Startup Options Menu Shortcut - Create in Windows 8

How to Create an Advanced Startup Options Shortcut in Windows 8 and 8.1​

   Information

Using advanced startup options, you can start up from a device or disc (ex: USB/DVD), change your PC's firmware settings, change Windows startup settings, or restore Windows from a system image.

This will show how to create or download a shortcut that will allow you to quickly restart Windows 8 or 8.1 and boot directly to the advanced startup options (option two at link) to select various system and troubleshooting options for Windows.

   Tip

If you have more than one OS (ex: Windows 7) installed along with Windows 8, then using this shortcut will make it easier to switch to say Windows 7 from within Windows 8 quickly without having to do the usual full restart, select Windows 7, and the computer restarts fully again to boot into Windows 7.

EXAMPLE: Startup Options Menu for Windows 8 and Windows 8.1
NOTE: You will only see the Use another operating system option if you dual boot Windows 8 with another OS (ex: Windows 7 or Vista) with Windows 8 set as the default OS to run at startup, or added Safe Mode to the Windows Boot Manager. You will have a Use a device option available when you have a DVD inserted or USB connected.

​

​

​

​

OPTION ONE

To Download the "Startup Options Menu" Shortcut

​

1. Click/tap on the Download button below to download the ZIP file below.​

​

Startup_Options_Menu.zip​

​

​

​

2. Save the .zip file to your desktop.​

​

3. Open the .zip file and extract (drag and drop) the Startup Options Menu shortcut to the desktop.​

​

4. For the first time that you run the shortcut, uncheck the Always ask before opening this file box, and click/tap on Open to unblock the shortcut.​

​

5. If you like, you can Pin to Taskbar on desktop, Pin to Start screen, add to Quick Launch, assign a keyboardshortcut to it, or move this shortcut to where you like for easy use.​

​

6. When done, you can delete the downloaded .zip file on the desktop if you like, or save it to use again.​

​

​

OPTION TWO

To Manually Create the "Startup Options Menu" Shortcut

​

1. Right click or press and hold on an empty area on desktop, and click/tap on New and Shortcut.​

​

2. Copy and paste the command below into the location area, and click/tap on the Next button. (see screenshot below)​

​

shutdown.exe /r /o /f /t 00​

​

​

​

3. Type Startup Options Menu for the name, and click/tap on the Finish button. (see screenshot below)​

NOTE: You can name this anything you would like though. ​

​

​

​

4. Right click or press and hold on the new Startup Options Menu shortcut on the Desktop, and click/tap on Properties.​

​

5. Click/tap on the Shortcut tab, then click/tap on the Change Icon button. (see screenshot below)​

​

​

​

6. Click/tap on OK. (see screenshot below)​

​

​

​

7. In the line under "Look for icons in this file", copy and paste the location below and press Enter. (see screenshot below)​

​

%SystemRoot%\System32\recdisc.exe​

​

​

​

8. Select the icon highlighted in blue above, and click/tap on OK. (see screenshot above)​

NOTE: You can use any icon that you would like instead though.​

​

9. Click/tap on OK. (see screenshot below)​

​

​

​

10. If you like, you can Pin to Taskbar on desktop, Pin to Start screen, add to Quick Launch, assign a keyboard shortcut to it, or move this shortcut to where you like for easy use.​

​

That's it,
Shawn

Related Tutorials

---

• How to Boot to Advanced Startup Options in Windows 8 and Windows 8.1
• How to Enable or Disable the New Windows 8 Startup Options Boot Menu
• How to Delete an Operating System Listed in Windows Boot Manager
• How to Boot to "System Recovery Options" in Windows 8 and 8.1
• How to Boot to the Advanced Windows "Startup Settings" in Windows 8 and 8.1
• How to Create a "System Repair Disc" in Windows 8 and 8.1
• How to Create a Recovery USB Flash Drive in Windows 8 and 8.1
• How to Create a Recovery PC settings Shortcut in Windows 8.1
• How to Add a "Power" Cascading Desktop Context Menu in Windows 8 and 8.1
• How to Create a Refresh Windows Shortcut in Windows 8 and 8.1
• How to Boot from a USB Drive within Windows 8 and 8.1
• How to Boot from a USB Drive on Surface

 

[polycue]

Thanks Shawn. Good work as always.

 

[Brink]

You're most welcome Pat. Thank you.

 

[magica]

Thank you, Shawn, for this useful tool. I'm a new win7/8 dual booter, and this is really helpful. (I think it was your equally excellent info in another thread that helped me restore my lost "My Documents" folder in Windows 8!)

Rob

 

[Brink]

You're most welcome Rob. I'm glad it was able to help.

 

[BigFatBoy]

just what I needed; ie, the Advanced Options shortcut...!

after asking w8 to create a USB Recovery Drive I decided to test it before having to use it.
I reconfigured settings in the UEFI to dis-able 'Secure Boot' by *not choosing W8 as the OS but choosing rather "other OS".
The USB Recovery Drive booted as hoped for. I drilled down thru the UEFI Menus (or Options screens) through Troubleshoot and then "Advanced Options". Oddly, all the Advanced Options choices were displayed *except for the Windows Startup Settings Options, which was not displayed.

the shortcut runs C:\Windows\System32\shutdown.exe /r /o /f /t 00.
If I encounter a situation where I needed to boot from outside of W8 using my incomplete USB Recovery Drive, could I run the above shutdown.exe /r /o /f /t / 00 file from a Command Prompt; and if so, would it still take me to the Advanced Options screen..?

thank you

 

[Brink]

Hello BigFatBoy,

The command wouldn't work at boot, but since you are booting from a recovery drive, you would be able to manually select the UEFI option as you did.