Windows 7 - Safe Mode - Add to Windows Boot Manager Screen in Windows 7

Brink

How to Add Windows 7 "Safe Mode" to Windows Boot Manager Screen

Information

This will show you how to add Windows 7 Safe Mode to the Windows Boot Manager to be able to easily select to startup into Safe Mode, Windows 7, or any other installed OS at boot from the Windows Boot Manager screen.

This can be handy to have as another option to be able to start Windows 7 in Safe Mode as needed.

You must be logged in as an administrator to be able to do the steps in this tutorial.

EXAMPLE: "Windows 7 Safe Mode" added to Windows Boot Manager

OPTION ONE

To Add Windows 7 "Safe Mode" to Windows Boot Manager

1. Open a elevated command prompt or a command prompt at boot.

2. In the command prompt, copy and paste the command below and press Enter. (see screenshot below)
bcdedit /enum /v

3. From under a Windows Boot Loader section, look for the description that has Windows 7 listed, and make note of it's identifier number (ex: {21768871-7128-11e0-8405-b8daa94cc134} ) . (see screenshot above)

4. In the command prompt, type the command below and press Enter. (see screenshot below)
NOTE: Substitute identifier number in the command below with your actual Windows 7 identifier number from step 3.
bcdedit /copy {identifier number} /d “Windows 7 Safe Mode”

For example: I would type this command below exactly for my identifier number {21768871-7128-11e0-8405-b8daa94cc134}.

bcdedit /copy {21768871-7128-11e0-8405-b8daa94cc134} /d “Windows 7 Safe Mode”

5. If successfully copied, close the elevated command prompt.
NOTE: If you did this from a command prompt at boot, then restart the computer into Windows 7 instead.

6. Open the Start Menu in Windows 7, type msconfig in the search box, and press Enter.

7. Click on the Boot tab, select Windows 7 Safe Mode, check the Safe boot box and select (dot) Minimal, have enough seconds (ex: 30) entered under Timeout to be able to have enough time to select a OS at boot, check the Make all boot settings permanent box, and click on OK. (see screenshot below)

8. Click on Yes. (see screenshot below)

9. Click on Restart. (see screenshot below)

10. You will now be able to select to startup into Safe Mode, Windows 7, or any other installed OS at boot from the Windows Boot Manager screen.

OPTION TWO

To Remove Windows 7 "Safe Mode" from Windows Boot Manager

1. Boot into Windows 7, and not the Windows 7 Safe Mode option.

2. Using either option in the tutorial below, delete the Windows 7 Safe Mode entry like in the screenshots below.
How to Delete a Operating System Listed in Windows Boot Manager in Windows 7

That's it,
Shawn

Related Tutorials

Infinite · 02-13-2012

Hi Brink, thanks for the tutorial. But I get this error:

Quote:

A description for the new entry must be specified.
Run "bcdedit /?" for command line assistance.
The parameter is incorrect.

Brink · 02-13-2012

Hello Infinite,

It sounds like you may have made a typo or spacing mistake. Could you post a screenshot of your command prompt like in the tutorial showing what you typed in when it gave you this error?

Infinite · 02-13-2012

Here:

Safe Mode - Add to Windows Boot Manager Screen in Windows 7-image.png

Brink · 02-13-2012

Did you type the command out, or did you copy and paste any part of it?

If you copied and pasted it, then that may be the issue when copying a space and it acting as a enter instead of space and not actually using the "Windows 7 Safe Mode" (description) part of the command. Try typing it out completely to see if it may work then.

Infinite · 02-13-2012

OK, I did copy and paste it before Yes. Now it is working, thanks.

However the Boot Manager list order is:

Quote:

Windows 7
Ubuntu
Windows 7 Safe Mode

How can I move Ubuntu below Windows 7 Safe Mode, so the list order is

Quote:

Windows 7
Windows 7 Safe Mode
Ubuntu

Also if I want No GUI Boot, would I just need to select Windows 7 from MSConfig and select No GUI Boot?

Brink · 02-13-2012

That's great news Infinite.

That would be correct for No GUI Boot.

The easiest way to move Ubuntu down one level is to download and install and run the free EasyBCD (registration not required to download) in Windows 7, go to the Edit Boot Menu location in the screenshot below, select (highlight) Ubuntu, click on the Down button, and click on the Save Settings button.

Safe Mode - Add to Windows Boot Manager Screen in Windows 7-easybcd.jpg

Infinite · 02-16-2012

Just a thought, you could try making a tutorial for how to add Safe mode for networking or Safe mode for command prompt to Boot Manager or continue it from this, or perhaps that isn't possible.

Brink · 02-17-2012

Sure, you would do the same thing in this tutorial except check the "Boot option" you wanted instead in step 7 OPTION ONE instead, and change the description at step 4.

I'll add it to the list of tutorials to do though.

Infinite · 02-17-2012

So it would be like this?

bcdedit /copy {identifier number} /d “Windows 7 Safe Mode with Networking”
bcdedit /copy {identifier number} /d “Windows 7 Safe Mode with Command Prompt”

Then you enable permanent boot settings, and if you added all three you would have all 3 options?

Windows 7 - Safe Mode - Add to Windows Boot Manager Screen in Windows 7

Safe Mode - Add to Windows Boot Manager Screen in Windows 7

Safe Mode - Add to Windows Boot Manager Screen in Windows 7 problems?