If you need to start Windows 8 in Safe Mode, that typically means you’re trying to fix a PC start-up issue. What safe mode means is that it’s booting up with the bare minimum amount of drivers to allow your computer to boot up. That means if you have corrupted drivers, i.e. video drivers, network cards, etc, you’ll still be able to bypass these third-party drivers by loading Safe Mode which provides native or basic drivers instead.
When in your computer via Safe Mode, then you can replace the corrupted drivers with good ones. You can also remove a PC virus or take care of other things you may not be able to if your computer cannot fully boot normally.
You may be used to hitting SHIFT + F8 to get into Safe Mode. That will work for older Windows operating systems, such as Windows XP, 7, and Vista. Guess what, it also works on Windows 8. But, it’s more sensitive meaning you have to hit the keys at the right time of boot-up for it to work.
Here’s how you can start Windows 8 in Safe Mode:
- Restart your computer.
- Hold down SHIFT key.
- While holding down SHIFT key, repeatedly hit the F8 key. Don’t stop until you get the Advanced Options list.
- Select Safe Mode with Networking.
- Enter your computer in Safe Mode.
