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F8 Not Working In Windows 10? 5 Things To Try

If you’ve upgraded to Windows 10 from older versions like Windows XP, Vista and Windows 7, you may have noticed that the F8 function key you pressed during startup to enter Safe Mode no longer works.

The F8 key is still available on your keyboard, but it works with other key combinations to perform certain functions, especially when your touchpad or mouse isn’t working and you need to נוצן קלאַוויאַטור דורכוועג אַנשטאָט.

In this guide, we’re going to show you what to do when you find F8 not working in Windows 10, but first, let’s look at why this happens.

Why Is F8 Not Working In Windows 10?

זיכער מאָדע is a native Windows feature in all versions of the operating system, which is used to troubleshoot various problems such as driver installation issues, problems booting into Windows, and malware or virus-related issues among others.

The F8 boot menu was removed in order to improve system boot time. This is because Windows 10 boots much faster than previous versions, so you won’t have enough time to press the F8 key and enter Safe Mode during startup. Plus, it can’t recognize the key press during the boot process, which prevents access to the boot options screen from where you can select the Safe Mode option.

Instead, Microsoft provided a new Advanced Boot Options menu feature that lets you access troubleshooting options such as Safe Mode and others.

You can still access the Safe Mode feature by pressing the F8 key, but you have to re-enable it manually using a few simple steps, and there are other methods that can also get you into Safe Mode, but they’re not as straightforward.

Fix F8 Not Working In Windows 10

1. Manually Re-enable F8 Key

  • טיפּ קמד אין די זוכן באַר און גיט לויף ווי אַדמיניסטראַטאָר.
  • Type this command in the Command Prompt: bcdedit / set {פעליקייַט} באָאָטמענופּאָליסי לעגאַט און דרוקן אַרייַן..

טאָן: BCD or Boot Configuration Data Edit command is a native tool in Windows that controls how the operating system starts. It also helps you easily re-activate the F8 boot menu.

  • ריסטאַרט דיין פּיסי, and press the F8 key repeatedly on the keyboard while it starts up and you’ll see the Advanced Boot Options menu, from where you can select Safe Mode, Safe Mode with Networking, אדער זיכער מאָדע מיט באַפֿעלן פּינטלעך.  

To disable the F8 key again, open the elevated Command Prompt and type this command: bcdedit / set {פעליקייַט} באָאָטמענאָפּאָליסי נאָרמאַל

2. Enter Safe Mode From Start Menu

  • גיט אָנהייב און אויסקלייַבן סעטטינגס.
  • ווייַטער, גיט דערהייַנטיקן & זיכערהייט אין די סעטטינגס מעניו.
  • גיט אויף די לינקס שויב אָפּזוך און דעמאָלט גיט ריסטאַרט איצט.
  • Windows will restart automatically and display the קלייַבן אַן אָפּציע screen. Click טראָובלעשאָאָט.
  • ווייַטער, גיט סטאַרטאַפּ סעטטינגס.
  • A screen will appear showing different startup options.
  • On your keyboard, press the F4 key or number 4 key to enter זיכער מאָדע, or the corresponding key to enter זיכער מאָדע מיט נעטוואָרקינג or with Command Prompt דיפּענדינג אויף וואָס איר ווילן צו טאָן.

טאָן: You can also click אָנהייב, רעכט גיט די קראַפט button, and hold down the יבעררוק key when you click הייב אן נאכאמאל. This automatically restarts Windows and brings up the קלייַבן אַן אָפּציע screen, after which you can continue with the steps to access Safe Mode.

3. Start Safe Mode By System Configuration

System Configuration also known as מסקאָנפיג, is a system utility used when troubleshooting the Windows startup process. It can disable or re-enable device drivers and programs that run during the boot process to figure out why the problem you’re experiencing occurred. It saves time compared to other methods that require you to repeat several steps just to enter Safe Mode.

  • דריקן די Windows logo key+R צו עפענען די לויפן דיאַלאָג קעסטל און טיפּ מסקאָנפיג. דערנאך דריקן אַרייַן אָדער גיט OK.
  • גיט שטיוול and mark the checkbox next to זיכער באָאָט. קלייַבן מינימאַל און גיט OK. There are other options available such as Alternate Shell (Safe Mode with Command Prompt), Active Directory Repair, און Network (Safe Mode with Networking support), so you can pick the one you need.
  • גיט צולייגן> גוט for the changes to take effect and Windows will restart in Safe Mode.

To exit Safe Mode from System Configuration, open the Boot options window again, uncheck the box next to Safe Boot, און גיט OK. דריקט הייב אן נאכאמאל to apply the changes, and restart your computer normally.

4. Enter Safe Mode When Windows Can’t Boot Normally

Safe Mode loads with a minimum set of programs and drivers. If Windows can’t start normally, you won’t have a problem entering Safe Mode, because you can restart the PC twice and go to the Automatic Repair screen from where you can enter Safe Mode.

  • Make sure your PC is off and then press and hold down the קראַפט button until the computer goes off. Repeat this about two or three times (to trigger the boot recovery mechanism) until the פּרעפּאַרינג אָטאַמאַטיק ריפּער פאַרשטעלן אויס.
  • If you see the Preparing Automatic Repair screen when you power on the computer the first time, skip to the next step, and the Diagnosing Your PC screen will appear. This will be followed by the Attempting repairs message.
  • Windows will show the אָטאַמאַטיק ריפּער קען נישט פאַרריכטן דיין פּיסי message and give you the פאַרמאַכן אַראָפּ און אַוואַנסירטע אָפּציעס אין די סטאַרטאַפּ ריפּער screen. Click אַוואַנסירטע אָפּציעס.
  • גיט טראָובלעשאָאָט אין די קלייַבן אַן אָפּציע פאַרשטעלן.
  • ווייַטער, גיט אַוואַנסירטע אָפּציעס.
  • Your PC will restart and show different startup options on the next screen.
  • Press the F4 key or number 4 key on your keyboard to enter זיכער מאָדע. You can also press the corresponding key to enter זיכער מאָדע מיט באַפֿעלן פּינטלעך or מיט נעטוואָרקינג דיפּענדינג אויף וואָס איר ווילן צו טאָן.

טאָן: If you have a Windows 10 bootable USB drive or setup disc, you can use that to start your PC in Safe Mode if Windows can’t load. Boot the PC using the bootable drive or setup disc, select פאַרריכטן דיין קאָמפּיוטער and you’ll get to the Choose an option screen from where you can take the steps above to enter Safe Mode.

5. Start In Safe Mode When You Can’t Login to Desktop

This is another method you can use if you find Windows 10 Safe Mode not working. If you can access your login screen (welcome or sign-in screen) but can’t access or login to Desktop, use these steps to restart your computer in Safe Mode.

  • דריקט אויף קראַפט at the bottom right side of the Windows 10 Login screen.
  • דרוק און האַלטן די יבעררוק key on your keyboard and select הייב אן נאכאמאל. You’ll see the ביטע ווארט screen appear briefly, and the קלייַבן אַן אָפּציע screen. Click טראָובלעשאָאָט.
  • אין די אַוואַנסירטע אָפּציעס פאַרשטעלן, גיט סטאַרטאַפּ סעטטינגס.
  • In the Startup Settings screen, press the key(s) corresponding to the זיכער מאָדע option you want to use.

More Ways To Boot To Safe Mode

We hope you found this guide useful in helping you boot into Safe Mode when you find F8 not working in Windows 10. If you know of other methods you can use to access Safe Mode, you’re welcome to share them with us.