How to Access the Boot Menu on Windows 11 and Windows 10 in 2023 | Complete Guide for New Users
Are you curious about how to access the boot menu on Windows 11 and Windows 10? If so, you’re in luck!
I will walk you through the simple steps necessary to get to the boot menu, and show you how to use it to boot your computer into various different modes.
From there, you’ll be able to take advantage of features like Recovery mode and Windows UEFI Boot Manager.
So whether you’re looking to fix a problem or just need to get into some basic settings, this post will have everything you need.
I will cover 7 ways you can access Windows 11 and Windows 10 boot menu and also include a section that covers how you can change the boot order on your PC.
Check them out!
- Use Windows Settings to Access the Boot Menu
- Use the Windows 11/10 Start Menu
- Access the Boot Menu using Windows Quick Links
- Use Command Prompt to Launch Windows Boot Settings
- Restart in Boot Menu with reagentc Command
- Hard Reset Windows
- Use the Original Windows Setup Disk
How to Access the Boot Menu on Windows 11 and Windows 10
Essentially, the steps to launch the boot menu on Windows 11 and Windows 10 are the same and there’s no difference between them.
You can follow these 7 methods to launch the boot menu on Windows 11 and Windows 10.
Method 1 — Use Windows Settings to Access the Boot Menu
One of the easiest ways to start Windows 11/10 in boot mode is to utilize the Recovery settings in the Control Panel. These steps will help you do just that.
- Start by either clicking on the Windows Start button and then tapping on Settings or by clicking on the Search button in the taskbar and then searching for the Settings app.
- Once the Settings app is open on the desktop/laptop, click on System from the left panel and then tap on Recovery from the main page.
- Under Recovery options, click on Advanced startup and then click on Restart Now.
- This will restart the computer and you will be taken directly to the Boot Settings page.
Method 2 — Use the Windows 11/10 Start Menu
Another simple method is to use the Windows start menu and launch the Windows Boot mode. You can do this by:
- Press the Windows key (Start menu) and then click on the Power button situated in the lower right corner of the start menu
- Press and hold the Shift key on your keyboard and simultaneously click on Restart
- The computer will restart by bypassing the regular boot page and will take you to the Advanced startup page.
Method 3 — Access the Boot Menu using Windows Quick Links
Windows quick links provides you with a list of quick options such as device manager, search, run, task manager and more. It also gives you a shutdown/restart option.
- There are two ways to go about launching Windows quick links
- Right click on the Windows key (Start Menu) in the taskbar
- Press the Windows key + X on your keyboard at the same time to launch quick links
- At the bottom of the quick links pop-up, click on Shutdown and Sign out.
- Similar to the steps laid out under Method 3, press and hold the Shift key and then click on Restart to launch the Advanced startup page.
- Here you will be able to access Windows 11/10 boot menu and select whether you’d like to reinstall, restore, troubleshoot or factory reset your computer.
Method 4 — Use Command Prompt to Launch Windows Boot Settings
If you’re a little tech whiz, you can use the command prompt tool on your Windows computer to launch the Windows 11/10 boot menu.
- There are three ways you can launch command prompt on a Windows 11 computer
- Tap on the Search button in the taskbar and type Command Prompt.
- Press the Windows key + R on your keyboard to launch the Run program and then type in cmd and hit Enter
- Press the Windows key + X to open the quick links menu and then select Run from the list of options. Enter cmd and hit Enter.
- From the selection of launch options, tap on Run as Administrator
- Click on Yes in the pop-up box.
- Type out the following command in the CMD prompt box to restart your computer and launch the boot menu.
- Shutdown /r /o /f /t 00
Method 5 — Restart in Boot Menu with reagentc Command
To run the reagentc command on your Windows 11/10 computer, you’d have to run the command in the command prompt tool.
To launch the command prompt in Administrator mode, follow the steps listed under Method 4.
Follow these steps once you’ve opened command prompt on your computer
- In the command prompt window, enter the following command and then click on Enter.
- Reagentc /boottore
- You will now receive an operation successful message in the common prompt windows.
- Proceed to close the command prompt window and restart your computer
- The command you entered will automatically launch the boot menu when you restart your computer.
Method 6 — Hard Reset Windows
While not recommended unless you’re actually facing issues with your operating system such as a drop in performance, a corrupted system, you’re infected with malware or if you’re planning on selling the laptop.
- Press and hold the power button on your computer until the system reboots.
- When your computer restarts and you see the Windows screen (as shown below), follow step 1 again and restart Windows.
- Do this three times. The fourth time that your computer restarts, you will be taken to the boot menu automatically.
The reason why you have to keep restarting Windows in the middle of its boot up is because this tricks the computer into thinking that there’s something wrong with the system and that it has to be repaired.
Method 7 — Use the Original Windows Setup Disk
The final method involves using the Windows 11/10 installation disk or by using a bootable USB drive that has the Windows 11/10 setup file.
You will have to change the boot order first in order to launch the installation page from the USB drive or the setup disk.
How to Change the Boot Order for your Computer
If you’re planning to launch the boot menu by using a bootable USB drive or the Windows 11/10 setup disk, you’d first have to change the boot order for your computer otherwise you will not be able to boot from the connected device or disk.
You will have to launch the BIOS page during the boot process in order to change the boot drive.
- Restart your computer and when the computer turns on, press and hold the F11 key on your keyboard.
- This will take you to the BIOS setup utility page from where you can change the boot drive
- Under the main categories, choose Boot by using the arrow keys on your keyboard.
- Change the boot priority using the up or down arrow keys and then click on Enter to select the appropriate boot drive.
- Press F10 to save the settings and exit the setup utility.
- You will now be able to boot Windows directly from the USB drive or CD, depending on your selection.
Follow the steps below to continue accessing the boot menu using a bootable disk/drive.
Launch Windows 11 or Windows 10 Boot Menu Using a bootable USB drive
- Start by creating a bootable USB drive and copy the Windows 11/10 setup file on it
- Proceed to connect the bootable USB drive to your computer
- Power up your computer and you will be able to see the Windows 11/10 setup page
- Click on Repair your Computer at the bottom of the page
- Your system will now launch the boot menu and you can access the advanced settings option.
Launch Windows 11 Boot Menu Using a Windows 11 or Windows 10 setup disk
- Turn on your computer and open the CD tray.
- Place the Windows 11 bootable disk on the tray and close it
- Restart your computer with the disk in the tray.
- You will be taken to the Windows setup page which is a pop-up window.
- Similar to the USB boot method, click on Repair your Computer at the bottom of the pop-up to launch the advanced settings option.
What Does the Windows Advanced Settings Option and Boot Menu Do?
The Windows Advanced Settings option and Boot Menu are also known as the Recovery Mode or Windows Troubleshooting Mode.
It is a built-in tool that you can use to repair your operating system, change the boot options and more.
You can even use the Boot Menu to reinstall Windows OS or restore your computer to its original state.
Here are some of the functions you can make use of while using the Windows Boot Menu.
- Startup Repair – Windows Startup Repair tool helps diagnose any issues that may occur during the computer’s startup process.
- System Restore – You can utilize the System Restore tool to restore any backup or restore your Windows computer to an earlier restore point.
- Safe Mode Booting – Safe mode booting can be used when you want to boot Windows without any startup apps or third-party software disrupting your diagnosis.
- Command Prompt – You can use command prompt in boot mode if you’re an advanced user and would prefer using command-line troubleshooting.
- System Image Recovery – The System image recovery tool can be used to restore any system backup file you have stored on your computer.
Takeaway
Well there you have it, 7 easy methods how to launch the Boot menu on Windows 11 and Windows 10.
By following these methods, you will be able to troubleshoot any software and hardware issue you might be dealing with.
