- To access Advanced startup (WinRE) on Windows 10, open Settings> Updated & Security> Recovery and click on âRestart.â
- From the Windows 10 desktop, you can also access the recovery tools from the Quick Link menu and Command Prompt.
- To enter Advanced startup from boot, start the computer from USB, click on âNext,â and click on âRepair your computer.â
- If you donât have a USB bootable media, you can use the Automatic Repair feature to access the Advanced startup settings.
On Windows 10, eventually, you will need to troubleshoot or configure specific system settings that you wonât be able to change when the operating system is running. In these scenarios, you can use the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE) â also referred to as âAdvanced startup optionsâ or âWindows Start Settingsâ â to troubleshoot, diagnose, and fix virtually any problem on the device.
WinRE offers many different ways to troubleshoot and fix a computer. Also, because problems can strike from many directions, Windows 10 provides several ways to access these tools.
This guide will teach you five ways to access the Advanced startup options, either when you are still running the operating system or the computer is not starting correctly, to resolve the issue.
- Enter Advanced startup (WinRE) from Settings
- Enter Advanced startup (WinRE) from Quick Link menu
- Enter Advanced startup (WinRE) from Command Prompt
- Enter Advanced startup (WinRE) from Windows 10 setup
- Enter Advanced startup (WinRE) from Automatic Repair
- Manage Advanced startup (WinRE) options on Windows 10
Enter Advanced startup (WinRE) from Settings
To access the Advanced startup options (or Windows Recovery Environment) from Settings, use these steps:
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Open Settings on Windows 10.
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Click on Update & Security.
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Click on Recovery.
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Under the âAdvanced startupâ section, click the Restart button.
Quick note: The Advanced startup option in the Settings app isnât available through a Remote Desktop Connection.
Once you complete the steps, this action will log you out immediately of your current session to access the startup experience.
Enter Advanced startup (WinRE) from Quick Link menu
You can also use the power menu in the Start menu, Task Manager, and Lock screen to enter the Windows Recovery Environment quickly.
Start menu
To use the power menu in the Start menu to access the advanced boot settings on Windows 10, use these steps:
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Open Start.
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Click the Power button.
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Press and hold the Shift key and click the Restart button.
After you complete the steps, the action will trigger Windows 10 to access the Advanced startup menu. You can also use this method in the power menu available in the âPower Userâ menu (Windows key + X).
Task Manager
To use Task Manager to access the Windows Recovery Environment, use these steps:
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Use the âCtrl + Alt + Deleteâ keyboard shortcut to bring up the menu.
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Click the Power button in the bottom-right corner.
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Press and hold the Shift key and click the Restart button.
Once you complete the steps, the computer will log you out from the current session, and Windows 10 will open the Advanced startup options.
Lock screen
To access the Advanced startup options from the Lock screen, use these steps:
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Open Lock screen.
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Access the Sign-in screen.
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Click the Power button in the bottom-right corner.
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Press and hold the Shift key and click the Restart button.
Enter Advanced startup (WinRE) from Command Prompt
To access the Windows Recovery Environment from Command Prompt on Windows 10, use these steps:
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Open Start.
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Search for Command Prompt, right-click the top result, and select the Run as administrator option.
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Type the following command and press Enter:
shutdown /r /o /f /t 00
After you complete the steps, Windows 10 will access the recovery environment.
Enter Advanced startup (WinRE) from Windows 10 setup
If you canât boot Windows 10, you can use a USB flash drive to access the Windows Startup Settings.
Youâll need to create a bootable installation media and then use these steps:
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Start the device with the USB bootable media.
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Click the Next button.
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Click the âRepair your computerâ option in the bottom-left corner.
Once you complete the steps, the Windows Setup will open the Advanced startup settings.
Enter Advanced startup (WinRE) from Automatic Repair
If Windows 10 doesnât start on your device, and you donât have the operating system installation files, then use the steps:
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Press the power button.
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Immediately after the Power-On Self-Test (POST), and you see the blue Windows logo, press the power button again to shut down.
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Repeat steps 1 and 2 twice. In the third restart, the operating system should enter into the Windows Recovery Environment (Windows RE), where many diagnostic tests will be performed to fix any booting issues. However, you will also get an option to access the Windows Startup Settings.
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Select your account, and confirm the password.
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Click the Continue button.
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Click the Advanced startup button to continue.Â
After you complete the steps, Windows 10 will open the Advanced startup environment.
Manage Advanced startup (WinRE) options on Windows 10
While on the first âAdvanced startupâ screen, click the Troubleshoot option. From the âTroubleshootâ page, you will be able to access the Reset this PC feature, which will help you reinstall Windows 10 without losing your files, settings, and apps, or you can also perform a clean install of the operating system.
Advanced Startup, Troubleshoot option
You can access several troubleshooting options in the Advanced options screen, such as âSystem Restore,â to restore your PC to a previously good working condition. You can also access the âSystem Image Recoveryâ tool, which lets you recover Windows 10 settings and programs from a specific full system backup. And you can fix various problems, like bootloader issues that stop the operating system from loading using âStartup Repair.â
Advanced options
In addition, you can also launch the âCommand Promptâ to perform advanced troubleshooting. The âStartup Settingsâ option lets you boot in Safe Mode to repair your device from bad drivers or problems with specific applications. Lastly, you will see an option to uninstall quality or feature updates when theyâre causing problems, and depending on your device, youâll see an option to access the UEFI firmware settings.
While the different methods to access the troubleshooting tools aim to fix Windows 10, you can also use the same instructions to troubleshoot and repair Windows 8.1 problems.
If you use BitLocker, you must turn the security feature off before accessing the Advanced startup options.