# Is there any way to force a computer to boot into safe mode? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 7, 2002, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-way-to-force-a-computer-to-boot-into-safe-mode/141134 "2002-12-07T15:01:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2002, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-way-to-force-a-computer-to-boot-into-safe-mode/141134/1 "2002-12-07T15:01:28Z")
My #!@!@# cousin has screwed up her Dell laptop beyond belief. It won’t boot into Windows, and (of course) I get to fix it. Problem is, I can’t get the !#!# thing to boot into safe mode so I can figure out what the problem is. I hold down the ESC key during the boot process; nothing. I try with F8, same thing. I can, however, boot it off the CD and get to a command prompt. Given that, is there any way I can force a Safe Mode boot? ---
**Author:** ![D\_Frag](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/77aa72/32.png) [@D\_Frag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Frag)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2002, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-way-to-force-a-computer-to-boot-into-safe-mode/141134/2 "2002-12-07T15:29:27Z")
Try holding the SHIFT key down during the boot process. If that doesn’t do it, try the F5 key. It’s one of those two, and I never can remember which, but one of them always works. I suppose that’s why I never can remember, because the times I get it wrong only costs me a reboot (weak negative reinforcement). ---
**Author:** ![Early\_Out](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Early\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Early_Out)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2002, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-way-to-force-a-computer-to-boot-into-safe-mode/141134/3 "2002-12-07T15:29:54Z")
As long as you can read the CD, why not try reinstalling Windows from the CD (i.e., without blowing everything on the C: drive away, first). That might straighten things out enough (by replacing missing or damaged files) so that you can boot it normally. I think it falls into the “can’t really hurt, and might help a lot” category. ---
**Author:** ![Astroboy14](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/df705f/32.png) [@Astroboy14](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Astroboy14)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2002, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-way-to-force-a-computer-to-boot-into-safe-mode/141134/4 "2002-12-07T15:31:47Z")
Are you holding the F8 key down while it tries to boot? If so, don’t do that… on my comp you have to just keep pressing the F8 key, over and over, until it gives you the option to boot in safe mode. I’m pretty sure that simply holding the F8 key down won’t do the trick. ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2002, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-way-to-force-a-computer-to-boot-into-safe-mode/141134/5 "2002-12-07T15:38:58Z")
Actually, I use the CTRL key. Try them all, without knowing which version of windows you have, we don’t know what key to use. Or even if you can use RESTORE to bring it all back. ---
**Author:** ![Early\_Out](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Early\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Early_Out)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2002, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-way-to-force-a-computer-to-boot-into-safe-mode/141134/6 "2002-12-07T15:39:07Z")
I second what **Astroboy14** just said; you have to keep tapping F8 during the boot, rather than holding it down. ---
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2002, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-way-to-force-a-computer-to-boot-into-safe-mode/141134/7 "2002-12-07T17:05:38Z")
I’ve tried the tappy thing - it’s not working. My guess is that Dell did something idiotic with this thing, and it won’t give the option to get into safe mode normally (I have 3 other computers here, they all go into safe mode just fine.) According to the MS Web site, the key to hit for WinME Safe Mode is ESC; I’ve also tried F8 since that’s what Win98 uses. So nobody knows of a way to edit the boot.ini or other file to force a boot into safe mode? ---
**Author:** ![deathawk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ed8c4c/32.png) [@deathawk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/deathawk)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2002, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-way-to-force-a-computer-to-boot-into-safe-mode/141134/8 "2002-12-07T17:35:14Z")
See if this KB article helps you any: [http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;279736](http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;279736) ---
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2002, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-way-to-force-a-computer-to-boot-into-safe-mode/141134/9 "2002-12-07T17:53:09Z")
Woot! That seemed to do it! Thanks, Deathawk! ---
**Author:** ![deathawk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ed8c4c/32.png) [@deathawk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/deathawk)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2002, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-way-to-force-a-computer-to-boot-into-safe-mode/141134/10 "2002-12-07T18:22:42Z")
NP Good luck with cleaning up what sounds like a heck of a mess. ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2002, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-way-to-force-a-computer-to-boot-into-safe-mode/141134/11 "2002-12-08T00:58:33Z")
Thats what Restore is for.