Safe Mode - Add to Windows Boot Manager in Windows 8

**Brink** · 09-28-2011

How to Add "Safe Mode" to Windows Boot Manager in Windows 8

Information

Safe mode is a troubleshooting option for Windows that starts your computer with a minimal set of drivers and services.

This will show you how to add Windows 8 Safe Mode to Windows Boot Manager to be able to easily select Safe Mode, Windows 8, or another OS at boot to startup in.

You must be logged in as an administrator to be able to do the steps in this tutorial.

Note

If you do not already dual boot Windows 8 with another OS (ex: Windows 7 or Vista) with Windows 8 set as the default OS to run at startup, then adding Safe Mode to the Windows Boot Manager will also give you the Change default or choose other options link as in the example screenshot below to make it easier to boot into the Startup Options menu for more System Recovery Options.

EXAMPLE: Windows 8 Safe Mode added to Windows Boot Manager

OPTION ONE

To Add Windows 8 "Safe Mode" to Windows Boot Manager

1. Open a elevated command prompt or a command prompt at boot.

2. In the command prompt, copy and paste the command below and press Enter. (see screenshot below)

bcdedit /enum /v

3. From under a Windows Boot Loader section, look for the description that has Windows 8 listed (ex: Windows Developer Preview), and make note of it's identifier number (ex: {672baf70-e2b4-11e0-8f18-f57b82248477} ) . (see screenshot above)

4. In the command prompt, type the command below and press Enter. (see screenshot below)
NOTE: Substitute identifier number in the command below with your actual Windows 8 identifier number from step 3.

bcdedit /copy {identifier number} /d “Windows 8 Safe Mode”

For example: I would type this command below exactly for my identifier number {672baf70-e2b4-11e0-8f18-f57b82248477}.

bcdedit /copy {672baf70-e2b4-11e0-8f18-f57b82248477} /d “Windows 8 Safe Mode”

Warning

While you can copy and paste the bcdedit /copy {identifier number} part of the command, you must completely type out the /d “Windows 8 Safe Mode” part of the command or you will get the "A description for the new entry must be specified" error message if you try and copy and paste it. Be sure to backspace and then type out the rest of the command to also leave a space between these parts of the same command.

If it doubt, you can always type out the full command.

5. Open the Charms bar, and click on the Search charm. (see screenshot below)
NOTE: You could also press the Windows+F keys to open Search.

6. Type msconfig in the Search Apps box in the right pane, then click on msconfig.exe in the left pane to open it. (see screenshot below)

7. Click on the Boot tab, verify that Windows 8 Consumer Preview (or the OS you want) is set as the Default OS instead of Windows 8 Safe Mode. Next, select Windows 8 Safe Mode, check the Safe boot box and select (dot) Minimal, have enough seconds (ex: 30) entered under Timeout to be able to have enough time to select a OS at boot, check the Make all boot settings permanent box, and click on OK. (see screenshot below)

Name: CMD-3.jpg
Views: 573
Size: 70.3 KB

8. Click on Yes. (see screenshot below)

Name: CMD-4.jpg
Views: 1236
Size: 41.2 KB

9. Click on Restart. (see screenshot below)

Name: msconfig-3.jpg
Views: 1232
Size: 25.8 KB

10. When the computer restarts, you will see that Windows 8 Safe Mode has been added to the Windows Boot Manager.

OPTION TWO

To Remove Windows 8 "Safe Mode" from Windows Boot Manager

Note

This option will undo OPTION ONE above to remove Windows 8 Safe Mode from the Windows Boot Manager screen, and return you back to what you had before doing OPTION ONE.

1. Open a elevated command prompt or a command prompt at boot.

2. In the command prompt, copy and paste the command below and press Enter. (see screenshot below)

bcdedit /enum /v

3. From under a Windows Boot Loader section, look for the description that has Windows 8 Safe Mode listed, and make note of it's identifier number (ex: {203ca718-e98b-11e0-842d-080027916f7d} ) . (see screenshot above)

4. In the command prompt, type the command below and press Enter. (see screenshot below)
NOTE: Substitute identifier number in the command below with your actual "Windows 8 Safe Mode" identifier number from step 2.

bcdedit /delete {identifier number}

For example: I would type this command below exactly for my identifier number {203ca718-e98b-11e0-842d-080027916f7d}.

bcdedit /delete {203ca718-e98b-11e0-842d-080027916f7d}

5. Close the command prompt. The next time that you restart the computer, you will see that Windows 8 Safe Mode has been removed.

That's it,
Shawn

Related Tutorials

**fdegrove** · 03-04-2012

Hi,

Nice work.

If you don't mind my saying so, if you'd step through steps 1 to 4 from option 1 then you've just done what the title of the tutorial suggests; a new entry is added to W8's boot manager allowing one to pick it from the list of other options.
Mind that I run the CP version and have never ran the DP one so don't take it as a criticism, it's just that I was a bit puzzled as to why anyone would want W8 to default to Safe Mode, that's all.

Best,

**Brink** · 03-04-2012

Hello Fdegrove, and welcome to Eight Forums.

Safe mode is a troubleshooting option for Windows that starts your computer with a minimal set of drivers and services.

The tutorial works for either the Windows 8 CP or DP as is. It's just that the tutorial was written when the DP was released. The screenshots will be updated if anything changes in any future release, or when the final Windows 8 is released. The tutorial doesn't make W8 default to booting into Safe Mode unless you select it to startup to in the Windows Boot Manager screen. If you restart the computer afterwards, you'll have the same choice to boot into W8 or W8 Safe Mode. By default, it boots into W8 though.

In Windows 7 and Vista, you could boot to the Advanced Boot Options screen to be able to select to boot into "Safe Mode" if needed. Windows 8 doesn't have this option, so this tutorial gives it to you in the Windows Boot Manager screen instead to make it even easier to do so.

Hope this helps,

Shawn

**fdegrove** · 03-04-2012

Hi,

Thx for the swift reply and the welcome.
My bad for jumping to conclusions, of course it won't default to Safe mode unless you tell it so in MSConfig....

Anyhow, just goes to show, right....

Cheers,

Frank

**Brink** · 03-04-2012

No worries Frank. You're welcome.

**kizo2703** · 03-06-2012

Seems to me that it doesn't work on the Consumer Preview!

Or, I'm doing something wrong!

**Brink** · 03-06-2012

Hello Kizo,

It works in W8 CP as well. It looks like you copied and pasted the command instead of typing it out. When you copy and past the last /d "Windows 8 Safe Mode" part of the command, it thinks the space is a enter instead and is why you are getting the description error. The commnad must be fully typed out for it to work instead.

**kizo2703** · 03-06-2012

Well ,if You say so. Yes ,I did c/p ,now I'll try typing. Thanks!

**Brink** · 03-06-2012

You're welcome. It's one of those little quirks of copying and pasting in the command prompt.

**kizo2703** · 03-06-2012

F*ck! I've had to type every single letter ,only then it works!!

Similar Threads
Tutorial	Forum
Windows 8 VHD - Create at Boot to Dual Boot with	Tutorials
What will happen to XP mode? Will it live on in Windows 8?	Virtualization
Safe Mode - Start Windows 8 in	Tutorials
Safe Mode in WDP	General Discussion
Task Manager - Show in Summary View (Compact Mode) in Windows 8	Tutorials

Tutorial: Safe Mode - Add to Windows Boot Manager in Windows 8

Tutorial Tools

Published by

Tutorial Tools