How to Change Windows Startup Settings in Windows 11

Getting to Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE)

To reach Startup Settings, you first have to enter the Windows Recovery Environment, or WinRE. This is a small diagnostic environment that runs outside your main copy of Windows, so it still works when Windows itself has trouble.

Windows usually opens WinRE on its own after a few failed startups. If your PC still boots to the desktop or the sign-in screen, you can open it yourself. The numbered list below covers the whole process, from the first click to booting with the option you chose. It continues after each screenshot.

Start a Restart

These steps open the Windows startup settings menu and start Windows with the option you pick:

1. Save your work. The PC restarts as soon as you click Restart, so close anything you do not want to lose.
2. Open the Start menu and select the Power icon. On the sign-in screen, the Power icon is in the bottom-right corner.
3. Hold down the Shift key. Keep it held for the next two steps.
4. Click Restart while still holding Shift. The screen goes dark as the PC restarts.
5. Keep holding Shift until the blue recovery screen appears. This can take several seconds. If you let go too early, the PC restarts normally and you have to try again.

Go to Startup Settings

The recovery screen shows several tiles. Use them to reach the diagnostic tools. The numbering carries on from the steps above:

6. Click Troubleshoot. A list of recovery and advanced tools appears.
7. Click Advanced options. You now see a set of tiles for the more technical tools.
8. Click Startup Settings. This tile takes you to the page that describes the boot options.

If you do not see Startup Settings on the Advanced options screen, click See more recovery options to show the rest of the tiles. If your drive is encrypted with BitLocker, Windows may ask for your recovery key at this point. Have it ready before you start.

Get Ready to Reboot

The next screen describes what Startup Settings can change, including the Safe Mode variants. You only need one more click to get to the menu:

9. Click the Restart button. The screen goes dark for a moment while the PC restarts into the menu.

Exploring Your Startup Options

After the reboot, a numbered list of startup options appears. Finish the process like this:

10. Read the list and find the option you want. Each option has a number.
11. Press its number key (1-9) or its function key (F1-F9). For example, press 4 or F4 for Safe Mode. On some laptops you may need to hold Fn to use the function keys.
12. Wait for Windows to load. It starts with the option you picked applied.

If you press Enter without choosing anything, Windows boots normally. Use this if you opened the menu by mistake.

Common Startup Settings

The common startup settings change how your PC boots so you can get past stubborn errors and crashes. They load Windows with restricted settings, turn on Safe Mode with minimal drivers, and help you narrow down what stops a normal startup.

In general, start with the least drastic option. Try Safe Mode first. Move on to the more advanced options only if Safe Mode does not help or does not match your problem.

Option 4Enable Safe Mode

This option starts Windows with only minimal drivers and services. It removes background processes and gives you a clean environment for testing. You will notice a low screen resolution, a black desktop background, and the words “Safe Mode” in the screen corners. Press 4 or F4 to choose it.

Why use it: If the PC keeps crashing during normal use, a software conflict is a likely cause. If it stays stable in Safe Mode, a recently installed app, driver, or setting is probably responsible. From Safe Mode you can uninstall that app, roll back the driver, or undo the setting. Then restart normally to check that the problem is gone.

To leave Safe Mode, restart the PC without holding any keys. It boots normally unless you chose a startup option again.

Option 5Safe Mode with Networking

Safe Mode with Networking works like Safe Mode but also loads the drivers and services needed for internet access. The same core restrictions still apply. Press 5 or F5 to choose it.

Network access lets you download replacement drivers or software patches without leaving the diagnostic environment. Getting an updated graphics driver or a system utility this way often makes recovery much easier. Use it only when you need the internet, because a loaded network connection also means more of the system is running.

Option 6Safe Mode with Command Prompt

This option replaces the usual graphical desktop with a text-based Command Prompt window. Experienced administrators use it for direct control of the system when the desktop will not load or is the source of the problem. Press 6 or F6 to choose it.

Advanced Startup Settings (Use Carefully)

The advanced startup settings give you low-level troubleshooting tools, such as debugging mode, for serious system failures. Handle them with care. A wrong choice can leave your PC unable to boot or put data at risk.

There is no separate screen where you change advanced startup options for good. You pick them from the same numbered menu, using the steps earlier in this post, and they apply to that one boot only. Here is what the other options on the list do:

• Enable boot logging records which drivers load during startup, so you can see where a failing boot stops.
• Enable low-resolution video starts Windows with a basic display mode. It helps when a bad display driver or screen setting leaves you with an unreadable screen.
• Disable driver signature enforcement lets Windows load drivers that are not digitally signed. Use it only for a driver you trust, and only for that one session.
• Disable early launch anti-malware protection turns off the check that runs before other drivers load. Use it only if a trusted driver is being blocked wrongly.
• Disable automatic restart after failure keeps the PC from rebooting after a crash, so you have time to read the blue screen error.

Because every option applies to a single boot, a normal restart puts everything back as it was. If you are unsure about an option, leave it alone and press Enter to boot normally.

Option 1Enable debugging

Debugging mode establishes a live connection to a host machine over a network. Developers leverage this channel to transmit crash data and analyze complex kernel faults.

Option 2Enable boot logging

Enabling boot logging forces Windows to write every loaded driver into a text file during startup. Analyzing this log isolates malfunctioning drivers.

Option 3Enable low-resolution video

Low-resolution video mode forces a standard 800×600 pixels display using basic drivers. Corrupted display settings or incompatible monitor resolutions render this option essential for regaining visual control.

Option 7Disable Driver Signature Enforcement

The operating system normally enforces strict cryptographic checks on all loaded drivers. Disabling this requirement permits unsigned software installation, though it significantly lowers security.

Option 8Disable early launch anti-malware protection

Early Launch Anti-Malware (ELAM) initializes security software prior to standard driver loading. This mechanism blocks malicious code from executing during early boot stages.

Bypassing this protection helps isolate conflicts where third-party security suites interfere with the boot sequence. Temporarily disabling anti-malware services determines if security software triggers the crash.

Option 9Disable automatic restart on system failure

A serious system error triggers a Blue Screen of Death (BSOD), which can cause an endless reboot loop if the fault occurs during early boot. Disabling the automatic restart feature stops this loop. Disabling the automatic restart lets you view the specific error message on the blue screen to diagnose the underlying failure.

Startup repair halts recurring crash loops by identifying missing files. This mechanism exposes error codes to streamline troubleshooting.

Exiting Safe Mode

Exiting diagnostic environments and returning to normal operations requires a standard system reboot.

Restart Your PC

Restarting your PC is the quickest way to exit Safe Mode and return to your standard Windows desktop after troubleshooting. You just open the Start menu, select the Power icon, and choose Restart to boot back into normal operations with all your files and apps intact.

Reference:

https://support.microsoft.com/en-gb/windows/windows-startup-settings-1af6ec8c-4d4a-4b23-adb7-e76eef0b847f

Summary

Recovery environments and boot configurations provide vital mechanisms for resolving software failures. Mastering diagnostic environments resolves misconfigurations and software conflicts effectively. Rebooting the system normally restores standard functionality once troubleshooting concludes.