How to Bring Back F8 Safe Mode in Windows 10 and 11

Remember when Safe Mode just worked? Tap F8, a menu appears, pick Safe Mode, done.

Now, if Windows won’t start properly, the official answer is basically: interrupt the boot a few times in a row and hope Windows decides to show you a recovery screen. Microsoft calls that progress. I call it digital gaslighting.

The good news: one command brings the old F8 boot menu back on Windows 10 and Windows 11. Do it once, now, while your PC is working, and you’ll have it the day you need it.

Prefer to watch instead of read? Here’s the full walkthrough — or skip it and keep reading below.

Before You Change Anything

This changes a boot setting, so be smart about it first:

• Create a restore point. Start, type Create a restore point, open it, click Create. You never need it… until you really, really do.
• Back up your important files. No excuses. (Not sure your backup works? Here’s how to check in 10 minutes.)
• Know where your BitLocker recovery key is. If your PC uses BitLocker or device encryption, changes to boot settings can occasionally trigger a recovery-key prompt. If you sign in with a Microsoft account, the key is usually at account.microsoft.com/devices/recoverykey.

Step 1: Open Command Prompt as Administrator

1. Click Start and type cmd.
2. On the right, click Run as administrator.
3. Click Yes on the User Account Control prompt.

Step 2: Run the Command

Type this exactly, then press Enter:

bcdedit /set {default} bootmenupolicy legacy

You should see “The operation completed successfully.” That’s it. Do it once and you’re done.

Step 3: Test It

1. Click Start → Power → Restart. (Use Restart, not Shut down.)
2. As the PC starts back up, tap F8 repeatedly, right before Windows begins loading.
3. You should see the Advanced Boot Options screen, just like it’s 2009 again.

On some fast PCs, especially with fast-booting SSDs, the window to press F8 is tiny. If you miss it, just try again and start tapping a little earlier. Once you’ve seen the menu, you know it works. Pick Start Windows Normally to carry on.

Changed Your Mind? Undo It

To put things back the way Microsoft shipped them, open Command Prompt as administrator again and run:

bcdedit /set {default} bootmenupolicy standard

Other Ways Into the Recovery Options

F8 is the fastest route, but it’s not the only one:

• Shift + Restart: hold Shift while you click Start → Power → Restart. Windows opens its recovery options.
• Settings: Settings → System → Recovery → Advanced startup → Restart now.
• A recovery USB: if Windows won’t start at all, boot from one. Make it now with How to Create a Recovery Drive, or build a Ventoy drive that holds all your tools.

And if your PC already won’t boot, start here first: Windows Won’t Boot? What to Do First (and What Not to Do).

The Short Version

1. Make a restore point, back up your files, and know where your BitLocker key is.
2. Open Command Prompt as administrator.
3. Run bcdedit /set {default} bootmenupolicy legacy.
4. Restart and tap F8 to make sure it works.
5. To undo it later, run the same command with standard instead of legacy.

Stay grumpy.