Advanced Startup in Windows 11 and 10: Every Way In, a One-Click Shortcut, and What Each Option Fixes

To open Advanced startup in Windows 11 or 10, hold Shift and select Restart from the Start menu's power button, or open Settings > System > Recovery and select Restart now next to Advanced startup. From a command line, run shutdown /r /o /f /t 0. To make a one-click shortcut, create a desktop shortcut with the location shutdown.exe /r /o /f /t 00. The PC restarts into the blue Choose an option screen of the Windows Recovery Environment, where Troubleshoot > Advanced options offers Startup Repair, Startup Settings for Safe Mode, System Restore, Uninstall Updates, Command Prompt and UEFI Firmware Settings. If Windows will not start, it opens these options automatically after two failed starts, or you can boot from Windows installation media and choose Repair your computer. Have your BitLocker recovery key ready, since some tools ask for it.

Ethan's laptop started freezing at the Windows logo after an update. A forum post said to boot into Safe Mode, but pressing F8 did nothing, as it has not on modern PCs for years. Jake held the power button to force two failed starts, and on the third the laptop opened the blue recovery screen by itself. From there, Troubleshoot, Advanced options and Uninstall Updates removed the latest update, and the laptop started normally. Afterward, Jake put a shortcut on Ethan's desktop that restarts straight into the same screen, so next time he would not have to force anything. This page explains every way into Advanced startup, what each option does and how to make the shortcut.

What Advanced startup is

Advanced startup restarts the PC into the Windows Recovery Environment, usually called WinRE, a small separate copy of Windows stored on its own hidden partition. Because it runs outside your normal Windows, it can repair, roll back or reset Windows even when Windows itself will not start or is too broken to fix from inside. It is also where you choose Safe Mode, reach the UEFI firmware settings, or start from a USB drive.

The recovery environment shows a blue screen titled Choose an option, with choices such as Continue, Use a device, Troubleshoot and Turn off your PC. Everything useful for fixing problems is under Troubleshoot. Knowing how to reach this screen, and what each option does, turns many serious-looking problems into a ten-minute fix.

Prepare before anything goes wrong

Recovery goes far more smoothly with a little preparation while the PC works. Save your BitLocker recovery key somewhere you can reach from another device. Turn on System Restore so restore points exist. Keep personal files backed up with File History or cloud storage, so a reset never costs you anything important. Make a recovery drive or a Windows installation USB and label it. Run reagentc /info once to confirm the recovery environment is enabled.

It also helps to visit the recovery screen once, with Shift + Restart, look around, and select Continue to return. Seeing it calmly once makes it far less alarming when it appears unexpectedly after a failed start.

Keep these preparations on a short checklist with your other important documents.

Every way to open Advanced startup

1. Shift + Restart: open Start, select the power button, hold Shift and select Restart. This also works from the power button on the sign-in screen.
2. Settings: open Settings > System > Recovery (Windows 10: Update & Security > Recovery) and select Restart now next to Advanced startup.
3. Command line: run shutdown /r /o /f /t 0 in Command Prompt, Terminal or the Run box.
4. Automatically: if Windows fails to start twice in a row, the third start opens Automatic Repair, then the recovery options.
5. Installation media: boot from a Windows USB drive, choose your language, then select Repair your computer instead of Install now.
6. Recovery drive: boot from a recovery drive you created earlier, which opens the same options.

The first three need a working Windows; the last three work when Windows will not start at all. The old F8 key at startup does not open recovery options on modern PCs, because they start too fast to catch it, which is why these methods replaced it.

Windows 10 and 11 differences

The recovery environment looks and works almost the same in Windows 10 and 11; the main difference is how you reach it from Settings. In Windows 11, the path is Settings > System > Recovery, with Advanced startup and a Restart now button. In Windows 10, it is Settings > Update & Security > Recovery, with the same button under Advanced startup. Shift + Restart and the shutdown command work identically on both.

Windows 11's recovery may include newer features, such as Quick Machine Recovery and an improved Reset this PC with cloud download. Windows 10 PCs on Extended Security Updates keep their recovery tools working, though they no longer gain new features.

Whichever version you use, the recovery tools themselves are the same, so the rest of this guide applies to both.

Make an Advanced startup shortcut

A desktop shortcut restarts the PC straight into Advanced startup with one double-click. Right-click an empty part of the desktop, choose New > Shortcut, and type this as the location: shutdown.exe /r /o /f /t 00. Select Next, name it something clear such as Advanced Startup, and select Finish. The /r switch restarts, /o goes to the advanced boot options, /f closes open apps without asking, and /t 00 sets no delay.

Because /f closes apps without saving, save your work before using the shortcut. You can give it a recognizable icon by right-clicking it, choosing Properties > Change Icon, and picking one from the list. Pin it to Start for quick access. Windows may ask for confirmation through User Account Control on some PCs; that is normal.

When the shortcut is handy

The shortcut earns its place on PCs where you regularly need the recovery environment or BIOS: changing boot order to start from a USB drive, testing Safe Mode while troubleshooting, or helping someone who struggles with the Shift + Restart method. It is also useful on desktops with wireless keyboards, which sometimes do not respond early enough at startup to catch a BIOS key.

For a relative's PC, name the shortcut clearly, such as Repair Options, and explain that it restarts the PC into a blue menu where Continue returns to Windows. That reassurance prevents panic if they double-click it by accident.

Delete the shortcut if you no longer need it.

The Advanced options explained

Options can vary slightly between PCs and Windows versions, and some PC makers add their own recovery tools to the list. Work from the least drastic option to the most: Startup Repair or Uninstall Updates first, System Restore next, and Reset this PC last.

Getting out of recovery

If you opened Advanced startup and want to go back to Windows without changing anything, select Continue on the Choose an option screen, which exits and starts Windows normally. Turn off your PC shuts it down. Nothing in the recovery environment changes your PC until you choose and confirm a repair option, so it is safe to look around.

If the PC keeps returning to the recovery screen every time it starts, Windows is detecting a startup failure each time. Work through the repair options in order; if Continue leads straight back to recovery, Windows cannot start, and Startup Repair or Uninstall Updates is the next step.

Start in Safe Mode

Safe Mode starts Windows with only essential drivers and services, which helps when a driver, program or malware stops normal startup. From Advanced startup, choose Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Settings > Restart. After the restart, a numbered list appears: press 4 or F4 for Safe Mode, 5 or F5 for Safe Mode with Networking, or 6 or F6 for Safe Mode with Command Prompt.

In Safe Mode, uninstall a recently added program or driver, run a malware scan, or roll back a driver in Device Manager. Restart normally to leave Safe Mode. Our guide to booting into Safe Mode covers other ways in and what to do once there.

Low-resolution video mode

Option 3 in Startup Settings, Enable low-resolution video, starts Windows with a basic display mode. It helps when the screen goes black or shows nothing after a graphics driver update, connecting a new monitor, or setting a resolution the screen cannot show. Once Windows starts in low resolution, roll back or update the graphics driver in Device Manager, or set a supported resolution in Display settings, then restart normally.

For a quick test before going to recovery, Windows key + Ctrl + Shift + B restarts the graphics driver from within Windows, which sometimes brings back a black screen without restarting at all.

Low-resolution mode also helps with projectors and older monitors that cannot show the resolution Windows chose.

The Startup Settings list explained

Press F10 on that screen for more options, including returning to the recovery environment, and Enter to start normally. Each choice applies to one startup only; the next restart returns to normal.

Disabling driver signature enforcement

Option 7, Disable driver signature enforcement, lets Windows load drivers that are not digitally signed for one startup. It is occasionally needed for older hardware, specialist equipment or hobby electronics whose makers never signed their drivers. Use it only for drivers from a source you trust, install the driver, and restart normally; enforcement returns on the next startup, and on some PCs the unsigned driver may stop loading.

Unsigned drivers bypass an important protection, since malware often tries to install malicious drivers. If a device needs this every time, look for a signed driver from the maker or consider replacing the device.

Test the device once after installing, then restart normally to confirm it still works with enforcement back on.

Find a failing driver with boot logging

Option 2 in Startup Settings, Enable boot logging, records every driver Windows loads in a file called ntbtlog.txt in the Windows folder. If Windows freezes during startup, start with boot logging, wait for the freeze, then open recovery's Command Prompt and read the file with Notepad. The last driver listed as loaded, or the first listed as not loaded, often points to the culprit.

Once you know the driver, start in Safe Mode and roll it back or uninstall it in Device Manager, or remove the program it belongs to. Graphics, storage and security software drivers are the most common causes of startup freezes.

Boot logging slows startup slightly and keeps adding to the file each time it is enabled, so use it only while troubleshooting.

Uninstall a problem update

When a PC stops starting properly right after Windows Update, Uninstall Updates is often the quickest fix. It offers two choices: Uninstall latest quality update, which removes the most recent monthly update, and Uninstall latest feature update, which returns to the previous Windows version if the upgrade was recent. Choose the one that matches what was installed, sign in with an administrator account if asked, and confirm.

After Windows starts again, pause updates for a week or two while a fix is released, then install updates again. If Windows is working enough to reach Settings, our guide to uninstalling a Windows update shows how to remove a specific update from inside Windows instead.

Going back after a feature update

After a major Windows version upgrade, Windows keeps the previous version for 10 days so you can go back. Within that window, Uninstall latest feature update in recovery, or Settings > System > Recovery > Go back in Windows, returns to the previous version while keeping your files. After 10 days, or after running Disk Cleanup's Windows Update Cleanup, the old files are removed and going back requires a reinstall.

Smaller yearly updates delivered as enablement packages, such as moving from Windows 11 24H2 to 25H2, are installed like ordinary updates and can usually be removed the same way from the update history, and because they change less, problems after them are rarer.

If you think you might want to go back, decide within the 10 days and avoid running cleanup tools that remove the previous version during that time.

Going back keeps personal files but may remove apps installed after the upgrade.

Use System Restore from recovery

System Restore returns Windows system files, drivers, registry settings and installed programs to the state they were in at a restore point, without touching your personal files. From Advanced startup, choose Troubleshoot > Advanced options > System Restore, pick your account and enter its password, then choose a restore point from before the problem began.

It only works if System Restore was turned on and restore points exist; Windows often has it off by default on new PCs. Our guide to creating and using System Restore points explains how to turn it on, which is worth doing now, before you need it.

The order to try fixes

When a PC will not start properly, trying fixes in the right order saves time and avoids losing data. First, let Automatic Repair or Startup Repair run. Second, if the problem followed an update, use Uninstall Updates. Third, try System Restore to a point before the problem. Fourth, start in Safe Mode and remove recently installed drivers or programs. Fifth, check the disk with chkdsk and repair system files. Only then, after backing up files from the Command Prompt if needed, use Reset this PC.

Most problems are solved in the first three steps. Each later step is more involved, and only the last one removes programs, so working down the list keeps the most of your setup intact.

Note what you tried and the results, which helps if you need to ask a repair shop or support team for help later.

Reset this PC from recovery

1. From Choose an option, select Troubleshoot > Reset this PC.
2. Choose Keep my files to remove apps and settings but keep personal files, or Remove everything to start fresh.
3. Choose Cloud download to download a fresh copy of Windows, or Local reinstall to rebuild from files on the PC.
4. Review the summary of what will happen and select Reset.
5. Wait while Windows reinstalls; the PC restarts several times.
6. Set up Windows, then reinstall your apps and restore files from backup if you removed everything.

Cloud download is often more reliable when Windows files are damaged, since it does not depend on them, but it needs a working internet connection and downloads several gigabytes. Keep my files still removes installed programs, so note what you will need to reinstall.

A reset that keeps files still benefits from a backup beforehand, since any reset can fail partway through on a PC with deeper problems.

Command Prompt in recovery

The recovery Command Prompt runs outside Windows, so it can work on files Windows normally has locked. Common uses include running chkdsk C: /f to repair the disk, sfc /scannow /offbootdir=C:\ /offwindir=C:\Windows to repair system files offline, bootrec commands to fix startup records, and copying important files to a USB drive before a reset. Drive letters can differ in recovery, so run dir C: and dir D: to find which letter holds Windows.

These commands are powerful; follow instructions carefully, and if unsure, try Startup Repair or System Restore first. Our guide to repairing Windows files with SFC and DISM explains those tools in more detail.

Check the disk from recovery

Disk errors are a common cause of startup failures, especially after power cuts. From the recovery Command Prompt, run chkdsk C: /f to fix file system errors, replacing C with the Windows drive letter shown in recovery. On a hard drive, chkdsk C: /r also scans for bad sectors, which takes much longer. Let it finish; interrupting chkdsk can make things worse.

If chkdsk finds and fixes errors, restart and see whether Windows starts. If it reports many bad sectors or cannot complete, the drive may be failing; copy important files off first, then replace the drive and reinstall Windows or restore a backup.

SSDs rarely have the bad sectors chkdsk /r looks for, so on an SSD, /f is usually enough and much quicker.

Run it again after a fix to confirm the disk now reports no problems.

Repair startup records

When Windows reports that the boot configuration is missing or corrupt, the startup records may need rebuilding. On UEFI PCs, the usual fix from the recovery Command Prompt is bcdboot C:\Windows, which recreates the startup files on the system partition, replacing C with the letter that holds Windows in recovery. On older Legacy PCs, the bootrec commands are used: bootrec /fixmbr, bootrec /fixboot and bootrec /rebuildbcd.

Try Startup Repair first, since it runs these repairs automatically. Use the commands only if Startup Repair fails and you are comfortable with them, and note any error messages, which are useful if you need help.

If bootrec /fixboot reports access denied, which is common on newer PCs, the bcdboot command is usually the correct fix instead, since modern PCs use UEFI startup.

Copy files off a PC that won't start

If Windows cannot be fixed and you need files before resetting, the recovery Command Prompt can copy them to a USB drive. A friendlier trick is to type notepad in the recovery Command Prompt, then use File > Open in Notepad as a basic file browser: set the file type to All Files, browse to your user folder, and copy files to the USB drive with right-click Copy and Paste.

For large amounts, the robocopy command copies whole folders, for example robocopy C:\Users\Name\Documents E:\Rescue /E, where E is the USB drive. If BitLocker is on, unlock the drive with the recovery key first. Alternatively, remove the drive and connect it to another PC with a USB adapter.

Copy the most important folders first, such as Documents, Pictures and Desktop, in case the PC fails partway through; you can return for the rest if time allows.

When Windows won't start

If Windows fails to start twice in a row, it opens Automatic Repair on the third attempt, shows Preparing Automatic Repair and Diagnosing your PC, and then either fixes the problem or offers Advanced options, which leads to the same recovery screen. You can trigger this deliberately on a PC stuck at the logo: turn it on, and when the Windows logo appears, hold the power button for about ten seconds to turn it off; repeat twice, and on the third start the recovery screen appears.

If even that fails, boot from Windows installation media made on another PC with Microsoft's Media Creation Tool, choose your language and select Repair your computer. If the PC boots to a black screen after an update rather than failing outright, our guide to a black screen after an update covers that case.

Stuck in a restart loop

A PC that restarts over and over without reaching the desktop is in a restart loop, often after an update or driver install. Interrupt it by holding the power button during startup two or three times, which brings up Automatic Repair and the recovery options. From there, Uninstall Updates is the first thing to try if an update was installing, followed by Safe Mode to remove a recent driver.

If the loop shows a blue screen briefly before restarting, choose Startup Settings and option 9, Disable automatic restart after failure, so the blue screen stays visible and you can read its stop code. Our guide to an update stuck or restart loop covers update-related loops in detail.

Write down the stop code shown on any blue screen; it is the most useful clue when searching for a fix or asking for help.

Startup Repair couldn't repair your PC

The message Startup Repair couldn't repair your PC or Automatic Repair couldn't repair your PC means the automatic fix did not find or solve the problem. Startup Repair writes a log at C:\Windows\System32\LogFiles\Srt\SrtTrail.txt, readable from the recovery Command Prompt with Notepad, which often names the cause, such as a damaged driver or disk errors.

From there, try the other options in order: Uninstall Updates if the problem followed an update, System Restore if restore points exist, chkdsk for disk errors, Safe Mode to remove a recently installed driver, and finally Reset this PC. If the log mentions disk read errors, back up files before anything else, since the drive itself may be failing.

Startup Repair can be run more than once; sometimes a second pass fixes what the first could not.

BitLocker and the recovery key

On PCs with BitLocker or device encryption, some recovery tools need the drive to be unlocked first, so Windows asks for the BitLocker recovery key, a 48-digit number. This happens for Command Prompt, System Restore and System Image Recovery, and sometimes when skipping a drive. Without the key, those tools cannot read the drive.

For personal PCs signed in with a Microsoft account, the key is usually saved at the Microsoft account's recovery key page, which you can open on a phone or another PC. Our guide to finding your BitLocker recovery key lists every place it might be, and our page on BitLocker asking for the recovery key covers why it appears after updates. Write the key down or save it somewhere safe before you need it.

Recovery on work and school PCs

On PCs managed by an organization, recovery options may be restricted, and BitLocker recovery keys are usually stored by IT rather than in your personal Microsoft account. If a work PC will not start, contact IT before trying resets, since resetting can remove company software and data or break enrollment. Many organizations can reset or reinstall PCs remotely with tools such as Autopilot reset.

School PCs follow the same pattern. Students and staff should not need to use recovery options themselves; reporting the problem gets the PC repaired in a way that keeps it managed and secure.

Ask IT where your BitLocker key is kept before you travel, in case recovery is needed away from the office.

UEFI Firmware Settings and Use a device

UEFI Firmware Settings, under Troubleshoot > Advanced options, restarts directly into the PC's BIOS setup, without guessing which key to press at startup. Use it to change the boot order, turn on TPM or Secure Boot, or enable virtualization. Our guide to finding your BIOS version and entering setup explains the settings you will find there.

Use a device, on the main Choose an option screen, starts the PC from a USB drive, DVD or network boot without changing BIOS settings, which is handy for installation media or recovery drives. If it does not appear, the PC is in Legacy mode or the device is not detected; use the PC's boot menu key instead.

If the PC uses a firmware password, UEFI Firmware Settings asks for it before opening the setup screens.

PC maker recovery tools

Many PC makers add their own recovery tools alongside Windows'. Dell's SupportAssist OS Recovery, HP's cloud recovery tools and Lenovo's recovery services can diagnose hardware, back up files and reinstall the original factory software, sometimes from the internet without a USB drive. They are usually reached with a key at startup or an extra entry in the recovery options.

These tools are useful when Windows' own recovery partition is damaged, or when you want the PC back exactly as it shipped, including the maker's drivers and apps. Check your PC maker's support site for the key and the steps for your model, ideally before you need them.

Note that factory recovery usually erases everything, restoring the PC to the state it was in when bought, so back up first.

Some makers also let you download a recovery image for your model to a USB drive from another PC, which helps when the PC's own recovery partition has been deleted.

Quick Machine Recovery and automatic fixes

Recent versions of Windows 11 add Quick Machine Recovery, which lets the recovery environment connect to the internet and fetch fixes from Microsoft when a widespread problem stops PCs from starting. It works automatically when enabled, before you need to choose any options, and is especially useful after a bad update or driver affects many PCs at once. Our guide to Quick Machine Recovery in Windows 11 covers how it works and where to turn it on.

Windows also tries Startup Repair automatically when it detects a failed start. These automatic steps fix many problems without any action from you; the manual options on this page are for when they do not.

Automatic fixes keep improving, so keeping Windows updated also improves your chances of recovering from a failure without manual steps.

Check that recovery is working

The recovery environment can be missing or disabled, especially after disk changes or failed updates. To check, open Terminal as administrator and run reagentc /info. The output shows Windows RE status: Enabled and its location when all is well. If it says Disabled, run reagentc /enable. If it cannot be enabled, the recovery partition may be missing or damaged, and a repair install of Windows can restore it.

Some updates have failed because the recovery partition was too small, as happened with an early 2024 Windows 10 update that showed error 0x80070643 on many PCs. Microsoft published steps for resizing the partition, but they involve disk commands; most home users were better served waiting for the later fix. Checking that WinRE is enabled now means it will be there when you need it.

It is worth checking once a year or after major disk changes, such as moving Windows to a new drive, since cloning tools do not always copy the recovery partition correctly.

The recovery partition

The recovery environment lives on a small hidden partition, usually a few hundred megabytes to about a gigabyte, placed after or before the main Windows partition. Disk Management shows it as a Recovery Partition with no drive letter. Do not delete it to save space; without it, Advanced startup and Reset this PC do not work from the PC itself, and you would need a recovery drive or installation media instead.

If you clone Windows to a new SSD, check afterward with reagentc /info that recovery still works, since some cloning tools leave the recovery partition behind or point to the wrong place.

Windows updates sometimes update the recovery environment itself, which is another reason to keep updates current.

Create a recovery drive

A recovery drive is a USB drive that boots into the recovery options when the PC's own recovery environment is damaged or the drive has failed. To make one, search for Create a recovery drive in Start, choose whether to back up system files to it, which allows reinstalling Windows from the drive, and select a USB drive of at least 16 GB, or 32 GB with system files. Everything on the drive is erased.

Label it and keep it somewhere safe. A recovery drive made on one PC works best on that PC, though it can open recovery tools on similar ones. Alternatively, keep a Windows installation USB made with Microsoft's Media Creation Tool, which offers Repair your computer on any PC.

Recreate the recovery drive after major Windows version upgrades, so its tools match the version installed on the PC.

System Image Recovery

System Image Recovery restores a complete copy of your drive, including Windows, programs and files, from a system image backup made earlier. Windows still includes the older Backup and Restore (Windows 7) tool in Control Panel that creates these images, though Microsoft no longer develops it, and many people use third-party imaging software instead. If you have an image, connect the drive holding it and choose System Image Recovery to restore everything at once.

Restoring an image replaces everything on the drive with the image's contents, so files created after the image are lost unless backed up separately. Images are powerful for getting a whole PC back quickly after a drive failure or serious infection; for everyday file protection, File History or cloud backup is simpler.

Test a restore occasionally, or at least check that the image drive can be read, since an image you cannot restore gives false comfort.

Store images on a drive kept apart from the PC.

When the problem is hardware

Recovery tools fix software. If the PC shows signs of hardware failure, such as clicking or grinding from a hard drive, disk errors in Startup Repair's log, repeated crashes in different places, or a PC that will not even show the maker's logo, recovery may not help and could make data harder to rescue. In those cases, prioritize copying important files off, or have a repair shop do it, before trying resets.

Built-in hardware diagnostics, usually started with a key at power-on such as F12 or F2 depending on the maker, test memory and drives. Running them before a reset tells you whether a reset will help or whether a part needs replacing.

Under warranty, a PC that fails hardware diagnostics should go back to the maker rather than being reset repeatedly.

Memory problems in particular cause random startup failures; Windows Memory Diagnostic, found by searching Start, tests memory at the next restart.

What this page said before

The original version of this page, from 2015, explained how to create a shortcut to the Advanced Startup options in Windows 10. The shortcut command still works. This rewrite updates it for Windows 11 and covers every way into the recovery environment, what each option does, Safe Mode, uninstalling updates, System Restore, Command Prompt, BitLocker, Quick Machine Recovery and keeping recovery healthy.

Since 2015, recovery has become more automatic, with Automatic Repair and Quick Machine Recovery handling many failures before you see any menu, but the manual options remain the safety net when automation is not enough.

Advanced startup: frequently asked questions

Ethan's laptop has started normally since the update was removed, and the next month's update, which included a fix, installed without trouble. The Advanced Startup shortcut sits on his desktop next to a note with his BitLocker recovery key's location. He has used it once more, to reach the BIOS setup, and it took ten seconds.

Revision note. Written October 3, 2026, rewriting our 2015 guide to an Advanced Startup shortcut into a complete guide to Windows 11 and 10 recovery options, every way to open them, and what each one fixes. May you rarely need this screen, and find it quickly when you do.