How to boot into Safe Mode with Networking

Booting your Windows 10 or Windows 11 computer into Safe Mode with Networking can be a useful troubleshooting step for resolving various issues. Here’s how to do it:

For Windows 10:

1. Restart your computer.
2. When you reach the sign-in screen, press and hold the Shift key.
3. While holding Shift, select “Power” from the lower-right corner, and then click “Restart.” This initiates a restart with the Shift key held down.
4. Once your computer reboots, you’ll enter the Windows Recovery Environment. Choose “Troubleshoot” from the options.
5. In the Troubleshoot menu, select “Advanced options.”
6. Now, click on “Startup Settings.”
7. Afterward, you’ll see the “Restart” button; click it.
8. When your computer restarts again, a list of startup options will be displayed. To boot into Safe Mode with Networking, press the corresponding number key (usually ‘5’).

For Windows 11:

1. Restart your computer.
2. As you reach the sign-in screen, press and hold the Shift key.
3. While holding Shift, select “Power” from the lower-right corner, and then click “Restart.” This initiates a restart with the Shift key held down.
4. After the restart, you will enter the Windows Recovery Environment. Select “Troubleshoot” from the provided options.
5. In the Troubleshoot menu, choose “Advanced options.”
6. Click on “Startup Settings.”
7. Now, you’ll see the “Restart” button; click it.
8. After the computer restarts again, a list of startup options will appear. To boot into Safe Mode with Networking, press the corresponding number key (usually ‘5’).

Boot your computer into Safe Mode with Networking, and you will load a simplified version of Windows with only essential drivers and services running. This is particularly useful for addressing network connectivity issues or troubleshooting problems with specific software.

A few important things to remember:

• It might be necessary to log in to your computer with an administrator account to access Safe Mode.
• Safe Mode may look different from the regular Windows interface, and certain features may be limited.
• To exit Safe Mode, simply restart your computer and choose the normal boot option.

If you encounter difficulties while attempting to boot into Safe Mode, ensure that you are correctly pressing and holding the Shift key before selecting “Restart.” If issues persist, you may also try booting into Safe Mode without Networking.

Should problems persist, and you find yourself unable to access Safe Mode, consider reaching out to your computer’s manufacturer or seek assistance from a professional computer technician to address the issue effectively.