter WinRE after several failed starts. If it does not, use this last-resort access method:
- Turn on the PC.
- When the Windows or manufacturer logo appears, hold the power button until the PC shuts down.
- Repeat the interruption once.
- Turn it on a third time and wait for Automatic Repair.
- Select Advanced options.
Do not use repeated hard power-offs casually; interrupting a machine while it writes to disk can risk data loss.
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Boot a recovery drive
A previously created USB recovery drive can start WinRE even when the internal recovery partition is unavailable. In a working Windows installation, create one by running:
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Use Windows installation media
Boot from installation media, then choose Install Windows screen → Next → Repair your computer → Troubleshoot. This exposes recovery tools including Startup Repair, Command Prompt, System Restore and Startup Settings. Use the WinRE instructions and startup troubleshooting guide for the supported workflow. Manufacturer recovery buttons or key combinations may provide another route, but they vary by PC.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Why F8 often does not work
Windows 8 and 10 normally use the faster Standard boot-menu policy, so pressing F8 during an ordinary startup usually does not open the old Advanced Boot Options screen. The Legacy policy enables that menu, while Standard behavior shows boot choices only under particular recovery conditions.
If you specifically require the legacy menu, run Command Prompt as administrator:
bcdedit /set {default} bootmenupolicy legacyTo restore the standard policy:
bcdedit /set {default} bootmenupolicy standardThe identifier may not be {default} on every installation. These commands alter boot configuration, so WinRE or Shift + Restart remains the safer and more portable recommendation. See Microsoft’s BCDEdit /set documentation.
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- Start with ordinary Safe Mode, not Networking, unless network access is necessary.
- If the problem disappears, investigate recently installed device drivers, Windows updates, antivirus or security software, startup utilities, graphics/storage/peripheral software and shell extensions.
- Use Device Manager to roll back or uninstall a recently changed driver when appropriate.
- Use
msconfigcarefully to isolate services and startup behavior. - Make one controlled change at a time, then restart normally.
Safe Mode narrows the field by loading only essential files and drivers; it does not prove that hardware or Windows is healthy. Microsoft’s System Configuration tools guidance covers msconfig.
Exit Safe Mode
A normal restart usually exits Safe Mode. If Windows keeps returning to it:
- Press Windows key + R, type
msconfig, and select OK. - Open the Boot tab.
- Clear Safe boot.
- Select Apply → OK, then restart.
An administrator can use bcdedit /deletevalue {current} safeboot as a fallback, but the identifier can vary; msconfig is the safer general method. See Microsoft’s Safe Mode exit procedure.
Common problems and recovery limits
BitLocker asks for a recovery key
This can be normal when WinRE accesses an encrypted disk. Retrieve the key through your Microsoft account or the organization’s documented recovery process rather than bypassing encryption.
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The keyboard does not work before Windows loads
Fast Boot, wireless keyboards, function-row media-key settings and older firmware can prevent input. Try a wired USB keyboard, another USB port, the laptop’s built-in keyboard and no external hub. Entering WinRE from Settings avoids trying to catch F8 at exactly the right moment.
Safe Mode has the same failure
A problem that remains in Safe Mode may involve an essential driver, damaged Windows component, file-system or disk corruption, malware, hardware, a user profile or data. Safe Mode reduces the likely causes but does not identify one conclusively.
Automatic Repair repeats or never appears
WinRE can itself be inaccessible when the boot manager, boot loader, BCD store, partition metadata or recovery partition is damaged. Use a recovery drive or installation media instead; Microsoft’s WinRE troubleshooting features documentation describes these limitations.
UEFI and Legacy BIOS are confused
Repair commands and boot files differ between UEFI/GPT and Legacy BIOS/MBR. Identify the configuration before running boot commands; do not apply a generic recipe to an unknown installation.
Windows 10 support status
As of August 18, 2026, Windows 10 is past Microsoft’s October 14, 2025 end-of-support date. Existing installations still expose these recovery tools, but Microsoft no longer provides normal free Windows Update software updates, technical assistance or security fixes. The procedures remain useful for recovery, not as a claim that Windows 10 is a fully supported current platform.
Make one change at a time. If internal recovery and external media both fail, protect or copy important data where possible before pursuing a reset, reinstall or professional repair.
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