Add Safe Mode to Windows 11 Boot Menu for Easier Troubleshooting 

When something goes wrong in Windows, Safe Mode is an excellent way to troubleshoot by isolation. It cuts everything down to its bare minimum, allowing the user to see whether the problem lies with a third-party app, malware, or something else.

If you need some more rigorous troubleshooting and need to add Safe Mode to Windows 11 boot menu, then this article will show you how.

How to Add Safe Mode to Your Windows 11 Boot Menu

There are many ways to enter Safe Mode, both while in Windows and when booting up. However, we’re looking to have you boot straight into safe mode from startup. To do this consistently, there are two similar methods to enable consistent Safe Mode booting through Command Prompt and System Configuration. Let’s take a look.

Using Command Prompt

Command Prompt is a handy way to, in Windows 11, add Safe Mode to the Boot Menu. You can enter “Advanced Boot” every time you start up or restart your machine. It’s quite easy to enable, too. Here’s what to do:

Step 1. Open Command Prompt via the search bar, or by typing “cmd” into the Run Dialog box (Win + R).

Step 2. In the window, type the following: “bcdedit /set {bootmgr} displaybootmenu yes”, and press “Enter.”

Step 3. If you get the message “The operation completed successfully,” you are good to go.

Step 4. Restart your machine. Upon booting, you’ll be greeted with this screen. Before the timer runs out, press F8 to open the “Startup Settings” and choose Safe Mode.

Your PC will now start like this every time. If you ever want to disable it, enter Command Prompt and type “bcdedit /set {bootmgr} displaybootmenu no” and press “Enter.”

Using System Configuration

Here’s how to make your PC always start in Safe Mode via System Configuration:

Step 1. Open the Run Dialog (Win + R) and type “msconfig” into the box, and press “OK.”

Step 2. The System Configuration Window will pop up. Navigate to the “Boot” tab at the top of the window.

Step 3. In the “Boot Options” subgroup, check the box that says “Safe Boot.” You can then choose your specific subtype of Safe Mode if you’d like. “Minimal” is the most stripped-down version, while “Network” offers connectivity.

Step 4. Once done, click “Apply,” then “OK” to finalize.

Step 5. Another pop-up will ask you to restart your PC to finalize changes. Click the “Restart” button if you’re happy to proceed immediately. Your PC should then boot into Safe Mode automatically.

Just a quick note: your PC will start up in the version of Safe Mode you chose every time you restart or boot up. If you want to stop this at any time, simply repeat the steps above and uncheck the “Safe Boot” option.