How to Exit Safe Mode on Windows 10

Safe mode exit

Safe Mode is a special diagnostic mode where the configuration of the operating system is limited, and only the most necessary modules are loaded. Windows Safe Mode solves functional system problems or removes viruses from the system.

In many cases, it is enough to reboot a computer or laptop to exit the Safe Mode on Windows, but not always. If you are “stuck” in Safe Mode and rebooting does not help, this problem is easy to solve. We will tell you how to exit Safe Mode on Windows 10. The methods below require changing the boot parameters so that the system would boot in normal mode at the next start.

Restarting your PC

To begin with, let’s consider the easiest and most effective method: restarting your PC. Although it sounds relatively trivial, many users forget about it. This issue can solve many problems with the operating system. To restart your PC, follow these steps:

  1. Go to the “Start” menu, find the “Power” button, and select “Restart” in the context menu.
  2. After restarting the PC, the Windows operating system should boot normally.

If it doesn’t and your computer boots in Safe Mode again, use other methods to solve this problem.

Change the system configuration

The Windows operating system has the System Configuration tool for adjusting OS settings. Among other settings, this tool has options for selecting the Windows startup mode. This method works the same in all modern versions of Windows. Just follow these steps:

  1. Press the Win + R key combination.
  2. In the “Run” dialog box that opens, type the “msconfig” command without the quotes in the “Open” field.
  3. Press “Enter.”
  4. Open the “Boot” tab in the “System Configuration” window.
  5. Uncheck the “Safe Mode” option in the “Boot options” section and click “OK.”
  6. Click on the “Restart” button in the warning window for the configuration changes.

The Windows operating system will typically start after restarting your PC.

Use the Command Prompt

You can also exit Safe Mode using another system tool, the Windows Command Prompt. This option can be applied in different versions of the Windows operating system, including Windows 10. Follow these steps:

  1. Press the Win+R key combination on your keyboard, type cmd (make sure the “Run” window indicates that this task will be created with administrator permissions), and press Enter.
  2. In the Command Prompt window, type the following command: bcdedit /deletevalue {current} safeboot.
  3. Press Enter. You should see a message saying the operation was successful.
  4. Close the Command Prompt and restart your computer or use the following command to restart your computer from the Command Prompt: shutdown /r.

As a result, Windows 10 should boot in normal mode after rebooting.

Use the Boot Menu

When you start your computer with the Windows operating system, you can open a menu with additional boot options. To open it, follow these steps:

  1. After starting your PC, press the F8 key several times or the F8 + Fn key combination. Remember that the Fast Startup feature must be disabled (we will tell you how to do that below). After pressing the keys mentioned earlier, a menu will open with the drives to boot the PC from. Select the system drive, click Enter, and press the F8 key again.
  2. Set the normal system boot in the “Advanced options” window. 
  3. Press Enter.

Now let’s look at ways to disable the above-mentioned Fast Startup feature. To do this, follow these steps:

  1. Open “Settings” in the “Start” menu.
  2. Go to “System,” then follow this path: “Power & Battery” — “Related options” — “Advanced power options.”
  3. In the “Choose or customize a power plan” settings, select “Choose what the power buttons do.”
  4. In the “Define power buttons and turn on password protection,” click on the “Change settings that are currently unavailable” option.
  5. Uncheck the “Turn on fast startup (recommended)” parameter and save the changes.

You can also use the Command Prompt to run the following command: powercfg -h off.

Use third-party software

You can use third-party software if you cannot exit Safe Mode using the system methods. We will use the free-for-home EasyBCD software as an example:

  1. Download the EasyBCD utility. If the Internet does not work in Safe Mode, you can download it to your mobile device and copy it to your computer using a Bluetooth or USB adapter.
  2. Go to the “Advanced settings” section of the program.
  3. Ensure the desired OS is selected in the “Select operating system” field.
  4. On the “Advanced” tab, select the “Normal” option under “Safe Mode” and click the “Save” button.
  5. Close the program and restart your computer to boot in normal mode.