5 Methods to Open Advanced Startup Menu
🚀 Quick Fix Summary
Feature: Windows Advanced Startup Options / Recovery Environment
Purpose: Access Safe Mode, System Restore, Command Prompt, Startup Repair, UEFI settings, and advanced troubleshooting tools
When You Need It: Windows won't boot normally, system crashes, malware removal, driver issues, boot problems, BIOS access
Methods Available: 5 different ways depending on whether Windows boots or not
Time Required: 2-10 minutes
Difficulty: Beginner to Moderate
The Advanced Startup menu (also called Windows Recovery Environment or WinRE) is Windows 11/10's powerful troubleshooting interface that provides access to critical repair tools, Safe Mode, System Restore, Command Prompt with administrative privileges, Startup Repair, UEFI firmware settings, and system reset options—essential features for diagnosing and fixing problems when Windows won't start normally or experiences critical errors. Users need to access Advanced Startup when Windows crashes repeatedly with Blue Screen of Death errors, gets stuck in boot loops endlessly restarting, won't load past the login screen, experiences driver conflicts preventing normal boot, requires Safe Mode to remove malware or problematic software, needs System Restore to undo recent changes, or when accessing BIOS/UEFI settings proves difficult through normal Windows interface. Unlike older Windows versions (7, XP) that used F8 during boot to access advanced options, Windows 11/10's fast boot times and UEFI firmware make F8 largely ineffective, requiring alternative methods to reach the recovery environment.
The Advanced Startup menu provides crucial tools organized into categories: Troubleshoot section containing System Restore (revert to earlier restore point), System Image Recovery (restore from backup image), Startup Repair (fix boot problems automatically), Command Prompt (manual troubleshooting with diskpart, bootrec, sfc commands), UEFI Firmware Settings (access BIOS), and Startup Settings (Safe Mode options, boot logging, low-resolution mode); Reset this PC option for reinstalling Windows while optionally keeping files; Continue to exit and boot normally; and Turn off your PC for shutdown. Accessing this menu varies depending on whether Windows can boot partially, won't boot at all, or boots normally but you need advanced options proactively. This comprehensive guide provides five proven methods to open Advanced Startup menu across all scenarios: from within working Windows using Settings or Shift+Restart, from login screen using power button tricks, forcing automatic repair through interrupted boots, using Windows installation USB media, or via Command Prompt commands, ensuring you can always reach recovery tools regardless of Windows' state—whether fully functional, partially booting to login, stuck in endless restart loop, or completely unresponsive, giving you the troubleshooting access needed to diagnose and repair virtually any Windows boot or system stability issue.
Understanding Advanced Startup Menu (Windows Recovery Environment)
What is Advanced Startup Menu?
- Official name: Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE)
- Location: Separate partition on hard drive (usually hidden ~500MB recovery partition)
- Purpose: Access repair tools when Windows won't boot normally
- Available on: Windows 11, Windows 10, Windows 8/8.1 (not available on Windows 7/XP which use F8 menu)
What Can You Do in Advanced Startup Menu?
Troubleshoot Options:
- System Restore: Revert Windows to earlier restore point before problems started
- System Image Recovery: Restore complete system from backup image
- Startup Repair: Automatically diagnose and fix boot problems
- Command Prompt: Run advanced commands (bootrec, diskpart, sfc, chkdsk)
- UEFI Firmware Settings: Access BIOS/UEFI configuration
- Startup Settings: Enable Safe Mode, boot logging, debugging, low-resolution mode
- Uninstall Updates: Remove problematic Windows Updates
Reset This PC:
- Keep my files: Reinstall Windows, keep personal files, remove apps
- Remove everything: Fresh Windows installation, wipe all data
When Do You Need Advanced Startup Menu?
- Windows crashes with Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) on startup
- Boot loop—PC restarts endlessly without reaching desktop
- Black screen after login
- Need Safe Mode to remove malware or problematic drivers
- System Restore required to undo recent changes
- Startup Repair needed for boot sector or BCD errors
- Access BIOS/UEFI settings when normal method (Del, F2, F10) doesn't work
- Need Command Prompt with admin rights for manual repairs
- Reset Windows while keeping files (avoiding data loss)
Method 1: From Windows Settings (If Windows Boots)
Easiest method when Windows boots normally and you want to access advanced options proactively.
- Press Windows + I to open Settings
- Click System in left sidebar
- Scroll down, click Recovery
- Under "Recovery options," find Advanced startup
- Click Restart now button
- Confirmation appears: "We'll restart your device so have your work saved"
- Click Restart now to confirm
- PC restarts to blue Advanced Startup menu
- Select Troubleshoot for repair options
Windows 10 Path (Slightly Different):
- Settings → Update & Security → Recovery
- Under "Advanced startup," click Restart now
Method 2: Using Shift + Restart (Quickest Method)
Fast keyboard shortcut method from Start menu, login screen, or lock screen. Works even if Windows partially boots.
From Start Menu or Desktop:
- Click Start button (Windows icon)
- Click Power button (⏻ icon)
- Hold Shift key on keyboard
- While holding Shift, click Restart
- Keep holding Shift until screen changes to blue "Please wait"
- PC restarts to Advanced Startup menu
From Login Screen (If Can't Login):
- At Windows login screen, click Power button (bottom-right corner)
- Hold Shift key
- While holding Shift, click Restart
- PC restarts to Advanced Startup menu
From Lock Screen:
- Press Windows + L to lock screen or wait for auto-lock
- On lock screen, click Power button (bottom-right)
- Hold Shift, click Restart
Why this works: Shift+Restart bypasses normal boot and forces Windows to load recovery environment.
Method 3: Force Automatic Repair (If Windows Won't Boot)
When Windows completely fails to boot, triggering Automatic Repair by interrupting boot 2-3 times forces Advanced Startup menu to appear.
- Turn on computer
- When Windows logo appears (spinning dots below logo), immediately press and hold Power button for 5-10 seconds
- PC forcefully shuts down
- Turn on computer again
- When Windows logo appears, force shutdown again (hold Power button)
- Repeat this process 2-3 times total
- On 3rd or 4th boot attempt, Windows displays "Preparing Automatic Repair"
- Screen shows "Diagnosing your PC"
- Automatic Repair screen appears with two options:
- Restart → Attempt normal boot
- Advanced options → Opens Advanced Startup menu
- Click Advanced options
- You're now in Advanced Startup menu → Click Troubleshoot
Important: Only force shutdown when Windows logo is visible, not during BIOS/motherboard logo. Forcing shutdown at wrong time can cause additional issues.
Alternative: Interrupt Boot During Startup Dots:
- Some systems require interrupting specifically when spinning dots appear below Windows logo
- Timing is critical—too early (during motherboard logo) won't trigger repair
- Too late (after login screen loads) misses window
Method 4: Using Windows Installation USB or Recovery Drive
If Windows won't boot and forced Automatic Repair doesn't work, boot from installation USB to access Advanced Startup menu.
Create Windows Installation USB (If Needed):
- On working computer, download Windows 11 Media Creation Tool or Windows 10
- Run tool, accept license
- Select Create installation media
- Choose USB flash drive (8GB minimum)
- Create bootable USB (15-30 minutes)
Boot from USB and Access Advanced Startup:
- Insert Windows installation USB into problem computer
- Restart computer
- Enter boot menu:
- Immediately press boot key: F12, F11, F8, Esc, or F9 (varies by manufacturer)
- Or enter BIOS (Del, F2, F10), change boot order to USB first
- Select USB drive from boot menu
- Windows Setup loads
- On "Install now" screen, click Repair your computer (bottom-left)
- Advanced Startup menu appears
- Click Troubleshoot for repair options
Create and Use Recovery Drive:
- On working Windows 11/10 PC, search "Create a recovery drive"
- Run Recovery Drive tool
- Check "Back up system files to the recovery drive"
- Select USB drive (16GB recommended)
- Create recovery drive (30-60 minutes)
- Boot from recovery USB same way as installation USB
- Choose keyboard layout → Troubleshoot
Method 5: Using Command Prompt (shutdown /r /o)
Command-line method to restart into Advanced Startup menu. Works from Windows or Command Prompt with admin rights.
- Open Command Prompt as Administrator:
- Press Windows + X → Terminal (Admin) or Command Prompt (Admin)
- Or search "cmd" → Right-click → Run as administrator
- Type:
shutdown /r /o /f /t 0 - Press Enter
- Command explanation:
- /r = Restart
- /o = Open Advanced Startup menu after restart
- /f = Force close running applications
- /t 0 = Timeout 0 seconds (restart immediately)
- PC restarts immediately to Advanced Startup menu
Alternative via Run Dialog:
- Press Windows + R
- Type:
shutdown /r /o /f /t 0 - Click OK
Schedule Restart to Advanced Startup:
- To restart in 60 seconds:
shutdown /r /o /t 60 - Gives time to save work before restart
Navigating Advanced Startup Menu Options
Main Menu Options:
Continue:
- Exit recovery environment and boot normally to Windows
- Use if you accessed menu accidentally
Troubleshoot:
- Primary section for repair tools
- Contains System Restore, Startup Repair, Command Prompt, UEFI settings, and more
Turn off your PC:
- Shut down computer
Inside Troubleshoot Menu:
Reset this PC:
- Keep my files: Reinstall Windows, preserve personal files, remove apps
- Remove everything: Fresh install, wipe all data (use before selling PC)
Advanced options:
- System Restore: Revert to restore point
- Requires existing restore points
- Undoes system changes, keeps personal files
- System Image Recovery: Restore from backup image
- Requires previously created system image
- Restores entire system to backup state
- Startup Repair: Automatically diagnose and fix boot problems
- Fixes BCD errors, boot sector corruption, missing boot files
- Takes 15-30 minutes
- Command Prompt: Advanced troubleshooting
- Run bootrec, diskpart, sfc, chkdsk commands
- Manual repair for experienced users
- UEFI Firmware Settings: Access BIOS/UEFI
- Change boot order, enable/disable Secure Boot, adjust hardware settings
- Only available on UEFI systems (not Legacy BIOS)
- Startup Settings: Advanced boot options
- After clicking, press Restart
- Menu with numbered options appears:
- 4 or F4: Enable Safe Mode
- 5 or F5: Safe Mode with Networking
- 6 or F6: Safe Mode with Command Prompt
- 7 or F7: Disable driver signature enforcement
- 8 or F8: Disable early launch anti-malware protection
- 9 or F9: Disable automatic restart after failure
- Uninstall Updates: Remove recent updates
- Uninstall latest quality update
- Uninstall latest feature update
- Useful if update caused boot problems
Troubleshooting Common Issues
"Advanced Startup" Option Missing in Settings:
Recovery environment may be corrupted or disabled:
- Use Method 2 (Shift+Restart) or Method 5 (shutdown /r /o) instead
- Or repair WinRE:
- Open Command Prompt as Admin
- Check WinRE status:
reagentc /info - If disabled, enable:
reagentc /enable
Forced Shutdown Doesn't Trigger Automatic Repair:
- Try 4-5 interrupted boots instead of 2-3
- Ensure interrupting during Windows logo with spinning dots, not BIOS screen
- Wait 2-3 seconds after logo appears before forcing shutdown
- If still fails, use Method 4 (USB installation media)
Can't Boot from USB:
- Secure Boot enabled: Disable Secure Boot in BIOS for non-Microsoft-signed USB
- Wrong boot order: Enter BIOS, move USB to first boot priority
- USB not bootable: Recreate USB with Media Creation Tool or Rufus
- Fast Boot enabled: Disable Fast Boot in BIOS
Advanced Startup Menu Empty or Missing Options:
- Recovery partition may be deleted—use Method 4 (USB) to access full options
- System Restore unavailable if no restore points exist
- UEFI Firmware Settings only appear on UEFI systems, not Legacy BIOS
Quick Reference: Which Method to Use When
| Scenario | Best Method |
|---|---|
| Windows boots normally, need Safe Mode proactively | Method 1: Settings → Recovery → Restart now |
| Windows boots, quickest access | Method 2: Shift + Restart from Start menu |
| Can reach login screen but can't login | Method 2: Shift + Restart from login screen power button |
| Windows won't boot at all (boot loop, crash) | Method 3: Force Automatic Repair (interrupt boot 2-3 times) |
| Forced repair doesn't work, severe boot failure | Method 4: Boot from Windows installation USB |
| Prefer command-line, want to automate/script | Method 5: Command Prompt: shutdown /r /o |
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Does pressing F8 during boot still work to access Advanced Startup in Windows 11/10?
A: No, F8 is largely ineffective in Windows 11/10 due to fast boot times and UEFI firmware. Microsoft disabled F8 boot menu by default because modern UEFI boot is too fast—Windows initializes before you can press F8. F8 worked in Windows 7/XP with slower Legacy BIOS boot. To enable F8 in Windows 11/10 (not recommended as it slows boot): open Command Prompt as Admin, run bcdedit /set {default} bootmenupolicy legacy, restart. However, this disables fast boot advantages. Better approach: use Shift+Restart (Method 2) or Settings → Recovery (Method 1) which are faster and more reliable. If Windows won't boot, use Method 3 (forced Automatic Repair) or Method 4 (USB installation media) instead of attempting F8.
Q: What's the difference between "Reset this PC" in Advanced Startup vs Settings?
A: Both perform Windows reinstallation but from different environments: Advanced Startup Reset (WinRE): Runs from recovery partition outside main Windows, useful when Windows won't boot or is severely corrupted; uses minimal Windows PE environment; can reset even if main Windows installation damaged. Settings Reset: Runs from within working Windows, requires Windows to boot successfully; uses full Windows environment; faster as it's already running. Functionality identical: Both offer "Keep my files" or "Remove everything," both reinstall Windows fresh, both preserve or wipe data based on choice. When to use which: Use Settings reset if Windows boots normally (faster, more convenient). Use Advanced Startup reset if Windows won't boot, crashes during normal reset, or system is severely corrupted. Advanced Startup version is more thorough as it boots from clean recovery environment.
Q: I'm stuck in Advanced Startup menu loop—every boot goes to this menu instead of Windows. How do I fix it?
A: Boot loop to Advanced Startup indicates Windows can't complete boot, so automatic repair triggers repeatedly: (1) Click Continue (exit to Windows)—may succeed if issue was temporary, (2) Run Startup Repair from Troubleshoot → Advanced options → Startup Repair; automatically fixes boot configuration (15-30 min), (3) If Startup Repair fails, try System Restore (if restore points exist) to revert to working state, (4) Disable automatic repair loop via Command Prompt: Troubleshoot → Advanced options → Command Prompt, run bcdedit /set {default} recoveryenabled no (this stops auto-repair but doesn't fix underlying issue), (5) Check disk for errors: Command Prompt → chkdsk C: /f /r, (6) Rebuild BCD: bootrec /fixmbr, bootrec /fixboot, bootrec /rebuildbcd, (7) Last resort: Reset PC with "Keep my files" to reinstall Windows. If none work, likely hardware failure (hard drive dying) or severe corruption requiring clean install.
Q: Can I create desktop shortcut to restart directly into Advanced Startup menu?
A: Yes, create shutdown command shortcut for quick access: (1) Right-click desktop → New → Shortcut, (2) Type location: shutdown /r /o /f /t 5 (restarts to Advanced Startup in 5 seconds), (3) Click Next, (4) Name it "Advanced Startup" or "Recovery Menu", (5) Click Finish, (6) Optional: Right-click shortcut → Properties → Advanced → Run as administrator (required for shutdown command), (7) Change icon if desired: Properties → Change Icon. Double-clicking shortcut saves 5 seconds, restarts to Advanced Startup. Useful for frequent troubleshooting or IT professionals. Alternative: Pin shutdown /r /o /t 0 to Start for instant access without desktop clutter.
Q: What should I do first once I'm in Advanced Startup menu if Windows won't boot?
A: Systematic troubleshooting order for non-booting Windows: Step 1: Try Continue first—occasionally temporary glitch resolved, Windows may boot normally, (2) Run Startup Repair (Troubleshoot → Advanced options → Startup Repair)—automated tool fixes 70% of boot issues like corrupted BCD, damaged boot sector, missing boot files; takes 15-30 min, (3) If Startup Repair fails or says "couldn't repair," try System Restore to restore point from before problem started (requires existing restore points), (4) If no restore points or restore fails, boot Safe Mode (Troubleshoot → Advanced options → Startup Settings → Restart → press 4 for Safe Mode) to identify if third-party software/driver causing issue; in Safe Mode, uninstall recent programs or roll back drivers, (5) If Safe Mode works, boot normally and run sfc /scannow and DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth to repair system files, (6) If none work, open Command Prompt, run boot repair commands: bootrec /fixmbr, bootrec /fixboot, bootrec /rebuildbcd, (7) Last resort: Reset PC with "Keep my files" to reinstall Windows preserving data. This order maximizes chance of fixing issue with minimal data loss.