NICEVILLE, Fla. — As readers head into the new year, some may find their personal computers are not keeping pace, prompting a closer look at one of Windows’ oldest and most reliable diagnostic tools: Safe Mode.
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Jeff Werner:
Well, my dear readers, as we wave goodbye to 2025 and welcome 2026, many of you might be finding that your faithful PC isn’t quite as enthusiastic about the New Year as you are. If your computer is acting up—perhaps it’s crashing, showing you the dreaded “Blue Screen of Death,” or just moving at a snail’s pace—don’t throw it out the window just yet.
Instead, it’s time to talk about one of the oldest and most reliable tools in the Windows diagnostics toolkit: Safe Mode.
Think of Safe Mode as the “Emergency Room” for your PC’s operating system. It starts Windows with the absolute bare minimum of support files: just the basic kernel and drivers that are needed to run.
By stripping away the extra bells and whistles (like third-party software and fancy graphics drivers), Safe Mode lets you figure out if the problem is rooted in your core system or something you’ve recently installed.
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In previous versions of Windows, getting into Safe Mode was as simple as tapping the F8 key during startup. Today, in Windows 10 and 11, things tend to be a little more sophisticated, although there are still a few PC manufacturers that still support the single-key tap to get into Safe Mode.
Lacking that, here are three of the most common ways to enter Safe Mode in 2026:
The “Shift + Restart” Trick: If you can still get to your sign-in screen or the Start menu, hold down the Shift key on your keyboard and click Restart. Your PC will reboot into a blue “Choose an option” menu.
The Settings Route: If Windows is running well enough to navigate, go to Settings > System > Recovery. Look for Advanced startup and click Restart now.
The “Force It” Method: If your screen is blank or Windows won’t load at all, turn your PC off. Turn it back on, and as soon as you see a logo, hold the power button for 10 seconds to force it off.
Do this three times, and on the fourth try, Windows will decide that you’re having difficulties and will automatically enter the Recovery Environment.
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Once you reach that blue menu, select Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Settings > Restart. Finally, you’ll see a list of options; press 4 for standard Safe Mode or 5 if you need the Internet (Safe Mode with Networking).
Now that you’ve arrived in that sparse, low-resolution version of Windows they call Safe Mode, how do you actually use it to perform diagnostics? Well, here are some of The Geek’s recommendations for system troubleshooting:
Scan for Malware: Safe Mode is the perfect place to run a malware scan. Since most of the tools and places where viruses and spyware hide aren’t allowed to load in this mode, your antivirus software can often find and remove them much more effectively.
The “Recently Added” Rule: Did the trouble start right after you installed a new program or driver? While in Safe Mode, head to the Control Panel and uninstall or disable any suspicious recent additions.
Update (or Roll Back) Drivers: If a recent update broke your video or sound, you can use the Device Manager to “Roll Back Driver” to a version that actually worked.
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System Restore: This can be a lifesaver. Use System Restore to “time-travel” your computer back to a date when it was working perfectly. It won’t affect your personal files, but it will undo system changes that might be causing the headache.
If your computer runs perfectly in Safe Mode, you know for certain that your hardware is fine and the issue is software related. However, if it still crashes or behaves erratically even in this basic state, you might be looking at a hardware failure, like a dying hard drive or failing RAM.
As I’ve said for nearly 19 years now, sometimes the best fix is a fresh start. If you’ve spent hours in Safe Mode with no luck, it might be time to back up your data and perform a clean “Reset” of Windows or even move it over to a new PC.
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As we head further into 2026, I hope your tech stays trouble-free. But if it doesn’t, remember: Safe Mode is your first line of defense. Until next week, if you have a question (about Safe Mode or anything else!), drop me a line via the column’s website. I’m always here to help!
To view additional content, comment on articles, or submit a question, visit my website at ItsGeekToMe.co (not .com!)
Jeff Werner, a software engineer based in Niceville, Florida, has been writing his popular “It’s Geek to Me” tech column since 2007. He shares his expertise to help readers solve everyday tech challenges.
