How to Get Windows 11 Out of Safe Mode
Getting out of Safe Mode in Windows 11 can feel like trying to find your way through a maze, especially when your PC keeps wanting to stay in it. Safe Mode is handy for troubleshooting, but sometimes it stubbornly refuses to leave, which can be a bit annoying. Luckily, it’s not as tricky as it seems. Just follow a few steps, and hopefully, that Safe Mode banner will be a thing of the past.
Restart Your Computer
First thing, just give your PC a regular restart. Sounds obvious, right? But sometimes that’s all it takes to shake off whatever’s got you stuck in Safe Mode. It’s like a quick breather for your system. A simple restart can clear out temporary glitches and is usually the first move before diving into more complex stuff.
Access System Configuration
If a restart didn’t do the trick, you’ll need to jump into the System Configuration tool, aka msconfig. Here’s how to open it:
- Press Windows key + R to open the Run dialog.
- Type
msconfigand hit Enter.
This tool is kind of like your backstage pass for managing how Windows starts up. If you’re having trouble finding it, some savvy users might know to check under “Tools” or “Advanced Startup Options,” but a quick search usually does the trick for most folks.
Navigate to the Boot Tab
Once you’re in System Configuration:
- Click on the Boot tab — it’s usually the last one on the right.
This section shows all the startup options, and guess what? The reason you’re still in Safe Mode is because of the “Safe Boot” option you’ll spot there. That’s the setting you need to change to get your PC out of diagnostics mode.
Disable Safe Boot
Here’s the key part — just uncheck the box that says “Safe Boot.” Done. It’s amazing how one small click can save you hours of grief. If you had Safe Mode with Networking or Command Prompt, make sure those options are unchecked too. After that, click OK to save your changes.
If, for some weird reason, the checkbox is greyed out, you might need to run msconfig as an Administrator:
- Find
msconfigin the Start menu. - Right-click and choose Run as administrator.
This gives you the permissions needed to make those changes.
Restart Your Computer Again
Now, restart your PC again. You can hit the Restart button in the System Configuration window or use the Start menu. If everything goes smoothly, your PC should fire up normally. If not, you can manually shut it down and turn it back on:
- Press Windows key + X, then select Shut down or sign out > Shut down.
- Turn it back on.
Alternative Method via Advanced Startup
If you’re still stuck, there’s another way to get out of Safe Mode using Windows 11’s Advanced Startup. It might come in handy:
- Open Settings using Windows key + I.
- Go to System > Recovery.
- Under Advanced startup, click Restart now.
- After the restart, pick Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Settings.
- Click Restart.
- When the Startup Settings screen comes up, press 4 or F4 to start in normal mode (if you need to go back), or follow the steps to turn Safe Mode off—and make sure to uncheck anything related to Safe Mode in that environment.
Important Note:
Keep an eye on BIOS/UEFI settings that might be forcing your PC into Safe Mode. Sometimes those settings can be a right headache and make Windows always start in Safe Mode, which can drive you mental.
Getting out of Safe Mode shouldn’t be a mystery — it’s mostly about waking your system up from its troubleshooting slumber. If it still won’t shift, there might be deeper hardware or software issues at play. Running Windows updates or doing a system restore could help. Usually, flipping a few settings does the trick and gets you back in action.
Safe Mode is a tool, not a jail cell. Getting out of it should be dead easy; just keep at it if it keeps popping up — nobody wants to get caught in that trap.
- Start with a restart.
- Open System Configuration via Windows key + R and type
msconfig. - Go to the Boot tab.
- Uncheck Safe Boot.
- Hit OK and restart.
Fingers crossed this saves someone a fair few hours!