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trparky
Premium Member
join:2000-05-24
Cleveland, OH
·AT&T U-Verse

1 edit

1 recommendation

trparky

Premium Member

[WIN8] Do this to enable Safe Mode, or you will be sorry...

For some reason that I have no reasonable idea why, Microsoft removed the ability to easily get into Safe Mode. Yeah... that's right... they removed the easy way to get into Safe Mode. What an idiotic move!

Ok, so you have your machine running and it's running great. Now, do these steps or believe me, you're going to be sorry you didn't do it before.

Now, open up the Command Prompt as an Administrator. Yeah, that's right... with the UAC prompt.

Once you have the Administrator Command Prompt open, execute the following command...

> bcdedit /enum /v

You should get something that looks like the following output...

C:\WINDOWS\system32>bcdedit /enum /v

Windows Boot Manager
--------------------
identifier {9dea862c-5cdd-4e70-acc1-f32b344d4795}
device partition=C:
description Windows Boot Manager
locale en-US
inherit {7ea2e1ac-2e61-4728-aaa3-896d9d0a9f0e}
default {a5d2da1f-19df-11e2-8367-d327b7834b8e}
resumeobject {a5d2da1e-19df-11e2-8367-d327b7834b8e}
displayorder {a5d2da1f-19df-11e2-8367-d327b7834b8e}
toolsdisplayorder {b2721d73-1db4-4c62-bf78-c548a880142d}
timeout 30

Windows Boot Loader
-------------------
identifier {a5d2da1f-19df-11e2-8367-d327b7834b8e}
device partition=C:
path \WINDOWS\system32\winload.exe
description Windows 8
locale en-US
inherit {6efb52bf-1766-41db-a6b3-0ee5eff72bd7}
recoverysequence {a5d2da20-19df-11e2-8367-d327b7834b8e}
recoveryenabled Yes
allowedinmemorysettings 0x15000075
osdevice partition=C:
systemroot \WINDOWS
resumeobject {a5d2da1e-19df-11e2-8367-d327b7834b8e}
nx OptIn
bootmenupolicy Standard
useplatformclock Yes


Note the part that I made bold, that is the Windows Boot Configuration Data GUID for your boot. Copy that GUI to your Windows Clipboard including both side brackets, you will need that in the next step.

Now, execute the following command but plug in the GUID that you copied above...
> bcdedit /copy {GUID GOES HERE} /d "Windows 8 Safe Mode"

Good, but you're not done yet. Now, execute MSCONFIG and go to the Boot tab. Select "Windows 8 Safe Mode" in the list, check the "Safe Mode" checkbox, and click the "Network" radio button below. Click Apply. Now, set the Timeout to "3" seconds.

You can see what I mean by the following screenshot...



And now, whenever you boot your computer you will have quick and easy access to Safe Mode whenever you need it, just in case you mess up your system.

Why Microsoft did this, I have no clue but it was really stupid of them to take away easy access to Safe Mode. What? Do they not expect Windows 8 to break? Yeah right.

JohnInSJ
Premium Member
join:2003-09-22
Aptos, CA

JohnInSJ

Premium Member

If win8 crashes or otherwise doesn't start properly, you will be asked if you want to boot into safe mode, just like in win7.

If you want to force this at bootup, just hold down shift-f8, no hacks needed

»www.howtogeek.com/107511 ··· asy-way/

trparky
Premium Member
join:2000-05-24
Cleveland, OH

trparky

Premium Member

Believe me, I've tried that. It doesn't work! I've mashed Shift-F8 until my keyboard damn near broke, nothing.

JohnInSJ
Premium Member
join:2003-09-22
Aptos, CA

JohnInSJ

Premium Member

weird, works for me. At least you found a workaround.

Are you using a wireless keyboard perhaps? If so, it may not be recognized in time to actually send the keypress?

trparky
Premium Member
join:2000-05-24
Cleveland, OH
·AT&T U-Verse

trparky

Premium Member

said by JohnInSJ:

Are you using a wireless keyboard perhaps? If so, it may not be recognized in time to actually send the keypress?

Yes, I am using a wireless keyboard.

pcdebb
birdbrain
Premium Member
join:2000-12-03
Brandon, FL

pcdebb to trparky

Premium Member

to trparky
I have the F8 option as well (just tried it to see) on the lappy.

but it is good to have this workaround just in case. I'm sure somebody somewhere will need it

JohnInSJ
Premium Member
join:2003-09-22
Aptos, CA

JohnInSJ to trparky

Premium Member

to trparky
said by trparky:

said by JohnInSJ:

Are you using a wireless keyboard perhaps? If so, it may not be recognized in time to actually send the keypress?

Yes, I am using a wireless keyboard.

Then that's it. Your keyboard isn't actually recognized early enough in the boot process to "see" you pressing keys.
67845017 (banned)
join:2000-12-17
Naperville, IL

67845017 (banned)

Member

Yeah. Hardly an MS fault. This "problem" goes back many years. Well before W8.

RazzyW8
@rr.com

RazzyW8 to trparky

Anon

to trparky
May need to enable USB Legacy Keyboard support in BIOS.

Going to safe mode by shift F8 works just fine here.
BlitzenZeus
Burnt Out Cynic
Premium Member
join:2000-01-13

BlitzenZeus to trparky

Premium Member

to trparky
I know my wireless keyboard works in the bios, it's the reason I got it, and requires no software to be used. That was a reason I didn't even consider using certain keyboards which only worked in the operating system, however some os loaders will screw it up as it is technically bluetooth, however it does sync with the hardware, not software. In nix I had to disable certain bluetooth devices to prevent it from assuming it was a standard bluetooth transceiver, but that what you get from the quality of nix drivers....

RazzyW8
@rr.com

RazzyW8

Anon

USB Keyboards can work in BIOS while it will not work after POST/HD boot and before Windows loads unless you set Legacy keyboard support.
SipSizzurp
Fo' Shizzle
Premium Member
join:2005-12-28
Houston, TX

SipSizzurp to RazzyW8

Premium Member

to RazzyW8
said by RazzyW8 :

Going to safe mode by shift F8 works just fine here.

"Shift" F8 ? How does that work ? I always keep tapping the F8 key during boot to get safe mode option. How does "shift" fit in ?
(I'm always looking for new tricks)

RazzyW8
@rr.com

RazzyW8

Anon

See »Re: [WIN8] Do this to enable Safe Mode, or you will be sorry...

Michail
Premium Member
join:2000-08-02
Boynton Beach, FL

Michail to trparky

Premium Member

to trparky
I think running msconfig will also allow you to restart into safe mode.

I had to do that to uninstall a bad tile that brought the whole start menu down.

trparky
Premium Member
join:2000-05-24
Cleveland, OH

trparky

Premium Member

I had to get into Safe Mode because I installed a bad driver for the video card. It would login, the screen would blink a few times, and then it would kick itself back to the login screen.
SipSizzurp
Fo' Shizzle
Premium Member
join:2005-12-28
Houston, TX

SipSizzurp to RazzyW8

Premium Member

to RazzyW8
I did read that thread, but had missed this part which is a new feature introduced in Wai8 ;
quote:
The trick is to hold the Shift button and mash the F8 key, this will sometimes boot you into the new advanced “recovery mode”, where you can choose to see advanced repair options.

trparky
Premium Member
join:2000-05-24
Cleveland, OH
·AT&T U-Verse

trparky

Premium Member

It's that "sometimes" part that gets me. What do you mean by "sometimes"? Does that mean that when I really need it I won't be able to get access to it? Oh yeah... that's great.

At least with the boot modifications that I posted about, you can get access to Safe Mode 100% without that "sometimes" promise.
67845017 (banned)
join:2000-12-17
Naperville, IL

67845017 (banned)

Member

That doesn't happen in my experience to most people. It happens to those that aren't very competent.
OZO
Premium Member
join:2003-01-17

OZO

Premium Member

said by 67845017:

That doesn't happen in my experience to most people. It happens to those that aren't very competent.

1. We all are glad to hear, that it doesn't happen to you... But it's not about you. OP is offering a good suggestion to those who need it. Please tell thank you to him...
2. Your personal "experience to most people"? What does that even mean? Do you know the "most people"? Do you work for a census bureau? Or in marketing department? (that may explain those posts too)
3. Latest Windows are moving into direction to serve less and less competent users (sacrificing the needs of most competent and experienced ones in the process). Now, keeping that in mind, why do you see something like this happens "to those that aren't very competent"?
4. And finally, why did they make this strange change - from 'F8' (that everyone used to use with generations of Windows) to "Shft+F8"? To collect revenue from selling new support services? To keep "innovations" going (no matter in what direction)? For marketing reasons? Something else may be?
67845017 (banned)
join:2000-12-17
Naperville, IL

67845017 (banned)

Member

Are you missing a hand that you can't use it to press the shift key down? And yes, in all the people that I've had to help over the years, I've never seen people have problems getting into safe mode with F8.

Please tell him thank you?? Give me a break. And before you start questioning the meaning of what I'm saying, check your own writing. You should thank me for pointing that out to you.
OZO
Premium Member
join:2003-01-17

OZO

Premium Member

OZO

1 recommendation

OZO to trparky

Premium Member

to trparky
trparky See Profile - thank you for sharing with us your experience and detailed instructions how to fix the problem. I'll keep link to this thread in case if some poor soul will need it later on. Personally I'm going to keep all my desktops/laptops Windows 8 free... May be due to its "extreme innovation", may be for some other multiple reasons...
67845017 (banned)
join:2000-12-17
Naperville, IL

67845017 (banned)

Member

I've got some old copies of XP. You can have them if you'd like, since progress seems to be a bit problematic.
Expand your moderator at work

halfband
Premium Member
join:2002-06-01
Huntsville, AL

halfband to trparky

Premium Member

to trparky

Re: [WIN8] Do this to enable Safe Mode, or you will be sorry...

F8 got dumped in favor of a completely new recovery method that has made the old safe mode obsolete. You now have multiple options to recover windows 8 beyond the restore points.
»www.winsupersite.com/art ··· a-144098
dave
Premium Member
join:2000-05-04
not in ohio

dave to OZO

Premium Member

to OZO
said by OZO:

4. And finally, why did they make this strange change - from 'F8' (that everyone used to use with generations of Windows) to "Shft+F8"?

Supposedly because the window for entering F8 has got smaller and smaller over the years (it's tricky to hit it on some of my Windows 7 machines, there's very little time after the primary boot and before the OS starts initializing).

So apparently the thing to do is to tell the firmware to tell the OS you want safe mode. (Not available to the oh-noes-UEFI-is-evil crowd).

»www.techspot.com/news/48 ··· ned.html

I don't understand why they can have Shift-F8 do just what F8 would have done. Might be phased-withdrawal, I suppose: get users used to the new way, while retaining a (slightly modified) version of the previous way Just In Case. Programmers are conservative.

trparky
Premium Member
join:2000-05-24
Cleveland, OH

trparky

Premium Member

My motherboard has UEFI on it since it's a recent Intel-based chipset board but I've not seen anything in the UEFI interface to tell Windows to boot to Safe Mode.

I have however made that Recovery Disk on a USB Flash Drive.
SipSizzurp
Fo' Shizzle
Premium Member
join:2005-12-28
Houston, TX

4 edits

SipSizzurp to dave

Premium Member

to dave
said by dave:

»www.techspot.com/news/48 ··· ned.html

I don't understand why they can have Shift-F8 do just what F8 would have done.

From the link ;
quote:
One such method is done by booting into Windows 8 and holding shift while clicking restart....load up into Windows 8 first, tell Windows you want to reboot into the advanced boot options menu and restart the computer....Personally, I find not being able to invoke the menu with a key during boot cumbersome.
From the other thread ;
said by trparky:

I've mashed Shift-F8 until my keyboard damn near broke, nothing.

said by JohnInSJ:

...weird, works for me.


@ trparky Recap - So, it was not a keyboard timing error, but the fact that you were trying to use Shift+F8 at boot time instead of holding the shift key during a re-start command ?

Edit - Thanks for the above modification too, btw.

trparky
Premium Member
join:2000-05-24
Cleveland, OH

trparky

Premium Member

Ok, shift-F8 is great and all but what if your machine is already broken and you can't get into Windows and Windows doesn't detect that anything is wrong. Then what?
SipSizzurp
Fo' Shizzle
Premium Member
join:2005-12-28
Houston, TX

SipSizzurp

Premium Member

said by trparky:

Then what?

We get to suck it up until 3rd party programmers start releasing W8 tool boxes.