Restart straight into Advanced startup (recovery options)

Restart straight into Advanced startup (recovery options) — via Microsoft Learn

Commandlow riskWindows 11Windows 10

Get to the blue Advanced startup menu — Startup Settings, Safe Mode, System Restore, uninstall updates, UEFI settings and Command Prompt — without hammering keys at boot.

Takes effect right away

The easy way

The easy way: Settings → System → Recovery → Advanced startup → Restart now.
Or hold Shift while selecting Restart from the Start menu's power button.

Command

Run in a normal Command Prompt / Terminal window.

shutdown /r /o /t 0

Undo

rem Nothing to undo: it only affects the next restart. Choose "Continue" on the blue menu to boot normally.

/o must be combined with /r. On BitLocker-protected PCs, have your recovery key handy in case some options ask for it.

Sources

shutdown — by Microsoft Learn
BCDEdit /set — Alternatives to BCDEdit (Startup Settings) — by Microsoft Learn

Source reviewed: 2026-11-02
Link checked: 2026-11-02
Tested hands-on: Not by Oddbyte.Me

Oddbyte.Me hasn't tried this on every Windows build, so keep the undo handy.

advanced startuprecoverywinreshift restartshutdown

Sign in automatically with Microsoft's Autologon tool — via Mark Russinovich, Microsoft Sysinternals

Trickhigh riskAdmin

For a kiosk, media PC or test machine that should boot straight to the desktop, Sysinternals Autologon sets up Windows' built-in automatic sign-in and stores the password encrypted, rather than in plain text in the registry as old guides do.

Force the next boots into Safe Mode (and back) — via Microsoft Learn

Commandmedium riskAdmin

When a bad driver or app makes Windows unusable, Safe Mode starts with only basic drivers. You can make Windows keep booting into Safe Mode until you switch it back — the same thing msconfig's Safe boot box does.

Show the sign-in background sharp instead of blurred — via Microsoft Learn

Group Policylow riskAdminPro / Enterprise / Education

Windows blurs ("acrylic") the lock-screen picture behind the sign-in box. This policy shows it clear instead.

Restart straight into Advanced startup (recovery options) — via Microsoft Learn

The easy way

Command

Undo

Sources

More in Sign-in, Boot & Shutdown